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NASB | Luke 5:31 And Jesus answered and said to them, "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Luke 5:31 And Jesus replied to them, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but [only] those who are sick. |
Bible Question:
Where in the Bible does it ever command/imply that "lost" people should be part of the church (church specifically referring to a group of people coming together to worship OR collectively referring to the body of believers in any given area)? In old testament times were the heathen allowed to sacrifice (or worship their own gods) in the temple? Have you ever seen a verse in the new testament where Paul or Peter or any of the apostles talked about recruiting unbelievers to come and worship with the believers? In fact, is not the very DEFINITION of the church a body of believers? How then can a professed "unbeliever" be in any way part of something that, by it's very definition, excludes him. It seems to me that bringing someone who does not believe in God to a service which is [supposedly] set aside to WORSHIP God is, to say the least, counterproductive for both us and them. So why do we do it then? Well, I suppose that the easiest and most common answer to that question is so that they can hear the message of Christ and then [hopefully] accept Him. While that seems at first glance to be a worthwhile goal, we should take a minute to think about what we are sacrificing for it. Have not so many of our "worship" services become solely dedicated to "getting people saved" instead of focusing on coorperately worshiping OUR amazing God? Please understand that I do not question the explicit instructions given for us to preach and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ, but if I remember correctly Jesus commanded his disciples [followers] to GO OUT and preach the gospel to all nations and to GO OUT and baptize, etc. He sent people out with instructions to teach and heal and baptize, not to invite unbelievers to worship with them in the temple (or anywhere else for that matter). What sense does it make for us then to invite the unsaved to come to our worship services? It seems to me that evangelism should be a very active and EXTERNAL endeavor rather than the passive internalization that we have made it. Shouldn't the unbeliever first believe in Christ before they are asked to worship Him? When and why did this whole practice of "inviting lost people to church" become so popular among Christians? Was this ever mentioned as a legitimate strategy for converting people to become followers of Christ? |
Bible Answer: Perhaps,we are talking about two different churches, one Church is you must be born into, Jesus refer to being born again to enter. "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Jn 3:3 Conformation of one entering into the universal eternal life church is the seal of the Holy Spirit "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed to the day of redemption" Ephesians 4:30. The other Church is an organization “the four walls” your local assembly which may consist of believers and non-believer, but it is not the actual Church. In the actual church all have come to Christ and are saved, in the world's organization called church and God only knows who is really present. An invitation join is often given to the congregation of the local Church, but only Jesus can adopt an individual into his royal family of God “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will" Ephesians 1:5. which is the makeup of the universal true Church. The Church was form and started after the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit,some met in homes/houses, quite different from a religious gathering, which is often referred to as church. We are not all in the local assembly or with a particular name branded group, but are all under the umbrella of Jesus. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” Colossians 1:14. Even though, we’re to forsake not to assembly ourselves together, to worship and praise God. Remember Job 1:6 “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.” There may be some non-believers in the assembly attend the local church service. Jesus said “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn." Keep in mind what Jesus said to the disciple in John 21:22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. |