I have been sharing about the importance of being a member of a good doctrinally sound bible believing church for the last week or so. A few days ago, someone in one of the e-mail discussion lists I'm in brought up an issue that made me think about another important part of going to a good church, it being the number one priority in determining where we live.
Should the issue of a local church determining where a person lives issue only apply to full time pastors? If we see how important of the local church is, because Christ is the Head, the importance of speaking the truth and whole counsel of God in love, worshipping in spirit and truth, accountability and church discipline, believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper, definite and particular atonement, God centered instead of man centered, etc., etc. etc., shouldn't where a person lives be determined by there being this type of church in reasonable driving distance first? Unfortunetly, what I have seen and heard for the most part so far, are couples and families moving to a particular area because of employment, family, comfort, convenience, and then just hope there is a good church in the area after they get there. Those times that there isn't a good church in the area (and yes that is often still the case in our country especially considering the problem with many moden churches today), they end up comromising by going to a church that is not as 'biblical' as it could be, or not going to church at all.
If someone is thinking "I wonder if he would or ever did that himself" let me share this with you, even though it is not the exact same circumstances. And I give all the glory to God not me.....
In 1986 before the Lord was pleased to save me, we had an independent builder build or "dream home" down in the next county in Maryland. It had a big master bedroom, walk-in closet, 3 bathrooms, a carport, deck across the back of the house, fireplace, fenced back yard, and 4 acres of land. The Lord was pleased to regenerated my heart and save me, several months after we moved there. We were going to church 25 miles away from home. Now that is not too bad of a drive and I know of Christians who have driven further than that to get to church. But for a while I was also driving almost 60 miles one way to work. Needless to say, because of the drive to and from work, and to and from church, it was taking necessary time away from my family. In March of 1990, we moved back to the county and town of where our church was located. Bought an older, smaller home that didn't have the same "extras" that our previous home did. All of this is because I wanted to glorify God in my service to Him through His church and my family. This doesn't make me better or smater than anyone else. God gave me the desire to make His church the main priority of where my family and I lived, and he deserves all the glory for it.
But I believe there was a time when most Christians made a good church being in thr area the priority of where they lived. I don't think cultural differences should change this. May the Lord convict the hearts of many of His people to realize the importance of His church, as it applies to this, and other areas. Some of which I have already shared. It's not legalism. But I fear that because many of His people believe that Christ fulfilled the sabbath, and therefore Sunday is the Lord's Day and not the sabbath, it gives them license to be other places instead of God's church on Sunday, as well as making a good church being in the area of where they live, a lesser priority. May we seek the Lord's will and Word in these matters...Soli Deo Gloria
Should the issue of a local church determining where a person lives issue only apply to full time pastors? If we see how important of the local church is, because Christ is the Head, the importance of speaking the truth and whole counsel of God in love, worshipping in spirit and truth, accountability and church discipline, believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper, definite and particular atonement, God centered instead of man centered, etc., etc. etc., shouldn't where a person lives be determined by there being this type of church in reasonable driving distance first? Unfortunetly, what I have seen and heard for the most part so far, are couples and families moving to a particular area because of employment, family, comfort, convenience, and then just hope there is a good church in the area after they get there. Those times that there isn't a good church in the area (and yes that is often still the case in our country especially considering the problem with many moden churches today), they end up comromising by going to a church that is not as 'biblical' as it could be, or not going to church at all.
If someone is thinking "I wonder if he would or ever did that himself" let me share this with you, even though it is not the exact same circumstances. And I give all the glory to God not me.....
In 1986 before the Lord was pleased to save me, we had an independent builder build or "dream home" down in the next county in Maryland. It had a big master bedroom, walk-in closet, 3 bathrooms, a carport, deck across the back of the house, fireplace, fenced back yard, and 4 acres of land. The Lord was pleased to regenerated my heart and save me, several months after we moved there. We were going to church 25 miles away from home. Now that is not too bad of a drive and I know of Christians who have driven further than that to get to church. But for a while I was also driving almost 60 miles one way to work. Needless to say, because of the drive to and from work, and to and from church, it was taking necessary time away from my family. In March of 1990, we moved back to the county and town of where our church was located. Bought an older, smaller home that didn't have the same "extras" that our previous home did. All of this is because I wanted to glorify God in my service to Him through His church and my family. This doesn't make me better or smater than anyone else. God gave me the desire to make His church the main priority of where my family and I lived, and he deserves all the glory for it.
But I believe there was a time when most Christians made a good church being in thr area the priority of where they lived. I don't think cultural differences should change this. May the Lord convict the hearts of many of His people to realize the importance of His church, as it applies to this, and other areas. Some of which I have already shared. It's not legalism. But I fear that because many of His people believe that Christ fulfilled the sabbath, and therefore Sunday is the Lord's Day and not the sabbath, it gives them license to be other places instead of God's church on Sunday, as well as making a good church being in the area of where they live, a lesser priority. May we seek the Lord's will and Word in these matters...Soli Deo Gloria
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