Church sometimes seems like going to a restaurant to hear a talk about food and then thinking we’ve been fed. Too many Christians have been taught that their primary role in the body of Christ is to sit and listen to a preacher once a week.
A meeting of the body of Christ is full of anointed people. It’s too bad that only one is usually allowed to speak. Christians often meet to hear a talk; but why don’t we meet to walk the walk with one another and live out our faith together?
Jesus wants to be the pervading and controlling Presence when we gather in His name; not just a teaching topic. Sermons and ceremonies about Jesus should never take the place of focusing on His presence and personally interacting with Him.
Watching Christ, jump off the track that has been laid for Him, and use everyday people to release the gifts of the Spirit, gives me unutterable joy! The body of Christ has way too many frozen body parts that are frozen to the rails of tradition. When we don’t let everyday Christians speak up in church, the meeting will misses out on what Christ has to say through them.
If the passive spectators in church services would become active participants, the level of Christian maturity would surge. If pastors would shift from Sunday lectures to facilitating individual connection with & obedience to Jesus, revival would break out!
Religion wants a controllable God who will run on a track, like a train, and not deviate from what He’s supposed to do.. However, Christianity calls us to obey Christ, not to control Him. Jesus wants to be your Guide inside; not just the subject of Sunday morning programs.
If a sermon doesn’t connect you directly to Jesus, you’ll quickly forget it. If it does, it will be an unforgettable moment! So why should churches continually lecture Christians about Jesus when they can help them directly interact with Him and personally hear His voice?
God doesn’t need a program, a track to run on. He’s God. Let Him do what He wants. God’s not predictable. So if we let God control a church service, wouldn’t it be unpredictable, too?
It’s sad that many churches miss out on the Holy Spirit’s amazing choreography by insisting on their own programs instead. The fact is, the living Jesus is a much better meeting manager than any clergyman on earth.
When the body of Christ focuses on one man’s gifting, it tends to shut down the giftings of everybody else. Therefore, preaching should connect people directly to the living Jesus; not make them dependent on sermons and preachers.
Sermon-hearing can be a small step toward a Christian life; but it’s not the ultimate goal of a Christian. There’s so much more!
To say (or act like), “I don’t need the invisible God,” is like saying, “I don’t need the invisible air.” Why settle for hearing a weekly talk about Jesus when you can personally interact with Him?
Everyone with Christ living within is qualified to talk & preach about Jesus! We must carry Christ in our heart, not in our data base.
Following Jesus isn’t a technique to get what you want, but the way to get what He wants for you, and that’s far better!
