What is the role of the church for a Christian?

[Edwin]

Many people do not see the importance of attending church. Some people only attend sporatically, and some not at all. We have all heard people say, "I don't have to attend church to be a Christian." It may be true that you can be a Christian without attending church, but all Christians need the fellowship of other believers. Christians lift each other up and provide encouragement to each other as they are in church together. In heaven we are all going to sing praises to the Lord together, and it is good to do it here in the church. It is easy to fall away from God when not fellowshipping with other believers. The book of Hebrews has a lot to say about keeping up with the Christian walk, and not forgetting to serve God. Hebrews 10:25;"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

It is important to encourage each other in church to serve God. There is a comfort in meeting with other fellow believers. Worshipping God together is important when we lift our voices singing to the Lord together. Also it is good to pray together, when we bring our prayer requests before God, and have help from other believers praying for them. We get good teaching in church that helps us walk according to God's laws. We can encourage each other in the Christian walk as we are in church together. Attending church also helps us be accountable to God and to each other. As Christians we can help keep each other in line, and serving God with our whole hearts. We do need each other. Our daughter who has had a lot of trouble, and God delivered her from a lot of her troubles, is now attending church with us, and talking about praying. She would call us when she was having trouble and ask us to pray for her, and we did. Just a couple of Sundays ago she was with us in church, and she took communion with no encouragement from anyone; I was very happy to see her partake in the communion as it is one more sign for us that God is leading her. I know church is helping her, and we are encouraging her by going by where she lives, and picking up her and her daughter to go to church with us, and I know it is helping both of them. When you are in church you can feel like someone cares for you. God cares, and other praying and Bible believing Christians care also. It is good to go to church!

[wantingmore]

It isn't good just to listen to the sermon over the television? What is the difference?

[carina]

Many people do not see the importance of attending church. Some people only attend sporatically, and some not at all. We have all heard people say, "I don't have to attend church to be a Christian." It may be true that you can be a Christian without attending church, but all Christians need the fellowship of other believers. Christians lift each other up and provide encouragement to each other as they are in church together. In heaven we are all going to sing praises to the Lord together, and it is good to do it here in the church. It is easy to fall away from God when not fellowshipping with other believers. The book of Hebrews has a lot to say about keeping up with the Christian walk, and not forgetting to serve God. Hebrews 10:25;"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

It is important to encourage each other in church to serve God. There is a comfort in meeting with other fellow believers. Worshipping God together is important when we lift our voices singing to the Lord together. Also it is good to pray together, when we bring our prayer requests before God, and have help from other believers praying for them. We get good teaching in church that helps us walk according to God's laws. We can encourage each other in the Christian walk as we are in church together. Attending church also helps us be accountable to God and to each other. As Christians we can help keep each other in line, and serving God with our whole hearts. We do need each other. Our daughter who has had a lot of trouble, and God delivered her from a lot of her troubles, is now attending church with us, and talking about praying. She would call us when she was having trouble and ask us to pray for her, and we did. Just a couple of Sundays ago she was with us in church, and she took communion with no encouragement from anyone; I was very happy to see her partake in the communion as it is one more sign for us that God is leading her. I know church is helping her, and we are encouraging her by going by where she lives, and picking up her and her daughter to go to church with us, and I know it is helping both of them. When you are in church you can feel like someone cares for you. God cares, and other praying and Bible believing Christians care also. It is good to go to church!

Can a Christian survive apart from a church? Some Christians have no choice. They are trapped in a hospital bed, or working in an isolated area where no church exists. And God is certainly sufficient to care for their needs. You can still get to heaven if you can't go to church.

But even though it's technically possible to live the Christian life in isolation, it's certainly not the norm.

When you become a Christian, you are called into a relationship with God (1 Corinthians 1:9). But I John 1:3 makes it clear that we enter a fellowship that goes two ways: with God and with other Christians.

The New Testament never divides Christians into the church members and the non-church members. All the way through, it assumes that everybody participates in their local assembly. It gives no samples of Christians who belong to the “universal church” but have no link with a local church. One scholar has said that "any idea...of enjoying salvation or being a Christian in isolation is foreign to the New Testament writings" (Alan Stibbs, God's Church, p. 92). Wherever Christians are within range of each other in the New Testament, they meet. Every time the apostle Paul comes to a town in the book of Acts where there are no Christians, he wins a few converts and immediately organizes them into a small group - a little church.

