Can I be a Christian and not go to Church?
- Thread starter stephen
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I have to say yes and no...Yes you can be a Christian and not go to church...however keep in mind that as Christians, we are the church. Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Luke 24:15 - And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
Acts 2:44 - And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
It's vital that, even if you chose not to go to church, that you form a relationship with other Christians, that way you can pray for one another and strengthen each other.
James 5:16 - Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Also, it always helps to have another Christian alongside you in ministry, to give input and correct one another in the Lord.
Mark 6:7 - And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
Luke 24:15 - And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
Acts 2:44 - And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
It's vital that, even if you chose not to go to church, that you form a relationship with other Christians, that way you can pray for one another and strengthen each other.
James 5:16 - Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Also, it always helps to have another Christian alongside you in ministry, to give input and correct one another in the Lord.
Mark 6:7 - And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
SpiritLedEd
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In truth, "church" is not a building. "Church" is a group of Christians who come together regularly for the express purpose of worshipping God and learning about Him.I belong to a wonderful church that meets every weekend in a church facility near where I live.
I guess one could tecnically call himself/herself a Christian after receiving Christ as Lord and Savior without attending services but, wouldn't that be like buying an automobile and refusing to keep sufficient gasoline in it? What's the point?
Relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is an awesome thing. Don't let fear stop you. If you've been going to a church that holds formal, ceremony-based services that make you self-conscious, you may want to find one with a less formal style.
SLE
I guess one could tecnically call himself/herself a Christian after receiving Christ as Lord and Savior without attending services but, wouldn't that be like buying an automobile and refusing to keep sufficient gasoline in it? What's the point?
Relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is an awesome thing. Don't let fear stop you. If you've been going to a church that holds formal, ceremony-based services that make you self-conscious, you may want to find one with a less formal style.
SLE
sle you are right the church is not a building nor is it a denomination.
as far as the question at hand no one has to go to church as we know it today. the bible says do not forsake the assembling. we all need fellowship and brothers and sisters to hold ourselves accountable to. if you choose not to go to church the i suggest that you pray the lord to send you other believers for fellowship and growth.
the word of god states that none of us are orphans therefor we should not orphan ourselves away from other believers. it also says that if we do then we fall weak to temptation and can easily get cought up in sinful things.
as far as the question at hand no one has to go to church as we know it today. the bible says do not forsake the assembling. we all need fellowship and brothers and sisters to hold ourselves accountable to. if you choose not to go to church the i suggest that you pray the lord to send you other believers for fellowship and growth.
the word of god states that none of us are orphans therefor we should not orphan ourselves away from other believers. it also says that if we do then we fall weak to temptation and can easily get cought up in sinful things.
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It's possible to be a Christian without going to church—but you will be missing out on an important part of what God wants to do in your life. Just as we need a balanced diet to be strong physically, so we need a balanced "diet" to be strong spiritually—and part of that "diet" is the Church.
Let me explain. What you have done by accepting Christ into your life is very important—in fact, it's the most important decision you will ever make. But becoming a Christian is only the beginning—the beginning of a whole new life with Christ. Now God wants you to grow and become strong in your faith, so you can resist temptation and become more like Jesus.
One of the ways we grow spiritually is through our fellowship and worship with other believers—in other words, through a church where Christ is honored. Not only do we learn from the Bible as it is taught, but we also learn from other believers who can help and encourage us. The Bible says, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another" (Hebrews 10:25).
Let me explain. What you have done by accepting Christ into your life is very important—in fact, it's the most important decision you will ever make. But becoming a Christian is only the beginning—the beginning of a whole new life with Christ. Now God wants you to grow and become strong in your faith, so you can resist temptation and become more like Jesus.
One of the ways we grow spiritually is through our fellowship and worship with other believers—in other words, through a church where Christ is honored. Not only do we learn from the Bible as it is taught, but we also learn from other believers who can help and encourage us. The Bible says, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another" (Hebrews 10:25).
I was passing but a thought came to me.....
"And God hath set some in the Church, first Apostles, secondarily Prophets, thirdly Teachers, ........"
