You and yours had a horrible experience with the organized church no doubt about it. And your misery lasted much longer than most I think. So it's understandable why you post the way you do about the organized church. And it also sounds like you have a real ministry of your own and decided to do something about what happened to you and yours.
Probably the reason you don't get many 'calls' to preach in churches is because of your obvious 'annoyance' with the organized church model. (they are probably not blind to it) But it looks to me (and this is only my opinion) that you have to give place to the way others have ministered through the organized church just as you should be given place for your ministry and contribution.
You should check out Sparkman's thread on the need for church . (forgot the actual title) He has some very good things to share. It's hard for me to admit because of my support of the local church that I have been looking for a church for a while. There are a few personal reasons why it is difficult for me to get to church so I do understand why getting involved in church is not so simple. We all have 'issues'
So actually Yet., you have gone far and above most regular church going people ever have in personal ministry. I've been a member and involved that way for years but nothing like you have done. But I can't agree with going against the church model where families and individuals come together in a building and worship together as a family. Nor am I against the way you minister Yet, except that you miss fellowship with other believers and all that goes with it. There are wonderful Christians out there in churches with a servants heart who do the church thing right. I think your way and the organized church both work. It's just too bad both can't work together.
I simply want the NT model. Please study God's word in 1Cor. 12 and Romans 12 and Ephesians 4 (there I go again. Using pesky scripture) ladylynn and you'll quickly see that the modern church is not 'church'. Just looking at the back of someone's head for 40 minutes on Sunday morning while only one man talks is not the NT model for fellowship. That may be of interest to one attending a hairdresser school but it does not do anything for the average joe. It robs the people of their ministries and functionality. Last time I checked, robbery is a sin.
I don't know how you do it. I did it for years. One long log and we the people, the priesthood of God, sitting in silence like lumps on that log.
Thats not what the 'body of Christ' is called to do. The Holy Spirit fullness in us for what? To make the football game later more exciting? And that was basically the only fellowship that took place. When the pastor said ' you are dismissed. Shake some hands before leaving.' That's the NT fellowship? Are you kidding me?
You say you disagree with me about the fraulent single pastor paradigm, yet you provide no scripture for that paradigm.
Is that wise? We are steeped in traditions of men that make void the word of God. Traditions have trumped the word! The word be hanged.
I've provided tons of scripture supporting the every member participation gathering and that all the elders were pastors caring for the sheep, yet no one gives one small, spindly verse to support the modern concept of the single, at the top, senior, executive salaried pastor. Not one! Don't you think that's a bit strange. The whole church deal hinges on this one man or woman for its very existence yet no bible to endorse it.
I am consistently maligned for wanting to follow the bible on this. Isn't that a little odd?
If the bible backs my contentions, and totally blows out of the water the modern exalted pastor concept, should you not be in full agreement with me? But few are. This would verify and supply ample evidence to all the warnings in the word concerning the last days condition of Christendom, which is not a pretty picture. Jesus used the word 'DEAD'. Our NT, as you should know, has a boat load of damning descriptions about the state of the 'church' in these last days. A boat load! Yet the modern church system blindly following the blind, stands arm in arm singing 'we shall not be, we shall not be moved'!....that's scares me to death! And I see that rebellion on this site and everywhere in Christendom!
That alone should motivate everyone of us to dig deeper into His word of where we stand with Him today. It's either we repent and follow Him in alignment to His commands or we stick with an apostate religious organization that refuses to see His word, refuses to allow Him to be Head.