There’s a forum I like to attend and there was a debate about attending church (building). This is what I said.
“Church”… well, it’s not a building, but people. I’m not a French or Dutch speakers so I am unable to attend a “local” church building and hang out with the Church. Yes, there’s an anglican church somewhere in Brussels but having visited them, they’re as dead as last weeks fish and my Spirit isn’t guiding me to go there. So here I am. I don’t consider this forum to be church but I learn things and share things like the Church is supposed to do. I don’t consider the mods to be my pastor as Jesus is my Pastor. I’ve attended home churches, mega churches, dead churches and holy roller shouting churches, but the best I ever had was when the Lord would call three couples, myself, my best friend and his friend and his girlfriend to go to an older couples home for “service”! No one called anyone, nothing was planned. We’d just get a desire to go and BOOM! THE body of Christ would come together and BE the Church! It was awesome! It was great! The Lord had us all stationed in a small Air Force base in Italy and there we met! As with any assignment, we were scattered to the winds but what a great two years! It changed my life in so many ways. It was during this time I KNEW God wanted to be a part of every aspect of our lives. Miracles happened. The word of God became alive not just as stories in a book called the Bible. We were living those stories! I feel very sad for those that treat the written word of God as metaphorical or allegorical, I used to too, until I experienced it for myself. Don’t make sweeping generalizations and expect them to stick, God is not a God of bondage, but of freedom and in peace. Do what He wants you to do in YOUR life and share it with us. The word of God is there for all in whatever state you’re in, that’s how powerful it is. What applies to you doesn’t always apply to others. What you see as sin may not be for another.
Romans 14:7-14 (KJV)
For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, [As] I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in [his] brother’s way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that [there is] nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him [it is] unclean.
So do you see that? If you BELIEVE you must attend church and YOU do not, then it’s a sin to YOU. The word of God guides us in all the things WE need for OURSELVES. Some need the moral support of stronger Christians and they NEED to go to church but that is for their benefit and not a commandment. We’re dead to the Law. So what laws you’ve set for yourself does not apply to others.
Romans 14:15-23 (ESV2011)
For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.