Is Christ Preempted In Church Services?

Posted on June 21, 2013 by Steve Simms

Is Christ preempted in church services?

What would you think if you went to a meeting to hear a special speaker and the person who was supposed to introduce the speaker stood up and spoke for 30 minutes and then closed the meeting without letting the special speaker speak?

Could that be what happens in some churches? Perhaps people come to hear from and encounter the living, resurrected Jesus; but someone else gives a talk instead, and closes the meeting without allowing Jesus to speak.

On Sunday mornings when Team Church meets together, the living, resurrected Jesus Christ is present and eager to personally call the plays and coach the team. Do we allow Him to directly lead the church meeting or do we ignore Him (quench the Spirit) and substitute human control instead of His direct leadership?

Christ is not a subject for study, or a lesson to learn, or a meeting to attend. Christ is God with us, alive from the dead, and present when we meet in His name. He is the Lord to be loved and obeyed!

Perhaps a church service should demonstrate the presence and reality of the invisible God, rather than just trying to explain Him.

Posted in Christ, church format, church leader, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, preempted, role of Christ in church, sermon, sermon-hearing, sermons, special speaker, speech making, Team Church | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Normal Christian Fire = Church Ablaze

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Steve Simms

Faith is God’s fire roaring in your heart; not religious ideas resting in the back of your brain.

The normal condition of a Christ-follower is to have a heart constantly ablaze with love for God.

When normal believers, full of fire, are free to speak out for God in church meetings, amazing things happen!

Sometimes during a church service (and/or sermon) normal Christ-followers have something come alive in their heart and they want to share it! They desperately want to tell everybody in church about the amazing insight they just received from God.

However, there is no opportunity in most churches to say anything.  So they feel like they have to resist that desire to share and be quiet (even though the Bible says: “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.”).

That can be very frustrating. (And Spirit quenching.)  Normal, fire-filled believers deserve the opportunity to share the insights God gives them.

At The Salvation Army Berry Street, everyday people  have the opportunity to speak out in church.  Rather than adhering to a set program, normal Christ-followers are allowed to show and tell what God has done. The results are always amazing, inspirational, and awe-inspiring.

Check it out!  Sundays at 10:45 am., 225 Berry Street, Nashville, Tennessee, 37207.

Posted in Bible, church fire, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, faith, faith in God, faith-based, filled with the Spirit, fire, fire of the Holy Spirit, let the redeemed of the Lord say so, organic church, Quench not the Spirit, quench the Spirit, Tennessee | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Silence of the Lambs

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Steve Simms

In the Western church the lambs (members) are too often silent.  Ordinary believers have allowed others (the clergy) to speak for them (and often to think for them) and they have too often remained silent.

We sit back and listen in silence, minds wondering, often bored, sometimes nodding off.  There is no place allowed in the church meeting for spontaneous, heart-felt comments or testimonies about what the living, resurrected Jesus Christ is doing in people’s lives.

The Bible teaches:  “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.”  Other people’s words should inspire and release your words, not replace them.  Don’t just listen to (and perhaps quote) a preacher or famous “TV evangelist.” Listen directly to God and boldly speak the words that He, Himself, puts on your heart!

Posted in clergy, clergy/laity, open church, organic church, pastor, preacher, religion, religious information, religious words, TV evangelists, TV ministers, Western religion, Western society | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

You won’t learn to listen to and be led by the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) until you leave your comfort zone.

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Steve Simms
Posted in comfort, comfort zone, comfortable, Comforter, conviction, discomfort, spirit, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual healing, spiritual innovation, spiritual movement, spiritual power, spiritual training, spiritual transformation, spiritual walk, spiritual warfare | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Lights of the Round Table / Spirit-Prompted Church Meetings

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Steve Simms

King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table reveal a biblical way of holding church meetings.

1)  The knights set at a round table so that no one, not even the king, could be at the head of the table and everybody could be involved as equal participants.

2) The knights had committed themselves to live by a moral code known as the Code of Chivalry.  Unlike many who call themselves Christians, King Arthur’s knights put moral principles and moral commitments above their personal desires, needs, cravings, or whims.

Church shines brightly when people committed to consistently follow and obey Christ meet as lights of the round table — a body of believers gathered together without hierarchy (see Matthew 20:25-28) where the living, resurrected Jesus Christ, as Head of the church, is allowed to shine through anybody present as they freely teach and minister to one another as prompted by the Holy Spirit.

Experience Round Table Church, where ordinary people show and tell what God has done, at The Salvation Army Berry Street, 225 Berry St., Nashville, 37207 on Sunday mornings at 10:45.

Posted in Camelot, Christ, church format, church leadership, church meetings, church roles, church services, church structure, Code of Chivalry, equality, Head, Head of the church, hiearchy, Jesus, Jesus Christ, King Arthur, knighthood, knights, Matthew 20, moral, moral foundations, moral judgment, moral laws, moral leaders, moral principles, moral reformer, moral restraints, morality, organic church, Round Table, simple church, values | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Could Church Services Be Like A Handbell Choir?

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Steve Simms

Have you ever seen a group of people play a tune with handbells? Each person holds two bells and all the bells play different notes. As a director leads them, each person plays one of his bells at the proper time — and the result; a beautiful melody.

So what if one person told everybody else to be quiet, sit down, and listen to his/her bell play a long solo? That would change it from a beautiful melody to a monotone monotony. 

