why do mega churches not have crosses

And that pastor probably travels around in a private plane and lives in a mansion, because many megachurches are associated with what's known as the "prosperity gospel.". Quora - A place to share knowledge and better understand the world Christ is Risen, So Why is There a Crucifix in Every Church? He was a pastor for 10 years. Keep up the hard work your teens love you! I did a talk on suffering - not what I had wanted to do, but something God made sure I had to do: and I needed to hear what He had me tell others, probably more than the others to whom I was speaking!Suffering is not what we want to do, but it is something we are all going to do at one time or another - I guess it all comes down to how we deal with the suffering. It's actually funny because James and I sometimes go to a Catholic church near us (not going to say which one) that we really don't like going to if we can at all help it because of the aesthetics of the building. It was not something that you would ordinarily talk about. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. I fear there would be such disappointment in some folks. Amazing Facts Summit Reaches a Packed Audience, The People Behind the Praise: Megachurch Music and You. The members of megachurch congregations are often taught to focus on their own existence and problems, instead of seeing themselves as servants who should help their fellow man. Apparently the cross on church buildings is thought to put off seeking non-Christians?? Theres only so many geometric forms and the cross is a very basic one. See what the gospel is. In the end, wearing a crucifix or cross won't get you into Heaven. Since that decade, the number of megachurches in the U.S.and their average congregation sizehas increased year on year. How To Build a House For God by Doug Batchelor, In Spirit and In Truth with Youth Pastor Luccas Rodor, The Doomsday of Babylon with Daniel Hudgens, Amazing Facts Summit Reaches a Packed Audience, The People Behind the Praise: Megachurch Music and You. It became customary for churches to identify the building as a Christian church. It was so cool to look around and see all those crosses and think about the gift of love through suffering that they represent. Why Don't Baptists Have Crucifixes? Learn the Truth While Baptists apply these verses to using crucifixes, those who use the image in worship, as decoration, on pendants, and in other displays, dont believe they are breaking the second commandment. Do You Know These 14 Hebrew Names of God? Christ said Whoever takes up their cross and follows me-. The promise that says I do not have to spend eternity in hell for my sins. Even so, for more than a century these enormous churches remained outliers and exceptions. Comments containing URLs outside the family of Amazing Facts websites will not be approved. They think theres some kind ofyou know, you hold it up and Dracula runs away. And as reported by The New York Times, many Black churchgoers sought out these megachurches out of a sense of dutyto be missionaries of a newly integrated worship experience. To be in a space where even if you get distracted you eyes are seeing edifying images is good for the soul. I was recently told by a Pastor that Jesus never told us to put up a Cross. :). And with all that suffering we do, if a Catholic church wanted to add a few "fun" thingshey, I am not opposed! .. Sign up for your daily dose of spiritual insight and encouragement from Amazing Facts. For instance, if two families leave a small church it cannot be ignored. just arrived at the same conclusion. that should be a clue), which is a couple of miles from our house. Spread the Word using these free digital resources from the ministry, including plug-ins, banners, and more. Im just saying that it grew out of the idea to identify the edifice as a Christian church. Baptists dont use a crucifix because they believe it violates the second of the 10 Commandments about not using graven images. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. I know what you are saying. Yes, sin is a hard taskmaster. Religion has always been intertwined with politics, and religious leaders have always tried to exert influence over their congregation on various issues. Some people used it simply for architecture and, well, Adolph Hitler made that symbol something very ominous. A Church in Timonium, Md offered a video sermon once, a slide show with a picture of The Cross and the voiceover "Jesus saved you" with the next slide being of a collection basket with the . Access dozens of Amazing Facts topical Scripture books from Pastor Doug and others. Second, in the Cross we see the proof of Gods hatred of sin The one who sins is the one who will die (Ezekiel 18:20). Joel Osteen, pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, and the bestselling author of books like Your Best Life Nowand I Declare: 31 Promises to Speak Over Your Life, has been dubbed "the smiling preacher" due to his toothy smile and upbeat attitude. Those who use crucifixes dont believe they are rebelling against God; they believe they are honoring him. My point is that not only is a cross un-essential for a church, it is also un-essential for worship. Presbyterian vs