There are many dangerous places worthy of our avoidance. Broken down mine shafts, snake dens, Yanni concerts, all you can eat and drink pizza night, and church.
HERE’S WHY: (we always remember those who are not physically able to attend)
10–Staying away assures that you will never be associated with shallow and unruly hypocrites. Imagine the damage they could do to your image. As soon as these “Christians” get their own act together, I might go myself.
9–One hour per week x 52 = 52 hours you can be doing something constructive like
Sleep, more TV, re-painting wicker furniture, yawning or bowling (which also causes yawning). Think of the gas you save too!
8–These people are nuts. They fight over the temperature and the winner is usually responsible for the additional reminder of hell in the room.
7–Rumors of the roof collapsing should you attend may prove to be true.
6–Friends could get the wrong idea. They might think you love God and support these strange people.
5–You know these church people are all about money and they plan to push an offering plate under your nose while others are watching.
4–The sermon is written and delivered by Dr. Sominex. He could be arrested for loitering in front of a choir/band. (naps are nice)
3–Watching those pretentious, grinning, phony religious clowns on TV scam money from the gullible is much more exciting. (Yes–non-Christians can spot fakery–even when it appears the professing Christian cannot!)
2–They keep using the bible. This is utter foolishness. “It is a nasty, contradictory, primitive and dangerous book.” (The News.org)
1–Jesus is merely a questionable name in history to you. You have never personally invited him to save you from sin and yourself.
You are lost. You are separated from God. You are dead to God and alive to sin, and yet He loves you and calls you to himself.
Non-Christians have no reason to go to a worship gathering any more than someone who isn’t a member of the Pilot Club would want to attend Pilot Club meetings. (And going to Pilot Club meetings does not make you a Pilot member)
THESE VERSES EXPLAIN WHY
“The message about the cross doesn’t make any sense to lost people.
But for those of us who are being saved, it is God’s power at work. As God says in the Scriptures,
“I will destroy the wisdom of all who claim to be wise. I will confuse those who think they know so much.”
What happened to those wise people? What happened to those experts in the Scriptures?
What happened to the ones who think they have all the answers? Didn’t God show that the wisdom of this world is foolish?
God was wise and decided not to let the people of this world use their wisdom to learn about him. Instead, God chose to save only those who believe the foolish message we preach. Jews ask for miracles, and Greeks want something that sounds wise.
But we preach that Christ was nailed to a cross. Most Jews have problems with this, and most Gentiles think it is foolish.
Our message is God’s power and wisdom for the Jews and the Greeks that he has chosen. Even when God is foolish, he is wiser than everyone else, and even when God is weak, he is stronger than everyone else. My dear friends, remember what you were when God chose you. The people of this world didn’t think that many of you were wise. Only a few of you were in places of power, and not many of you came from important families. But God chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things of this world to put the powerful to shame. What the world thinks is worthless, useless, and nothing at all is what God has used to destroy what the world considers important. God did all this to keep anyone from bragging to him. You are God’s children.
He sent Christ Jesus to save us and to make us wise, acceptable, and holy.
So, if you want to brag, do what the Scriptures say and brag about the Lord.” (I Corinthians 1: 18-31)
For the Christian: (Hebrews 10:25)
“Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer.”
My paraphrase to this verse is,
–“Professing Christian! Get your buns, and keep your buns, in fellowship, bible study and worship!
–Make it a weekly habit without fail. Not to become or remain a Christian—but because you are one!”
–Because you go to be an encouragement, whether those people ever believe and act to suit you or not.
–We remember and care for those who are not able to attend for health reasons.
For the Lost: “In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.” (II Peter 3:9)
When you become a Christian, you then have motive to worship with other believers in a building we call “church!”
You will now BE one of these imperfect, but growing, people. You will know a love that passes all understanding for each other.
When you become a Christian, the bible, a spiritually discerned book, will become dear and clear as you study. Until then, if you are staying away from churches and their gatherings, this is very normal. UNTIL YOU FIX NUMBER ONE, THAT IS.
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