I'm not saying it's "wrong" ... I'm saying there is a better way ... a way "more perfect" ... we are to seek perfection (although we can never reach that goal in this life) and I believe that goes for churches as well as individual believers. And I believe that Paul, led by the Holy Spirit, laid out the "perfect" functioning of "The Church" (which is not an institution but a group of believers).
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"I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to His holy people." Jude 3 Joyce
the way the church is set up in the WORLD depends alot on how we are culturaly... nothing wrong with the way we have it. maybe not exactly like the early church, but we live in different times.
I'll not howl at you Joyce only say rest in the fact you are not rowing by yourself on your thoughts. One thing that for many years has pricked my spirit with regards to church is how we can preach and teach God's Word and yet condone denominations. I have heard the argument that denominations came about partly because believers of simular beliefs as to interpretation grouped together. That does not wash with me; it is a poor exuse for stating "we want to believe OUR way." I have recently been contemplating the simularities between modern day preachers and the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus' day. Man is this a good discussion starter at work, lol.
Let's get specific. Jesus said we are all priests ... so why do we have a single person to "lead" a church? There is one class of Christians ... not the two of clergy and laity. And, if you're saying to yourself, "Well, yeah! Our pastor is no different than anyone else in the church." It's time for you to re-think that. If he's just equal with everyone else, why is he the ONLY one who can get up and preach from the Scriptures every week? If you don't believe me, walk up to your Pastor this Sunday and say, "Pastor, God gave me a message for the church this week. May I take the pulpit?" Paul said, "When you come together, EVERYONE has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. ALL THESE MUST BE DONE FOR THE STRENGTHENING OF THE CHURCH." (I Cor. 14:26 NIV). 1. There goes the mega-churches 2. There goes the sitting in the pew fighting sleep while one man rattles on and on. 3. There goes attending the same church for a year or two and STILL not knowing the color of your pew-mates' homes or what their favorite style of music is or what their most embarrassing (or proudest) moment was. 4. There goes the general estrangement that is leading more and more people to leave the institutional churches in favor of home fellowships where everyone participates equally, no one is "pastor" and everyone has a job to do ... everyone. (And a group of "elders" -- those who have been Christians the longest and are most experienced -- keep the church on course under the direct leading of Jesus Christ Himself who, according to the Bible is the ONLY Shepherd!) But of course, to do this you have to be willing to WORK at being a Christian. You have to take responsibility for your own souls' well-being instead of leaving it in the hands of the "professionals". It's a lot of work being in what is called an "organic", "relational", "participatory" or simply "house church" ... because you can't rely on the "other guy" to pull you along. But this is what Jesus expected of us ... responsible choices by responsible adults, not a bunch of milk-fed, 25-year-old spiritually retarded babies who still can't even find Joel without looking in the Index! I'll get down off my soapbox now ... and let you have your "howl" at me.
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"I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to His holy people." Jude 3 Joyce
