Church Attendance
I have always had a very great respect and interest in the biblically described churches (the Ephesian Church, the Corinthian Church, the Church of Israel in the Wilderness, etc.). The benefit of Saints working together toward a Godly, common goal cannot be overestimated. It will be life-saving during the Tribulation (such that many will physically survive), and it has been the example from the beginning, when Saints gathered for beneficial purposes.
I have also recognized two distinct types of churches. The first is the One Church, being of the Body of Messiah with Yeshua at the head and Israel at the core (even while Israel is in an unsaved condition!). This is described in Ephesians 5:25-32. (The text must be taken literally in order for this to be seen.) The other type of churches are local assemblies, local bodies consisting of Saints (perhaps a few non-saints managing to appear part of these bodies). These local assemblies consist of folks very fervent in Godliness, righteousness, justice, the fear of God, delight in the Word of Truth, active in doing vital good works and in benefiting.
Folks in our present time who approach the Bible literally tend to see mostly contrast between the Bible and what is commonly taught in churches (fundamental, conservative and liberal), hearing a mixture of truth and error. This tends to grieve them, especially as they see obvious, glaring disagreements between sermon contents and biblical teachings.
My purposes for approaching the texts literally do not include convincing folks to abandon their congregations. I desire them to see the good and high standard of the Word of God, and to recognize the difference between truth and error so that they can live according to the Truth. I also desire them to learn the plans of God and to believe them so that their hope will be a right hope rather than an erroneous one. I am persuaded that some can benefit others in their local churches if they know the Truth (but I am also convinced that they can be viewed as troublemakers by some who are more interested in unity than in sound doctrine and practice). Leaving their churches is an act of ultimate protest and often an expression of hurt and frustration. No recourse usually exists for approaching church leadership about unsound doctrine. The only means of protest for some is to leave. The only means of stopping the frustration for others is to leave. Yet I am no advocate of leaving. I am also no advocate of being grieved every Sunday if the Word of God is being left out and the opinions of preachers is the only ‘food’.
The Word of God and the meeting in a congregation or an assembly must always be for benefit. If that meeting is not beneficial, and if one who desires to both benefit and be benefited from that church meeting is unable to find either after attempting to do both, I know of no other recourse except sitting in silence. This is fine if it is an adult. An adult with children, however, has a greater frustration, since children absorb what they hear. A parent can carefully teach children, “This is true!” and “This is false; do not believe that” during a Sunday School meeting or a church service, but that will affect the children also, and will frustrate others who are in attendance. If I knew of a good alternative, I would definitely consider it.
Some will suggest, “Well, nobody is perfect, and no church is perfect; if it were perfect, as soon as you attended, it would no longer be perfect!” That might sound good, but it is avoiding the problem. Others will suggest, “Well, why not just go find a church where the Truth is being taught?” That sounds very reasonable. It is also reasonable to purchase many rolls of pennies looking for that very rare one of great value. Finding a church where only truth is taught isn’t so easy. Our country values opinions, and one person’s ‘truth’ is another person’s error. The Bible cannot be approached that way; it is the absolute Word of God.
The best way to know the identity of Truth is to look directly into the Word of God. Commentators on the Bible are very common, and they hold very different views. Yehovah alone has the right of Biblical interpretation, but He has given understanding to some. The Scriptures are the best interpreters of Scriptures.
Finding a good church requires that one first gets to know the Word of God lest the person first goes to a church and is persuaded of doctrines that are not Biblical! If the purpose of the local church is to benefit in Godliness, righteousness, justice, Grace, etc., no person should be allowed to ‘join’ that congregation (in membership) who does not understand and believe and live according to the Word of God in the first place. Yet this has been reversed as if the local church is some type of assembly of ungodly folks whom pastors are trying to lead to righteousness. That is not a Biblically described local Church that is in ‘Jesus Christ.’
Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Messiah, he is none of His.
The standards of participation in the Body of Christ (and therefore the standards of participation in a Biblical local Church) are very high, very simple, very plain in Scriptures, and very much ignored in modern ‘church’ practice.
Again, I have no investment in anyone leaving any church. I have much investment in individuals becoming part of the Body of Messiah in Truth, and in their living Godly in every way. If folks leave, it isn’t because I recommended it, because I don’t recommend that. It is rather because either they were driven out directly (by being asked to leave) or they were driven out by their consciences because they discerned right from wrong doctrine. Children (and adults) should not be subjected to voluntarily hearkening to erroneous doctrines and to unsubstantiated spiritualized opinions even if they are given by the theologically trained.
If a group of Saints determined to meet together for benefit and learning the Word of God, this would not be considered ‘church.’ It would be considered a ‘home group’ or a ‘home study.’ ‘Church’ must consist of a formal meeting by a theologically trained and ordained minister, according to the views of almost all. This is akin to the Jewish view that a Jew who believes in Jesus is no longer Jewish. What is believed does not make it true in the eyes of the God of the Bible.
‘Church’ attendance is considered vital for ‘Christian fellowship’. The Bible describes fellowship as folks working together, not as socializing together. That working together was often to save lives from physical death. It also was to gather funds for poverty-stricken Saints who were under persecution. Every fellowship form in the Bible was a very serious undertaking, and any socialization occurring was only secondary. The modern view of fellowship strikes no resemblance to Biblically described events that I have seen. I have heard of folks going and building a church building in a poor area, and this is called an act of fellowship. This is closer than all the other usages of which I am aware; they are working together for a common goal.
Church attendance has social consequences not unlike joining the Rotary Club (though some Rotarians are far more serious about their club’s activities and benefits than I have seen in almost every local church). Seriousness about field trips, praying around poles, and Christmas parties can be very great, but seriousness about righteousness is almost non-existent.
If I cannot see benefit occurring in a local church, should I assume that it is of God? Should I take stock of myself because I cannot see it? Does this mean that I have a problem if the local church is not actively gaining a reputation for Good Works and for demonstrations of the faith of God and of the power of God? If the problem with the local church is ‘I’, it is totally without power. If I participate, and I still see no good works or demonstrations of the power of God, and if I desire that, if the problem is because I am participating, the local church is less powerful than my presence, and it is nothing.
The wise person will spend Sunday morning in Kroger; that will be far more profitable.
If you think that your local church is unique, really stressing Biblical righteousness, the fear of Yehovah, the centrality of Israel, the determination that no person will become part of this group without first truly getting to know the Word of God and demonstrating a belief in it unto righteousness, let me know. I would like to communicate with the pastor.