False prophets, teachers and so-called apostles are not so hard to spot:
They seek more attention for themselves;
More fame for themselves;
More privilege for themselves;
More power for themselves; and
More enrichment for themselves …
Than Jesus ever did.
There’s lots of frauds, fakes and flakes out there, folks.
Learn to discern!
So you’re tired of attending an impersonal Sunday event each week designed to build up a “church” …
And wanna find a relational community of believers who gather together to build up one another instead?
That’s great, but let’s start with understanding the differences between them, otherwise it’s too easy to drift back into old, unbiblical habits …
Rather than pressing forward towards actually being the church as specifically commanded in Scripture.
Continue readingSitting among rows upon rows of spectator seating week after week …
Have nothing to do with church as the New Testament commands it.
So how do we help folks get out of this trap?
We need to boldly share our stories of relational participatory church as actually commanded in the New Testament, and what we’ve learned along theway …
To encourage others that they can indeed begin to be the church once again.
Otherwise, most people have no idea that it’s possible to leave spectator “church” behind …
And start gathering in living rooms and other places were life naturally happens, to minister one to another for the mutual building up of each other.
But how can you expect that to happen …
Unless we openly tell of our own journeys and experiences?
When someone’s salary is primarily about preaching sermons …
Is it any wonder that they make church primarily about them preaching sermons?
Yet where do you even find that in the New Testament?
You don’t.
Nope, not, nada …
Just ain’t there.
Why?
Because when we gather together, we are commanded to actively build up each other through ministry one to another …
Rather than passively listen to the one.
So why do we keep following the post-Biblical traditions of men …
Rather than the actual commands of God in Scripture?
Relational participatory church like commanded in the New Testament?
Be discerning!
Some will take advantage of what God is doing by trying to use it to peddle their own influence, “programs,” courses or agendas.
Often, they lack any real history of successfully starting, sustaining or even being part of an actual local church back home – or lack having done it for any meaningful length of time needed to prove their abilities and their concepts – like they now want to sell to others.
Unlike them, Paul never asked those God sent him to help …
To pay for his help, cover his expenses, or provide for his income.
Rather, he appealed to those he previously helped and were now viably established by asking them to contribute to his costs and expenses so he wouldn’t be a burden on new churches and believers to whom God was sending him.
Which begs the question:
If these modern day house church marketers – and what they’re peddling – are so successful, then where are the established, viable churches and believers they previously helped bring forth …
Who should be able to now help cover their ongoing costs and expenses so they don’t need to seek payment and contributions from new or emerging believers and churches to whom they keep promoting themselves and their wares?
Typically, there are none …
Or their past endeavors have not yet become truly viable and thus proven.
I’ve seen it all too often:
What they’re peddling and their own lack of verifiable, tested experience over time …
Plus their own failure to ever develop the ability to actually support themselves through their own skills and labor (even if they legitimately need temporary support while going on mission to help others, and thus are away from their own successful careers back home) …
Inevitably leads to failure among themselves and those they’ve promised to help.
Maybe not right away, but over time it never turns out well.
I’ve seen it time and again, and again, and again …
I’m not saying they are necessarily insincere. Some, but not all, have good intentions.
But they lack experience, proven over sufficient time, to confirm their gifting and abilities through established churches that are able to now help them – without financially burdening or trying to monetize those they’re proposing to help.
So before turning to anyone for assistance or advice – or paying for resources like books, courses, and conferences – on viable discipleship and how to start or sustain a relational participatory church like the New Testament actually teaches, ask and verify:
Because you can’t get to viable discipleship and churches with those needing to sell themselves and their wares …
Nor get to authentic from phony.
What about mono-church, where our gatherings primarily revolve around ministry by one man …
Such as a so-called “Senior Pastor?”
You can’t find that anywhere in the New Testament (unless you count the warnings against Diotrephes, who wanted to be “preeminent” in his church) …
In fact, it explicitly violates the New Testament’s many commands about how we are to actually gather together – one to another – as the multi-gifted, multi-functional and multi-part Body of Christ.
Continue reading
According to 23andMe, about 2% of my DNA comes from Neanderthals – which is more than average.
I guess that helps explain why I’ve been known to go caveman on abusive “church” leaders over the years …
And why such predatory narcissists and their cult groupies don’t tend to like me too much. 😎
The Diotrephes List* keeps growing:
Mike Bickel, Steve Lawson, Frank Viola, Bill Gothard, Ravi Zacharias, Michael Brown, Paul Pressler, Robert Morris, and on and on …
And hardly a week goes by without new names being added.
