Why Do We Need The Local Church?

Euphemia

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WHY DO WE NEED CHURCH?


1. It is good for people not to be alone.
Genesis 2:18
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone...”

2. The Church is the family of God. Just as a child needs a family for protection and growth, so we too need a spiritual family for the same reasons.
Psalm 68:6
God places the lonely in families;
he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.
But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.


3. Being in a local church helps protect us from deception.
1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.


4. Being in a local church helps protect us from false teaching.
2 Peter 2:1
But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves.


5. The local church is a place for us to discover, develop, and release our gifts and talents to glorify God.
Read Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12.

6. We are encouraged by God to encourage each other in love, spurring on one another in our walk, remembering to meet together regularly.
Hebrews 10:25
And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.




PRACTICAL BENEFITS OF CHURCH:

1. Every person can function: A word of instruction, an interpretation, a hymn, etc. Someone who is outside of a local body cannot participate as God requires, and one's gifts go unused.
1 Corinthians 14:26
Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you.


2. Each person can be discipled. Jesus commands us TO disciple as well as BE discipled.
Matthew 28:19
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.


3. Each person can be trained. all through the gospels we see Jesus training twelve men who would later turn the world upside down!

4. Every member can be a minister. We grow into maturity, receiving gifts and using them.
Ephesians 4:11-16
Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.


5. Every believer needs valuable relationships. Jesus is the ultimate friend. We learn about friendship.
John 13:15
I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.


John 15:15
I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.


6. You can reach your friends and family for Christ.
Matthew 28:16-19
Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
 
These days with widespread internet the church doesn't have to be local. I think local is better as long as its inclusive and not cliquey. For some this forum might be their church.
 
These days with widespread internet the church doesn't have to be local. I think local is better as long as its inclusive and not cliquey. For some this forum might be their church.

That is not correct. We need the local fellowship, as part of the community that God has set us in to dwell. Our mission is always to lead people to Christ, and our mission field starts with our geographical neighbourhoods. God makes it easy for us, but then there are always those who think they can do it better...more easily, actually, by making an online Christian forum their church. It is not a church. It is a kind of club.
 
That is not correct. We need the local fellowship, as part of the community that God has set us in to dwell. Our mission is always to lead people to Christ, and our mission field starts with our geographical neighbourhoods. God makes it easy for us, but then there are always those who think they can do it better...more easily, actually, by making an online Christian forum their church. It is not a church. It is a kind of club.

Well, we all have opinions but in my view the church is the "gathering together" of the people of God. The internet now enables people to "gather together" even though they live remotely from each other. Its not referring to the church building or to a denominational structure. We in this modern society have reduced our concept of church to a 2 hour church service held on a Sunday.
 
I think local Church is important.. As a matter of fact, I believe smaller Churches do better than larger mega churches.. The Pastor of the Church has great responsibilities.. In mega churches, I don't know how much is accomplished.. In our small church, at the beginning of our service we spend lot of time in sharing prayer needs and praying about them.. We even pray for our Pastor sometimes! Clearly that is work of Holy Spirit bringing us together.. I don't know if something like that could happen online in a forum.. I don't think forum could be an equivalent of Church..
 
Well, we all have opinions but in my view the church is the "gathering together" of the people of God. The internet now enables people to "gather together" even though they live remotely from each other. Its not referring to the church building or to a denominational structure.

That is not how the church functions in scripture. It is not just the gathering together, but is the gathering together for a purpose---which is outlined in the OP. An online forum cannot do what the local church does.

We in this modern society have reduced our concept of church to a 2 hour church service held on a Sunday.

Our modern society does a lot of things that God hates and that tries to thwart His plans and ways. It is up to us as believers to do it right.
 
"Church"... well, it's not a building, but people. I'm not a French or Dutch speakers so I am unable to attend a "local" church building and hang out with the Church. Yes, there's an anglican church somewhere in Brussels but having visited them, they're as dead as last weeks fish and my Spirit isn't guiding me to go there. So here I am. I don't consider this forum to be church but I learn things and share things like the Church is supposed to do. I don't consider the mods to be my pastor as Jesus is my Pastor. I've attended home churches, mega churches, dead churches and holy roller shouting churches, but the best I ever had was when the Lord would call three couples, myself, my best friend and his friend and his girlfriend to go to an older couples home for "service"! No one called anyone, nothing was planned. We'd just get a desire to go and BOOM! THE body of Christ would come together and BE the Church! It was awesome! It was great! The Lord had us all stationed in a small Air Force base in Italy and there we met! As with any assignment, we were scattered to the winds but what a great two years! It changed my life in so many ways. It was during this time I KNEW God wanted to be a part of every aspect of our lives. Miracles happened. The word of God became alive not just as stories in a book called the Bible. We were living those stories! I feel very sad for those that treat the written word of God as metaphorical or allegorical, I used to too, until I experienced it for myself. Don't make sweeping generalizations and expect them to stick, God is not a God of bondage, but of freedom and in peace. Do what He wants you to do in YOUR life and share it with us. The word of God is there for all in whatever state you're in, that's how powerful it is. What applies to you doesn't always apply to others. What you see as sin may not be for another.

Romans 14:7-14 (KJV)
For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, [As] I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in [his] brother's way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that [there is] nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him [it is] unclean.

So do you see that? If you BELIEVE you must attend church and YOU do not, then it's a sin to YOU. The word of God guides us in all the things WE need for OURSELVES. Some need the moral support of stronger Christians and they NEED to go to church but that is for their benefit and not a commandment. We're dead to the Law. So what laws you've set for yourself does not apply to others.

Romans 14:15-23 (ESV2011)
For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
 
Church is a place to get together and pray and be around others so I see it as a good thing. Good fellowship there.
 
I agree. Local churches (or diocese to some) are important in helping those within reach. While it's important to help those far from us, it is massively important to help those close to us. Caring for the poor, the elderly, the lonely, etc.
 
Eph 4:10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:


The purpose of the five fold ministry is to equip the Church, to prepare it for the edifying of the body of Christ, and this ministry will continue indefinitely until we all arrive at a place in the oneness of the faith. The word, “come”, means, “to arrive at a place, and to meet”. The word, “unity” means “oneness”. We go to Church on Sundays, and what we are suppose to be learning from our pastors, and teachers is how do we come to this place of meeting? Where is it at? How to we get there? The goal is for each one of us to arrive at a meeting place in the oneness of the faith. In other words, We go to Church (a physical building) so we can learn how to go to Church (a Spiritual building)!

when we gather together with other believers at a physical building here on earth, that is not where the
Church is. Its not on earth at all. We need to be in fellowship with all the Saints in light, not just a few
that are here on earth! His Church services are 24/7, and our Heavenly Father is the preacher there.
This is where we learn and become perfect.

Hebrews 12:22-24
(22) But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
and to an innumerable company of angels,
(23) To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and
to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
(24) And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh
better things than that of Abel.
 
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