Hi Roy,
Leaving the church can be complicated, especially when we have family who are habitual church goers. They only know what they have been taught and they as I once did, they believe that church is where you go to worship and show reverence to God. I think that your pastor was only making a veiled attempt to say the right thing when he said you should honor God no matter what. We know "forsake not assembling yourselves" means with people of like mind, so you really shouldn't be at church then. I believe your pastor is just trying to get enough info from you to prove you wrong. Discussing this with him will probably go down hill fast, as he has far too much to lose to believe this.
From what I've seen it seems that these church people will write you off pretty quick,
once you stop attending. I think your wife's (and everybody else's) reaction is because she can not possibly believe you are right and all the churches are wrong and she thinks the church is where you have to go to worship. She can't understand you are not leaving Christ, but this organized (miss-organized) religion. You will just have to use a lot of tact with her, which it seems like you are. I will pray for your family.
mercy, peace and love
Kat
Kat,your quote kind of reminded me of Rays paper on
What Is The Gospel Of The Kingdom? Here is an excerpt.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=49ik9j5ouaeln6kjqep2vv9m31&topic=6142.0WORKS TO BE SEEN OF MENBut I want to zero in on one thing though. Just this one requirement for entering the kingdom, just one. Of course if you qualify in one area perfectly, it would cover other areas. But I want to just cover one area, because it was specifically mentioned several times in connection with, either being in the kingdom or not being in the kingdom. Just one requirement.
Mar 1:15 …repent ye, and believe in the gospel. Mat 5:20 …except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. Your righteousness must FAR exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. But there is one giant sin that will keep you out. There is one thing that Jesus said about the Pharisees, something about them, the way they always were, they way they operated, the way they did and thought and so on, that He just berated.
Mat 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms (your good deeds - works) before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
v. 2 Therefore when you do your alms, sound not a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. Do not do good to show off, do not do good to be seen of men, do not do good to have your flesh glorified - puffed up - pumped up. God says that you will have no reward, that is your reward.
Let me tell you honestly. I don’t want materialism. It’s not that I wouldn’t enjoy having it or I can’t appreciate it or any of those things. I do and I can and I probably would, but I don’t WANT it. Because I fear that it would interfere with my spiritual growth and I could even be turned away. Now I wouldn’t have said that twenty years ago, no. I would have said bring it on Lord. I don’t want it now, I don’t want it anymore, I don’t want it. I do want to wear nice clean clothes, but I don’t need to have a ton of them and they don’t need to be the Reitz Carlton, designer everything, it just doesn’t have to be.
So don’t do your deeds to be seen of men, because then you have your reward.
Now in Matt. 23, He makes a very profound statement. He mentions this over and over. But here He says something a little stronger yet.
Mat 23:1 Then spake Jesus to the multitudes and to his disciples,
v. 2 saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses seat:
v. 3 all things therefore whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not.
v. 4 Yea, they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger.
v. 5 But ALL their works (how many of their good deeds? ALL) they do to be seen of men, They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.
v. 6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
v. 7 greetings in the marketplaces (to be seen of men),All their works, I don’t think Christ was lying… all their works.
Read chapter 3 and tell me that one of these people are going to be in the kingdom of God. Some of the works could be good works, it doesn’t matter. If you are doing it to be seen of men, if you are putting back the flesh that you was suppose to have cut off. If you are struggling to come back to the surface of that baptism in Jesus Christ and you say I’ve been down there long enough, I want to come up and dry off, I want some of this flesh back.
Peace...Mark