Why do you go to church?
Some go to church because they think their pastor is “anointed by God”; they love to listen to him; he makes them feel good. But when he isn’t preaching they skip church or if they are there and find he’s not speaking, they leave because they don’t think they will get an “anointed” word from the speaker in the pulpit.
Romans 10:14 (New International Version)
14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
Some go to church because the praise and worship is “anointed” and they love the songs. But sometimes there are too many songs, and they go on much too long and the sound is way too loud.
Nehemiah 8:6 (New International Version)
6 Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
Some go to church to see their friends and to socialize. And they guise gossip as “Oh, we really need to pray for so and so – did you hear what’s going on with them?” They somehow think it is being “Christian” to comment on what others are doing wrong and how they don’t fit into the mold that “we Christians “ project our church to be.
Luke 6:37 (New International Version)
37″Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Some go to church to pray but please don’t ask them to go forward for prayer when there is an alter call or to pray for someone else.
Psalm 54:2 (New International Version)
2 Hear my prayer, O God;
listen to the words of my mouth.
Corinthians 1:11 (New International Version)
11as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our[a] behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
Some go to church to be served but always have ample excuses why they cannot serve.
Malachi 3:18 (New International Version)
18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.
Some go to church to ask for financial help but don’t practice the biblical principle of giving.
Malachi 3:8-10 (New International Version)
Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.
“But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’
“In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
So, why do you go to church?
We need to go to church to worship and praise our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Think about that the next time you go to church.

Here, accusation is leveled against the church for failing to represent Christ in a way that more people will find attractive. Few honest persons would dispute that this is true and true often. Yet logically and theologically, more must also be true.

On the one hand, the church is made up of sinners. Their (our) sin is one thing that drives us to be in and identify with the church. On the other, those outside the church are sinners, which is why they fail to acknowledge that the church is entrusted with the truth about God and salvation, the gospel.

Of course, this introduces more complexity. Some churches bear the name of Christ, but are not comprised of those who believe the truth about God and salvation. The gospel is not believed. Other churches believe the gospel, but are plagued by scandals of unfaithful members.

“The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction”–i.e., rather than God’s–(and) my people love to have it so.” This was written (Jeremiah 5:30) more than five centuries before Christ came.

And in a western culture (that is, those outside the church), the postmodern dogma is common to the effect, “There is no truth but the absolute truth that there is no truth.” By such, offense is taken at the very claim to know truth.

To add further to the complexity, misinformation is passed as news, so that those removed from the church become naively misinformed about what the church is (or what pastors are like).

But at root, we humans love darkness rather than light because our deeds are evil, as John wrote. Or as Paul wrote, we suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Sins blinds us to God and to our true nature.

Only when God breaks through to us in grace do we have eyes to see. He still does so for some, though the truth is not hidden. And most of us will continue to prefer darkness to light.

Those who see will love others who also see. Hence the church, the believing but erring church.

Peter Rubel

The title of the book says it all.

Thanks

Iyabo
http://www.AuthenticChangeAgent.com

It would be great to do and write about what I love and to make some money with it too. I would appreciate your feedback and what I should do to make it a great site and make some money off of it.

Thanks.