so i visited the local church and i've visited churches in other cities by invitation, and i've noticed that it's 'the thing' now to use power point for song and sermon time (at least in the spanish speaking churches). and it's so frustrating to see the constant use of imagery in these presentations. not just in that but also in the tithe envelopes, the sabbath book thing that they use and anything else that they can put an image on. it's unbelievable how the commandment is so openly being disobeyed. or is this a suprise? does not God comand us not to make any images of anything that is in heaven or on earth? and everywhere i look when i'm inside of the church building i see images of our Creator.......uhm, yea....
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imagery
- Thread starter silkcity
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OntheDL
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I do not see a real problem with pictures on the power point or on the sabbath school lesson.
The commandment states we should not make any images for the purpose of bowing down and serving them.
I personally try to stay away from them just to be clear. But I don't see that we use these images for purpose other than illustration. But then I could be wrong.
The commandment states we should not make any images for the purpose of bowing down and serving them.
I personally try to stay away from them just to be clear. But I don't see that we use these images for purpose other than illustration. But then I could be wrong.
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S
Sunrunner
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Hmm... but how are these images being bowed down to or worshipped? They are being used to illustrate the lesson. If the technology and imagery available to your Church was loved more than the Bible, for example, I believe that would violate the Commandment.
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- Sep 24, 2005
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I believe that the second commandment clearly refers to making images or likenesses for the purpose of worshiping them. Illustrations and other artwork are not intrinsically evil, as long as we don't make them into idols. I am an artist myself, and I believe that God has given me that talent so that I can use it to His glory.
God Himself ordered the creation of artistic emblems for the tabernacle, so I disagree with the conclusion that we shouldn't use visual images in our churches. They should never become the primary focus or the object of our worship, however.
I do think that images of God are questionable because they seem to me to reduce Him to a human conception when we really don't know what He looks like. Jesus probably wasn't actually a skinny, white-skinned, European-looking guy, as most pictures portray Him. Since no one knows what He really looked like when He was on earth or what He looks like now, perhaps it's not a good idea to illustrate His appearance based on speculation.
Here is an article that I found on the Biblical Research Institute site that addresses the subject of the second commandment.
God Himself ordered the creation of artistic emblems for the tabernacle, so I disagree with the conclusion that we shouldn't use visual images in our churches. They should never become the primary focus or the object of our worship, however.
I do think that images of God are questionable because they seem to me to reduce Him to a human conception when we really don't know what He looks like. Jesus probably wasn't actually a skinny, white-skinned, European-looking guy, as most pictures portray Him. Since no one knows what He really looked like when He was on earth or what He looks like now, perhaps it's not a good idea to illustrate His appearance based on speculation.
Here is an article that I found on the Biblical Research Institute site that addresses the subject of the second commandment.
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The counsel we have says we are to let the word of God be spoken and it will stand and convict. If power point presentations and other technology is needed to convey the message then maybe the message being given is not truth. Many churches are beginning to use such devices and are the first step towards "seeker friendly" or celebration style worship which is not of God. Let us pray for a conversion back to hard and fast Bible teaching and let the Holy spirit bring power to the words of our preachers and teachers.
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drgibson
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We use a presentation software in our church. We show slides for the songs, scriptures, and Pastors outline if he has one. They have thematic images that tie into the service. I have yet to see anyone bow to the screen or pray or it. As to why we need it? Ask my hearing impaired wife.
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- Sep 24, 2005
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drgibson said:
Yes, there are many people who benefit from visual illustrations that go along with the sermons or from having song lyrics displayed on the screens. No one is worshiping those images.
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ListenerFriendly
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no, now we're becoming amish! THat isn't what the command was reffereing to! We were not to make any likeness of anything on the earth or in heaven to worship it as an idol. Since the Isrealites had just come from Egypt, the were used to worshipping images and carved idols the Egyptians had, such as images of foreign Gods, or images of the planets and the stars. They were creating images to worship as idols. It is the same as carving a statue. That's fine, BUT when we worship it, it becomes an idol. It is the same with anything. It's like a new car. Say you go out and buy a 4-door sedan, you drive it around all over. That is fine! God never said to not have cars, or horses (the cars of the day 
) BUT if you start bowing down and worshipping it, then it becomes wrong!
We are not disobeying God with images, but instead documenting his wonderous creation! We are not making idols, but serving God... glorifying him with our talents! I never knew this was an issue in the SDA church! Here's what some churches do though, examine this, with the examples from above in mind:
Ex. 20 verse 4, NIV: "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything above below the earth... 5: you shall not bow down to them!"
Notice that the first half of the commandments are about worship, true worship... we have in the commandment before that that we should have NO other gods before our true God... well the commandments keep building on that, the 2nd commandment adds more to the law and explains how we shouldn't have any other Gods before him. Really, what it is instead of making images, the command is "Don't make anything from anywhere into an idol for worship! And don't worship it!"
How people get off is pretty simeple, notice the verse below:
Ex. 20 verse 4, NIV: "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything above below the earth... 5: you shall not bow down to them!"
There, when we just take a part of the verse out of context, we get all sorts of false doctrines... but when we go to the second part we see the whole command. When you study the Bible, you don't take one part and forget another, you take it all... drawing from the entire text, the entire chapter, the whole Bible. When we do this, it seems as an equation:
1 + 1 = 2
Pretty simple, eh? Well, take 1 and make it a doctrine, then it isn't Biblical, it makes a doctrine that is a laughing matter for God, since no where in the Bible was that intended... BUT when you add the other parts, drawing from the entire Bible, then with the results you can begin to draw a conclusion.
Any study requires careful prayer, God bless.
ROCK ON
) BUT if you start bowing down and worshipping it, then it becomes wrong!We are not disobeying God with images, but instead documenting his wonderous creation! We are not making idols, but serving God... glorifying him with our talents! I never knew this was an issue in the SDA church! Here's what some churches do though, examine this, with the examples from above in mind:
Ex. 20 verse 4, NIV: "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything above below the earth... 5: you shall not bow down to them!"
Notice that the first half of the commandments are about worship, true worship... we have in the commandment before that that we should have NO other gods before our true God... well the commandments keep building on that, the 2nd commandment adds more to the law and explains how we shouldn't have any other Gods before him. Really, what it is instead of making images, the command is "Don't make anything from anywhere into an idol for worship! And don't worship it!"
How people get off is pretty simeple, notice the verse below:
Ex. 20 verse 4, NIV: "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything above below the earth... 5: you shall not bow down to them!"
There, when we just take a part of the verse out of context, we get all sorts of false doctrines... but when we go to the second part we see the whole command. When you study the Bible, you don't take one part and forget another, you take it all... drawing from the entire text, the entire chapter, the whole Bible. When we do this, it seems as an equation:
1 + 1 = 2
Pretty simple, eh? Well, take 1 and make it a doctrine, then it isn't Biblical, it makes a doctrine that is a laughing matter for God, since no where in the Bible was that intended... BUT when you add the other parts, drawing from the entire Bible, then with the results you can begin to draw a conclusion.
Any study requires careful prayer, God bless.
ROCK ON
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