This community is a church of Christ!

[Not of the World]

True or false?

[OneLight]

Define how you are using church please.

[Not of the World]

18 minutes ago, OneLight said:

Define how you are using church please.

A gathering place for Christians to share, teach, and learn about Christ together and to give praise to the Lord.

[OneLight]

2 hours ago, Not of the World said:

A gathering place for Christians to share, teach, and learn about Christ together and to give praise to the Lord.

In that case, using your definition, yes, it can be seen that way, but the true church is much more.

[Ray12614]

24 minutes ago, Not of the World said:

A gathering place for Christians to share, teach, and learn about Christ together and to give praise to the Lord.

Well . . . based on your description of church, then I suppose you might be correct . . . . however . . . 

What about cooperation with other believers to do 'good works' in the community? Or, meeting needs of those who have fallen on hard times, and need a helping hand that can only be done in person, or an 'eye-to-eye' encouragement, Or, have family emergencies and have gone to hospital in the early morning hours and need support? Will an online posting for prayer help when we are alone in those situations help when we need help immediately? Or, how about church activities that are fun and uplifting? Or, getting involved in each others lives and 'being there' to show love and support for life events (births, weddings, graduations, funerals etc.), or, asking the hard face-to-face questions instead of an online 'fake' appearance about what is really going on in our lives ? ? ? (Don't tell me that does not happen)

So . . . do I think Worthy is a waste of time?  NO!  Worthy is a great place to 'meet' other believers around the world in an 'digital way', and to open ourselves up to teaching and ideas that we may never get in our own local churches (let the reader study to show what is true). BUT, it is, (based on what I detailed earlier) an 'limited digital version', or 'shadow' of what Jesus really intends His living church body to be like.

I am sure that I will get alot of push back from some local church haters who have been 'burnt' by church ministries, but, that is okay . . . in this digital forum I will never see their 'eye rolling', or scoffing attitudes like I would 'face-to-face'. Unless of course, you attach pictures . . .   LOL

My opinion only . . . Grace and Peace . . . Ray . . . 

[teddyv]

No, definitely not a church.

[Jayne]

7 hours ago, Not of the World said:

True or false?

False.

There is no online message board for Christians that can be called the church.  I've been on about 5 and currently am just here.  But even Worthy is not a church.

Why?  Because the church, according to the Bible,  has a list of jobs to do that can only be done in person, corporately, and as a body.

• Partake of the Lord's Supper - Luke 22 - Jesus told the men he was physically with, to eat this as often as they wanted, but to always do this in remembrance of him.
• Take physical care of the communities widows and orphans - 1 Timothy 5 - Paul teaches Timothy, the young man, and new pastor, that the church is to pick up the slack in tending to the widows and orphans if their families won't do it.
• Physically assemble together and don't neglect that - Hebrews 10.  Now some people cannot physically go to church because of their health.  And for the rare few, they cannot find a Godly body that teaches and preaches the Bible.

That's not all as the Bible has more to say, but I'll have too long of a post if I list the rest.

To, me one of the primary reasons that online message boards are not the church is the plethora of different messages they teach/preach.

For example:

• There are people here and on every other message board I've seen that have different opinions than me on minor issues and that's OK!!  Peter and Paul didn't always see eye to eye.  That's not what I am talking about.
• What I am talking about is that there will always be various and sundry people on every Bible message board who preach and teach heresy and anti-Biblical things.  They are here at Worthy - a small handful.  

We are an online fellowship board.  

[AnOrangeCat]

7 hours ago, Not of the World said:

True or false?

Being largely housebound I say yes. God certainly isn't limited by distance and technology and can inspire people to say the right thing someone else needs. In the distant past here I was going through a rough patch and thought I might need someone to take care of my cats for a while. Someone on Worthy stepped up for that though it ended up not being needed in the end. The forum certainly can help meet with material needs now and then, which is a key element of a functional church. We hold each other up in prayer, and some people do speak about what they're doing or want to do in their local area, which opens the door for us to pray and offer material support as able, so long as the trust, care, and means to do so are present.

All that said I'd encourage seeking what's available locally as their primary option for a variety of reasons for those who are able. This is especially true of people in tough situations.

[Not of the World]

1 hour ago, Jayne said:

False.

There is no online message board for Christians that can be called the church.  I've been on about 5 and currently am just here.  But even Worthy is not a church.

Why?  Because the church, according to the Bible,  has a list of jobs to do that can only be done in person, corporately, and as a body.

• Partake of the Lord's Supper - Luke 22 - Jesus told the men he was physically with, to eat this as often as they wanted, but to always do this in remembrance of him.
• Take physical care of the communities widows and orphans - 1 Timothy 5 - Paul teaches Timothy, the young man, and new pastor, that the church is to pick up the slack in tending to the widows and orphans if their families won't do it.
• Physically assemble together and don't neglect that - Hebrews 10.  Now some people cannot physically go to church because of their health.  And for the rare few, they cannot find a Godly body that teaches and preaches the Bible.

That's not all as the Bible has more to say, but I'll have too long of a post if I list the rest.

To, me one of the primary reasons that online message boards are not the church is the plethora of different messages they teach/preach.

For example:

• There are people here and on every other message board I've seen that have different opinions than me on minor issues and that's OK!!  Peter and Paul didn't always see eye to eye.  That's not what I am talking about.
• What I am talking about is that there will always be various and sundry people on every Bible message board who preach and teach heresy and anti-Biblical things.  They are here at Worthy - a small handful.  

We are an online fellowship board.  

You persuaded me to see the truth.  Thank you!

[Not of the World]

56 minutes ago, AnOrangeCat said:

Being largely housebound I say yes.

Technology is a wonderful asset when used righteously.