What is your purpose to go to a church?

Canada
March 29, 2008 8:25am CST
God asks us to glorify Sunday as the day when we have to remember Him. However, I have often noticed that some people go to a church to disgrace the true meaning of it. They are used to gossip, to socialize or to find mates at a church. I am sick of looking at such hypocrite. Why do some people go to a church and bring a Bible but then, their acts and hearts are far from God? I strongly believe that a church is NOT a place to do such things. In Bible, Jesus was upset when people were used to trade in the house of God (a church). A church is a place where people would like to pray and to hear great news about God. Nothing else! By the way, going to a church every Sunday is not a mandatory. Bible mentions about this. Matthew 6:6 "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you". Also, being a Christian means that you have to follow what Jesus had done. I know that it is not easy but it is what Christians are being hoped to do. Matthew 7:5 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" By the way, have you seen people who are doing like such things in a church? Please share your story.
3 people like this
8 responses
@mikekire (146)
• Nigeria
29 Mar 08
God did not give us sunday to worship. It is sabbath(saturday) The early christians choosed Sunday because it is the day of ressurrection. Whatever, it is good to serve God. The bible says that the purpose of suday is to worsip and pray. Remember that in every 12, there must be a Judas. Have you forgotten the word " it is not all that call me Lord will enter the kingdom Of heaven
1 person likes this
• Canada
29 Mar 08
Mikekire, I don't think so. Sunday is the day to worship God. Genesis 2:2-3 "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested [a] from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done". Exodus 16:26 "Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any." Exodus 20:8-11 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God". Some people may worship God on Saturday because they would like to rest on Sunday. But the Sabbath is considered as SUNDAY according to MY Bible.
• United States
29 Mar 08
AMEN, brother, the" LORD" is" MIGHTY."
@spoiled311 (5500)
• Philippines
29 Mar 08
hi friendship! i go to church because i want to worship the Lord. i think it is my act or worship. it is also my thanksgiving. then, it is also a time to fellowship with other believers because the bible says that we should not give up meeting together. it is also good to praise God collectively as a people, which is why people in the olden times would go to the temple once a year to worship the Lord. we are so blessed now because we have churches everywhere and we can just go anytime to worship God. :) good day! it is church day tomorrow!
• Canada
29 Mar 08
I hope you have a good Sunday.
@lucy02 (5015)
• United States
30 Mar 08
I go to church to worship God and it helps me stay more focused on my worship too. It helps to connect with other Christians. You're right though. Too many people go for the wrong reasons. I have been to some churches that were downright cold and snobby. You should never find that in a church. Gossip seems to be one of the biggest things I see going on in church that bothers me. Some people don't seem to think there is anything wrong with it.
• Canada
30 Mar 08
You're right. "Some people don't seem to think there is anything wrong with it". Because they don't realize that it is also an act of sin. It looks like as if they have done a good thing but God knows exactly how and what their purpose are. We can't hide things from God.
• United States
29 Mar 08
God asks us to glorify Sunday!! show me where i do know he said Genesis 1: 8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. the sabath of Jeusus was saturday ! sundAY IS the day we humans took upon ourselves it is man made and God will ask us why when we are judged If saturday was good enough for his son why not us????
• Canada
29 Mar 08
Hi revdauphinee, Bible mentions that Sunday is a Sabbath day. Because Sunday is 7th day. Genesis 2:2-3 "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested [a] from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done". Exodus 16:26 "Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any." Exodus 20:8-11 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God".
• Canada
29 Mar 08
revdauphinee, I don't care whether it is Saturday or Sunday. I just quote it from Bible. That's all. Have a good weekend!
1 person likes this
• United States
29 Mar 08
jesus was a jew !ask any jew what day is the sabath?they will tell you it is saturday sory
• India
30 Mar 08
What does it mean to 'glorify' God? Well, I think it is not wrong to go to Sunday to meet friends...after all fellowship includes meeting friends. But if that is the only reason I would it is not quite ok. I think Sunday service includes preaching or rather listening to the word of God being expounded and other activities.
