When church meets we’re rarely clothed with the mighty power and the life-changing presence of the living Jesus, but if anybody points that out, they’re criticized like the little boy in the story “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” How can we experience spiritual awakening if we won’t humbly admit that we desperately need it?

Christians say that Jesus is Lord but very few believe that the Lord is able to lead and direct a church service without a pastor programming and controlling it. Since Jesus is Emmanuel which means God with us, we should let Him supernaturally lead and direct us when we gather in His name.

Church meets like Jesus is merely a distant and powerless figurehead instead of the living present almighty Lord and Master. Because we don’t truly believe that we can fully trust Jesus to directly and personally lead a church service by Himself, we struggle trusting Him with everything else.

Church services are usually set up so that no one is allowed to depart from the program and freely speak up or pray as led by the Spirit. Thus, the Spirit is often quenched. It’s unbelief and cessationism to think that Jesus will no longer directly lead individuals (and His gathered body) by His Spirit.

Christians can assemble to be led by the risen Jesus anytime and anyplace. The New Testament doesn’t tell us to meet at a particular time and place.

Christianity is about learning to let the living Jesus lead and direct you from within. Many Christians want to find Christ in a religious organization, but our hope comes from connecting with “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”