What is a modern Baptist Church building supposed to look like?

[TheGloryLand]

As time go by modern churches, Baptist churches, or others are changing the look of their buildings. We are no longer having the peak roofs, with the cross at its highest point. The new modern look are more efficient and hold more people. Are you ready to receive the modern and new look Church ?

Here is one I found online just for example.

Berean Baptist Church

[BrotherTony]

A modern Baptist church building should look the way the contractor, preacher, deacons, trustees, and congregants agree to design it. Years ago in Augusta, Georgia, the church my wife and I were attending burned down. It was a 100 year old white wood frame building. Lightning hit it one Saturday night during a severe thunderstorm. The congregation rented a local school buildings gymnasium for several months while a new church design and contractor were chosen. We decided that we didn't want another wood framed building, but would prefer a 10,000 sq foot Morton metal building. It gave us far more space and was on a piece of land donated to the church by a millionaire who owned a local telecommunications business and was also a member of the church. It was done in 90 days. 

[TheGloryLand]

Nice, the new metal church building. Are you sure that lightning that hit the old Church wasn’t looking for you?  

[Napsterdad]

I am going through a study of 1 Kings and just recently finished the building of Solomon's Temple. Odd name that; Solomon's Temple. Should it not be God's? I think the name speaks volumes in itself.

1 Kings 6:11-14 And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying, 12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father: 13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel. 14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.

We are not told how Solomon received this word from the LORD, whether by prophet or dream or otherwise, but I find the message compelling. God starts out with “concerning the house which thou art building, but then does not say another word about the building itself. Instead the message focuses on the man. If thou [,Solomon,] wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee.

God is far more concerned about the house Solomon is building within himself than any physical structure on the earth. Perhaps part of what God spoke to Solomon is what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:16-20 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

And perhaps this last verse we just read is the final realization Solomon came to when he penned Ecclesiastes 2:11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

At the end of the day the physical temple (or church) being built is nothing more than stone, timber and some precious metals and rocks. Just pretty works, nothing more. However, if we let the works we are doing, regardless how good or pretty they may be, get in the way of the work God is trying to do in us, then we have missed the mark and it is all in vain.

So in answer to your question "What is a modern Baptist Church building supposed to look like?" My answer is 'I don't care. What's going on inside?"

[TheGloryLand]

5 minutes ago, Napsterdad said:

I am going through a study of 1 Kings and just recently finished the building of Solomon's Temple. Odd name that; Solomon's Temple. Should it not be God's? I think the name speaks volumes in itself.

1 Kings 6:11-14 And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying, 12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father: 13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel. 14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.

We are not told how Solomon received this word from the LORD, whether by prophet or dream or otherwise, but I find the message compelling. God starts out with “concerning the house which thou art building, but then does not say another word about the building itself. Instead the message focuses on the man. If thou [,Solomon,] wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee.

God is far more concerned about the house Solomon is building within himself than any physical structure on the earth. Perhaps part of what God spoke to Solomon is what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:16-20 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

And perhaps this last verse we just read is the final realization Solomon came to when he penned Ecclesiastes 2:11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

At the end of the day the physical temple (or church) being built is nothing more than stone, timber and some precious metals and rocks. Just pretty works, nothing more. However, if we let the works we are doing, regardless how good or pretty they may be, get in the way of the work God is trying to do in us, then we have missed the mark and it is all in vain.

So in answer to your question "What is a modern Baptist Church building supposed to look like?" My answer is 'I don't care. What's going on inside?"

Thank you and good answer, the main thing is, what’s going on inside. Amen

[BrotherTony]

2 hours ago, TheGloryLand said:

Nice, the new metal church building. Are you sure that lightning that hit the old Church wasn’t looking for you?  

Nope! We were in Corydon, Indiana that weekend visiting my biological father whom I had just found again after 10 years. 

[Pastor Matt]

We're in a storefront so were not modern lol

[TheGloryLand]

10 minutes ago, Pastor Matt said:

We're in a storefront so were not modern lol

I hope the neighbors are good  

[robmac68]

On 11/3/2023 at 6:34 PM, Napsterdad said:

Odd name that; Solomon's Temple. Should it not be God's?

Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

Solomon's temple sounds good.

On 11/3/2023 at 6:34 PM, Napsterdad said:

"What is a modern Baptist Church building supposed to look like?" My answer is 'I don't care. What's going on inside?"

Amen to that!  I never cared too much for big, fancy, expensive church buildings.  The cost of some of these church buildings would feed a small nation.  And to think our Savior "hath not where to lay His head" and He did just fine in getting the message out.

 

[Napsterdad]

5 hours ago, robmac68 said:

Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

Solomon's temple sounds good.

Amen to that!  I never cared too much for big, fancy, expensive church buildings.  The cost of some of these church buildings would feed a small nation.  And to think our Savior "hath not where to lay His head" and He did just fine in getting the message out.

 

I'm willing to cede the point, but the temple was (or was supposed to be) run by God's rules and you have to admit...: 1 Kings 8:10-11 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, 11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD. 

...when God took occupancy, the appearance is that it is God's and God's alone. Verses 10 & 11 even refer to it as "the house of the LORD".

Edited November 7, 2023 by Napsterdad

[BrotherTony]

34 minutes ago, Napsterdad said:

I'm willing to cede the point, but the temple was (or was supposed to be) run by God's rules and you have to admit...: 1 Kings 8:10-11 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, 11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD. 

...when God took occupancy, the appearance is that it is God's and God's alone. Verses 10 & 11 even refer to it as "the house of the LORD".

Yes, it is the "house of the Lord." It's also referred to as "Solomon's Temple" because Solomon was the one chosen by the Lord to build it. It's both, so there's really no conflict here.

[TheGloryLand]

On 11/4/2023 at 4:02 PM, Pastor Matt said:

We're in a storefront so were not modern lol

What happened to the church image photo, I see just a ? marked in its place. Thanks

[Napsterdad]

29 minutes ago, BrotherTony said:

Yes, it is the "house of the Lord." It's also referred to as "Solomon's Temple" because Solomon was the one chosen by the Lord to build it. It's both, so there's really no conflict here.

No conflict implied.

[BrotherTony]

5 minutes ago, Napsterdad said:

No conflict implied.

Wanted to make sure. I thought you were aware of this. Blessings.

[Salyan]

On 11/3/2023 at 4:34 PM, Napsterdad said:

I am going through a study of 1 Kings and just recently finished the building of Solomon's Temple. Odd name that; Solomon's Temple. Should it not be God's?

I mean, I think the adjectives on temple descriptors were just a way of telling them apart by builder....  I don't feel that there's any spiritual significance there.  The only temple that will be built by God's hand has yet to be seen.

I love the carpenter gothic churches, but am forced to admit that there is no reason to have them and not another design (although the vaulted roof is ideal for good congregational singing - so there's that).  Our church is considering a church expansion that will spoil the pure carpenter gothic architecture, and I am not a fan.