We Don't Do Sermons

[Michael37]

4 hours ago, Jayne said:

Good grief!  Our people at my church know the Bible themselves.  We read it individually and in small groups.  My goodness - we have our Bibles open while he is preaching!  Ergo - if and when our pastor may make a mistake, we would know immediately.

Across the world, there are some false teachers and preachers.  When the people never read the Bible for themselves, but just believe everything he says - that's really pitiful.

But then the congregants know the scriptures like the back of their hands, they recognize the truth vs. the lie.

My pastor has not made errors that I have heard in the years he has been here.  He isn't perfect, but he sticks with the Word of God when he preaches.

I have never heard of a church with no preacher - no sermons.  I just now have seen this thread.  No preachers.  No sermons.  It's a foreign concept to me.

The sheep must have a shepherd.  Paul preached.  Peter preached.  Jesus preached.  John the Baptist preached.  Timothy preached. Stephen preached.

No preacher?  I don't get it.

 

Home fellowships have preachers but are not bound by the law of the three-point sermon.

Like-minded Christians seek each other out to worship and fellowship without pulpits, pews, and passivity.

It's not everyone's desire to assemble in the way I like to, and that's intrinsic to simple in-house ekklesias, so that if someone isn't being edified by oratory and institution in a congregation where the couple pastoring never give them the time of day, here is an alternative.

[Michael37]

1 hour ago, Unit 11 said:

 

Thank you! In my time I've heard the word "interpret" quite a bit, claims that most people can't read the Bible correctly and need a leader of some kind to clarify & explain it to us. 

This has always made me suspicious, because this is usually said by someone up in the pulpit who's never even met me. How does he know I can't understand it? Also because, we know our Creator wishes for all to be reconciled to him, so I wonder why he would make his book so cryptic & complicated that only a select few can properly understand it? (And how convenient for those few...)

 

 

I recall over a decade ago in a three to four hundred seat Elim assembly I attended regularly, a theme program was advertised with money spent on signage, literature, and audio-visual presentation, and constant "preaching" about "connecting" was normally on the agenda.

After one service devoted to this theme with bells and whistles on, attempts on my part to "connect" with the pew-sitting strangers were met with indifference and distain. 

This bunch are still the same, a handshake, a nod, a quick hullo, and the "sermon" forgotten.

Just lovely 😝

[Keturah 123]

53 minutes ago, Michael37 said:

Home fellowships have preachers but are not bound by the law of the three-point sermon.

Like-minded Christians seek each other out to worship and fellowship without pulpits, pews, and passivity.

It's not everyone's desire to assemble in the way I like to, and that's intrinsic to simple in-house ekklesias, so that if someone isn't being edified by oratory and institution in a congregation where the couple pastoring never give them the time of day, here is an alternative.

Love this! It is how I worship.

Satan has over-run the buildings, institutions or whatever where folks used to gather to worship.

I believe it was Nathan that said " Sin is at your door". Regarding churches, nope, he came through the door & into.....

Hebrews tells us not to forsake the assembling together, there is NO stipulation as to where ! 

 

Jesus said," where 2 or 3 are gathered,I'll be in the midst of them" !

Edited February 10, 2023 by Keturah 123

[TrueFollowerOfChrist]

I just noticed this thread. So I'm curious. I haven't read the thread. Is the concept of having sermons in church being condemned or considered suddenly bad? 

[Jayne]

1 hour ago, Michael37 said:

Home fellowships have preachers but are not bound by the law of the three-point sermon.

Like-minded Christians seek each other out to worship and fellowship without pulpits, pews, and passivity.

It's not everyone's desire to assemble in the way I like to, and that's intrinsic to simple in-house ekklesias, so that if someone isn't being edified by oratory and institution in a congregation where the couple pastoring never give them the time of day, here is an alternative.

I've never heard of a "law" of a 3-point sermon.

I've never heard of "pulpits, pews, and passivity".

You are free to worship as you please, but why be so snarky to those who don't worship like you do?

[Neighbor]

On 8/17/2018 at 3:30 AM, Michael37 said:

How do you like them apples? 

Don't.

I  do want to " endure" a serious word by word, verse by verse, passage by passage, book by book speaking by a person that has spent the week studying  and praying and thinking about what God wills for them to present about the word read.  Done as  Calvin, Gill, Spurgeon, MacArthur, might do that I can count on see historical setting and applicaton for today and especially for me personally as the Holy Spirit guides.

If I want the social glad handing  setting you are sharing as the desired "goal" I will go to the Elks Club, there I'll take mine with Club Soda thank you.. For the time of day I'll check my iphone.

[Keturah 123]

JOHN CHAPTER 4

 

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Edited February 10, 2023 by Keturah 123

[Marathoner]

On 8/17/2018 at 1:30 AM, Michael37 said:

Looking forward to koinonia on Sunday. Be travelling away this week.

No-one will be doing a sermon.

We don't do sermons at our ekklesia (assembly).

We do paraklēsis (exhortation).

We do oikodomē  (edification).

We do diakonia (ministry).

But we don't do sermons.

No sermons.

How do you like them apples? 

Ah, I had no idea this topic existed in the deeps of the forum. After perusing most of these pages, my heart is glad that it surfaced. This should come as no surprise to you, seeing as how I was never sentenced to the pews and forced to endure the monologues of pulpiteers (I like that one!). That's not how our Lord raised me up. 

You might recall how our Lord delivered me from that ekklesia where He sent me as it started to undergo the process of transforming into a right and proper church organization. The beginning was simple: the eldest of the elders started to sermonize during gatherings, and those who weren't on board with that program were given the "left foot" of fellowship. 

Well done, brother. I appreciate what you've shared here.  

[Michael37]

39 minutes ago, Neighbor said:

Don't.

I  do want to " endure" a serious word by word, verse by verse, passage by passage, book by book speaking by a person that has spent the week studying  and praying and thinking about what God wills for them to present about the word read.  Done as  Calvin, Gill, Spurgeon, MacArthur, might do that I can count on see historical setting and applicaton for today and especially for me personally as the Holy Spirit guides.

If I want the social glad handing  setting you are sharing as the desired "goal" I will go to the Elks Club, there I'll take mine with Club Soda thank you.. For the time of day I'll check my iphone.

You would fit right in. Simple fellowship has exactly the expounding of the Word with some using the online resources you reference.

But the sin of being without rows of pews, a raised platform, and a pulpit is unforgivable it would seem.

I've been in the pulpit back awhile, not condemning it, just generating awareness of other options as the Lord leads, because pulpits, pews, and programs are sometimes not the right fit for the spiritual needs of some members of the body of Christ.

[Vine Abider]

1 hour ago, Michael37 said:

I recall over a decade ago in a three to four hundred seat Elim assembly I attended regularly, a theme program was advertised with money spent on signage, literature, and audio-visual presentation, and constant "preaching" about "connecting" was normally on the agenda.

After one service devoted to this theme with bells and whistles on, attempts on my part to "connect" with the pew-sitting strangers were met with indifference and distain. 

This bunch are still the same, a handshake, a nod, a quick hullo, and the "sermon" forgotten.

Just lovely 😝

Yes, another old thread resurrected . . .

As I've shared on the thread about The Pilgrim Church (and maybe elsewhere), I prefer a smaller, more open style of meeting where all can participate, with no paid orators/leaders.  And this doesn't mean there aren't ones who dive deeply into the word.  We have a handful of people who share regularly, and it is quite rich indeed.  And there are several other "bench" contributors (including me) that are called on from time to time to share something from the word.

I say spread the wealth around!