Areas of discussion about Internet Church Services also known as live streaming.
“My church is online. But I’m not satisfied. Can I search for a new church? I need fellowship.”
“I don’t want to feel I’m abandoning my live streaming Church family.”
“Can I return at anytime.”
What about churches fellowshipping with churches or holding separate services within a single facility?
1 John 1:3-4
“…that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us;
and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.”
You can only do but so much on the Internet but what’s the best option?
Hands down, interpersonal fellowship is the best option.
Live streaming is not intended to replace live fellowship among believers but its use is just supplemental.
Many pastors and churches combine the two, however, it has become a “crutch” to many believers that lack the weekly discipline to attend service in person.
And it’s not a surprise that even pastors use Zoom as a “crutch” to reduce the “grind” of traveling, parking, and other associated activities that add stress to the work of the ministry.
We need to compare what we do with what Paul and others have done before we complain about the “grind” of ministry.
Interpersonal means “relating to relationships or communication between people.“
During the 2019 incident, Zoom became increasingly popular because it allowed for people to view church without having to attend church.
Family reunions, funerals, parties, and sports events, just to name a few, have made streaming a convenient way to communicate.
However, even people come late to a Zoom meeting.
There’s technical glitches that makes it difficult but for the most part it’s a convenience.
Believers of similarly precious faith in Christ are to have regular times of meeting together for the purpose of sharing their relationship in Christ where possible.
Barring persecution that could happen from time to time, it's important that the believers congregate.
Interpersonal fellowship serves to strengthen our friendships and bonds us together in the love of Christ.
But first, we must always remember that we're created for His pleasure.
Revelation 4:11 (KJV)
"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
Unbeknownst to us, even when the real gospel is preached to one soul by live streaming on social media, its purpose is fulfilled.
“Go into all the world” is only viewed as boots on the ground to city to city, country to country, continent to continent.
Thoughts differ but the way we communicate is more technical.
So technical that with a click, we could transcribe between languages.
The world also includes the World Wide Web.
God created us and He knew where this was going. Be an opponent of the Internet but we can’t do without it.
It’s where people are.
But the Internet will never eclipse person to person witnessing, teaching, discipleship and fellowship.
The Internet is nothing but an alternative or option to person to person fellowship.
We were created for sharing in genuine companionship that serves to help us grow in our relationship because Proverbs 27:17 says “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”
By sharing in prayers, singing unto the Lord, reading and teaching the Word, we do so to grow in our relationship with the Lord.
It’s done in love.
Ephesians 4:1-3
”I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Also,
Colossians 3:12-17
“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.“
So the question asked is…..
“My church is online. But I’m not satisfied. Can I search for a new church? I need fellowship.”
Absolutely.
There’s serious limitations on the Internet that can’t be overcome.
So if you’re an “Internet Worshipper,” there’s nothing wrong with searching for a new house of worship where you can have in person genuine interaction with other believers.
At best, the Internet is a supplemental means that’s available to believers that may be in the military that's deployed overseas and around the world, the elderly, the sick, the incarcerated or incapacitated for whatever reason and it’s their only source of fellowship.
But it’s no absolute substitute for personal fellowship, and it should never indefinitely replace such interactive fellowship.
We get it that there's people that's introverts. Some people just can't and are unwilling to adjust their dislikes and attitudes of certain people, and it's not our job to force people to get together.
In heaven, there will be no such problem because there will be no place to hide.
Romans 12:18 (NKJV)
"If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men."
All through the NT, we see groups of believers meeting together to have critical and meaningful fellowship because this interaction helps all believers to come together in the bond of unity.
Hebrews 10:24-25
”And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.“
“I don’t want to feel I’m abandoning my family.”
You’re not.
Pastors are not to be overbearing lords over God’s people that prohibit them from “venturing out.”
What pastors must understand is that the sheep are God’s people. Pastors didn’t shed their blood to purchase the sheep.
Pastors are to tend, nurture, guard, guide and fold the flock of God, not own them and control their everyday lives.
Pastors have a hard time controlling themselves and they want to control you?
“Can I return at anytime.”
Absolutely.
An open door policy shows you have a heart that's willing to help the sheep any way that you can. To have hard feelings only shows you have a bad heart.
Is there such a thing as leaving right?
There's no set criteria of leaving "right."
Sometimes people just leave and are never heard from again. Others leave by telling others that they're leaving and both will happen. We should never wish them ill or speak bad about them either way.
What we should do is pray for them and ask the Lord to be with them. Now if they've committed sins and sowed discord among believers, it should be truthfully brought out so as to help others see that a departure took place and lovingly disclose the truth.
Departures should not add stress or build strife. It should be more about the love of Christ to see and appreciate the best in others that's required of all believers.
As an off the subject note...............
What about churches fellowshipping with churches or holding separate services within a single facility?
Doing so will have mutual benefits and drawbacks.
When two pastors are in one building, the pastor that's requesting the use of their facilities must be very loving and humble. The pastor that may be renting out space may need the money and will suppress his ego.
The pastor seeking to rent another pastor's facility doesn't want to say or do anything that would cause jealously. The more you seek to be a blessing to the pastor that's giving you space to hold services, the less tension there will be.
Be a blessing and not a burden.
If they mutually agree to terms, whether long or short term, the renting pastor must not act like it's his building. You're a guest and at anytime, you could be back to square one.
Real Estate and Commercial Property ownership or leases and rent can be very tricky and expensive.
It costs money to rent facilities for churches to have service.
That's why many of them teach "tithing" because it's a means to be able to afford the basic costs of just renting a place. Because of the current economic conditions in this nation, some believers are stressing over tithing and have made the decision to just give what they have within their means.
And there's nothing wrong with that. You won't get "cursed by God."
Malachi was talking to Israel 400 Jewish calendar years before Christ came.
Malachi wasn't speaking to the church.
Free will offerings based on what you have is what the NT teaches.
As a point. No where in the NT Scripture did the Lord Jesus command that church to tithe. Tithing was giving to the children of Israel as a command to minister it to the Levites because they had no inheritance. Their only job was the service of the tabernacle and even the Levites tithed the tithe.
There's only 4 places in the NT where tithe, tithing, or tithed is ever discussed.
If it were a very important subject to the church, wouldn't you think that the Lord would have made the NT be more emphatic about it?
So the next time you hear "tithing," be a good steward of the Word and study thoroughly the subject before you teach tithing. As a believer, hold your pastor to the fire and request that he study and teach this subject thoroughly.
Live streaming is very cost efficient. From anywhere in the world, you could live stream and depending upon the size of your audience, it has benefits, but it also has drawbacks.
At anytime, the ISP or the speech police on the world wide web (WWW) could pull the plug and your audience is reduced or gone.
No interpersonal relationship unless you answer questions or read and respond to people's comments in real time.
Seeing comments underscores interpersonal relationships and interaction necessary.
At anytime, the host could end the live stream and you're left holding the bag until next time.
Why are we discussing this?
Congregants are looking for a place of stability. Any sudden changes could have an adverse negative effect on the fellowship.
Finally, we're the Body of Christ. The love of Christ is the bond of perfection.
If you have a desire to explore other options, spend time before God in prayer.
Don't make hasty decisions.
Discuss it among people that you trust that will tell you the truth in love.
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