What is the boundary of the Local Church?

[Steel]

Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah

Yes, great question.

In the LRC I met in Houston (200), Irving (100), Odessa (<100), NYC (300).

While you were meeting with these members of the body of Christ... Were you caring for all members of His body in those cities?

Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah

Even if you considered yourself "one with all the Christians" in the city you couldn't possibly think that you were comprehensively one with them. There were obviously many, many meetings going on in the city of genuine Christians.

What's impossible for man, isn't for God.

I don't need to consider myself one with all the Christians"... I only need to believe that I am one with Christ... In Whom, and out of Whom comes His body.

Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah

So then the question becomes "Is one church in one city = all the Christians have to meet with us?" That is where the error comes in. No, all the Christians have to meet with Jesus, that is the only requirement.

Actually, that's not the question/consideration.

According to scripture, one church in one city is the already accomplished/established reality... What needs to be worked out is the entering of believers within the city into this already accomplished/established reality.

And no... Believers don't just "...meet with Jesus..." . . . We meet in Him and through Him... And unto Him.

And if a believer doesn't see and enter into this reality... They are outside of Christ... Even as we might claim otherwise.

Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah

If "one church one city" means that only our elders are the "authority" in the church here then that is the error.

Scripture tells us that Christ alone is the Head... And as the Head, He alone is the authority, both over, and within His one church.

If believers are unable to submit ourselves to this reality of Christ being our Head... Then how can there ever be a proper expression of Christ in anything that we express... Including the matter of eldership.

Maybe we can take a look at how God arranged things when Moses had to manage the couple million Israelites he was caring for.

Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah

If "one church one city" means that every other Lord's table meeting in this city is in division and sin, then that is the error.

Division doesn't come out of works... Division comes out of not caring for what God cares for.

Works simply expresses what a believer cares for.

How can we have the oneness of Christ expressed in and through the body of Christ if the body of Christ doesn't care about His oneness?

Caring for the oneness of the body of Christ... That's the ground we should stand on... And when we do... The reality of this is what is then expressed... In all that we are and do.