• Canada
30 Mar 08
Hi headhunter525, It is now around 10:45 a.m. Someone whom I know is going to go to a church and he is also bringing a Bible This habit happens about two months ago. However, his daily act is far from God. It is okay to meet friends at a church but I know SOME PEOPLE who are doing it for the sake of meeting friends or doing other purposes. Why should go to a church if that is the only reason? We can meet friends anywhere, right? I believe that God doesn't like His house for that kind of reason.
• China
30 Mar 08
Hi friendship . I am the Chinese.We don't have a church to pray.But I strongly believe that a church is a place to pray and thank to god not the place where peolpe are used to gossip,socialize and find mates or females.I really hate that kind of things happen.
• Canada
30 Mar 08
Hi Joey_winner, Welcome to myLot! You are a new member. I hope you enjoy myLot. Yeah... people often go to a church for the wrong reason.
1 person likes this
@vera5d (4005)
• United States
29 Mar 08
have i told you about my mother in law? lol. she drags us to church every sunday...then while she is there she will push people, steal things, park in the handicapped spot, etc. etc. it goes on and on...last sunday i decided i am NEVER going to church with her again. i can't take it. i was raised catholic...which meant of course you went to church no matter what...my parents were the choir directors so we went to church maybe 2-3 times a sunday! but then after seeing what kind of people catholics are i realized i didn't want to be affiliated with it anymore...they will bckstab you, cheat you, are selfish, etc. maybe not all of them, but enough that i've encountered! I realized you are working more for god by helping others or doing good. it is more spiritual for me to be with god at home oe while i'm driving or doing anything else than being in church where i honestly don't sense the presence of god at all. we were going to cvhurch with my mother in law just to make her happy...but after several fiascos i can't do it anymore. not to mention the whole time i sit there i get very angry at the people sitting there... my hubby and i are talking about starting our own church, lol. i don't know if we would ever actually do it, but we'd make it so it'd be just casual conversation talking to other people about problems or life or whatever. that would be far more benficial than standing somewhere reciting a mindless prayer that i don't agree with whole heartedly.
• Canada
29 Mar 08
I do understand what you're going through. After all, it is your mother in law, right? I was raised as Christian and Catholic. Some of my aunts, cousins, friends, etc are Christian and Catholic. But I am not a religious zealot. I go to a church whenever I think I would like to pray and be near with God. I don't think that going to a church is a mandatory. Why do we have to go to a Church if we are bad mouth, for instance, toward others? Geezz... Isn't it hypocrite? Some people go to a church so that they can gossip and get support for their own bad purposes. I have seen these kind of people. Yeah, they will backstab you, cheat on you, are selfish, etc. These kind of people are mentioned by Jesus in Bible and that's why Jesus never said that we must go to a church to pray. Thus, if I see these kind of people, I will go away as soon as possible from the church and won't do a comunion there. I am just sick and tired of looking at it.
@dancinman (119)
• United States
29 Mar 08
say, what verse and chapter and book in the bible do you,find your information? try Daniel,chapter 7, verse 25, see that it says the beast, or SATAN, if you will, ./And "he" shall speak great words against the MOST HIGH, and shall wear out the saints of the MOST HIGH,and "think " to change TIMES and LAWS;and they shall be given into his hand,until a time and times and the dividing of time. this is what my BIBLE says. sincerely, ROBERT... "persecute"
• Canada
29 Mar 08
Thanks for the response. I've found what verse you're talking about. Are you refering to a Baha'i study as mentioned on this site below? http://www.bci.org/prophecy-fulfilled/daniel.htm Although Baha'i may refer to Bible as mentioned on the site, it is different from what my belief is. I am Christian and I am NOT a Baha'i follower. 1 John 4:1 "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world".