299 - What is a church for?

Wording of this Handout:

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What is the church for?

Well, for a start, the church is not here to be a decoration. Many people treat it like that though. For example, unsaved people like to be married in a church because it looks nice, and many official functions like to have a minister present, (such as the opening of a building or a funeral ) who says a few appropriate words and adds something dignified to the proceedings.

But as far as i'm concerned, this is all eyewash! The Church is for Christians only. It is an exclusive organization, designed to keep Christians going in the right direction. It is not for the world, or the unsaved.

You see the wold can get along perfectly without the church. People can marry, have children, hold down a job, travel, write wills and die without the church being involved. In every respect the Church could go and live on an island and the world would be no different!

So Christians must be careful that they are not used by the unsaved as decorations. Jesus had a lot of followers - all hoping for a free feed, or a free healing. They soon left when Jesus spelled out the real cost of being a Christian. True Christianity is very different to the world's understanding of it.

I always carry a Bible with me - it brings me luck!

He has really lost the plot!

The Bible says: "And he said to them all. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23 (King James version)