Why do we need the local church?

[Guest man]

1 John 4

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

[Floatingaxe]

While I do not have a painting or a picture of Jesus in my home and we do not have one in our church, I know that Jesus does have an image, a physical image, because He has a body of flesh--even now--glorified flesh. Jesus is also not averse to presenting Himself to His children occasionally in visions.

The Bible tells me that He was not a handsome man. So, every time I see a rendering of Jesus Christ and He is a handsome man, I know it was not inspired. However, what the image is meant to convey, I can, for the most part, accept and do not pay any special attention to the figure of Christ in that rendering.

I believe most born again Christians do the same thing. so, to paint all believers with a broad brush of idolatry is simply strife-mongering. To me, that's case closed.

[Iryssa]

While I do not have a painting or a picture of Jesus in my home and we do not have one in our church, I know that Jesus does have an image, a physical image, because He has a body of flesh--even now--glorified flesh. Jesus is also not averse to presenting Himself to His children occasionally in visions.

The Bible tells me that He was not a handsome man. So, every time I see a rendering of Jesus Christ and He is a handsome man, I know it was not inspired. However, what the image is meant to convey, I can, for the most part, accept and do not pay any special attention to the figure of Christ in that rendering.

I believe most born again Christians do the same thing. so, to paint all believers with a broad brush of idolatry is simply strife-mongering. To me, that's case closed.

I'l say a big "AMEN" to that.

[Guest man]

Do you see anything in those verses?

If that thing you have hanging on your wall was indeed the true image of Christ, the canvas would be blank.

Do you deny Jesus was an actual man who walked on earth?

With 2 eyes, a nose, a mouth?

Romans 8

24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?

25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Hebrews 11

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

[Floatingaxe]

Do you see anything in those verses?

If that thing you have hanging on your wall was indeed the true image of Christ, the canvas would be blank.

Do you deny Jesus was an actual man who walked on earth?

With 2 eyes, a nose, a mouth?

Romans 8

24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?

25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Hebrews 11

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Please return to the topic as given in the OP.

[Floatingaxe]

1. It is good for people not to be alone,

Genesis 2:18

Then the Lord God said,

[Guest Biblicist]

What a sad display. 21 pages that have nothing to do with the OP.

Floatingaxe, your OP was well done, beautifuly written and it gets a big AMEN from me.

[traveller]

WHY DO WE NEED CHURCH?

1. It is good for people not to be alone,

Genesis 2:18

Then the Lord God said,

[Iryssa]

I like how the OP reminded us to serve within our churches. Too often we (and I include myself in this perhaps more than most people) think we're going to church solely to be ministered to. But who's supposed to be doing all this ministering? Just the ordained minister(s), the deacons, and other people with "official" titles? That would be an awful lot of people for a small group to minister to, especially when churches often have congregations in the high hundreds to the thousands. The Body was meant to uphold and support one another...and I think a big reason so many walk away from churches disillusioned and discouraged is because so few actually want to do any encouraging themselves...and I don't deny that it's REALLY hard to keep on encouraging others when there are few who will encourage you. But imagine if we all committed to be encouragers, and if we started, well, a trend of encouragement (except more lasting than a typical trend ). It doesn't have to be really elaborate, either. Just tell someone something like, "I like hearing you sing your heart out to the Lord on Sunday mornings," or drop a note in someone's box with an encouraging scripture on it.

Maybe I'm an idealist, but I think that small gestures like that could make a big difference in our churches.

[LadyRaven]

I like how the OP reminded us to serve within our churches. Too often we (and I include myself in this perhaps more than most people) think we're going to church solely to be ministered to. But who's supposed to be doing all this ministering?

<snip>

Maybe I'm an idealist, but I think that small gestures like that could make a big difference in our churches.

I have been in churches where there is a group of like 6-10 women and one or two men who teach sunday school. The second one or two of these individuals decide to take a year off because of burnout, there is a crisis. No one else will do it. Suddenly we're trying to figure out if ALL the high school kids can learn together or if it's ok to have 1, 2 and 3 grade together because there isn't a teacher! There will be over a hundred families in the church. Yet these ones are the ones to visit the visitors, visit the sick, cook the casseroles when someone is ill or dies, mow the yards for the elderly, cleans the church, teaches the kids, plans the dinners, and runs the small group bible studies. You have to wonder why they dont burn out more often.

Why is it that nobody wants to serve?