Each of these fallen “leaders” appears to have shared two related characteristics:
Their “ministry” revolved around them and their own “gifts” and “vision” as they assumed the prerogatives of pinnacle “leadership” over everyone else; and
They had no true integration or submission to a Biblically functional local congregation where they lived and were known and there was diverse ministry and mutual accountability one to another, along with multi-gifted, balanced leadership.
So what did you expect?
Continue reading
Don’t be surprised as God increasingly exposes the sin and corruption often found in “churches” and “ministries” centered around one gifted man and his particular vision.
That’s because Christ is calling us – each and every one – to finally be the church.
One of the ways He’s doing that is by accentuating the growing dichotomy between:
Unconnected people who barely know each other (if at all) but go to staged “services” with spectator seating for monopolizing ministry by one man, contrary to New Testament commands, as he builds his “church” roster;
Versus relational communities of believers who gather together in hospitable settings for participatory ministry to one another, like the New Testament mandates, as they build up each other.
Continue readingIn 2004, I came down with a rare, degenerative autoimmune disease called scleroderma (also known as systemic sclerosis).
With it, the Lord has taught me that sometimes He loves us enough to nearly kill us. And I’m not talking metaphorically.
Yet, as Job proclaimed when everything good in his life also was being stripped away, “Though you slay me, will I trust you Lord.” Job 13:15.
When the disease first hit me, I nearly died and I lost everything – and I mean everything – dear to me. It was a difficult transition, but God used it to kill what needed at the time to die in me and around me.
Continue reading
Apostle Who???
Don’t fall prey to those who pervert legitimate God-ordained functions and giftings …
By turning them into illegitimate man-ordained titles and “offices” to feed their need for hierarchy, recognition and positions over others in the Body of Christ.
Frankly, I’m done with those calling themselves “Apostle” this and “Apostle” that …
And those strutting about calling themselves “Prophet” this and “Prophet” that …
Along with those calling themselves “Senior Pastor” this and “Senior Pastor” that.
They’re clearly disobeying Jesus, who said:
“But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called instructors; for One is your Instructor, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” Matt. 23:8-12
By turning function into title and gifting into ego, they bring dishonor to Christ …
And harm to His people.
In this photo, Nicky Cruz – a former gang leader in New York City who came to the Lord through the ministry of David Wilkerson – is praying for men and staff at the recent annual banquet for the Delmarva Adult & Teen Challenge, headed by Bob Carey.
Over the years, I’ve occasionally sent men coming out of addiction to Bob Carey for help if they needed more intense, initial discipleship than we could offer.
Although I wasn’t at last night’s banquet, it reminded me of a personal story about Nicky Cruz and my family as I was growing up.
Continue readingFor simple, participatory church to thrive, we need each other …
And our different God-given gifts, motivations and perceptions.
That’s because Christ, in His wisdom, does not want any one person, ability or ministry to dominate His church …
But distributes His many gifts among us instead.
Continue readingSure, institutional churches have great programs, services and staff. But have they produced mature disciples and a mature Body of Christ?
Isn’t this the nub of the matter?
No doubt, they can point to other measures of “success” – numbers, inspirational sermons, “decisions” made for Christ, feel good “worship” with great “worship” bands, buildings, etc.
But despite it all, are they actually making mature disciples and functioning as the mature Body of Christ?
Continue readingWorship is not a “church service.”
There’s not a single such reference in the entire New Testament.
Nope, not, nada …
Just ain’t there.
Instead, we are to gather together to minister one to another for the mutual building up of each other out of the diverse gifts God distributes among us …
Just as God commands in the New Testament.
But that’s never called either “worship” or a “service” there.
And yes, we also are to congregationally sing praises to God in those gatherings, but again for the express purpose of mutually encouraging one another …
Which is the only reason given for singing together in the New Testament.
But neither is that ever called or referenced as “worship” there.
I’d rather gather together with a few in my living room and be the church, one with another …
Then sit in rowed seats with a thousand in some building called the “church” to watch a staged event.
What 1 Corinthians 14:26 actually says:
“What is it then, brothers? When you come together, each one of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has another language, has an interpretation. Let all things be done to build each other up.”
