Ask Me Help Desk - Is Jesus the focus in your church, or are YOU?

I don't get the negatives in daily walking with Jesus. Do you? I suppose the reason I ask is because I sat in a church service on how to revive your relationship with God( he was speaking to Christians already saved) and it was warning all about what someone was up against should they take that next step to REALLY walk with the Lord. THIS is what is wrong with Christianity!! This is a big reason why people walk away from church and Jesus. The Pastor actually said if you take the next step to follow God closely, AND should you disobey it would bring about a much tougher chastisement. ( pulled a couple of scriptures out of the OT for a reference.) OHMYGOSH. I stand amazed. I am saved and I am want everyone to know, if I heard this message I would think it is too hard to follow Christ and I would have walked out the door!!

No church is perfect, no one has it all right. But I am really finding it hard to find a place that focuses on the Lord Jesus Christ, and not us and our behavior. I am not suggesting that our obedience to the Lord Jesus and his word isn't important. It IS!! But stating the obvious isn't working. People in church are sinning as much as they ever did! Unbelievers are not impressed with Christians because they can't see a difference. Why? It isn't hypocrisy. It is simply misrepresenting the gospel, the bible and GRACE. It is focusing on self and NOT JESUS! When people begin to understand Jesus and his finished work, his awesome life and the free gift of salvation, they change. When grace is preached without the law, lives change. They do!! Mine has!

I never want to be one of those people that the Apostle Paul spoke about. The ones who have itching ears and all they want to hear is a feel good message, a twisted version of truth or an I'm OK you are OK message. I don't want that. I want Jesus. I want to hear HIS name spoken, I want to see him in the OT, I want to understand grace. With the exception of a prayer and some worship songs, I never heard the name of Jesus spoken in that church. I'm not just talking about THIS church, I am talking about LOTS of churches these days.

I love the OT... love it. There are types, pictures, shadows of Jesus Christ in those pages. So my problem isn't that churches are not preaching NT enough. My problem is I am not hearing about my Lord and Savior. I am going to challenge you to do something.. Just for grins, if you are a Christian and you go to church, count the times you hear HIS name DURING the preaching. ( worship songs don't count)

I heard a pastor say," when we say God it is the same as saying Jesus." NO IT ISN'T. The Father has put the Lord Jesus name above EVERY name... why are we dissing him. Am I way off?? Do you think it matters? Am I missing it? What is going on? I'd love feedback.

This board has been kinda dead, let discuss my fellow AMHD buddies!!!

Let's see, there were 675? Laws to sin against in the OT. Things like, clothes of 2 different fabrics-have you sinned? sleeping with your wife during a period-have you sinned? Grown tomatoes and peppers in the same garden-have you sinned? Checkout the "disobedient son" in the OT-Deuteronomy, I believe-did you take him to the town council to have him stoned when he didn't listen to you? Church is you, not what you hear in church. Although I go to church weekly and participate in other church functions, the real thing to do is to be of service to others. Work a food pantry, meals on wheels, pro life help-that is how you spread the work of Jesus "Do unto others". . You don't need a church for that. Keeping holy the Sabbath in early OT meant a day of rest, not going to a church or synagogue. Be happy you are saved by Him and give thanks by showing it to others.

The old testament laws of course are divided into three main types, Moral, Sacramental, and Judicial. The Sacramental and Judicial were all part of the Covenant. One and some of the laws with Noah, and the next with Moses.
Only the Moral laws continued into the new testament though the newer covenant with Jesus. But that is of course an entire other issue.

Be glad you just live in a place where you are free to worship and be able to tell another person about Christ. I could be fired and deported for telling someone in public about my faith, and in jail for a while.

If I decided to have fellow christians to my home and we worshiped God, we could all go to jail for an illegal home Church.

Where other Christians come up in secret to show you their bible.

Welcome to my Church.

What is a church supposed to be? Dear Abby said it is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.

I think of it as my supportive team that has Jesus as our Coach to guide us to love and improve the lives of even the least of these (the real focus).

