Re: The Church Service
Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 1:15 am
Thanks Matt for being interactive. This is how people get to know one another.
I have arrived at this point by observing what is working, and what is not working, primarily in the realm of teaching - but this is not the foundation or my motivation for this. My argument is actually a theological one.
It’s clear to me, as I’m sure it is to you also, that we are raised with Christ - we are in Him and He in us - Our new life is ‘in’ the body of Christ - we are a one loaf - one Body, each member belongs to all the others - the numerous passages that declare we are all one Body - we are the body of Christ - combine that with all the verses to love one another, commands to love your neighbor as yourself - combined with the call to forgive, care for, do good works and produce fruit - discipleship - the biblical encouragement to ‘know’ Him and seek Him, can be just as well be applied to know and seek one another in Him, etc. etc. all the sins that had separated us from one another are removed in Christ when we are placed in His body, the New man – Christ – whose body we are now members of: His body our home, not to mention a reflection of the love shared in the Godhead, something we will reflect among each other, and more! = all this is why fellowship is the main event.
Teaching is not the ‘goal’, if you think about it, the Gospel is not even Gods ‘goal’ for us. The Gospel says He died for us 'in order' to reconcile us to God, so we could become one with Him, one with His body. His Body is the goal; the New Creation is in Christ, of which we are all members. The Assembly was made of people who believed the Gospel, and were included into His Body the Church. So how did sitting in a pew become the ‘goal’ of becoming one with Christ? You agree the sermon is not what Christ died for. Do you agree the sermon was made for man, but man was not made for the sermon? (humor)
I’m out of time again but,
God bless
(please excuse, I rushed this)
I have arrived at this point by observing what is working, and what is not working, primarily in the realm of teaching - but this is not the foundation or my motivation for this. My argument is actually a theological one.
It’s clear to me, as I’m sure it is to you also, that we are raised with Christ - we are in Him and He in us - Our new life is ‘in’ the body of Christ - we are a one loaf - one Body, each member belongs to all the others - the numerous passages that declare we are all one Body - we are the body of Christ - combine that with all the verses to love one another, commands to love your neighbor as yourself - combined with the call to forgive, care for, do good works and produce fruit - discipleship - the biblical encouragement to ‘know’ Him and seek Him, can be just as well be applied to know and seek one another in Him, etc. etc. all the sins that had separated us from one another are removed in Christ when we are placed in His body, the New man – Christ – whose body we are now members of: His body our home, not to mention a reflection of the love shared in the Godhead, something we will reflect among each other, and more! = all this is why fellowship is the main event.
Teaching is not the ‘goal’, if you think about it, the Gospel is not even Gods ‘goal’ for us. The Gospel says He died for us 'in order' to reconcile us to God, so we could become one with Him, one with His body. His Body is the goal; the New Creation is in Christ, of which we are all members. The Assembly was made of people who believed the Gospel, and were included into His Body the Church. So how did sitting in a pew become the ‘goal’ of becoming one with Christ? You agree the sermon is not what Christ died for. Do you agree the sermon was made for man, but man was not made for the sermon? (humor)
I’m out of time again but,
We are not sure why Sunday, but God thought at least one day a week was good for devotion. Sunday may be man ordained but that’s not the point, Sunday is the accepted day among Christendom and even secular society at large to have a ‘Holiday’. Pastors make Sunday the ‘sermon’ day, not God. And quite often one day a week is all I get, like I said I want to be One with God and His Body the Church, at least once a week, that should be the 'goal' of the Church. And I believe pastors should make this their goal also, that's my goal at least. Somebody tell me where I'm wrong with this.First, you seem to think that Sunday is the God-ordained day for Christian fellowship. I don't. I think it should happen everyday. I do not consider Sunday more sacred than any other day. Evidence that the early church utilized Sunday in a special way is not the same as saying that is a biblical command.
God bless
(please excuse, I rushed this)