This post is an attempt to explain the details of why and how to gather around Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ set up the church as he did for specific reasons. He never set up church for us to give sermons in perpetuity. And to listen to one another preach sermons week in week out, he never intended there be hierarchy. Or a clergy and laity with large idle audiences being led around like sheep. But that is exactly what we see today especially in the US, and that is what many of us were brought up in.
God is restoring his church and teaching us to gather around him once again. How we gather matters greatly to God and to us, whether we realize it or not.
The Holy Spirit specifically was sent for the purpose of growing the kingdom of God, and for helping us to live by God’s life. (read John 14:26)
When we gather as God intended like what we read about in the New Testament, many things we strive for and struggle to make happen as Christians, just happen naturally. Like the development of elders, pastors, teachers (Ephesians 4:11-15) and even evangelism (read 1 Cor 14:25-26).
I think there are five pillars to gathering around Jesus Christ. Many traditions have been added to Christian meetings through the centuries, most of these began in the third century AD in Rome. All of these traditions, how and why they started are wonderfully researched and detailed in the book Pagan Christianity? by Frank Viola and George Barna.
It is Gods purpose to plant churches, to plant the body of Christ wherever the people are willing, gatherings of people who gather around him. To make him head, gatherings which he himself can lead through the Holy Spirit, gatherings which have basis and a pattern seen in the New Testament. Not in tradition from Rome or Europe.
Five Pillars to Gathering Around Jesus Christ:
- Jesus Christ is the central focus of every gathering, the purpose for gathering is to make him Lord of the meeting. The meeting’s are for him, not for us. This is what “gather together in my name” means. We do not gather for ourselves, we do not gather to get our needs met, we gather to display him, to express him and to hear from him. We don’t gather to hear great eloquent sermons or masses from great men or women, we don’t gather around a church vision that we agree to. We don’t gather to sing worship songs, we don’t even gather to study bible topics. He personally is our Lord, we gather at his feet through the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, just like the apostles did (Mark 2:2-3), and just like the early church did (Acts 2:46-47).Pastors, teachers, evangelists and all of the gifts mentioned in Corintians and Ephesians rise up naturally over time from among us when we gather around him. But these ministry gifts are intended to help us all to mature, elders will be established to provide guidance to the young ones and to new disciples, they are not authority figures to lead our meetings or our lives. New disciples are trained in functioning in the meetings, and in living by God’s life.
- Every Member Functioning: Jesus speaks directly through every member by the Holy Spirit. He does not speak through a gifted clergy, that is tradition. We do not need go-betweens. Every member should be gradually taught and expected to “function” in every meeting, expected to bring and contribute something spiritually to the other members (1Cor 14:26, 31, Eph 5:18b-21). No one person has authority over the others, hierarchy does not belong in the gatherings and in body of Jesus Christ (Matt 20:25-26). Decisions are made together, sharing is done together and openly.
- The gathering of believers is the house of God: The location and timing of the meetings is irrelevant, God does not dwell in houses made by man, he dwells in temples made with living stones (1 Peter 2), we are the living stones and he wants to build us together to make a house for him in every town and city on earth. We can have these meetings anywhere and at any time.
- Seek ye first the kingdom of God: We seek Jesus Christ together in the meetings, and in our lives all week as we break, we learn to share our lives together and live by the life of Jesus Christ. That is the premise for this body and for our meetings, we seek him diligently then share him when we get together. We let him speak through us, all of our gifts are allowed to be expressed and displayed taking turns one by one.
- Iron Sharpens Iron: Friction between personalities and between members is normal and healthy and causes us to grow. That getting on one another’s nerves which we see happen any time people get close is God sharpening and polishing us. We should not flee that friction and stop meeting or see it as a sign of failure. The temple stones in Solomon’s temple were individually sanded with friction and they were held together by friction alone, this is God’s intention for us, it helps us to surrender, to die to the old man and learn how to not get our way.
If you have been hurt at church or just realize it is not for you anymore, and gathering like this sounds like something you crave or need in your life, Christian or not, please contact Adam Collier by commenting below or through email collierak@me.com.
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Scripture References for above:
John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
Ephesians 4:11-15 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love we re to grow up in all aspects into him who is the head, even Christ, …
1 Corinthians 14:24-25 But if all prophecy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account y all; 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.
Matthew 20:25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant,
Mark 2:2-3 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and he was speaking the word to them. 3 And they came bringing a paralytic, carried by four men.
Acts 2:46-47 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Ephesians 5:18b-21 but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks….be subject to one another in the fear of Christ
1 Corinthians 14:26, 31 What is the outcome then, brenthren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. …31 For you can all prophecy one by one, so that all may learn and