" if you are a Christian and you go to church, count the times you hear HIS name DURING the preaching" In my little backwoods country church where services are held in half a warehouse, (the other half is used by a major lumber retailer), I would say, on the average, 25 times. We drive back to where we used to live about one hour away. We have tried several churches in our present area. Mostly what you hear about in those churches is the plans for the next scheduled dinner or breakfast, or bake sale, or rummage sale, etc. One minister was actually trying to sell leftover chicken (leftovers from the barbeque special the day before) from the pulpit. The young minister we met and worked with in our former area lives his faith. We became convinced of that while working with him and experiencing his leadership for 10+ years now. Money is a low priority with his church compared to money being the primary concern for most churches we have been affiliated with otherwise. But that may not be true for other denominations. Many churches today look at themselves as businesses first and foremost, and openly state that in board meetings, etc. Churches that operate in that manner are of no value to us. Possibly worse than no church experience at all.

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Church is you, not what you hear in church. Although I go to church weekly and participate in other church functions, the real thing to do is to be of service to others. Work a food pantry, meals on wheels, pro life help-that is how you spread the work of Jesus "Do unto others". . You don't need a church for that. Keeping holy the Sabbath in early OT meant a day of rest, not going to a church or synagogue. Be happy you are saved by Him and give thanks by showing it to others.

I couldn't have said it better myself. What do you mean when you say "church"? Do you mean the Sunday service? That's not church. That's supposed to be a celebration of what the church has been doing during the week. The rest of the time, Jesus, Paul and all the rest tell us to get out there and serve people in Jesus' name, and we'll be judged by how we treat the least among us. Why? Because what we do to them, we do to Jesus. He said it in so many words.

I agree with you about grace, and telling someone the kind of thing that guy did is about as encouraging to them as telling them they have terminal cancer. We need to get it through our thick heads: the negative, "you're-a-dirty-sinner-repent-or-burn" doesn't work any more! In fact, it's counterproductive for all the reasons you just mentioned. Preachers and others need to quit using it.

So the answer to your question is: yes. It's about Jesus... working through us.

Dave,

You know me well enough to know I Know exactly what "church" means. The body of Christ. I am talking about a worship service conducted at your local chapel, school, building.. whatever. Worship music and praises to the Lord is how I honor him from a grateful heart during the week. Opening up the word and learning is how I honor him as well. My point is, the services in my area aren't preaching Jesus, I suspect I am NOT the only one having his issue. AND want to know why I think people aren't out there doing all the good deeds for the poor and needy? Because they are SELF focused, why? Because the name of Jesus , the person of Jesus, the majesty of Jesus isn't preached. We can't change inwardly until we KNOW him. That's my take. Right or wrong. And I feel angry about it. Chuck said to be glad we can worship freely and I am. I am also upset because our pulpits are free to name the name above every name and they don't. Sincerely, I don't hear the name of Jesus mentioned anymore except in song ( which I LOVE btw). I think it is sad. That's all.

classyT, start your own group in your home, in each person's home as they join.

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Originally Posted by classyT

Dave,

You know me well enough to know I Know exactly what "church" means. The body of Christ. I am talking about a worship service conducted at your local chapel, school, building.. whatever. Worship music and praises to the Lord is how I honor him from a grateful heart during the week. Opening up the word and learning is how I honor him as well. My point is, the services in my area aren't preaching Jesus, I suspect I am NOT the only one having his issue. AND want to know why I think people aren't out there doing all the good deeds for the poor and needy? Because they are SELF focused, why? Because the name of Jesus , the person of Jesus, the majesty of Jesus isn't preached. We can't change inwardly until we KNOW him. That's my take. Right or wrong. And I feel angry about it. Chuck said to be glad we can worship freely and I am. I am also upset because our pulpits are free to name the name above every name and they don't. Sincerely, I don't hear the name of Jesus mentioned anymore except in song ( which I LOVE btw). I think it is sad. That's all.

Have you talked with your pastor about this? What exactly do you want to hear about Jesus? I'm still a little fuzzy on what the problem is.