Baptist: What's the Difference? Click here for the video of this presentation. Our aim is to share the Word and be true to it. Opening Celebration for the Amazing Facts Word Center, Morning Worship with Pastor Doug Batchelor. A personal answer from Terrie. Joel Osteen preaches at Lakewood Church in Houston, considered the largest church in America, in this undated photo. In fact, an entire industry has grown up around helping megachurches become even more mega. And his philosophy was essentially fascist. He's not for me. There is a cross outside and inside the building. And while I haven't led a megachurch personally, I have led a large church (1000+) and this criticism always chased our ministry. Theres only so many geometric forms and the cross is a very basic one. The Lost Books Of The Bible: Should We Accept Or Reject. Why Doesn't My Church Have a Singles Ministry? - Crosswalk.com Lots of suffering there. It's easier to wear a cross than to bear a cross. And as noted by Vox, Lentz and Hillsong are hardly alone when it comes to pastors having sex scandals and megachurches being revealed as hotbeds of inappropriate behavior and abusive environments. When you post, you agree to the terms and conditions of our comments policy. Real Answers. We miss you. Darrin Patrick was removed as pastor of The Journey megachurch after his behaviorincluding extramarital affairsbecame impossible to ignore, and he later died by suicide. As noted by MSNBC, some megachurches are exploring setting up satellite branches that act almost like franchises, causing a kind of "Wal-Mart Effect" as they take worshipers away from the traditional local church. In Ephesians 2:13-19, Paul writes,But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. But it also means that there is very little sense of community. Jesus Christ is salvation, the main purpose of the gospel, and anything that . Caller:I have a question. Whats the believers role in receiving salvation. I hope they hear about the redeeming work of Jesus. In every time and season, there is an opportunity to share hope in Christ. And so, to differentiate Christian churches from maybe other institutions of religion or other public buildings, it became customary, as a symbol, to put a cross on these buildings. These churches feel that believers should not put too much emphasis in this outward symbol. I love this post and TOTALLY know what you are saying! A guide for walking through all of Scripture in just a yearwith catch-up days built in. I hope they hear about the redemption of their eternal soul. The Cross including its demands and hopes are the very heart of the Gospel. . The gospel is Jesus Christ. My church was meeting in a school, but outgrew that venue so they built a new church. Artist Draws Unimaginable Visions She Saw During A Thousands Touched By The Holy Spirit During Inaugural Gods Word For You Today: Jesus Is Your Friend, Spontaneous Prayer Breaks Out In Jerusalems Actual Upper Room; Twas Like A Roar Of Heavenly Tongues, Remarkable Miracles That Are Available For You Too, Turn Down The Noise And Find God In Your Stillness, Prayer Is A Powerful Weapon 5 Effective Strategies For Breakthrough, Clear The Fog Of Our Hearts To Give God A Landing Place Pastor Proposes, Seven Results of Breaking Divine Boundaries. The peace of His presence is holding me, surrounding me, carrying me, and walking with me, teaching me, correcting me, admonishing me, and loving me. Books by Ann (a c cuddy) Church Why do some churches not have crosses? This comes on the heals of Outreach Magazine finding that the fastest-growing churches are growing faster than they have in the past. Instead, it has a cafe with wireless Internet access, 32 video game kiosks and a vault to store the offering," the paper reported. Heres What Baptists Believe About Salvation. But that isn't the case with all large churches, not even megachurches. Without the death of Jesus on the Cross, I would still be perishing under the law separated from God. What they are looking for is Truth; the Truth of the Cross, the Truth of salvation, the Truth of the Gospel, the unadorned, unvarnished TRUTH. Therefore, Baptists dont reject the crucifix because they reject the importance of Christs death; they revere the death of Christ and dont want to reduce its significance to an image. Here are three reasons why: Mega-church size insulates the body from the natural pains and tensions which keep it healthy. The dark side to this corporatization of religion is how focused on growth the megachurches have become. Most Protestant traditions reject using crucifixes because they believe it is a violation of the second commandment and for the other reasons already mentioned. Without the slides and videos and music to set the atmosphere; what then? And we go to it because going to church is for praising God, not for my own entertainment. I think there is a happy medium somewhere. Its a lot easier to wear a cross or to hang one on a wall or to nail one to the steeple, than it is to bear the cross. Although tens of thousands of people might attend services at a megachurch over the course of a week, they rarely meet each other or interact, inhibiting any sense of community.

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