What post-Biblical traditions have twisted it into:
“What is it then, attendees? When you enter a ‘church’ building, each one finds a spectator seat for a staged ‘worship’ performance followed by a monopolizing monologue ‘sermon’ by the same ‘Senior Pastor’ week after week from a raised podium above you. Let all things be done (especially when the ushers pass the plate) to build up the ‘church.’”
Fortunately, God’s people are increasingly done with going to a “church” …
And are learning to be the church by gathering once again, one with another, like the New Testament actually commands.
It’s amazing, though, how those who most readily affirm Sola Scriptura …
Seem least likely to apply it to how they actually gather as the Body of Christ and seem most likely to defend their trans-New Testament human traditions instead.
Why is that?
God is a polyglot:
He speaks and relates to different people different ways.
If, however, we don’t respect how others hear and relate to God differently than us …
Then relational participatory church – with ministry by one another to mutually build up each other – will sputter and die.
Relational participatory church? How is that possible?
By letting God change our attitudes.
For example:
I may have an ability or perspective you lack.
But I have yet to meet anyone – and I mean anyone – who does not in turn exceed me in some aspect of their own abilities and perspectives …
Even if they’re a brand new Christian.
Relational participatory church – as mandated in the New Testament – only works when we all, leaders included, begin to embrace that kind of outlook …
By learning to truly submit one to another as the multi-part, multi-gifted, multi-functional Body of Christ.
Otherwise, ministry by one another for the mutual edification and building up of each other when we gather together …
Is impossible.
There are numerous New Testament mandates which require that our gatherings as the church be participatory, with ministry one to another out of the diverse gifts God distributes among us.
Unfortunately, however, what we tend to have these days are “mono-churches” that are centered around the monopolizing monologue preaching by the “one” …
Or centered around one particular gift, vision or ministry emphasis.
Instead of mono-churches, here are just some of the New Testament’s many commands about how we are to gather and function together as the multi-part, multi-functional, multi-gifted Body of Christ …
For the mutual edification and building up of each other by one another.
Why?
Why are there no “Senior” or “Lead Pastors” in the New Testament?
Why are monopolizing, one-man “sermons” prohibited in the New Testament?
Why is “preaching” never in church to believers, but only to unbelievers, in the New Testament?
Why are obligatory church tithes contrary to the actual standard of giving for Christians in the New Testament?
And why is the idea of building large “church” buildings utterly missing from the New Testament?
As an elder in our simple, relational, participatory churches, I’ve done more than just teach sound doctrine.
I’ve also routinely helped folks literally encounter a vibrant, living Christ who personally transforms them.
In fact, healthy, relational, participatory churches are impossible, I have found, without ongoing internal transformations in the lives of those who gather.
I recall meeting with a man who loved the Lord but had re-occurring bouts with drug addiction.
He was serving time in the local jail and part of an indigenous, relational participatory church we helped start in one of the dorms there …
But he was carrying lots of guilt and shame from things in his past.
Yet despite all the good doctrine he previously learned and fully embraced, he couldn’t shake the weight of those sins.
This was a common problem among those we’d reach in the jail, the woods, and other places at the fringes of polite society.
As I often did when meeting with such men, I simply invited him to verbally confess and expose to the Lord the sins and the burdens that were weighing him down – openly and fully.
In tears, he did.
I then simply invited him to ask the Lord to forgive him for all the stuff he’d just revealed – in his own words and in his own way.
With a contrite heart, he did.
Finally, I simply asked him to bundle up all the guilt, all the shame, and all the confusion his heart had been carrying …
And lift it up in his spirit as he gave it to the Lord – then tell me when the Lord took it.
In simple faith, he did …
And he was free.
The look of release, wonder and amazement in his eyes left no doubt.
I then just sat back and simply stayed quiet as the Lord came and ministered to him.
After several minutes of watching the Lord’s peace and calm engulf him, I asked what had happened. (I always love asking folks to tell me what happens when the Lord literally meets them.)
He said the Lord had been hugging him.
I smiled, because I knew that Jesus had just brought profound healing to him, and had lifted the emotional pain from his life that kept driving him back to drugs.
He now was on the road to effective discipleship and recovery.
The beauty of helping him actually meet Jesus is that I didn’t need to have all the answers, or the cure, or even figure out all the problems in this precious man’s life.
I just needed to get to simple, which for this brother meant inviting him to confess, seek forgiveness, and trustingly turn his burdens over to the Lord …
Not metaphorically, but literally.
And like He always does, Jesus showed up.
