Tag: Faith

“Me and God have church by ourselves”- Do Christians Have to Go to Church?

On By Archie L. GilmerIn Church & Ministry, Faith & Discipleship3 Comments

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:23-25‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Over my time in full-time ministry, I have had many conversations with a number of people about going to church. These conversations centered around many aspects, ranging from availability due to work schedules, physical ability or lack there of, and my favorite being “Me and God do our own thing on Sundays”.

Now, I know that there are many other ways that this conversation goes between the Preacher/Christian and others. The one I am focusing on here is the idea presented about whether person must go to church to be a Christian.

First, let me make it clear that it is a fact that there are people who work on Sunday mornings. It is a fact that there are plenty who cannot physically get out or come to church. It is also a fact that there are countless individuals who would love to be at church on Sunday as well as be involved with what a congregation is doing as a whole!

Let’s put all of those aside for the moment. What I am dealing with here is the idea that a person who would say that they are a Christian and also stands in the position that he or she does not “need” to attend church. That they and God do their own thing and that is good enough.

It would seem that the question at hand then would be, “does a person have to go to church to be a Christian?” To that question, I would say that going to church does not make you a Christian. But that is not the question really, is it?

When a person presents the idea, “me and God do our own thing”, the real issue is being presented in a subtle manner. What this person is really doing is challenging or daring the Preacher or whoever else, to question their salvation based on the fact that they do not go to church. It really is a defense tactic because usually the person is asked if they would like to attend church or the Preacher mentions church.

The core of the problem is that people, church goers as well as non-church goers have a misunderstanding of the purpose of attending church or being a part of the ministry of the church. The church goer sees it as evidence that a person is saved, where the non-church goer sees it as a test of their salvation or belief. This is why this conversation is such a problem in the Kingdom of God today.

The real question that church goers should be asking themselves and others is, “do I/you know Jesus?”. At the same time the real question that non-church goers should be asking themselves is “do I really know Jesus?”. If everyone would focus more on this question, the church attendance conversation would be non-existent.

As was presented at the beginning of this blog post, Hebrews chapter 10 gives us some insight into what this Christian life is to be about. In verses 23-25 we can see that words like “hold fast”, “stimulate one another to love and good deeds”, and “not forsaking our own assembling together”, which draw a picture for the believer and the “Church”.

The picture that is drawn for the believer here is that of community. A picture of people who although are different in many ways, share life together. Just as we can see all throughout the book of Acts, every time the believers shared life together in work, prayer or fellowship, God blessed them and their numbers grew!

God, the creator, does not make mistakes. He has created human beings to need fellowship. He created a mate for Adam because He knew that is is not good for man to be alone. Jesus’ death and resurrection is all about restoring fellowship and unity! I know, many thought is was about God letting people go to heaven as apposed to going to hell. Yes, that is true, but it is a very surface level understanding of the work of the cross. Not to mention a little bit selfish.

The truth is, you and I are offered grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation by the blood of Christ not primarily because we need a Savior. NO! All of that happened so that God would be glorified! Only God could take what is broken and make it whole again! Only God can take the rebellious soul and administer consequences and yet spare the law-breaker!

No, Jesus was born in the flesh, gave His life brutally on a cross, and then God the Father raised Him from death so that all of creation and all the universe would know that He indeed is Lord of it all! Oh, and by the way, because He loves His creation, that’s you and I, we get to experience the blessings that come with His glory and Lordship!

So, maybe it really is a question of salvation. Scripture tells us that those who believe would “Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38-39. This goes together with chapter 17 of the gospel of John. We can read there that Jesus Himself prayed to the Father that the believers would be one with Him as He is with the Father. He prayed for unity in the body of Christ.

All who are genuinely saved are a part of the body of Christ. It is the same Holy Spirit living within each of them. So, when James teaches that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful, I cannot believe that here is a more powerful prayer than that of Jesus our Lord!

Therefore, it would be logical and actually expected that those who are believers, those saved by the blood of Christ, would be united! As we grow spiritually along the way, our desires fade away and the desires of the Holy Spirit begin to be dominant in our hearts. All of this should take us back to our original question. Must a person go to church to be saved?

I will conclude with this answer. A person does not get saved by attending church. That would be a work and we are not saved by works. However, if a person is genuinely “saved” by faith in the blood of Christ through repentance and baptism, and the Spirit of God is living within them, then would we not desire the fellowship of the body of Christ? After all, that was our Lord’s Prayer in chapter 17 of John.

No it is not a sin to work on Sunday. No it is not a sin to miss church service. However, if a person is a true believer, there would be a desire to be a part of the body of Christ. Notice, I still have not said that there should be a desire to go to church on Sunday. That is because there is more to being a part of the church than going to church on Sunday morning.

If a person works on Sunday morning or is unable to physically attend worship service and there is that desire to be a part of the body of Christ, they will find a way. People generally do what they want to do.

Most church congregations hold worship services on Sunday morning. Many have other times of worship such as Sunday evening, Saturday evening, and even on Wednesday evening. So there really is no excuse. After all, that really is all that it is, an excuse. Aside from worship services, there are bible studies, outreach programs, evangelism, and much more that the body of Christ is doing.

