Monday, November 10, 2008
Session 64: Church Attendance
Church attendance? Do you ever get tired of hearing " where were you last Sunday?" Well, if you have ever missed church, you probably were asked that very question. And... I think it is a good one. Why do we go to church? After all, I can have church in the comfort of my home just as good as you folks down at FBC Screven. Ever heard that? Sunday is God's day. Why should I have to go on Wednesdays anyway? That is a manmade day for church. Usually when we hear these "excuses" about church attendance, this is just the problem on the surface. The problem is much deeper than these excuses. The writer in this weeks lesson points out three reasons why we should attend church. 1. We share a common faith 2. To help and encourage others 3. To strengthen our walk with God. These are three great reasons to attend church. So... when is it wrong to miss church? Is it okay to miss for a family reunion? a late night Christian concert on Saturday night? signing up for overtime knowing I will have to work on Sunday? going on vacation? what about sports? practice is every Wednesday. Is it ok to play when you know this up front that you will have to miss church? What about it? Somebody take the ball and run!
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A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire.
Guessing the reason for his pastor's visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself comfortable but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs.
After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet fascination.
As the one lone ember's flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and "dead as a doornail."
Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting.
Just before the pastor was ready to leave, he picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.
As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said, "Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday."
After working in a prison environment for over 18 years it amazes me how many gang members I've heard say "nobody tells me what to do". Thinking about this lesson reminds me of how many "Christians" basically use that same "excuse", so I ask the question; Are you truly saved and not attending church regularly? I believe that many think that because that they know the "Christmas Story" and the "Easter Story" that they're saved and they don't know what salvation truly requires of us. The Church was established by our Savior and we should desire to be regular participants in His activities.
Now I have a question. If you have a child living in your home, a what age is your child allowed to decide whether or not they attend church.
Wesley
I'm preparing to post, but not ready yet. Just wanted to greet Wesley. Its good hearing from you. What a great question! I was headed in and entirely different direction, but I think this deserves some thought. I'll get back to you.
Wesley,
Mike Stone, Emanuel Baptist, was raised Charismatic. When he quit pre-law and started going to seminary to be a Baptist preacher he came home one weekend to visit. That Sunday as he lay on the floor watching TV his parents were getting ready and leaving for Church. His father stopped at the door and said, "There are a lot of good Baptist churches in this town, you need to get dressed and go find one."
I don't see either of my children, as long as they are in my house, having that choice.
Crystal Gill said ......
I will be posting more later but I wanted to respond to Wesley's question. I believe that if a child is living in your home they should not be allowed to decide whether or not they should go to church. As a parent I think we are responsible for setting a example and teaching our children about church and its importance.
Joyce says....
The Bible tells us that we need to attend church so we can worship God with other believers and be taught His Word for our spiritual growth (Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:25). Church is the place where believers can find love (1 John 4:12), encouragement (Hebrews 3:13), be “spurred” on (Hebrews 10:24), can serve (Galatians 5:13), learn instruction (Romans 15:14), honor (Romans 12:10), kindness and compassion (Ephesians 4:32).
As we previously learned, when a person trusts Jesus Christ for salvation, he or she is made a member of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). For a church body to function properly, all of its "body parts" need to be present (1 Corinthians 12:14-20). Likewise, a believer will never reach full spiritual maturity without the assistance and encouragement of other believers (1 Corinthians 12:21-26).
I believe many people have an improper and/or unbiblical understanding of church attendance. Some people feel that they must attend church legalistically, being at church virtually every time there is any kind of service or meeting. When thinking about church attendance and when it is appropriate to miss church, the most crucial thing to understand is that the quality of a person’s relationship with God is not determined by how many church services are attended, nor are God’s love and acceptance for a Christian based on how many times he/she attends church. Now, with that being said, Christians, followers of Jesus Christ, should attend church. It should be the DESIRE of each and every Christian to worship corporately (Ephesians 5:19-20), to fellowship with and encourage other Christians (1 Thessalonians 5:11), and to be taught God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Attending church should be a joy, not a dreadful and dreary assignment. Just as God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7), so He is pleased with a genuinely cheerful church attendee (Hebrews 10:24-25). Like so many other issues in the Christian life, church attendance can become legalistic instead of a matter of grace. A person does not HAVE to attend church to be saved, to be a good Christian, to grow spiritually, etc. Rather, a Christian SHOULD attend church to learn about the greatness of God’s gift of salvation, to learn how to become more like Christ, and to have opportunities to minister to others. For these reasons, church attendance, participation, and fellowship should be regular aspects of a believer's life. Weekly church attendance is not required for believers, but someone who has trusted Christ should have a DESIRE TO WORSHIP GOD, be taught His Word, and fellowship with other believers. So, I’ll see ya’ll at church!!!!!
