“Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: ‘Thank You, Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth. You’ve concealed Your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way You like to work.’” (Matthew 11:25-26 The Message)
The New Testament teaches that Christians should be Spirit-led (Romans 8:14) instead of following our own desires. (Matthew 16:24) Christ lives inside of us so He can now personally and directly lead us, both when we meet together and throughout our day-to-day life. (Colossians 1:27)
Several Bible verses show that Christians are called to meet together interactively, like a support group. The Bible never says that we are to meet for a formal, programmed talk where only one person can speak and everyone else is required to keep silent in the gathering.
Although churches have used this Scripture to tell people that they are required to attend a Sunday morning lecture meeting, notice that isn’t what it is saying: “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)
According to those two verses, the purpose of Christians assembling themselves together isn’t to hear a sermon by the same man week-after-week. It is to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” We are to gather together for the purpose of “encouraging one another.”
The verses before those are all about how God has set aside the priestly system of the Old Testament and opened up “a new and living way” to intimately interact with Him. Because of the blood of Jesus priests are no longer needed.
Verses 15-17 say: “The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First He says: “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put My laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds. Then He adds: Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”
Now we are supposed to individually encounter, listen to, and obey the presence of the living God, not merely sit through a powerless religious form of godliness. (2 Timothy 3:5) “What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.” (1 Corinthians 14:26)
This isn’t describing a programmed, one-man-lecture style of meeting but a Spirit-led one. To have a greater experience of Christ’s presence and power we need to go beyond church as usual. The following verses confirm that.
We are told in verses 29-33: “Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.”
Verse 34 says: “Women should remain silent in the churches (ekklesias).” Whatever that means, it demonstrates that people were free to speak up (and even interrupt) during the meeting. Since Paul said had previously said that “each one of you has” something to say in the meeting, I believe he is telling women not to have side conversations that distract from the meetings.
In verses 24-25, Paul says: “If an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you!’” Once again, we see that everyone present is permitted to speak in an ekklesia (church) meeting. We also see that open, Spirit-led sharing is super powerful!
Jesus Himself taught that a congregation of Christians should allow people to speak up when they meet. He said: “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; (ekklesia) and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
How can Christians obey Jesus’ command to “Tell it to the church” if church consists of a one-man lecture and doesn’t allow anyone in the congregation to speak up? Jesus doesn’t want His followers to be trained to passively sit and be mere Sunday morning spectators. He wants us to be trained and discipled to “Shout it from the housetops.” (Matthew 10:27)
Revelation 12:11 tells us that the first Christians overcame the devil “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives.” Don’t be silent. Your testimony is essential.
Testify! Don’t quench the Holy Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 5:19) Tell it to your church. Google, Beyond Church–An Invitation to Experience the Lost Word of the Bible–Ekklesia.
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