Going To Church

CAN A PERSON BE A CHRISTIAN WITHOUT
GOING TO CHURCH?

I. OPENING TIME

QUESTIONS:

What are some of the reasons adults today attended church when they were children?

What are some of the reasons those same adults might have for attending church now?

What are some of the reasons people might not attend church regularly?

Do you think the importance of church attendance has changed in the past generation?

Have you ever heard, "I don't go to church because it is filled with hypocrites!". . .?

What do people mean when they say that?

(A hypocrite is someone who pretends to be something they are not.)

Have you ever heard that same person complaining about hypocrites say, "I don't watch television because there are people who are pretending to be something they are not!". . . ? (Probably not.)

Do you think the general public imposes higher standards of behavior, ethics, morals, etc., on people who regularly attend church versus those who do not attend church? Why or why not?

Does a person need to be a member of a church to be a Christian?

Does a person need to be a Christian to be a member of a church?

Are the requirements for church membership somewhere in the Bible?

Does the Bible tell us anything about attending and/or joining a church?

SCRIPTURE: ACTS 2:37-47. (Note to the Leader: Background from Chapter 1.
Jesus recently ascended into heaven. The disciples appointed another apostle to replace Judas and gathered in Jerusalem at the end of the wheat harvest to observe one of the Jewish feasts, The Feast of Weeks, commonly known as Pentecost. Familiarize the group with 2:1-21, then read, ask someone to read, or have the group read verses 22-47.)

VERSE 37.

How were the people affected by Peter's message?

Does it appear Peter or any of the other disciples were trying to coerce these people in any way?

Who in this verse wanted to do something and why? (The people...because they were cut to the heart.)

What is significant about this? The people heard a clear and simple presentation about Jesus Christ with no apparent action point. Something from within prompted them to ask "What shall we do?" The motivation to action was intrinsic...coming from within them, from their hearts, rather than an extrinsic manipulation from Peter and the other apostles.

Do you think it is reasonable to expect the same response from people today if they heard a simple message of Jesus Christ? Why or why not?

The verses don't state this, but "reading between the lines", what kind of motivation do you think Peter and the other apostles had for telling these people about salvation through Jesus Christ?
Do you think the people could sense whether or not Peter and the apostles had pure motives?
How obvious do you think our motives are when we talk to others about Jesus Christ?
What impact do you think our perceived motives have on those with whom we talk about Jesus Christ?

VERSE 38-41.

What did Peter say was necessary?

What was the response in verse 41?

VERSE 42.

Do you remember diagramming sentences in grammar school?

What is the subject of this verse? (They)

What is the verb? (Devoted)

What is the object of the verb? (Themselves)

What commentary do these three words make on whether or not their motivation was intrinsic?

The people obviously felt it was their responsibility to devote themselves. List the things to which they devoted themselves?

1) To the apostles' teaching.
2) To the fellowship.
3) To the breaking of bread.
4) To prayer.

Why do you think each of the four things above are significant aspects of corporate worship and church attendance?

When Jesus was asked the greatest commandment, he responded with two: 1) Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; and, 2) Love your neighbor as yourself. How do these four church activities relate to the two greatest commandments? Does it surprise you?
Have we added any other activities to our church scedules today?
How many of these four remain on your church schedule?
How many of these four things are you personally experiencing in your church?
Do you feel "short-changed" on any of these things in your church? If you do, remember who was motivating the people in the early church. (The people themselves.)
Do you feel there could be a lack of devotion to these things on the part of church members today?
Have you ever experienced a lack of personal devotion to any of these four areas in your life?

VERSE 47.

How were these new church members received in the community?

Is that the case today? Why?

BOTTOM LINE: There are many things going on in Jerusalem among the new believers in the last seven verses of Acts 2. Today, we often try to duplicate the level and type of activity hoping that our church will experience the same results in numbers as the early church in Jerusalem. However, before we burden ourselves down by adding more activities to our busy schedules, perhaps we should reconstruct the order of events in this chapter:

According to verse 37, why did the people want to do something...why did the whole process begin? (They were cut to the heart when the heard the simple gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ.)
As a result of their change of heart, who prompted the people? (They themselves.)
The people had a desire within themselves to rearrange their priorities by devoting themselves to activities that would result in their own personal spiritual growth.

The progression:

1) A change of heart.
2) A desire to devote themselves to grow.
3) The activities for growth.

What do you think could be the result if the church's activities for its members precede their change of heart and inward motivation for spiritual growth? (Church burn-out? Members have busy schedules, but experience little personal spiritual growth?)

Who do we generally expect to plan our activities in our church?

Are the activities in our churches as simple in their purpose and scope as the church in Acts?

Who do most of us blame for our lack of motivation for involvement in church activities? (The minister, church staff or leaders or the church itself.) ...According to the Acts 2, what type of church activities should we pursue, and who should motivate us to be involved?

Have you experienced the same change of heart as the people in this passage?

Do your religious activities sometimes get ahead of your personal devotion to spiritual growth?

CLOSE WITH PRAYER.

II. TABLES (Small Groups)

QUESTION: What do you remember the most from your childhood about church?

SCRIPTURE:

I JOHN 1:3,7.
In the OPENING TIME, we read that one of the four activities of the church was fellowship with other new believers. What did John say in verse 3 was the reason he was telling his readers about Jesus Christ? (So that he could have fellowship with them.)
Some people think that fellowship is good regardless of whether or not God is the primary reason. According to verse 7, what is central to the fellowship the apostle John describes?

LUKE 4:16.
This verse gives us a snapshot of one of Jesus' priorities. What is it? (He had a custom...a habit...of attending worship with others.)
If Jesus felt attending corporate worship was important enough to incorporate into his normal routine, how do you think he would respond to someone who asked him if they should do the same?

DEUTERONOMY 12:4-14.
What does verse 5 tell us about the significance of the place of worship?
What do verses 11-14 tell us about the place of worship?
People say, "I don't need to go to church! I can worship God better on the lake or on the golf course!" How does verse 8 relate to their comment?

HEBREWS 10:24,25.
What do these verses tell us we should not do?
Apparently some had begun to neglect meeting together. Does verse 25 give us some insight as to how that may have happened? (It became a habit for some to neglect meeting with the others.)
People often have elaborate responses to why they no longer attend church; could much of the real reason be they simply began to develop a habit of not going, like the people in these verses?

II TIMOTHY 4:2,3.
List the instructions Paul gave Timothy about the church's objectives.
What do you think each of the following mean:
Preach the Word?
Be prepared in season and out?
Correct?
Rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction?
What does verse 3 warn us will happen if we neglect the functions in verse 2?

BOTTOM LINE:

Do you need to make any adjustments in your church involvement?
Do you expect the motivation for church involvement to come from the church, or do you see it as your responsibility?

What is your motivation for attending church (or excuse for neglecting)?
Have the Scriptures above caused you to reconsider anything about your church involvement?

CLOSE WITH PRAYER.