P.S... Sorry my posts are so long
Why attend church? Well, Billy already listed, what I agree, are the best reasons to attend. However, my interest this week was peaked, with just why people don’t attend, and what we may consider an acceptable reason to miss. If we were to take the excuses people use for not attending, and apply those to other important areas of our lives, we may discover just how skewed our thinking can be. For example:
10 reasons not to wash
1) I was forced to as a child.
2) People who make soap are just after money.
3) I wash on special occasions, such as, Christmas and Easter.
4) People who wash are hypocrites—They think they’re cleaner than everyone else.
5) There are so many types of soap, I just can’t decide which is best.
6) I used to wash, but got bored with it.
7) None of my friends wash.
8) The bathroom is never warm in the Winter, and never cool in the Summer.
9) I’ll start washing when I’m older, and dirtier.
10) I can’t spare the time.
I can think of several other reasons, but the challenge goes out to you guys. See how many you can add. It is amazing just how many excuses people have. What bugs me is………If attendance isn’t important and/or required, then why do people who believe it’s not important and/or required, offer an excuse anyway? Over the years, Brother Jim Elliot has shared a few other excuses people have used. One man who lived about a half mile from the church Bro. Jim pastored, when invited to church, said that it was to far to walk and to close to drive. Another man Bro. Jim visited said he couldn’t come because he didn’t have any peanut butter. Surprised by this excuse, Bro. Jim asked the man what that had to do with whether or not he came to church. The man said, “nothing, but it’s as good a reason as any other”. Bro. Jim promptly agreed. If you were to ask Bro. Jim what the number one reason people don’t come to church is, he would say the following. “People don’t come to church, because they’ve been before!” Sadly, fellow teachers, he’s probably right. People aren’t attracted to the church because they don’t see a difference in us, and the world. To accurately portray Christ, we must love. That is suppose to be the difference in us and the world.
Now Wesley, to address your question……As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Yes, as long as my offspring live in my house, they will attend church. Thankfully, this has never been a problem for us. My boys never want to miss. However your question does pose many other questions for me, like………Is it OK to miss church: for ball practice?........for vacation?........for a family reunion?............for a holiday?...........for a funeral?...........for a sporting event?............to visit a sick relative?.....Is it OK to miss church to work at, or on the church office?.......Is it OK to miss church to pick up something for Harvest Fest or AWANA or a youth fellowship?.......Are there different standards of attendance for leadership and lay people?.......... Do the same rules apply to missing Sunday school and Wednesday service?.......... Is it OK to miss the Sunday morning or evening sermon, to count money?
Personally, I’m gonna make every effort to be in regular attendance, but I want throw rocks at any of you, if you miss occasionally. Not saying I’m right, I’m just saying……
You guys have my mind churning with all these questions. Wesley, to answer your question, I agree with the rest of the gang. My child, or grown adult child living in my home, will not have a choice as to whether or not to attend church. I know I have not been down this road in life yet but I hope I always stand for the truth and teach my kids the right way. Something interesting happened at work today. Our godly post office union has planned the annual Christmas party for a Sunday night this year. Usually held on Saturday night, they voted to change it. I was asked if I would attend, and... my answer was absolutely not. Think about this: if we don't take a stand now, Sunday will be just another day in the very near future. Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. Sound familiar? I was immediately persecuted. There is nothing wrong with a family reunion, for example, but why is it that they can only be planned on Sunday? What's wrong with Saturday? If the ox is not in the ditch, then we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. I guess on of my biggest pet peeves, if that is spelled correctly, is when people come to church and do other things that should be done at another time. Planning events, having meetings, decorating for showers, ladies night, etc., all of these things are good, but should not be done during church time. Let's keep the "main thing" the main thing. I love activities, eating, even some meetings, but when they keep us from worship, they have taken the place of the main thing. Remember, why do we come to church? Just thinking...
