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Bible Discussion / Is this rebuke Biblical?
« on: October 12, 2020, 09:36:45 AM »
A few weeks ago my husband's sister rebuked me for not attending church (i.e. a church building) on Sunday morning. My husband and I were talking about having some family pictures taken at his sister's friend's apple orchard and I was asking for her phone number so we could get the owners' permission. Our photographer suggested Saturday or Sunday morning. She is an old friend who was driving from far away (with a baby) and we wanted to be flexible for her schedule and in case of bad weather. His sister was shocked that we were considering doing them on a Sunday morning because we should be in church. (At this point in the conversation my husband was listening to someone else talking, as we were at his parents house and the whole family was around, so he didn't hear any of her rebuke.) She continued to allude to us not being in church regularly, citing Hebrews 10, and said it was the Lord's day. She also mentioned the church being God's house.
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
-Hebrews 10:24-25
I was very flustered and not prepared but I was aware of what Hebrews 10 says. I said that the church is the body of Christ, not a building. I can't remember if I said every day is the Lord's day. She went on to suggest that we were isolating ourselves by not worshiping with other Christians on Sunday morning in a church building. We were talking about the pictures while I was gathering our things up to leave to get our daughter home for a nap, so that was pretty much the end of the conversation as we were ready to go.
When we left I felt awful. I had been wondering if we were going against God by not fellowshipping with other Christians, but I also know that church is full of leaven: 501C3, tithing, Christmas, Easter, trunk-or-treat, cross symbols, new-age "Christian" music, gluttonous pastor, etc. My husband has not asked us to go to church in a long time (I'm sure partly due to Covid and them being shut down and because we haven't attended regularly since my daughter was born) and I wasn't going to ask him to go. I'm sure if will come up again in the future, as he continues to send tithe, something else we disagree on. He knows that I don't want to attend that church, although when he has asked, I've told him I will go out of obedience.
When we got home, I began to search and study to see if she was Biblically correct in her rebuke. It is my understanding that there are no commandments stating that we must worship on a specific day of the week and I am certain about my statement that the church is Christ's people, not a building.
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
-Colossians 1:18
I am currently reading in Deuteronomy and while studying the meaning of "observer of times", I came across Galatians 4, which refers to the sabbaths and Holy Days God commanded for the Jews.
But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
-Galatians 4:9-11
Does this not extend to the traditions of Sunday worship today? Doesn't Sunday worship stem from the Catholic Church's attempt to fuse their pagan practices with the sabbath? Then I read Romans 14.
One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it.
-Romans 14:5
It sounds like this verse is saying that whatever day a person chooses to dedicate to the Lord is acceptable. I decided to look at Christopher's teachings to see if this is a topic that has already been addressed. I found the quote below from the article on the sabbath that mentions this same verse in Romans 14. (I added the bold and underline in the first paragraph of the quote for emphasis.) http://www.creationliberty.com/articles/sabbath.php
While most "Christians" do not claim they keep the sabbath, they apply similar principles to Sunday, but usually only Sunday morning. I know my husband's sister does not abstain from ALL activities on Sundays, she just reserves Sunday morning as the Lord's day. If I am understanding this correctly, she can choose to worship God on Sunday and I can choose to worship Him on another day, and we are both correct and should not judge one another. If I am wrong in anything that I have said, please correct me. I hope I am reading these verses with clear understanding and not with clouded goggles in an attempt to justify myself.
What my husband's sister does not know is that I am part of this forum and listen to CLE teachings at home. And thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit, my husband and I are now listening together. She never once asked me any questions, rather rebuked me for not following a specific set of rules for worship. My question is, what constitutes "assembling together" and am I guilty of forsaking that?
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
-Matthew 18:20
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
-Hebrews 10:24-25
I was very flustered and not prepared but I was aware of what Hebrews 10 says. I said that the church is the body of Christ, not a building. I can't remember if I said every day is the Lord's day. She went on to suggest that we were isolating ourselves by not worshiping with other Christians on Sunday morning in a church building. We were talking about the pictures while I was gathering our things up to leave to get our daughter home for a nap, so that was pretty much the end of the conversation as we were ready to go.
