Christians, Do you think Sitting in the Pews every sundays and hearing the Pastors speak is considered Church?

Question

Going thru the rituals every sundays the same process and called it having "Church" is the most bewildered concoction ever invented to replace what Paul's teaches when they have church and when they come together what are the proper things and observation they are supposed to do in The presence of God under the Lordship of Christ and being led by the Holy Spirit direction every time they gather ?

Yes, the more enlightened christian know that the Church is not the Building but believers coming together under Christ Lordship to listen and hear from the Head-Jesus made Lord by God after the resurrection. But what we have in reality is not what we perceived to be the truth as we are all gather unto a man standing at the pulpit like a superstars delievering his acts while we sit passsively being entertained if he is a good inspirational speaker and if not - it's a good time to catch up on the sleep !

The Question can also be put in another way?

In a Church gathering according to the New Testament pattern, Why can you find the practice in scripture what we are now presenting practicing. NONE !

When They come togehter everyone participate. Not just the pastor or teacher . Don't believes search the scripture - you'll find what we are practicing in our present day have no scriptural backing . In another words, It's unscriptural !

Answer 1

The Church is everyone who believes in Jesus Christ.
They gather for fellowship and worship with other believers.
While some denominations do have rituals, such as Catholics, not all are as rigid in the ways these meetings are done. House or "cell" churches are gaining popularity and are more along the styles of the early church... having a meal together, a time for worship and Bible study... caring, sharing and praying for one another. The smaller group allows a greater sense of belonging as they reach out to each other and to the needs of their surrounding community.

Christians do not go to "church" just to be in the presence of God. As they abide in Christ and live by His Spirit, they are in His presence 24/7. They gather to encourage one another and to serve God and the needs of others. It provides an outlet to let God's love to flow out and through them. It is in the giving that we receive.They live a dynamic and Spiritual life with the living God, not a religious one.

Answer 2

Church is not made up of the services conducted. Church is the body of people gathered together. A church could be 2 people having a bible study, a handful meeting to pray, or a large group sitting to listen to someone teach. The original church was of believers of all social classes and they would meet to eat together and listen to the teachings of the apostles or a senior member of the group. Its not about the "ritual" of going to a building. It is about spiritual growth. The Holy Ghost given to us all is what binds us together to make the Church a cohesive group. Sunday is just one time when we get together to learn and worship and grow. We have "church" every day when we have devotions or quiet time with God. A true Christian relationship with God is not ritualistic at all but rather like a friendship with a parent. Some religions have made ritual of that time but its not supposed to be. It should be about worship, time reflecting on all God has done for you, reading His word and growing from what you read, and asking forgiveness for your sins. Thats what is "church" is all about.

Answer 3

I don't think being a pew sitter is church. There are so many slothful people who go to church just to say they go. The church is NOT confined to 4 walls. I do go to church. I go to be fed(hear the Word) but I also make sure I am fed through the week on my own. I think it also helps uplift us being around other believers. We are the church not the building we sit in. Jesus said to go into all the world. How are we doing that sitting on our butts? The unbelievers aren't going to come into us we need to go out to them. How many of the ones who find their way through our doors do people turn away because of the way they look, smell, or the lifestyle they live? It drives me crazy if people aren't like us then we can't take the time of day for them. There is a song that pretty much sums up most of the churches today. It's "My Jesus" by Todd Agnew.

Answer 4

I really do understand what you are saying, and that you want a more Biblical meeting time. The reality is that you most likely are not going to find that anymore. The closest thing I ever went to was a Narcotics Anonymous meeting. lol
What I've done, is realize what I told you in another answer regarding the Bible. I decided that if the Bible is not complete due to human error, then it was time to learn more about other religions who worship the same God I do, but with a different word than God to describe God. So I studied, whatever hit my heart as true and from God, thanks to the Holy Spirit, I kept in my own beliefs, the rest I discarded. I did not do this alone, I repeat, I did it with the divination of the Holy Spirit. From this I enced up with a spirituality i will defent to the death. I love God more than ever, and what I've studied has filled the holes left from my study as a Christian alone. idk about you, but it is really good to me.
There's never enough room for me to explain myself. But...just think about it.

Blessed Be and may Peace be with you {{{{{hugs}}}}}

Answer 5

in corinthians it talks about God's temple(1corinthians 6:19)
"do u not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you..." I. am the church of God. and so are those who have the Holy Spirit in them. at my congrigation i get fed thru fellowship, the word,and encouragement from other believers. i think church is what each person is wanting to get from it. i think if your not feeling led by the spirit where your at, maybe the church your at is not where your suppose to be. maybe

Answer 6

For once in my life I have found somebody that thinks like me.

I don't see the necessity for going to Church, Sunday after Sunday, and there is no works in your life. Get to know so much knowledge that you are earthly no good. When a person ask such a person "how are you" the answer comes out like "O' bless the Lord sister, I am blessed" Meanwhile back at the range they are miserable, there has not been growth for the past year in their lives, no trials and tribulation, but boy, they never miss a sermon.

Today Pastor's are building empires, they are preaching on stage as rich celebrities whilst the majority of the congrigation lives in poverty. How much is to many cars? whilst there is people in the congregation without any?

Who is the Church and what does going to Church means? Think about the Dead Sea, there is an inlet, but no outlet and nothing lives in the Dead Sea. So it is with a person that goes to Church Sunday after Sunday but there is no works.

Let us look at what the Bible says about the Church as described in the book of Acts

Acts 2:
42
They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.
43
Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
44
All who believed were together and had all things in common;
45
they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one's need.
46
Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart,
47
praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Did you notice that nobody lack anything and tell me what is happening today in the Churhes? The Churches are getting so large and posch and what about the Pastors, they get treated like celebrities.

I don't go to Church (the building) for the Lord says clearing in the Bible that we are the Church. He also says clearly that we should not forsake the assemblies and gathering of the saints that does make the Church Holy. It is just that when you are alone you are like a singley fire but when you are with the Church (the people in the Church Building) that your faith is strengthen but if somebody out here in the world needs you, you cannot say to them, "sorry I have to attend another sermon I can't help you" What is this, Get busy with the work of your Father for Jesus was busy with the work of His Father. Let us just go back to the life of Christ as a young man. His earthly father was a carpentor and He, was one too. So, if Jesus did everything His earthly father did, He then later did everything His Heavenly Father did and told him to do. When Lazaris was dying, Jesus did not say, please leave me, I have to go the the church, He said I will be coming. What is happening today in the Churlch.
Haggai 1
A Call to Build the House of the LORD
1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua [a] son of Jehozadak, the high priest:
2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "These people say, 'The time has not yet come for the LORD's house to be built.' "

3 Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 4 "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"

5 Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."

7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. 9 "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands."

12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD.

13 Then Haggai, the LORD's messenger, gave this message of the LORD to the people: "I am with you," declares the LORD. 14 So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius.

Are we building God's House or our own House?
Think about it?

Answer 7

It is better to worship on the Sabbath, have fellowship and bible study before the worship service...and fellowship with pot luck after...it is a day long family gathering of God's family...

Answer 8

It is church, but not religion. To live a religion you must put its teachings into practice.

Answer 9

the church ritual is also designed for fellowship

Answer 10

no....i am the church.
good point though!
god bless you always!!