“Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching
has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation.
Let all things be done for edification.” (1 Cor 14:26, NKJV)
In the Scripture above the functioning of the New Covenant church is mapped out beautifully; when believers gather, each one has something unique to contribute. On account of the false distinction between learned men of God and “searching sinners”, the “fellowship of believers” is reduced to a one-way traffic of preaching. The so-called academically qualified preacher (qualified according to human tradition) is thus the obvious person to set forth the tradition of the Old Testament and approach God on behalf of the others – ‘Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”’ (Ex 20:19).
Because we have followed this false pattern, our church services are rigid affairs, every denomination or grouping structuring it according to their own liturgical tradition. The laity spend their time listening and then singing, professing certain confessional statements and sitting or standing depending on what ritual is performed. Prayer is offered on their behalf, and the gifts of the Spirit (if it functions within the church) is channelled through the pastor or reverend. This is an absolute desecration of ekklesia.
To hold the attention of the often bored church members, the services are structured to suit their needs. The service needs to be short, the music creating the right atmosphere and tugging at the heart strings, the chairs must be soft and the building air-conditioned, disturbances eliminated, no confrontations taking place, we should be “seeker-sensitive” and not upset the apple cart with something controversial, the flock should be kept occupied with programmes and fundraisers. And throughout it all the source through which God speaks to the church – the whole Body! – is shut up.
In the process we raise an audience, not an army.
Jesus was not in the business of preaching inspirational messages, the kind which would have believers approach him afterwards, congratulating him on his “beautiful message”. Messages of inspiration are for disobedient individuals who wish to stay in their comfort zone, preached by preachers who will do anything to prevent complacent sensibilities to be offended. In his book Disciple, Juan Carloz Ortis pounds this nine inch nail into the coffin of the church: “In order to form lives, we must stop being speakers and start being fathers. Speakers have only hearers. Fathers have children. Learning doesn’t come by hearing but by obeying.”
There is a Word that will free you from this false order – “It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.” (Deut 30:12-14).
- Sela: Ask forgiveness for uncritically having perpetuated a wrong system.
- Read: 2 Kings 15; Jer 16; 1 Cor 15
- Memorise: 1 Cor 15:15 & 24
