Plumbline Faith

Today, folks go to a “church” for a “sermon” by the one, week after week, during a scripted “service” designed to lead them into God’s presence – stage to audience …

In violation of Scripture.

Instead, the New Testament commands that we gather for ministry by one another to mutually build up each other through the diverse gifts God distributes among us as we dynamically express His presence already in us – one to another.

Big difference!

So are you finally done with unbiblical spectator mono-churches and their Sunday shows?

Then fall on your face before God (I mean this literally!), humble yourself before Him, and ask that He begin relationally knitting you together with others willing to gather and start learning …

To be the multi-gifted, multi-part, multi-functional Body of Christ once again.

God created each of us with different motivations, abilities and ways of perceiving to match our different spiritual gifts.

Unfortunately, though, we all tend to view others as being motivated and perceiving reality just like us.

When we finally begin realizing that’s not the case, we hopefully can start learning to affirm the varied, different motivations, abilities and ways of perceiving that God gives others.

This is part of what it means to prefer one another above ourselves.

When people in the Old Testament tried to build their own human edifice to reach God …

He didn’t tear it down, but just made it irrelevant.

As with the Tower of Babel, so it is with what we call “Church” today …

With its unbiblical, man-centered human traditions like million dollar special buildings designed for spectator seating under a monopolizing “Senior Pastor” and his weekly performance by the special few on a raised stage each Sunday morning – all under the guise of “worship” (so called) to attract ever bigger audiences and induce a big collection to keep funding it over and over again, week after week.

Maybe it hasn’t collapsed yet under its own weight …

But God sure seems to be actively exposing it these days as not really of Him and making it increasingly irrelevant.

Those who know the times see the need to get with God’s agenda instead …

And start gathering as the relational, participatory, multi-gifted Body of Christ once again – with ministry by one another to one another for the mutual building up of each other – just like God actually commands and ordains in the New Testament.

The New Testament never says to gather for a church “service,” where the few do all the ministry for everyone else.

Nope, not, nada …

Just ain’t there.

Instead, it repeatedly commands that our gatherings be about serving one another …

Through ministry by each other – out of the many gifts and abilities God distributes among us – for the mutual building up of all.

So when was the last time your “church” allowed that to happen on Sunday morning?

For the vast majority of Christians, never.

Maybe it’s time to finally get serious about gathering like God commands in His Word …

And leave those contrary, self-serving, post-Biblical traditions of men – and their monopolistic “services” that are all about their own “ministries” – behind.

After all, as Paul explicitly states, the reason God gives us leaders in the church is not so they can do the work of ministry by putting on Sunday morning “services” for us.

Rather, their role is to equip God’s people so we – each and every one – can do the work of ministry by building up each other through ministry one to another (Eph. 4:11-16) …

Even on Sunday mornings!

In the New Testament, elders emerged within a local assembly based on proven character …

As they served God’s people through relationships, plurality, example, persuasion and earned respect.

Today, we instead hire a “Senior Pastor” from the outside based on external institutional credentials …

To rule over an organization called a “church” through appointment, position, hierarchy, titles, command and control.

Big difference.

I’ve been part of simple participatory churches going back over fifty years …

And also helped start and sustain more than a few along the way.

In fact, the very first one I personally helped get going was fifty years ago this month in college …

And it became a beacon for evangelism, discipleship and fellowship on campus.

Over all these years, I’ve seen how the biggest threat to such groups – especially when first starting …

Are those who come seeking a platform for their grievances, ambitions or pet doctrines.

If you let them, they will make your gatherings incessently revolve around them or their issues – whether intentional or not.

If you think God

Can’t move

In our gatherings

Unless you direct them –

Including who does what

And when and how –

Then it really doesn’t matter

If you meet in a “sanctuary”

Or in a living room

Or with twelve

Or twelve hundred

Because it’s still

All about you …

And your distorted view

Of leadership.

——————-

Consider this:

Christ doesn’t call some to be “pastors and teachers” to direct our gatherings and control all ministry.

Rather, their job – along with all other church leaders – is “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ” so in Him “the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does its part, the body builds itself up in love.” Eph. 12:11-12 & 16 (NET)

If you have a control freak who rules over you and won’t change, rather than equipping leaders who serve among you, it doesn’t matter whether you meet in someone’s house or in a traditional building …

It’s not really a church and it’s time to leave.