Does God Go To Church?

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Steve Simms

Does God attend church?  If so, is He a passive spectator or an active participant?

You can plainly see what people do in church — sing, take an offering, preach a sermon; but what does God do in church? God’s working in church is invisible and takes place inside human hearts, so we are often unaware of what God is doing.

Participatory church brings what God is doing in the meeting to the light, as ordinary people show and tell what is going on in their heart. People’s heart-felt testimonies show God’s powerful, invisible actions, bringing a sense of awe to everyone present.

When Christ-followers meet together, we are in the presence of the living, resurrected Jesus Christ (See Matthew 18:20). Therefore, if we are truly aware of Jesus being in the room with us, and we let Him control the meting, church will be:  A) Dull, numbing, pacifying, boring; or B) Electrifying, thrilling, heart-stirring, empowering?

Yes, God wants to attend church, but we must also want Him there and make Him welcome in the person of the Holy Spirit.  Here”s a quotation:  “One of the greatest needs in the church today, is to teach and show people how to be Spirit led. Even many pastors need to learn how to be Spirit led and be delivered from the fear of losing control. They need to trust the Holy Spirit’s leading and presence in the church meetings.” –David Walters

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Political Correctness vs. Participatory Church (2 PCs)

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Steve Simms

Political correctness tries to intimidate and to coerce people to accept its views on social issues.  Participatory church encourages people to follow their conscience and to obey the voice of God.

Political correctness tries to make people say things that they don’t sincerely believe.  Participatory church releases people to hear directly from God and to share what God has put on their heart.

Political correctness marginalizes and/or rejects people who don’t agree with its positions.  Participatory church reaches out to and loves people whether they agree with them or not.

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There are 50-something “one another” commandments in the New Testament. Participatory church provides an open, loving, interactive environment were Christ-followers are free to obey those commandments and to openly minister to one another as led by the Spirit.

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A Joyful Heart Is A Beautiful Mix Of Several Things

Posted on May 4, 2014 by Steve Simms

A joyful heart is a beautiful mix of:
1) Freedom from tormenting emotions like: fear, guilt, worry, revenge, anxiety, shame, hatred, depression, lust, envy, pride, etc.;
2) Having a strong sense of inner peace, contentment, and satisfaction;
3) Having a passionate desire to pursue wholesome, positive dreams;
4) Freedom from slavery to self-focus, self-interest, and selfishness;
5) Freedom from the control of harmful compulsions, cravings, and desires;
6) Honest, sincere, caring relationships with other people;
7) And an intimate, ongoing awareness of God’s love and presence in your life.

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Will We Let God Drive His Car? (Oops, I Mean Church?)

Posted on May 2, 2014 by Steve Simms

If someone had the only keys to your car and they always drove your car and sometimes let you ride along with them, but they wouldn’t let you drive, direct, control, or steer your very own car; would you like that?

Could that be how God feels when we humans take control of His church meetings (His body/His bride/His assembly) and we direct, control, or steer them to where we want them to go, and we invite Him to ride along, but we don’t let Him personally direct His own church meetings?

Through out 2,000 years of history, millions of people have personally interacted with the living, resurrected Jesus Christ and found Him to be their strength, their peace, their guide, and their friend. (Some people have even set aside agendas and rituals and allowed Him to personally direct their meetings together.)

I love to say to a group of people; “Listen to God and then say or do whatever He tells you to,” and then to sit down and watch the amazing things that God says and/or does through everyday people.   It is always an incredible experience.

A basketball game is much more fun if instead of being made to follow a pre-arranged program, it is allowed to freely flow and develop.  Perhaps church would be too.  At The Salvation Army Berry Street, we’ve thrown away the program!

“To great sections of the church, the art of worship has been lost entirely, and in its place has come that strange and foreign thing called the ‘program.’ This word has been borrowed from the stage and applied with sad wisdom to the public service which now passes for worship among us.” –A.W. Tozer

–Come back to the heart of worship with us at 225 Berry St., Nashville, 37207, Sundays @ 10:45 am.

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What IF God Is Speaking To You, But You Don’t Notice It?

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Steve Simms

What if God is speaking to you but you are unaware of His voice because:
1) You’ve been taught that God doesn’t talk to people nowadays;
2) You think His voice is nothing but your conscience;
3) You’re afraid of what He might tell you if you hear Him;
4) You don’t think you are spiritual enough to hear from God;
5) You don’t want to be bothered by God;
6) You’re afraid you’ll be called crazy if you believe you are hearing God’s voice; and/or
7) You would rather hear a preacher than God’s direct voice?

Posted in discernment, experiencing God, God calling, hearing Jesus, hearing the Holy Spirit, how to hear God's voice, listening prayer, listening skills, listening to God, spiritual formation, spiritual hearing, spiritual listening | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Should Happen In Church?

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Steve Simms
What happens when Christ-followers meet together?
Christ-followers are supposed to regularly meet together (see Hebrews 10:14), but what are they supposed to do when they meet? Many centuries of tradition say that they are suppose to passively sit back and watch one man do religious ceremonies and then give them a talk.  However what does the New Testament say that they should do?
1) In Matthew 18:20, Jesus says: “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them,” so believers are supposed to interact with the living, resurrected Jesus Christ (not ignore Him like He’s not in the room).
2) Romans 8:14 says: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God,” so Christ-followers are supposed to listen to and obey the Spirit.
3) I Corinthians 14:26 says: “How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation,” so believers are supposed to actively participate in the meeting by sharing what God has put on their heart.
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The New Testament teaches that “our God is a consuming fire.”  (Hebrews 12:29).  If there is no fire in your heart, is God there?