1 Corinthians:12 : 28
"I do set my bow in the cloud and it shall be for a token of a covenant........Gen:9 :13
The word "set" is interesting because it embraces the thought of an eternal thing. Set (nathan) = Covenant....not to be changed.
One of the great joys of meeting with Gods people in the church, we can enjoy the giftings God has given to His Church, which operate particularly within that company......the ekklesia
"And God hath set some in the Church, first Apostles, secondarily Prophets, thirdly Teachers, ........"
1 Corinthians:12 : 28
"I do set my bow in the cloud and it shall be for a token of a covenant........Gen:9 :13
The word "set" is interesting because it embraces the thought of an eternal thing. Set (nathan) = Covenant....not to be changed.
One of the great joys of meeting with Gods people in the church, we can enjoy the giftings God has given to His Church, which operate particularly within that company......the ekklesia
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SpiritLedEd
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I agree with you Stephen, there is great joy in meeting with God's people. I'm part of the Vineyard movement here in the USA. This past Sunday, our pastor spoke of an incident that had a profound impact on John Wimber, co-founder of the movement, before he came to Christ.
John was quite successful as a music producer, yet there was an emptiness in his life that the things of this world couldn't satisfy. One day on a California beach, a man passed him wearing one of those two-sided signboards, the kind with a message on the front and another on the back. On the front, it said "I'm a fool for Jesus." As the man passed him, John caught the message on the back panel: "Who's fool are you?" It was that message that set John Wimber's heart burning for Jesus.
I would never be inspired by stories like that if I stayed at home and refused to get involved in my church. If I'd only heard that story on radio or TV or read it in a magazine, it would'nt have had near the impact on me as it had last Sunday sitting there among a group of true believers and feeling the excitement of the moment.
SLE
John was quite successful as a music producer, yet there was an emptiness in his life that the things of this world couldn't satisfy. One day on a California beach, a man passed him wearing one of those two-sided signboards, the kind with a message on the front and another on the back. On the front, it said "I'm a fool for Jesus." As the man passed him, John caught the message on the back panel: "Who's fool are you?" It was that message that set John Wimber's heart burning for Jesus.
I would never be inspired by stories like that if I stayed at home and refused to get involved in my church. If I'd only heard that story on radio or TV or read it in a magazine, it would'nt have had near the impact on me as it had last Sunday sitting there among a group of true believers and feeling the excitement of the moment.
SLE
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I believe salvation is not dependent on attendance in a building, however, with that said, the bible does say:
Hebrews 10:3Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Did not want to take it out of context but let you see what He says for yourself.
Brothers and sisters in Christ can truly be a blessing
Hebrews 10:3Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Did not want to take it out of context but let you see what He says for yourself.
Brothers and sisters in Christ can truly be a blessing
lou_lou1345
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i do believe that you can be a christian and not go to church but the fellowship is always helpful cause u communication with those and the the help with stuff at a personal level. but as others have said the church is not the building it is the ppl in it.
lou xxx
lou xxx
Indeed......One can be a Christian and not attend the fellowship of the believers. But it is not the ideal.
O that Western Christians would arise, and attend the worship, the community of believers, the ekklesia.
The Early Church are recorded to have "preached the gospel' in Mark 16
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" "in the temple praising God" Luke 24
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" "continued with prayer...." Acts 1
These scriptures are all in the same time frame, and embraced the Acts of the Apostles prior to and immediately after the ascention of Jesus
What followed were the Acts of God, in signs, wonders, mighty acts and deeds.
faithworks
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Yes I believe you do not have to go to church to be a Christian. The church is not the building anyway we are the church. Church to me is when you go out into the byways and highways with the Gospel.
Yes you need fellowship with like-minded believers, yes stephen oh how I long for a church like the ones in Acts. You are right signs and wonders followed. They met everyday and broke bread ate together wow to have that.
in His service,
debbi
Yes you need fellowship with like-minded believers, yes stephen oh how I long for a church like the ones in Acts. You are right signs and wonders followed. They met everyday and broke bread ate together wow to have that.
in His service,
debbi
