Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
Many here are confusing how we worship with where we congregate. They think it is okay to worship God wherever they are, which is not the point of Jesus's words to the Samaritan woman. His point was about how we worship, not where we congregate. The Samaritan woman thought a person worshiped by going to a certain place. Jesus said no, we worship in Spirit and truth, not by going to a certain place. This does not mean however, that we can congregate wherever we like, that where we congregate is not important. Jesus was not saying we can hold church a church service in a Hindu temple, for example. If we worshiped there, we may be in Spirit and truth, but our location would be wrong.
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Perhaps it is you who is confusing what the Lord said to the Samaritan woman. If you go back and read the account in John 4, one readily ascertains that the context of the story is
all about the "proper place" to worship. The Lord then qualifies what is the proper place to worship -- "
in spirit and in truth." The place has nothing to do with where our body is, but only where our heart (our spirit) is. This corresponds with His rebuke to Israel, "
this people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
Jesus and the disciples also cared about the location of where they were. Just as it is not appropriate to behave in certain ways in certain places, it is not appropriate to worship God in certain locations. A person may worship in Spirit and truth in a Catholic church. Their worship is right but their location is wrong. Similarly, a person may worship in Spirit and truth in a brothel, casino, etc - their worship is right but their location is wrong. Some places are just not good for worship - such as a construction site. Jesus is an example of one who worshiped in Spirit and truth. However this does not mean he worshiped wherever he liked. Some may say "did not Jesus hang out with sinners?". Yes he did, for the purpose of fulfilling his ministry, but when it concerned his worship to the Father, He liked to frequent certain places over others:
Luke 5:16 "But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.".
Jesus did not go into the house of the prostitute and choose to have his worship time there. Jesus as one who kicked the money changers out of the temple, would not have worshiped in a place filled with idols (a Catholic church, for example).
Jesus and his disciples went to the synagogue to worship as they were Jews. In the New Testament period Christians worshiped "in the temple and from house to house". (Acts 5:42).
Suppose a group of Christians decided to "meet in the name of Jesus" at a brothel. It would not be appropriate and not pleasing to God.
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Of course, true to form,
Evangelical's counter-argument introduces extreme and absurd scenarios to rebut our Lord's pertinent instructions. "
What? So we can worship anywhere? Sisters' meetings at the Hindu temple? Middle aged saints meeting at a construction site? Meetings of the brothers at Brothels? Young people's meetings at casinos? God forbid! Let it never be! Isn't it obvious to everyone that Ohio has just gone off the deep end? He's taking the Lord's words way too literally."
The Lord also said "
in truth," which can be translated "in reality" or "in truthfulness."
Such is
Evangelical's "irrefutable proof" that all "true worship" of the Father must take place in LC meeting halls and training centers of the LSM. He also forgot to mention those dreaded denominations, evil free groups, etc. How could any true Christian ever worship the Father in those places? Actually, in the minds of true LCM diehards, denominations
are worse than casinos and brothels.