My question is in response to "I'm Sorry-ish”.  I understand why it's important to apologize when you have wronged others, but what if they are the kind of person who would prefer to "sweep it under the rug" vs. being confronted with it and put in an uncomfortable position?

Sincerely,
Saving Face

Dear Saving Face,

That post was dealing with someone that wanted an apology; the situation you bring up would be entirely different.  1 Cor 13:5 says that “love does not seek its own”, and 1 Cor 8:1 points out that “love edifies”.  The point of apologizing to someone is to rectify a situation and make things better.  The idea is that you are bringing resolution to a damaged relationship, reconciling by humbling yourself to apologize (Matt 5:24).  However, if the person has “swept the issue under the rug”, there is no need for resolution… the situation is already resolved.

The preacher at my church is so boring that I can barely stand to listen to him for more than ten minutes.  Why do we have to make the focal point of service listening to one person talk to us for an hour?  I mean, if this is what "going to church" is all about, I don't think it's for me.

Sincerely,
Yawn

Dear Yawn,

Christianity isn’t about entertainment, and if the only problem you have with a congregation is that it doesn’t hold your attention, it is time to take a serious look at your own spirituality.  Learning and studying God's Word is often hard and can feel tiresome, but the hard work pays off in the end.  It is nice if a preacher can be "easy on the ears", but ultimately, it is our job to learn and grow from studying the Bible (1 Pet 2:2)

The church’s main job is to stand by the truth (1 Tim 3:15), and one sign of a congregation turning from the Lord is that the preaching and teaching are no longer about truth, but about entertaining the people (2 Tim 4:3-4).  So, using excitement or the feeling of being entertained isn’t a good benchmark.

On the other hand, a congregation whose love has grown cold (Matt 24:12) or one that has left their zealous love for the Lord (Rev 2:4) is sometimes seen as “boring”.  If a church is no longer active and working to be effective in its service for the Lord, that can be a real problem.  After all, we are to worship God in spirit and in truth (Jhn 4:24), and if a congregation holds to the truth in word, but not in deed, there is a definite issue.  That type of “boring” can be a reason to leave a group.

[This question is a follow-up to “A Thanksgiving To Remember”]

Why is it so important to apologize to others?  I know it is important to apologize to God… but other people when they do you wrong also?  Why can't others just forget about it, sweep it under a rug so to speak?

Sincerely,
Get Over It

Dear Get Over It,

It is important because God says it is important (Lk 17:4).  Confessing our sins to one another is part of the growth process that God expects us to go through (Jas 5:16).  Heb 10:24 says that we need to consider one another… and that is part of what apologizing is.  An apology shows that you have considered the feelings of the other person after you have wronged them.  Admitting we are wrong is a sign of maturity and humility (Matt 23:12).  Love seeks the benefit of the other person (1 Cor 13:5) – apologizing helps those we have hurt to heal.

I met a lady who is a Christian (as I am).  We have been both been married four times each and have determined that marriage is not the answer for us.  I love her heart and soul; we share Scripture together, etc. The problem is sex; she feels that it’s completely wrong outside of marriage.  Is there any hope for us?  We are both forty-six.

Sincerely,
0 for 4

Dear 0 for 4,

There isn’t any hope for you unless you start listening to her because she is right, and you are wrong.  It is always sinful for people to lay with one another outside of marriage (1 Cor 7:1-4).  Sex outside of marriage is called ‘fornication’ – it is sinful and will bring you into judgment (Heb 13:4).  Hell will be full of those who don’t honor God’s commands regarding chastity (Rev 21:8).  You must obey God’s commandments as well as this woman’s desire to be righteous.  Make sure that you avoid sin and cease putting stumbling blocks in front of this woman (Matt 18:7).

Hello, I'm sixteen and homeschooled and have been knowing God since I was a small child in Christian school, but I feel the pulse that I'm here to do something for God… not that I feel more important than anyone else.  I just feel I'm here to accomplish something for Him on earth, and I also have a strong pull towards Armageddon in Revelation; am I just weird, or is my strong pull towards doing something in God’s name real?

Sincerely,
Full Of Fire

Dear Full Of Fire,

You aren’t weird… the right word is ‘zealous’.  Being zealous for God is a good thing (1 Pet 3:13, Tit 2:14).  The important thing is to take the zeal of youth and combine that with Biblical knowledge.  It is only when we combine a zealous spirit with truth that we can please God (Jhn 4:24).  Many people have a zeal for God but fail to gain knowledge to properly serve Him (Rom 10:1-2).  Dedicate yourself to becoming a worker who has no need to be ashamed because you will have gained a proper and deep understanding of the Scriptures (2 Tim 2:15).  God wants to use everyone for His service – the question is whether or not we will be prepared (2 Tim 2:21).

Case in point, it is clear from your question that you have some misunderstandings about the book of Revelation.  We recommend you start building a sturdy and scholarly Bible knowledge now.  We have an entire section of our website dedicated to classes on every book of the Bible.  We recommend you visit sermons.mvchurchofchrist.org, download, and listen to classes on various books of the Bible… including the book of Revelation.  The more you know, the more you will be prepared to do good in this world.