Church Gatherings are for Those Who have been Changed by Christ into a New Creation

No one attends a church gathering to be saved. We go there to edify one another in the Word. The unsaved should not be in the gathering with believers unless they happen to wander in desiring to learn.

 
When we "invite" unbelievers to the gathering who come just to please us because we are friends, they are not coming to seek God; they are coming for a social club. This is why most gatherings are full of unsaved people who never change. They a;re encouraged to remain as they are through friendliness without correction.

 
The gathering of believers is to edify one another,r build up our spiritual walk to go from there into the world to evangelize. The gathering is not for evangelism; it is for the building up of the saints.

 
When we speak the gospel in the world and someone becomes saved, then we bring them into the gathering as a saint, and they are going to be built up to go and do their part as led by the Holy Spirit to speak of Christ to other unsaved people.

 
Ephesians 4:29
"Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen."

Colossians 3:16
"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."

Hebrews 10:24-25
"And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

1 Corinthians 14:26
"What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a psalm or a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done to build up the church."

Unbelievers ought not to be invited to the gathering of believers whose focus is on edifying the saints. Teaching them to do things that only believers should do, that is, teaching and the gospel, dilutes the gathering rather than encouraging obedience to Christ.

 
I knew of a gathering we attended once that allowed an unbeliever to speak. He didn't use any Bible; his talk was completely worldly and lacking in faith. The people foolishly wanted him to keep coming, so they didn't correct him, and the lies that he told remained unchallenged as he was led to believe he did a good job.
Sadly, no one was edified, and one couple was deeply agitated, detracting from edification, eventually leaving out of frustration that they were seen as the troublemakers for not "encouraging" the false teacher.

 
That day when the apostate was allowed to preach, those who wished to love and edify one another were shut down in favor of this sinner who did not understand the things of God.

1 Corinthians 2:14 "The natural man cannot understand the things of God because they are spiritually discerned."

 
When a gathering of believers is dedicated to being "friendly," willing to ignore the Scriptures to please those who are unregenerate, this is an apostate gathering, not pleasing God and frustrating anyone who desires the pure truth of the Word.

 
Ephesians 5:19-20
"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Most gatherings today follow traditions of men rejecting most of what the Bible teaches while claiming they are "Bible believing" Christians. This is the reason I don't pay much attention to words; the actions will tell you if the words are true.
Matthew 15:7-8 "…7 You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: 8‘ These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 9 They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’ "

When we have confronted false teaching and the hearer reacts with anger, we have our answer about their walk, it is worldly and they are full of anger. Angry responses do not occur unless the spirit of the man is an angry spirit.

 
Proverbs 22:24 "Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man,"

James 1:20 "For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God."

Ecclesiastes 7:9 "Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools."

If we want to be edified in the Word, walk closely with Christ, and grow in holiness, we must limit our circle of friends to those who love Christ and love His Word.