Acts 20:7 reveals the practice of the early church: "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them." For Christians in every location, regular gathering was a part of life.

It's illogical to say that you are merely part of the worldwide, universal church, yet refuse to gather with the segment of that universal church that exists in your geographical area. It would be like claiming you have a car, when the right fender is in Phoenix, the engine is in Tucson, and the wheels are in Paradise Valley! You don't have a car; you have the beginning of the inventory for a junkyard. It just won't function until the pieces are put together.

The church must be together to carry out many of its purposes.

Here are some irreplaceable pieces of the Christian that cannot happen when you live in isolation from the church:

USE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS - I Corinthians 12 makes it clear that God has given spiritual gifts to every Christian. And verse 7 states unmistakably that these abilities are not provided to make you feel good; they are abilities to minister that should be used for the common good! I Peter 4:10 commands us to use spiritual gifts to help each other.

The same passage makes it clear that we meet with other Christians so they can use their gifts to strengthen us. God's gift of a preacher or teacher is wasted if no one comes to hear them speak.

MUTUAL MINISTRY - The church is pictured as a body in I Corinthians 12, and Paul explains that each part of the body exists to meet the needs of other body parts. In the same way, God intends each of us to meet the needs of other believers, using our strengths to help in their areas of weakness. I Corinthians 12:21 expresses it this way: "The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you." Neither can a Christian claim to be self-sufficient today.

The New Testament is full of “one another” commands. We are to comfort one another (I Thessalonians 4:18), build up one another (I Thessalonians 5:11), confess our sins to one another (James 5:16), pray for one another (James 5:16), and many more. How can we obey these directives if we stay away from the gathering of believers?

ACCOUNTABILITY - God designed the church as a place where spiritual leaders could watch out for our welfare, as a shepherd guards the sheep (I Peter 5:1-4; Hebrews 13:17). A Christian who answers only to himself can easily rationalize sinful attitudes or actions; regular contact with other Christians can keep us sharp.

A single verse should actually be sufficient answer for this question: Hebrews 10:25 warns its readers against “forsaking the assembly of yourselves together, as the manner of some is.”

Author: Dr. John Bechtle.

[fenmoor]

While watching sermons on the net or tv etc... can be a good SUPPLEMENT to what your local church should be giving you, it is not a replacement. With a local body of believers you have a group of people that will hold you accountable for your walk and exhort you to service. The fellowship isn't bad either.

Besides it is pretty simple... if you are a Christian, your LORD has commanded you not to forsake the gathering os the saints... that should be enough for any true Christian.

Bill

[Smiley]

For most of my life, I considered myself to be an atheist. I honestly believed it. For the last couple of years I know for a fact that I am not.
I had an experience that I will not get into now that changed my way of thinking forever.
I have been actively learning through reading the bible and Christian literature.The answers are all there just sometimes it can be a challenge to determine exactly what the question should be.
I have started attending church,I don`t go every week,and I have yet to commit to just one at this point.When I find the right one I trust that it will be apparent that it is the right one.I think that church is important,I also think that it is important to not get caught up in church politics.
Church is much more than a social gathering and simple attendance will not do much for you.To gain in spirit you have to give in spirit.To simply partake in a ritual will gain you nothing.

[red]

Church role for me is important. We go to church every Sunday because we honor that as the Lord's day. It is where we fellowship with other Christians to worship the Lord, share emotions, encouraging, and help those who are in trouble, praying for one another. It is best to seek comfort and share your problems to church than to seek comfort to non-believers. Church is the best place to meditate. It revives Christian's faith. Personally, I feel low in spirit if I can't fellowship in a week.

[crisipicada]

Church role for me is important. We go to church every Sunday because we honor that as the Lord's day. It is where we fellowship with other Christians to worship the Lord, share emotions, encouraging, and help those who are in trouble, praying for one another. It is best to seek comfort and share your problems to church than to seek comfort to non-believers. Church is the best place to meditate. It revives Christian's faith. Personally, I feel low in spirit if I can't fellowship in a week.

I am so happy to go to church as it is the way to fellowship with other christian. One of the basis how we are spiritually mature is about how we are so much love our brethren. It is good to know how are they and share what life has been for the past weeks. Also, I can learn so much from the preacher as what God has impress to him to teach the people at church. It is very much important to cleanse our hearts and mind and prepare and be in tune with God as we go to church.

