The False Teaching
Southern Baptist:
You cannot consecrate a building in the light of Christianity. You can
dedicate the building. You can set it apart to be used only for the
worship of God. But you cannot make the house a holy house. Such is an
idea foreign to the intense spirituality that Jesus has taught us
belongs to the Christian idea of worship. Why then should we have
houses of worship? Because they make it easier by force of association
and of beneficent habit for us to have holy thoughts and to pay holy
worship in the place where we have often paid it before. So we can see
why it is fit to set apart places of worship, house of worship for God,
though they be not in themselves holy, though spiritual worship is
independent of locality.
Church of the Nazarene:
Of great assistance to the pastor priest in creating an atmosphere of
worship is a building of conducive design and construction.
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Exposing the Error
Most Christians will affirm that the church is the people, not the building. They will also state the need of a place of worship.
Do you know of a church without a building that does not intend to have
one asap? Having led churches in building programs that built places of
worship, I can speak from experience. The building becomes a treasure
on this earth to both pastor and people. It is a star in his crown and
a witness to his success. It makes a statement to the community and all
passers by. And what is inside those places? A shepherd (pastor)
without authority, claiming to serve one who states that there is but
one shepherd. He leads public prayers that the Lord forbids. He
preaches a false gospel - of an atoning sacrifice that saves no
one! The sign outside identifies it as one of many flocks
but the Lord has only one flock! If your church disposed of its
buildings, would the church continue? You know!
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Declaring the Truth
Jn.4:19 FNT The woman says to him: Lord, I perceive that you
are [a] prophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped in these
mountains, and you
[people] say that in
Jerusalem is the place where [one] must be worshipping. 21 Jesus says to her: Be believing me, lady, that [an] hour comes when neither in these
mountains nor in Jerusalem will you worship the father. 22 You worship what you
do not know, we worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews.
23 But an hour comes and now is when the true
worshippers will worship the father in spirit and truth, for indeed the father
seeks such [to be] his worshipping [ones]. 24 God is
spirit, and worshipping [ones] must be worshipping in spirit and truth.
How does one worship in Truth? Make them holy in the truth; your word is truth. (Jn.17:17)
And In Spiri? The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are zoe-life. (Jn.6:63) And through abiding: If you abide in my word . . . you will know the truth. . .. (Jn.8:31,32)
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