This was not an unusual event, and in my experience Jesus personally and directly meets each person differently and uniquely based on their varying, individual needs.
That’s the Jesus I know.
He heals the brokenhearted, delivers those captured by sin, and brings liberty to the oppressed.
Yes, we need to affirm sound doctrine, but we also need to help people meet the living Christ …
Up close and personal.
Whether by design or default, over the last few decades some discovered they could build big followings and big buildings with rows upon rows of spectator seating and a big stage for Sunday performances that showcase their own ministries, and call it “church” …
If they could also figure out how to manipulate people’s feelings and call it “worship.”
Where did they even find that in the New Testament?
They didn’t.
That’s why God is now calling many back to simple faith through true worship …
Which is living lives of humble reverence and sacrificial obedience to Him.
And also back to simple assemblies …
Where we mutually build up one another through ministry to each other.
You know, just like the New Testament commands.
But one of the biggest hindrances to getting there, I’ve found, is the tendency to still adopt aspects of the “show” and its faux “worship,” howbeit in smaller settings like homes ….
As though new wine can go in old wine skins.
It can’t, so don’t even try …
Because home assemblies, as shown in the New Testament, don’t work if they’re simply “honey, I shrunk the ‘church.'”
The idea that Christians should tithe to churches isn’t found anywhere in Scripture.
Rather, the New Testament command for believers is much different:
“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Cor. 9:7
In fact, the idea that we must tithe to churches didn’t arise until the 6th Century – many hundreds of years after the New Testament was written.
Does that surprise you?
It emerged only after the “church” became something far different than a functional, multi-gifted, local community of believers who gathered in homes and other places where life naturally happened, to mutually encourage and minister one to another like the New Testament commands.
Instead, the church morphed over hundreds of years into more of a temple model and away from its simple New Testament roots.
As it became increasingly self-focused, self-interested, and “institutional,” the tithe became necessary to pay for:
– A growing clergy/laity divide with increasingly hierarchical leadership which displaced the New Testament model of multiple, unassuming elders who emerge within local assemblies to serve among God’s people;
– “Worship” and ritualistic “sacraments” that evolved into staged, scripted “services” that required a new professional class of Christians to “mediate” and “officiate;” and
– The migration towards dedicated buildings that became centralized seats of authority for the new, professional leadership class – and ever larger, expensive, and more elaborate monuments to their own positions of power and control.
So of course, as authentic New Testament churches receded in lieu of post-Biblical institutional “churches,” the “tithe” arose …
Because it costs a lot of mula to feed that beast.
Warning: Satire below! 👇
That guy over at Plumbline Faith keeps saying that church, as shown in the New Testament, is simple, participatory, and organic …
With ministry one to another for our mutual edification.
So what’s his problem???
Participatory?
I do that.
I sit and stand when the worship leader tells me to and sometimes even sing along, do the happy clap or raise my arms with my eyes closed when prompted;
I shake hands with the guy in the pew ahead of me when the associate pastor says to greet one another;
On occasion I say “amen” when the senior pastor asks us to say “amen” during his sermon;
I put money in the plate when it’s passed down my row by the ushers; and
I even bow my head when told to do so during the invitation for folks to raise their hands and receive Jesus.
So yes, I participate when I go to church, thank you very much!
Simple?
I do that also.
I find a spot in the church parking lot exactly five minutes before the service starts;
Passing through the foyer, I give a perfunctory reply to the perfunctory greeter’s perfunctory greeting;
I continue through the big lobby to the comfy pew where I always sit;
During the show I stand, clap, sing, raise my hands and bow my head, exactly as prompted from the stage;
I feel the “spirit” move me – right on cue – when the worship band hypes it up a notch;
I am inspired and nod my head – also right on cue – at all the right spots in the pastor’s sermon; and then
I get up to leave at 11:00 am – right on the dot – when it’s all over.
Seriously, what could be simpler???
Organic?
Yup, I do that too.
The new coffee bar in the church lobby uses only certified organic, GMO-free, fresh-roasted, hand-ground beans for their lattes.
And you can’t get more “organic” than that.
Yes, indeed, I love my simple, participatory, organic church!
P.S.
I did hear, however, that a new church down the street uses a fog machine with their band to create just the right amount of awe during the show – oops, I mean worship. I think I need to check that out, because I just might love church even more if they have a cool fog machine!
~ Jim Wright
(feeling just a little mischievous)
Plumbline Faith 