Ask Your Preacher - Archives

Ask Your Preacher - Archives

“To Church Or Not To Church”

Categories: LORD'S SUPPER, NEW TESTAMENT, THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH, WORSHIP
The following is a follow up to the question “Almost Home Alone”:

 

Does it not also say, “Where one or two are gathered in My name, so shall I be there also”?  When you come together, you are assembled.  I do appreciate this site.  My friend (name omitted-AYP) showed it to me.  The first churches were small and met in homes.  In Alaska, sometimes there were only there or four people in our churches.

Sincerely,
Home Bound

Dear Home Bound,

Yes, it does say that where "two or three are gathered in My name, there shall I be" (Matt 18:20).  However, that is simply to point out that size doesn't matter for fellowship with Christ.  If you are saying that you and your mother are forming your own church in your home – that is one thing.  However, what you said was that you were unable to join the church on most Sundays but still considered yourself a member of that congregation.  Many congregations do meet in homes, and that is completely appropriate (Philemon 1:2).  However, your situation is not one of a congregation forming in a home… but of two un-well people who cannot attend and be with the church.  There is a distinction between those two situations.  Two sick and homebound individuals do not have the responsibility of taking the Lord’s Supper, but a church gathered together on the first day of the week does (1 Cor 11:20-21).