Well to answer Billy's last question, Why do we come to church? Well if I'm hungry then I somewhere that food is available. Since I know that I'm saved, then to get the dessert, I come to Church. My personal time with God is the meal. And isn't dessert supposed to be the best part of the meal. Now that's not to downplay our personal time with God, but to publically worship the One True God, is the chocolate.
Wesley
Thanks alot Wesley! Now I'm starving again. I'm goin to the fridge. Talk to ya'll later
Don't call me legalistic, just follow my train of thought.
The Lord depicts Himself as walking among local assemblies (Revelation 1:12-13, 20), holding their pastors in His right hand (vv. 16, 20). When He left earth He prayed for the Church and gave it Pastors. The Church is the place the Bible says that the Word is preached, the ordinances are observed, and discipline is carried out. Christ loved it and gave Himself for it (Ephesians 5:25). He died for it. Jesus declares in Hebrews that your soul needs watching over. Jesus thinks that if you fall into un-repented sin you need someone to discipline you in order to put your path straight.
So who is it that says "I'm smarter than Jesus, He does not know what is best for me!" If you don't attend church you have an authority issue. You have placed your judgment on the Ekklesia issue over God's You have said His counsel is deficient, mine is superior. You have become a defacto blasphemer whether you intended to or not.
Part of salvation is making Him Lord of your life. If He is not Lord I will assume you are not saved, and will excitingly wait for evidence to the contrary.
P.S. For those whose attendance is sporadic I find them in one of 2 boats. The one above or they are growing in spiritual maturity. If it is the latter you will find other fruit to coincide with Church attendance. I personally don't have a problem with once a year events ie. Family Reunion, Family vacation, etc. The everyday events are the ones that show who is Lord in your life, baseball, beauty pageants, hunting, fishing, work(ooohhh!! bet I get a response from that one.)
Take the Poll! Or give me a better question to Post. Don't be afraid no one can tell how you voted.
Church attendance is a good thing but it is not the end all be all. You can attend church and still be living in sin. I know from personal experience! You can teach Sunday School, sing in the choir or Praise Team, be a deacon, or any other job/role in the church and still be living in sin. So the question should not be whether or not church attendance should be required of your children at home it should do your children see that church attendance is making such a differnce in your life that they want to go because they want what you have.
If your kids see you going to church on Sundays and Wednesdays but you live like the world the other 5 days a week then going to church is just for show. If your kids see you going to church and you practice what is preached then they are more than likely going to want to go beacuse they can see that going to church can make a difference in someone's life.
Of course, seeing their parents doing a daily Bible Study/Quiet Time and living the truths from the Word is necessary as well. If they see one without the other the children see the great disconnect and will not have a desire to go to church, read their Bible, or anything else that has anything to do with the church. There has to be an internalization that the Bible is true, God is real, church is for saints and sinners, and that going to church is something we get to do not something we have to do.
How often do we, who are very active in our church, complain about another meeting or rehearsal in front of our children? I know I do it. Not because I don't enjoy serving God or because I don't enjoy the people I serve with but because I am physically tired or have had a long day and just want to rest. I know that, but my sons don't! All they hear is daddy complaining about "having" to go to church again. That's wrong!
That being said, if my child is living under my roof he is going to church, no questions asked. Both of my boys have been going to church since 9 months before they were born so they don't really know any different or have a choice right now. But, if Jesus tarries and they make it "teenagedom" then I may have to enforce this rule oneday. Until then I'll just keep taking them to church and let them see mommy and daddy being active in a church they love, support, and pray for. Not because we have to, not because we are so important at that church that the church would fall apart if we weren't there, and not for my honor or glory, but because Jesus is Lord of my life and I want to be with His people every opportunity I get because I have the opportunity to minister to and be ministered to by my brothers and sisters in Christ. Together we work and grow in and through Christ to reach our world for Christ. If my children do not see that as the reason we go to church then I have failed my children, my church, and my Lord.
very good blog this week. though questions but to the point.as for my kids yes they will be at church no questions! Joyce long but right on the money. ps.nothing wrong with with long....david
Even when I did not really want to go to church, I went. Like when I came home from college. Or when I graduated and had a job, but was living at home. I was 23 years old and I still went to church with my parents every Sunday morning. Looking back it was partly out of respect for my parents. They never asked me if I was going. It was expected and I knew it.
And I loved them and did not want to disappoint them. (Sometimes I did not go to night service. I would go hang with some friends instead.) I don't plan on asking my kids if they are going either. If I am paying their bills-they are going.
Vickie
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