[Edwin]

The Psalmist David, said in Psalms 122:1; "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. 2; Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem." The house is compact. They go to the house of the Lord to give thanks unto the name of the Lord. The thrones of judgment, thrones of the house of David are there. In church we pray for peace; peace for the city, peace for the country, peace for our families, and peace for us as individuals. The ones who love the house of God will prosper. Peace and prosperity is God's will for us. Not that we will get rich, and have lots of things, but that we will be rich towards God. A man's value does not consist of the abundance of things he possesses. Some are rich in this world, but they are poor towards God. They blind, poor, and naked, and they need to buy from God. David says "for my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee." 9;"Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good."

We can always be glad when anyone says, "let's go to the house of the Lord." There is nothing to take the place of God's house, and we need to be in attendance there. There is comfort, and we get a lift from being in church with other believers. I is always a happy time to be in church. As Red, said, the week is just not the same if we miss church.

We have been in church attendance all our lives. Carol and I were born when our parents were attending the same church in the same town. We actually saw each other frequently while growing up, but we really didn't know each other until after our 3 week romance, afterwhich we got married. Carol and I were both dedicated to the Lord as babies in the same church, 4 years apart of course, as Carol is 4 years older than I am. Our family moved to a different town, but Carol and I still saw each other periodically at meetings when all the churches got together. Then we moved back to this Indian Reservation, but a quite a few miles, 20 or so west of here, and then we went to a different church in another town. I became a minister, and was involved in pastoral ministry for many years.

[Edwin]

Problems developed in the church we were attending, so we started attending the Free Methodist church, which is a good church. That was probably about 20 years ago. Then we moved to a place at the head of a lake with only access by airplane or boat. We were there for 10 years, and we started a little church group there. There were many times that we were not able to attend because of work schedules there. Then we moved back to this Indian Reservation again. We are about 20 miles from town. My great grandfather donated this property to the school district, and they had school here for many years. My mother, aunts, and neighbors attended here. They also held Assembly of God church services in that school house at the same time, and even after they moved the kids to have school somewhere else, consolidation. When Carol and I returned we held Bible Studies with our kids here as they were not attending church at the time, and still are not. They seem not to understand the need. We had bitter conflicts arise between us an our kids, so that ended the Bible Studies. After that all we had was some spiritual Biblical studies that I was writing, and my playing hymns on the piano. We were doing the Bible studies for about 2 years. The trouble started with our son-in-law getting offended after he mistreated a little dog, and Carol told him what she thought, and, can you believe this, I yelled at him! Anyway he would not meet with us any longer. Then it was not long after that, that our daughter got angry with us over some little things, like my dog peeing on the snow banks! Does it sound like the devil was at work; you better believe it. Well, things are much better now, but we went through hard times for about a year, and we almost had to move away from here even though we own the home we live in! One day Carol said, "I want to go to church!" So down the hill we went to attend where we had started going about 20 years ago, and we have been attending since, and we are not sorry. Things are much better between us and our kids, except that our twins are angry at their youngest sister, and we are caught in the middle. They have some animosity going between them and I don't know how long it will take before they settle their differences. The twins are angry, and the youngest sister is insulted, so all of them are determined not to communicate with each other. The twin here has devotions with her, her husband, and their daughter, but they will not attend church. It is one of those things where it seems like they want to be offended, and they have something against half the people in the church, so they will not attend, but we are very happy attending church, and we are ministered to every time we go. Our youngest daughter is attending also, and entering in, and that is a switch for her because I think it has been about 25 years since she has attended chruch as a teenager. She is entering in and taking communion. She just wrote me, and these are her words: Sure we want to go to church with you! We are very happy that God has gotten hold of her, and turned her around. She was almost killed in the process, with fists, kicking with a boot, broken bones, and an attempt to kill her with a high powered rifle. It is a miracle that she got away, and that she is still alive, and she knows that. God has delivered her from death, and now she wants to go to church, and we are very happy. Before all this happened I asked a guy named John Schmit, Crisi knows him, to pray for her, and he said that he would, and he said that sometimes they have to reach bottom first, and I had no idea what would happen, and I was praying also, as well Crisi prayed for her. Well, then just after that she was almost killed, but now she is turning her life to God, so we are very thankful.

[carina]

It is important to go to church to learn the word of God.