Quote:
Originally Posted by old friend
Can we feel God's presence in the midst of wickedness?
Oh, yes we can...and so often do.
I too have felt the Lord personally in large meetings and small...yet it is unwise to allow that to be the cure all barometer..indeed it is not meant to be..nor should it steer our acceptance of one's doctrine.
How many times is the true wickedness of a church situation brought to light and all the while aforehand great services abounded?
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So you're okay with calling a church where God's people gather to worship God and be taught the Word "wicked?" I'm not.
Of course it's not a (or "the") barometer.
But "wicked" is a bit of a stretch, IMO, no matter how out of sync the church is with a NT ideal.
Furthermore, the church is based on principles found in the Word that are good for any culture and any era. It isn't one-size-fits all, and it doesn't have to work precisely according to the NT model, although the
principles should be followed (for success).
Regardless of the feelings regarding home groups or big churches, my point was simply that extreme views aren't really welcome from either end of the spectrum. The same extreme views about big churches lead to the other side of the coin holding extreme (and objectionable) views about home groups. Hmmm...maybe I'm still not being clear. It's the same mindset that says "my way is right" and the rest of you are "wicked." BOTH sides can err to far into that realm, and THAT is what leads to Christians shunning, disfellowshipping or otherwise mistreating other Christians, and actually feeling justified about it.
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