What are the dangers of church hopping?

Sincerely,
Bunny Steps

Dear Bunny Steps,

Being a member of a congregation is about more than just hearing God’s Word; it is about being a committed, active participant in supporting and encouraging God’s people.  There are no examples of christians in the Bible who weren’t members of a local church.  Even the apostle Paul, with all of his traveling, was a member of the church in Antioch (Acts 11:25-26).  God tells us that part of the purpose of the church assembly is to stimulate and encourage one another to love and good works (Heb 10:24-25).  Is it enough to just stay at home and watch sermons on television or listen to ones you have downloaded from the internet?  If the only purpose of church attendance is to hear the Word, then those would be acceptable alternatives to going to church.  We are supposed to get together each Sunday and partake of the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor 11:20), and God intended for christians to be a part of a local congregation with elders and deacons to help shepherd them (1 Pet 5:2).  God knows what is best for us, and it is in our best interest to assemble with other christians in a local church.  We are all different, and our differences help to strengthen us, protect us, and better serve Christ (Eph 4:14-16).  If all you do is “church hop”, then you don’t have the blessings of the local eldership, interwoven lives with other local saints, and participating fully in the growth of the church’s work.  Church membership isn’t just about what you get; it is about what you are able to give.

     I believe, or should say I want to believe, I am love and called for something more, but have yet to feel the full presence of God.  But tonight, in a very real time of doubt, I was called to a non-existent verse, yet it led me straight to a passage that read, "These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;” (Mk 16:17)

Please tell me this is not false faith?  Am I not just as important as Moses, Noah, Job, or other "men" of faith?

Sincerely,
Hoping For Spirituality

Dear Hoping For Spirituality,

We are all equally important in God's eyes, but that doesn't mean that we all are called for the same purpose or that we all should receive miraculous abilities to prophecy, speak in tongues, or cast out demons.  Miraculous gifts are no longer present in the church.  They are no longer needed because we have the complete and perfect Word of God (1 Cor 13:8-10).  For further details on this, read “Speaking in Tongues”, “The Lost Art of Prophecy”, and “Spoken Like A True Friend”.

Mark 16:17 is not referring to all Christians, but instead it is referring to the “signs that would accompany” Christianity.  As the gospel first spread, God used miracles to attest to the authenticity of the apostles’ claims that Jesus was the Son of God (Mk 16:20).  These signs and wonders were God’s way of supernaturally bearing witness to the preaching (Heb 2:2-4).  Miracles do not make you a Christian; obedience to the will of God does (Rom 12:2).  Read “What Must I Do To Be Saved?” to understand, verse-by-verse, what it takes to become a Christian.  Do not accept anything but the Scriptures.  Only God’s Word holds the answers to our salvation (Rom 1:16).

     I have a question.  Are sport bars sinful?  Some people say that they are because there is nothing good in those places.  The lust of the women who work there and that go there, beer, drunkenness, and fights – all of those are wrong.

Sincerely,
A Sporting Chance?

Dear A Sporting Chance,

You’ve answered your own question.  Bars and taverns are not the kind of place a Christian should be.  Our responsibility as Christians is to try and flee immorality (1 Tim 6:11) and flee temptation (2 Tim 2:22).  Alcohol is part of a culture that emphasizes worldliness.  Christians should use wisdom in every situation to discern between habits that are generally beneficial and habits that are generally destructive.  God never specifically condemns all alcohol, but He does condemn ‘strong drink’ (Pr 20:1), drinking parties (1 Pet 4:3), and drunkenness (Rom 13:13).  A sports bar is an establishment designed as one big drinking party.  Avoid bars at all costs.

     After Jesus' time on Earth, there were people spread throughout the entire Earth.  What happened to the Indians of America and South America?  None of them had any idea whom Jesus was until the Spanish Catholic missionaries forced them to listen.  There was a thousand plus year difference between Jesus' death and that Spanish conquering.  If the only way into heaven is through Jesus Christ, how is it that someone who has never heard of Him is going to spend an eternity in damnation?  I know this is quite a lot, but as a Christian, I need to search for these answers to further myself as a better minister.

Sincerely,
Spanish Inquisitor

Dear Spanish Inquisitor,

Let’s address your concerns about those who didn’t hear about Christ until many years after His death and resurrection.  God has always given every human the chance to live a life of faith in Him.  During the transitional period from Judaism to Christianity, and during the time it took for God’s Word to spread across the globe, God dealt with ignorant nations the same way He always has.

We have a single statement in the book of Romans that hints at what kind of law the nations were under before hearing of Christ.  Rom 1:14-15 says that the Gentiles (Gentile means ‘non-Jew’) had a law of conscience written by God on their hearts.  This doesn’t tell us much, but it does point out that God had a system for judging the Gentiles… it was just different than the system He used for judging the Jews or today uses for judging Christians.  Rom 1:20 says that God’s invisible attributes are clearly seen in the world around us and that everyone is accountable for recognizing God’s sovereignty regardless of what other knowledge they have.  These verses just give a glimpse at the pre-Christian Gentile world, but it is enough to paint a picture that God had a plan; we just don’t know exactly how it worked.  We do, however, know that God judges righteously, and no one will ever accidently end up in hell (2 Tim 4:8).

     Does the exact Hebrew translation say in the Ten Commandments, “Thou shalt not kill”?  Or does it say something along the lines of “Thou shall not murder”?  Obviously, Moses was a great military leader (along with Joshua, David, Gideon, etc.).  I'm a soldier, and I get asked this question.  I don't know how to answer it.

Sincerely,
On The Defense

Dear On The Defense,

The Hebrew word used for ‘kill’ in the Ten Commandments literally means ‘murder’.  There is a difference between killing someone in self-defense and pre-meditated, intentional murder of another human being.  The Bible has plenty of examples of faithful people going to war (David killed Goliath in battle – 1 Sam 17:49-50).  The Bible is also full of examples of capital punishment for certain crimes (Num 15:35).  Num 35:15-16 makes a distinction between accidentally killing someone and premeditated murder.  A police officer may have to kill someone while serving the community, but that isn’t murder.  The same is true with a soldier.