So, it really is not about going to church on Sunday morning. It is more about knowing God in such a way that not only allows a person to be reconciled to Him in spite of that person’s rebelliousness against Him, but also to know Him in a way that the person’s desire is to be a part of the body of Christ, the Kingdom of God.

Ultimately, a Christian will have an overwhelming desire to surrender to a life of participation in the body of Christ and glorifying a Holy God!

I pray that we all have the desire to be a part of the body of Christ! Oh, the answer that you might be looking for from me is, NO! No, you cannot be a Christian and not be a part of the body of Christ.

Change is Not Always Better

On By Archie L. GilmerIn Faith & Discipleship, Life & PerseveranceLeave a comment

Today being Tuesday Nov. 06, 2018, it was yesterday that I spent with my wife riding through the dirt roads of the Blue Ridge Mountains in our Jeep. We have two Jeeps at this time. One is fairly newer, 2014 Wrangler, and the other is a bit older, 25 years old to be exact. It is a 1993 model Wrangler. My wife and I both had always dreamed of owning a Jeep wrangle since we both could remember. Now here we are in our mid- 40’s and we have not one but two!

5CA445A4-0112-4069-B980-9544B691868CWhy do any of you care about what my wife and I drive? You probably could not care less. I bring it up because as my wife and I spent the day riding around in our 25-year-old Jeep, we talked about how great it was to ride in the old Jeep. You know, keeping it simple. We love driving around in that Jeep because it is basic, no computers, no special engineering or parts that we could not fix ourselves if needed. Just a Jeep.

I think we like it because it takes us back to a simpler time. When we were growing up, there were no cell phones and computers only existed in the schools and then only in certain class rooms or the library. Cars were bigger and made of metal. Bicycles and big wheels were the big thing. And people actually paid money for the NewsPaper and read it every day. Thank God for that because my Dad being a news paper man, that is how we had food on the table and bills paid.

2F7048CF-32CE-46A1-B4B0-AF45761F413FMake no mistake! My wife and I love our newer Jeep just as much as the older one. I mean, it has air-conditioning, cruise control, cloth seats with carpeted floors. It has a computerized radio system which is Bluetooth capable along with hands fee cell connectivity! Oh yes, it is nice! We sometimes refer to it as our “Sunday go to meetin” Jeep!

What I am getting at is this. Even though they are both Jeeps, they are apples and oranges. The differences between the two after 21 years makes them two different vehicles. One is not better than the other. They are simply different. Both very useful and reliable.

I believe that society has a way of being very innovative over the years. What a blessing that is for everyone. People have been able to live better, work smarter and faster, and not to mention the ability to fight sickness and disease. Each generation has been able to take what the previous generation has done and continue to build on it. I think that is proper and should be expected.

I am not sure if it is my generation, the generation before, or the generation after mine, but it seems that society has been moving past building on what our fathers and grandfathers spent their lives building, to having the mindset that everything needs to be torn down and everything needs to be new.

Please do not miss-understand, I do not mean that I am against new ideas. I am simply saying that there seems to be a growing mindset that “older” folks messed everything up and the “younger” crowd now has this burden to knock it all down and fix it, because they know better or are more right.

I can remember back when I was in my late teens and most of my twenties, how I thought that most of the adults in my life did not understand and that their ways and advise just would not work or apply anymore.

And then one day I turned around and noticed that there was a young man in his teens who looked and acted a lot like me and living in my house. He looked at me and talking to me as if my ways and advise just would not work and that I could not possibly understand the problems of the world.

I suspect that it is nothing new. It is probably a blessing and a curse that follows each generation throughout time. I do get a bit frustrated at the younger generation and how they, not all but some, seem to think that all the old people are fools and have screwed everything up. It seems to me a very arrogant and disrespectful attitude. The problem is that each generation is a product of the generation before it.

As usual, the Christian cannot and should not expect a person who is not a Christian to act a certain way just because the Bible says something about it. However, it is proper to expect the believer to live lives in agreement with the truth in God’s word. Having that said, I want to share a couple of scriptures with you:

“…you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”
‭‭1Peter‬ ‭5:5-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.”
‭‭1Timothy‬ ‭5:1-2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The bottom line for me is that I am part of society. I too am guilty along with the younger crowd as well as being guilty along with the older crowd. This is why we all need Jesus! The real issue for the church is to find ways to love everyone! Older people loving younger people, and younger people loving older people.

If we cannot get this figured out within the church, then we will never be able to go into the world and make disciples. We will simply be participating in and maybe even contribute to the generational division that sometimes seems to stand in the way of being united as people, a nation, families, co-workers, and even the church!

Not too many days ago, I met with some of the people in our church. During that meeting a point was made that when people are looking for a church, most times their decision to stay with a church comes down to children, and music. I suspect that the two are most likely woven together many times. I cannot disagree with that assessment. People do look for churches that have something for children and also look at what kind of music is presented.

