I've had people tell me that I need to go to church so that God can be with me. I personally think that church is a waste of time. Not in a bad sense but I think that if I want to pray to God I don't need to go sit with a bunch of strangers every sunday. I can pray for him in the privacy of my own home it's just the same isn't it?
2007-04-23 21:16:02 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Dear Lizard,
One does not have to be in church every week to be saved, but i think not going to church is a reflection of a heart that is not very submitted to God.
The Bible teaches that we need other people to grow spiritually. A danger of just doing everything on your own is that you don't even know if you're teaching yourself wrong things about God. This is the importance of bible study. Also God not only wants us to know him, but he wants us to serve other people- and the church is a place where we can help build God's kingdom.
It seems that if you think of the people at your church as strangers you might need to get to know them a little better- or find another church.
We need to pray to God at church and away from church.
Remember that Jesus gave us the two commandments to love God (and he said the 2nd is like it, love others).
We need time alone with God and yes we can worship him personally like that. But we also need time with the body of Christ- to grow. In fact the Bible says that we need encouragement spiritually and this where our pastors, and brothers and sisters in Christ support us.
Hope that helps. i'll be happy to send you some bible verses or suggest some books that go deeper into this topic.
God doesn't want you to go to church to meet a "requirement" for salvation (remember its free and by grace). But God does encourage and instruct us to meet with other brothers and sisters, to build people up, to grow and the question really shouldn't be: Do i need to go to church to be saved? But really more as a saved person: "What can i do for the Lord?" And one of those things is: "What can i do to build up God's church?"
In the book of Ephesians Jesus makes an analogy where he is the husband and the church is his bride. And although Jesus knows all the imperfections of the church, he says that he washes and purifies it with His word. In other words Jesus knows how imperfect the church can be sometimes (and some of the people in it), but he loves the church and so instead of criticizing or withdrawing from it- he builds it up and purifies it by His Word. We need church to learn the Bible well (and if someone says they can learn the Bible on their own that's true- but the purpose of learning the Bible is to obey it- and you can't study the Bible and not come to the conclusion that God values believers gathering together). Jesus loves the church and if we believe in Him we ought to imitate Jesus.
Kindly,
Nickster
2007-04-23 21:51:25 · answer #1 · answered by Nickster 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Look at going to church this way: God has given us 7 days a week, and 6 days and 23 hours every week is YOURS. God is only asking a FRACTION of your Sunday. Would you also keep that time to yourself?
Think about it.
2007-04-23 21:26:14 · answer #2 · answered by OIO 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
attending church every Sunday is not a prerequisite to being saved. God asked that we believe in our heart, and confess with our mouths that he is Lord and Saviour, and we*ll be saved. For 5 years I worked in a nursing home...and only had one sunday a month off...did God unsave me because my employer required me to work this day? NO>>>> We can*t always attend church as we would like to. God lives in our heart...he is with us every step of every day...he is my nearest, dearest, closest friend, and I talk to him in just that way...is it a prayer? some would call it that...conversing with God in whatever situation, and wherever you may be is what he wants from us. I would encourage you though to give church a honest try...God in his word does say...*Forsake not the assembling together of the believers..* for it is here your faith is nurtured..the other believers encourage, set examples, answer questions, and are an extended family.
2007-04-23 21:43:42 · answer #3 · answered by lonely needing friends 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No of course not but if you don't your basically just messing out on purpose..your loss is all. Your church is your second family...if their strangers then you need to 1 Get more involved in your church or two find a new church.
The Church has been given to us as a gift from God. It is our place of refuge from the evil world that we are living in. I see it as a gas station. Do you have to go to the gas station to own your car? Of course not! You just need the gas from the gas station to drive you car. We do not have to attend Church to have eternal life, we just need it to live the Christian life to the fullest of our potential.
2007-04-23 21:20:06 · answer #4 · answered by † H20andspirit 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You can go to heaven without going to church, but your Christian walk will likely suffer for it.
Christian believers need to have relationships with each other to help each other grow spiritually, and the Bible commands us to "not forsake the assembling together, as is the habit of some..."
Jesus loves the Church so much He compares it to His body. You're still a part of God's body even if you don't go to church, but you're cutting yourself off from the best that God has for you.
"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
Besides, you're only thinking of what you can get out of it. How about also thinking about how you can serve God through it?
2007-04-23 21:33:56 · answer #5 · answered by Rella 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No, Church is not a requirement to be born again (saved). I don't attend a church and I am saved, but I go to a Bible study instead and pray by myself at home.
Religion is the WORST thing that has ever happened to this world; Countless Billions of souls have been doomed to hell by false religion. Learn what the Bible has to say on the matter
2007-04-23 21:25:33 · answer #6 · answered by Dakota Lynn Takes Gun 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I dont know what y'all do but all the kin folk in our town go to church every sunday morning, even uncle Bobby and brother Jimmy has to get up and go to church and momma and gramma have such an awful time getting them up. I recon they are just tired cause they stayed up too late the night before and its cause they never listen to grandaddy when he tells them early to bed and early to rise cause they got chores before church.
2007-04-23 22:11:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nope. You dont have to go to church to be saved. Also, You dont have to go to church to be a christian. You dont have to go to church to pray. O.K. Are we clear on that? Now. ARE you a Christian if you dont do any of those things? Probably not. Got you there, did'nt I? You see the Bible commands us to meet with the rest of the "Body of Christ" regularly. To partisipate in the "Lords Supper, To excercise our spiritual gift for the edifying of the "body". To build each other up in the Faith. To learn Gods Word. To be held accountable (when we sin) and to hold others accountable also. So, if you dont really feel the "need" to do any of this, (as the tone of your question suggests) then dont worry about it. Your not a Christian. The Holy Spirits "job" (one of them) is to convict each of us when we sin. If you dont feel convicted about any of this, then He most likely does not dwell in you, and therefore, you are not a Christian. You dont really think that He is going to "fail" at His job do you? Does this answer seem a bit harsh to you. To an unbeliever (non-christian) it will seem harsh. To a christian, it should be "convicting".....theBerean
2007-04-23 21:32:32 · answer #8 · answered by theBerean 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You can be saved and not go to Church every week. If you say and believe Honestly in the Lord's Prayer then you do not have to go to Church. As long as your faith is strong.
2007-04-23 21:23:52 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
It's one of the ways I keep Holy the sabbath Day.
Cheers :-)
2007-04-23 21:20:57 · answer #10 · answered by chekeir 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