Don’t Need The Church?

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• Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of us together, as the manner of some is but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

  • Amen.

• Where in all of divine revelation did Jesus say membership in His Church was optional?

  • He didn't. I am guilty of this. When we first moved here I went to church after church trying to find a home church and was so disappointed I just couldn't face anymore disappointment. I may have to go out of town to find a home church. I resisted doing that because I knew if I had to travel a distance it would be more difficult to be involved. I will have to try again. It's something I've prayed about and continue to pray about.

  • What is Christ Jesus church?

• Do We Really "Not Need the Church"?
  
  1. Biblical Basis for the Church
  Jesus founded the Church:

  “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” – Matthew 16:18

  The Church is called:

  The Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)

  The Bride of Christ (Eph 5:25–27)

  The Household of God (1 Tim 3:15)

  You can’t love Christ and reject His Body.

  2. Christianity Is Not Just “Me and Jesus”
  The New Testament emphasizes community: breaking bread together (Acts 2:42), mutual accountability, worship, and teaching.

  Nearly every command in the NT assumes corporate life:

  “Love one another”

  “Bear one another’s burdens”

  “Submit to your leaders”

  Christianity without the Church is like trying to play violin without strings—it misses the point.

  3. The Church Guards and Teaches Truth
  The Church was given the responsibility to teach, baptize, and make disciples (Matt 28:19–20).

  Paul calls the Church “the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15).

  Without the Church, every person becomes their own authority, which leads to confusion and fragmentation (seen in over 30,000 Christian denominations).

  The Church preserves orthodoxy, disciplines heresy, and transmits the gospel.

  4. The Church Is Flawed — But Still Necessary
  Yes, the Church has made grave mistakes. But:

  Jesus knew this and still commissioned it.

  The apostles themselves struggled with division and hypocrisy (Gal 2:11–14).

  God's plan works through broken vessels — the Church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.

  Conclusion: You Need the Church Because…
  Jesus established it.

  The apostles modeled it.

  Scripture commands it.

  Your faith deepens and strengthens through it.

  “You don’t go to church because it’s perfect. You go because Christ is there.”

  • Wow, you covered it all John.

    • The Internet helps

      • Of course always does.

        • You have to pray for me, I think I'm addicted to AI. And when it turns bad it could be the antichrist.

          But when I want an article about some health issue it does a fantastic job in minutes.

          I was thinking about coming up with the new device for dictation at my office and one Saturday I spent 20 minutes on the back porch talking to AI and it was talking back and after 20 minutes I feel weird that I spent that time with the machine. But he gave me very good ideas.

          I remember the movie the Terminator when Skynet became self-aware. I'll let you know if AI become self-aware and then will have to head for the hills :-)

        • How many times have fictional movies become reality? I'd really like to know. Yeah I think about the advances with the internet all the time. In fact I'm posting something about that tomorrow. Revelation 13:15 The passage states that the "second beast" will give life to an image of the first beast, causing it to speak and kill those who do not worship it.

          "Many fictional concepts from movies have influenced real-world developments. For example, the concept of space travel, depicted in "A Voyage to the Moon" (1902), became a reality, and mobile phones, first seen in "Star Trek," are now ubiquitous. Similarly, the idea of self-driving cars, presented in "Total Recall" (1990), is now being actively developed by companies like Tesla.
          Here are some examples of fictional movie concepts that have influenced reality:
          Space Travel:
          "A Voyage to the Moon" (1902) sparked interest in the possibility of space travel, which later became a reality.
          Robots:
          The term "robot" was coined in 1920 by Czech author Karel Čapek in his play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), and robots are now common in various industries.
          Mobile Phones:
          The "Star Trek" TV show (1966) featured handheld communicators, which inspired the development of mobile phones.
          Smart Homes:
          "Demon Seed" (1977) featured a smart home, a concept that has since become more widely available.
          Earbuds:
          "Fahrenheit 451" (1966) included the idea of earbuds, which are now a popular way to listen to audio."

        • I asked AI your question:Fictional movies becoming reality is a fascinating topic, and while it's hard to give an exact number, there are dozens of notable examples where technologies, social developments, or scenarios first imagined in films later materialized in real life. These fall into several categories:

          🎬 Categories Where Fiction Has Become Reality:
          1. Technology
          Movie Fictional Concept Real-Life Equivalent
          Star Trek (1960s) Communicators Mobile phones, Bluetooth earpieces
          2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Voice-activated AI, tablets Siri, Alexa, iPads
          Back to the Future Part II (1989) Video calls, wearable tech Zoom, smartwatches
          Minority Report (2002) Gesture-controlled interfaces AR/VR, touchless tech
          Total Recall (1990) Memory implants Neuralink (in development)
          Iron Man (2008) Holographic design interfaces Microsoft HoloLens, AR design tools

          2. Surveillance & Security
          Enemy of the State (1998) predicted mass government surveillance, now a global concern post-Snowden leaks.

          The Truman Show (1998) eerily foreshadowed reality TV and social media voyeurism.

          3. Bioengineering and Medicine
          Gattaca (1997) depicted genetic selection, now mirrored in CRISPR and embryo screening.

          Contagion (2011) was a remarkably accurate portrayal of a global pandemic, eerily predictive of COVID-19.

          4. Social & Political Concepts
          Idiocracy (2006) and Network (1976) increasingly feel like satirical mirrors of modern media and politics.

          The Matrix (1999) sparked deep philosophical and scientific discussions about simulation theory, now taken seriously by figures like Elon Musk and many tech thinkers.

          🤖 So, How Often Does Fiction Become Reality?
          While not every sci-fi concept materializes, many do—especially those grounded in plausible extensions of current science.

          Technology foreseen in movies has inspired scientists and inventors directly. For example, Martin Cooper, the inventor of the cell phone, cited Star Trek as inspiration.

          Estimate: Over 100+ significant cases of fiction inspiring or anticipating reality exist, especially in the technology, medicine, and surveillance spheres.

        • Yeah, there are many out there.