When we left I felt awful. I had been wondering if we were going against God by not fellowshipping with other Christians, but I also know that church is full of leaven: 501C3, tithing, Christmas, Easter, trunk-or-treat, cross symbols, new-age "Christian" music, gluttonous pastor, etc. My husband has not asked us to go to church in a long time (I'm sure partly due to Covid and them being shut down and because we haven't attended regularly since my daughter was born) and I wasn't going to ask him to go. I'm sure if will come up again in the future, as he continues to send tithe, something else we disagree on. He knows that I don't want to attend that church, although when he has asked, I've told him I will go out of obedience.
When we got home, I began to search and study to see if she was Biblically correct in her rebuke. It is my understanding that there are no commandments stating that we must worship on a specific day of the week and I am certain about my statement that the church is Christ's people, not a building.
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
-Colossians 1:18
I am currently reading in Deuteronomy and while studying the meaning of "observer of times", I came across Galatians 4, which refers to the sabbaths and Holy Days God commanded for the Jews.
But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
-Galatians 4:9-11
Does this not extend to the traditions of Sunday worship today? Doesn't Sunday worship stem from the Catholic Church's attempt to fuse their pagan practices with the sabbath? Then I read Romans 14.
One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it.
-Romans 14:5
It sounds like this verse is saying that whatever day a person chooses to dedicate to the Lord is acceptable. I decided to look at Christopher's teachings to see if this is a topic that has already been addressed. I found the quote below from the article on the sabbath that mentions this same verse in Romans 14. (I added the bold and underline in the first paragraph of the quote for emphasis.) http://www.creationliberty.com/articles/sabbath.php
Quote
The Lord Jesus Christ is our passover and our sabbath. He, and He alone, is the fulfillment of these prophecies, and if we continue in those traditions, like celebrating passover and keeping the Sabbath, we are denying that He has fulfilled the law and prophets. If someone wants to have a specific day that they designate to honor the Lord God in their homes, that's perfectly acceptable, but when they teach the Body of Christ that they are required to do this, that's not acceptable, and I will not let them deceive my brethren.
One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
-Romans 14:5
Finally, I want to quote the leavened website again with their "principles" on how to keep the Sabbath:
"We keep the Sabbath by enjoying a spiritually fulfilling Sabbath. On the Sabbath, we are to pause from our normal routines - our work, shopping, errands, activities, sports, television - and spend the day doing things that are spiritually focused."
-Erik Jones, "How to Keep the Sabbath as a Christian," retrieved Aug 11, 2015, [lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/10-commandments/sabbath/how-to-keep-the-sabbath]
Folks, THAT is the problem right there; we have a generation that is so indoctrinated and trained into the traditions and pleasures of this world, they only take out time from their precious worldy habits to focus on the things of God one day out of the week. (And not really the whole day, just a small portion of it.) Furthermore, if people give up their worldly pleasures for a day, they're not enjoying the Sabbath, and therefore, if we follow the teachings of this website, they're not keeping the Sabbath. If the only spiritual focus you have is sitting in a church building pew for 45 minutes once a week, then you need to examine yourself immediately:
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
-2 Corinthians 13:5
I'm not saying Christians need to study their Bibles and pray every hour of every day, but you ought to do it some throughout the week. If a church building has become your only place of studying the Word of God, you are a part of CHURCHianity, not CHRISTianity, and if you believe and teach that all Christians must observe the Sabbath, then, according to the Lord Jesus Christ, you're no better than the dog licking his own vomit.
While most "Christians" do not claim they keep the sabbath, they apply similar principles to Sunday, but usually only Sunday morning. I know my husband's sister does not abstain from ALL activities on Sundays, she just reserves Sunday morning as the Lord's day. If I am understanding this correctly, she can choose to worship God on Sunday and I can choose to worship Him on another day, and we are both correct and should not judge one another. If I am wrong in anything that I have said, please correct me. I hope I am reading these verses with clear understanding and not with clouded goggles in an attempt to justify myself.
What my husband's sister does not know is that I am part of this forum and listen to CLE teachings at home. And thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit, my husband and I are now listening together. She never once asked me any questions, rather rebuked me for not following a specific set of rules for worship. My question is, what constitutes "assembling together" and am I guilty of forsaking that?
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
-Matthew 18:20