Perhaps a church meeting is supposed to be like a bell choir, where everyone participates as the Holy Spirit directs, creating beautiful melodies. That seems to be the intention in 1 Corinthians 14:26: “When you come together, each one has a . . . “

Perhaps,
to gather in Jesus’ name
means for believers to meet together
with the living, resurrected Jesus Christ;
denying self-interest, personal comfort, and human agendas;
and actually surrendering the meeting to Jesus’
direct and personal, leadership and control.
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” –Jesus Christ

Do we go to church to be taught a religious lesson or to encounter and surrender to God’s presence?  Church is a time to encounter the living God; not a time to get drowsy and nod.

A listening mind can learn lessons about God; but it takes a hungry heart to head wholeheartedly into His holy presence.  People can be taught about God every week and yet, not be transformed by His presence. However, everybody I’ve ever seen transformed by God’s presence has always learned far more about God than they could ever be taught by human teaching.

Let’s be handbells and let God direct and play us!

Posted in Christian community, Christianity, church leader, church leadership, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, encountering God, experiencing God, participants, participators, participatory church, religious innovation, spiritual transformation | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Real Church = The Real God, Real Power, His Real Presence Through Real People

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Steve Simms

Do we go to church to be taught a religious lesson . . . or to encounter and surrender to God’s presence?  A listening mind can learn lessons about God; but it takes a hungry heart to head wholeheartedly into His holy presence.  “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8)

The real God wants to release His real power and His real presence through real people in real churches! Are we real enough to let Him?

When I read about the early church in the Book of Acts (and the history of the early days of The Salvation Army), it seems to me like God never intended for church members to be sitting spectators but rather influential instigators who stir things up and bring forth the presence and power of God!

I just saw part of a sermon about the holiness and glory of God. It was good, well presented information. However, it seems to me that it would be far more effective if, instead of telling us about God’s glory, the speaker would lead us to encounter the actual presence and glory of God. One manifestation of the genuine presence and holiness of God would teach far more about it than all the sermons in the world can teach about it. This is not just theory. It happened to Isaiah in chapter 6 of his book (and that was in the Old Testament). In the New Testament, Paul put it this way: “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”

Recently a first time visitor at The Salvation Army Berry Street began to share in tears. He said that he was out drinking last night and that God woke him up this morning and told him to come to church at Berry Street. He said that he wasn’t doing very well since he lost his 36 year-old son a year or so ago. We asked if he would like to have prayer and he said yes, so he came forward and received a few hugs and a group gathered around him and prayed. It touched everybody present in a moving way!  Then near the end of the meeting, this man began to pray out loud and to thank God for helping him and for leading him to church. And he asked God’s blessing on all of us.

Posted in Acts, Apostle Paul, Christianity, church format, church meetings, church programs, church services, first time visitor, glory, glory of God, holiness, Isaiah, lecture, listening, O taste and see that the Lord is good, organic church, organization, presence of Christ, presence of God, psalm, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, tears, The Salvation Army, why go to church | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Your life is like a donut — there’s a big hole where God should be.

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Steve Simms

The first Friday in June is National Donut Day in the USA.  This holiday began in Chicago in 1938 when The Salvation Army began to sell donuts to raise money to help people suffering from the Great Depression and to honor the Doughnut Girls, Salvation Army women who served donuts to the troops in World War I.

Some thoughts on National Donut Day:

Life is like a donut — there’s a big hole where God should be.

If you continually sugar coat the truth and follow your appetites, your life will be nothing more than meaningless circles around an empty core.

Posted in American, American history, Chicago, Donut Girls, empty core, first Friday in June, fund raising, God, Great Depression, holiday, holiday hype, holidays, lassies, life is like a donut, National Doughnut Day, Salvation Army women, Salvationists, sugar coat the truth, USA | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Are There Conditions On God’s Grace?

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Steve Simms

According to the Bible, amazing grace seems to be conditional.  Grace is free, but it’s not unconditional.
“God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God . . .” (1 Peter 5:5-6)

Another Condition On Grace?  Does the Bible teach that our receiving God’s grace is conditional on our forgiving those who have wronged us? It sure looks that way to me.

Perhaps you can fail (life’s greatest personal failure) to receive God’s grace by holding on to bitterness. “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.” Hebrews 12:15

“Jesus taught us to pray this: “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” In other words: “God forgive me like I forgive others — if I refuse to forgive others, then don’t forgive me.”

Grace “teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.”  By that definition (see Titus 2:12), there sure doesn’t seem to be much grace around nowadays!

Posted in 1 Peter, Bible, Bible quotes, Bible study, condition on grace, conditional grace, debt, definition, forgive us our trespasses, gives grace to the humble, God, God resists the proud, grace of God, Hebrews, New Testament, Quotations, quote, Quotes, root of bitterness, salvation, saved by grace, self-control, Titus, unforgiveness, ungodliness | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Fire From God

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Steve Simms

Unless you hear it through the Spirit, the Bible will be boring.
If the Word doesn’t burn in your heart your sins won’t depart!
Without a Spirit-fire, you will drown in your own desire.

So how do you start a fire for God?
1) Bring flammable human hearts closely together in a semi-circle or circle where they can see each others’ faces and expressions.
2) Get people to spontaneously and sincerely share from the heart how God has changed their lives.
3) Watch and feel the fire begin to burn and spread from person to person as ordinary people show and tell what God has done for them.

Posted in church seating, flammable, God, hdden sin, heart-felt, heart-felt love, Holy Spirit, I set myself on fire, miraculous, mysticism, nature of God, passion, passionate, release of the Spirit, relevation, religion, religious innovation, spirit fire, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual church, spiritual fire, spiritual transformation | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments