ReformedWretch
Puritan Board Doctor
I am trying to show (on another board) how missing church can be a sin. I am not certain that my argument is as strong as it could/should be. Can my brothers here lend me some advice?
Here is what I have so far.
Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Are we seeking the Kingdom FIRST by missing church?
Colossians 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Are we setting our mind on things above if we miss church?
Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
Should others things/people come before church (short of an emergency that is as we are told to take care of our famalies).
Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as [is] the manner of some, but exhorting [one another,] and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Of course that is the verse that we all assume is talking abut Church.
Forsaken here DOES NOT mean abandon completely. It's the same "forsaken" that Christ asked the Father why He had done it to him.
Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"
We know the Father did not abandon Christ forever.
We are comanded by Christ to keep the Lords Supper
1 Corinthians 11:2 Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered [them] to you.
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the [same] night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke [it] and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
25 In the same manner [He] also [took] the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink [it,] in remembrance of Me."
We are comanded to give support to the church.
1 Corinthians 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also:
2 On the first [day] of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.
It seems that we are to follow the disciples example of meeting frequently.
Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
I think we have to be careful here! Of course missing for legitimate reasons, or being in between churches because we have been hurt (but we are honestly LOOKING) is ok. But missing willfully for selfish reasons HAS to be sin.
Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
We are to never sin willfully...meaning knowing full well what we are planning is sinful, being convicted of it, and yet still doing it and doing it frequently, still KNOWING it is sin.
Here is what I have so far.
Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Are we seeking the Kingdom FIRST by missing church?
Colossians 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Are we setting our mind on things above if we miss church?
Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
Should others things/people come before church (short of an emergency that is as we are told to take care of our famalies).
Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as [is] the manner of some, but exhorting [one another,] and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Of course that is the verse that we all assume is talking abut Church.
Forsaken here DOES NOT mean abandon completely. It's the same "forsaken" that Christ asked the Father why He had done it to him.
Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"
We know the Father did not abandon Christ forever.
We are comanded by Christ to keep the Lords Supper
1 Corinthians 11:2 Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered [them] to you.
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the [same] night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke [it] and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
25 In the same manner [He] also [took] the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink [it,] in remembrance of Me."
We are comanded to give support to the church.
1 Corinthians 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also:
2 On the first [day] of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.
It seems that we are to follow the disciples example of meeting frequently.
Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
I think we have to be careful here! Of course missing for legitimate reasons, or being in between churches because we have been hurt (but we are honestly LOOKING) is ok. But missing willfully for selfish reasons HAS to be sin.
Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
We are to never sin willfully...meaning knowing full well what we are planning is sinful, being convicted of it, and yet still doing it and doing it frequently, still KNOWING it is sin.