Since that meeting, I have pondered that fact. Since then, and while driving my 25-year-old Jeep through the mountains, I have been reminded that every person has a use in the church. It is not something that I had forgotten, I think that I am only making sure that I do not allow myself or others to get so caught up in the “changes” that we may make in the church, that we forsake the elders.

After all, if it were not for the generations of faithful believers that served before me, I would never have heard the gospel and would never have been able to make the decision to submit myself to my Savior! I believe those thoughts are what is important as each church seeks the Lord in making “changes” for the sake of making disciples.

Yes, my wife and I have two Jeeps. Each has it’s own purpose and usefulness in our family dynamics. Both are just as valuable as the other and we would not “change” a thing.

Two pieces of advice that stand out from the “older” generations; first, “do not try to re-invent the wheel”, and second, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

 

 

Faith Beyond the USA

On By Archie L. GilmerIn Culture & Conviction, Faith & DiscipleshipLeave a comment

Each time I write about topics involving the United States of America, I feel it necessary to begin with sort of a disclaimer about myself as a citizen United States of America. I will say that I am a citizen because I happened to be born in Lamar County Alabama.

49C6A344-E574-4A09-8B4C-CF96122B1515Having grown up in the USA, I am proud to be a part of this great nation. Since 1971, I have experienced many freedoms and been allowed many rights that many others do not receive around the world. I love my country and believe I would die for it if need be.

When I write thoughts for this blog, they are intended to be those that offer words from a Christian worldview. Realizing that not all of my fellow citizens hold to the same faith or values, I do not hold anything against those who disagree with me. There are many issues in our world today as well as right here in the USA.

Times, from my perspective, are sometimes scary or concerning in terms of the future. I wonder about my son and his future or his children, should he have any. What will these United States be for them. I am certain that things will not be the way they were for me. Time has a way of changing everything.

Sure, there have always been battles, political, moral, religious, and social. In the middle of it all, I cannot help but think about the fact that their has never been a nation, kingdom which has lasted. What I mean is that all great nations and kingdoms eventually met their end over time. Will that be true for the United States of America?

Not too long ago, I would have adamantly said, NO, it’s not possible! It would never have been possible, in my mind, that the USA would not exist with all it’s greatness and freedoms it affords it’s citizens. And then, 09/11.

It seems that everything changed after the attack on that date, 09/11. Suddenly, there was a glimpse of vulnerability here. Don’t get me wrong, I still think we are a powerful nation and it would take a great force or forces to change that, if even possible without ending the world all together. No, I am much more concerned about “self destruction”.

Many things have happened over the years since the terrorist attacks on 9/11. The latest world event that causes these concerns is the thousands of people who are walking toward the southern border of the United States with the intent to simply walk into this country without regard to any laws or respect for our fellow citizens. All the while waving flags representing their native country.

Whether or not this news event is really happening the way it is being reported or even happening at all, it still causes me to ponder. Without getting into the details about that situation, I will point out that it does create quite a moral dilemma for some. Sparking debates across the nation and even the world.

0DBC5786-9B1B-4F7D-8E0A-F8B96E1A4E50
Photo: Fox News

A person in our church asked me what my thoughts were about what should be done about the matter.

Should the USA protect our border from invasion? Should we consider the people who are in the group which is coming? What is right and what is wrong? The truth is, being an American and a Christian comes with great challenges. Not that Christians from other parts of the world do not have their own challenges.

For the American Christian, it would seem that there is a real moral dilemma at hand. But when pondered on and prayed about, it really is not that difficult to sort through. The USA is my home. What would most people do if people came into their home uninvited? My answer to what I believe is the right thing to do for the American, as well as the Christian can be found in a prior blog post, “Violence and the Kingdom of God”. 

I brought all of this up because I really think it is important for every Christian who is a citizen of the United States of America to think about the possibility that the nation could one day be no more.

God forbid this should ever happen, but the question should be, what does it mean fo the Christian if it does? Will it change your faith? Would your relationship with God be any different? Does your Christianity depend on your citizenship in the USA? Will God be you God with or without these “United” States of America?

The fact is that most people do not think about how the world changes and how it might affect who we are in Christ. Most people go about their day expecting that their world will be the same as it was yesterday, after all, it is what we believe that we “deserve” right?

All the while, there are those in the world that would just as soon destroy this nation along with those who are standing guard against our enemies, here and around the world that keep our freedoms intact.

The reality is this. There are many great people who are what we call decent. Not all are Chrisians by the way. There are also many people who are not nice, rather wicked and evil in fact. People will not be forced into peace! The very thought of that is absurd.

No, if there is to be peace, it must be chosen by all. This is why God does not force anyone to accept His love. Forced love is not love.

”Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” Colossians 3:15 NASB

That scripture reference in Colossians is mainly speaking to the believers and how they are to live at peace with one another. However, Paul gave instruction to those in Rome;

”If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Romans 12:18 NASB

The point being with this entire post is that being a Christian ought to be the first priority. Yes, being a citizen of the United States of America has it’s responsibilities, but the Kingdom of God is greater!

Yet at times, we seem more concerned with protecting this great United States of America than protecting and standing firm in the Kingdom of God. Can we do both? Yes.

Are we doing both? I’ll let you answer that.