Christian leaders should be like plumbers, unclogging people’s drains so they can freely flow with the gifts of the Spirit. Jesus said that His “Liquid Plummer” (“rivers of living water”) will flow from His followers’ hearts. Take the top off and let it flow!
When church is clogged and little flows, let Jesus pour out His Drano. (He will open things up!) I don’t like to meet as an audience member for a religious lecture, but as part of the interactive, Spirit-led body of Christ.
A sermon that allows no opportunity in the meeting for people to spend time doing what they just heard, creates hearers not doers. Hearing a sermon without taking corresponding action is a spiritual distraction.
When the voices of God’s people are silenced in church, only one person’s perspective is heard. Nonetheless, members of Christ’s body are typically gagged and bound by tradition, protocol, and hierarchy — kept silent and inactive. It’s easy to listen regularly to sermons but ignore the voice of the resurrected Jesus.