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Steve Simms | Leave a comment

No man ever steps into the same organic church meeting twice!

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Steve Simms

No man ever steps into the same organic church meeting twice, for it’s not the same meeting and he’s not the same man. The Holy Spirit’s leading is always fresh, alive, creative, life-changing, and renewing!

Many churches use the same ole methods, rituals, and routine, week after week. However, in organic/simple churches, no two meetings are ever the same. It’s amazing. We come together and ask people to listen to God and then to say and/or do whatever He tells them to. The “methods” that come forth in each week’s meeting are many and they are life-transforming.

Give a man a sermon and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to listen to God and to do what God tells Him to, and you feed him for a lifetime.

To grow spiritually strong, you need to do more than sit under and/or follow another person’s “ministry” — you need to daily follow and obey the living, resurrected Jesus Christ and let Him train you to actively minister to others.

Experience organic church in Nashville, Tennessee on Sundays at 10:45 am. and Tuesdays at 6:00 pm. at The Salvation Army Berry Street, 225 Berry St., 37207.  Come twice and you will be amazed at the variety!

 

 

Posted in church format, church meetings, church program, church programs, church structure, Give a man a fish and you feed him, hearing God, hearing Jesus, hearing the Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit promptings, house church, how to grow spiritually, led by the Spirit, listening, listening prayer, listening skills, listening to God, Nashville charity, Nashville church, No man ever steps into the same river twice, organic church, participation in church, participatory church, participatory culture, participatory sermons, Quench not the Spirit, Quotations, Quotes, religious ceremonies, religious tradition, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sayings, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, What is church?, wisdom | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A sizzling quote from Francis Bacon

Posted on April 24, 2014 by Steve Simms

These words from Francis Bacon sizzle!

“If we are to achieve results never before accomplished, we must expect to employ methods never before attempted.”

At The Salvation Army Berry Street Worship Center in Nashville, TN, we love this quote and try to live it. Many churches use the same ole methods week after week. However, we’ve been meeting together for 6 years and no two meetings have ever been the same. It’s amazing. We come together and ask people to listen to God and then to say and/or do whatever He tells them to. The “methods” that come forth in each week’s meeting are many and they are life-transforming.

Here’s another Bacon quote:  “By far the best proof is experience.”

At Berry Street, we don’t ask people to “just believe” because we say so.  Instead we ask God to show up and show out in such a way that everybody present, not only “believes” but knows that He is real and wants to follow and obey Him for the rest of their days.

And if you get bored with traditional church, you will love Berry Street.  Bacon said:  “The only really interesting thing is what happens between people in a room.”  Berry Street is about what God does through everyday people as they obey the New Testament “one anothers” in a room with each other.  What happens always amazing, moving, and life-changing.

So if you want to experience some sizzle in your soul, come visit us:  Sunday mornings at 10:45 and/or Tuesday nights at 6:00 — 225 Berry Street, Nashville, TN 37207.

Or experience participatory church online.  Learn more at this link.

Posted in faith, faith in God, faith-based, house church, if you keep doing what you've always done, organic church, proverbs, quotation, Quotations, Quotes, results never before accomplished, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sayings, the best proof is experience, the only really interesting thing, you'll keep getting | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Genuine Seeker-Friendly Church Is Simple (Organic)

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Steve Simms

What is seeker-friendly church?  Here are some ideas:

Spiritual seekers are desperate for God. Therefore the seeker-sensitive church surrenders to and demonstrates the actual presence of the living God (rather than providing religious entertainment and a motivational speech).

Spiritual seekers long to be free from their sin. Therefore, the seeker-friendly church challenges their sin, calls for grace-based repentance, and offers them supernatural freedom and deliverance (rather than excusing their sin by teaching “hyper-grace“).

Spiritual seekers are looking for reality.  Therefore, the seeker-sensitive church is simple, honest, vulnerable, and shares the truth in love (rather than offering pretense, showmanship, formalism, watered-down religion, and/or hype).

Spiritual seekers need interaction with and encouragement from others.  Therefore the seeker-friendly church allows ordinary people to openly participate and share their needs, their concerns, testimonies, prayers, Scriptures, spiritual gifts, prayer requests, and words of encouragement with one another (rather than requiring everybody to sit back and listen to one man talk).

Spiritual seekers are looking for God.  Therefore, the seeker-sensitive church seeks to attract the actual presence of God, Himself (rather than following the attractional church growth model and trying to attract people).  When God is strongly present in a church meeting, seekers will be drawn to Him, rather than to a program or a pastor.

Here’s a case study:  A God-seeker visits a “seeker-sensitive” church. During the sermon, the seeker suddenly slumps over in his seat and starts to shout; “Lord, have mercy on me a sinner.” Will the “seeker-sensitive” church stop the sermon, be sensitive to the seeker’s situation, and sincerely support his search for God? Or will they be offended by the seeker’s super desire for God? What do you think?

 

Posted in attractional, church format, church history, church leadership, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, churching, freedom, freedom from sin, house church, how to do church, one another, open church, order of worship, organic church, participation in church, participatory church, participatory culture, seeker model, seeker-church, seeker-driven, seeker-oriented, simple church, simplicity, sin, spirituality, unchurched | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments