We Don't Do Sermons

[Sevenseas]

2 hours ago, ejected said:

Now if i had used that tone id be warned. How does that work?

What  about the NT gathering? Everyone shared as they matured. 

Also this. A sermon is a monologue. Only Jesus did this. No sermons there on forward. 

And this. How do you know the one man at the top isnt making mistakes or straying from holy writ?

sorry...just wanted to add:

 

it is not true that only Jesus gave 'sermons' as you put it

how about Peter on the day of Pentecost when 1000's were saved?

or how about Paul preaching in the streets or temple courtyard?

many other examples

 

[Sevenseas]

11 minutes ago, ejected said:

Overseers/elders are not to lord it over His heritage. Folks are to submit to their teachings, be persuaded by them. We are to submit one to another as as far as the Holy Spirit dwells in each of us. 

Elders are not our lords and masters. God is our Lord and Master. 

seems the op did a 'haha' and left off while the thread turns into a debate

create a stink and then walk away LOL!

[Joshua-777]

10 hours ago, 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? 

No teaching or no sermons?

How does your assembly grow in the word?

[Dennis1209]

56 minutes ago, Yowm said:

And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
(Act 20:7-9)
 

eeeks

Not to deride this thread. But Acts 20: 7-9 is a very interesting study with varying opinions.

[rrobs]

8 minutes ago, Dennis1209 said:

Not to deride this thread. But Acts 20: 7-9 is a very interesting study with varying opinions.

Yes indeed, there are many opinions. Why? I can't imagine. The words are plain as day so I don't see where opinion comes into the picture. After all, there is nothing complicated in the words or sentence structure of the verses themselves. They say what they mean and mean what they say. Is the sky blue because it is actually blue or because it is my opinion that it is blue? There seems to be some unwritten law that the scriptures must be complicated. God Himself says in many places that His word is easy to understand and He wants us to know, not guess.

I may not have seen it, but I don't think anybody mentioned the next few verses.

Acts 20:10-12,

10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing [him] said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.

11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.

12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

It sure seems relevant to me. Kind of the point of the whole narrative, i.e. nothing is impossible with God! Trying to make it a commentary on how long sermons should be seems to miss that wonderful truth altogether.

 

Edited August 17, 2018 by rrobs

[Dennis1209]

7 minutes ago, rrobs said:

Yes indeed, there are many opinions. Why? I can't imagine. The words are plain as day so I don't see where opinion comes into the picture. After all, there is nothing complicated in the words or sentence structure of the verses themselves. They say what they mean and mean what they say. Is the sky blue because it is actually blue or because it is my opinion that it is blue? There seems to be some unwritten law that the scriptures must be complicated. God Himself says in many places that His word is easy to understand and He wants us to know, not guess.

I may not have seen it, but I don't think anybody mentioned the next few verses.

Acts 20:10-12,

10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing [him] said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.

11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.

12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

It sure seems relevant to me. Kind of the point of the whole narrative, i.e. nothing is impossible with God! Trying to make it a commentary on how long sermons should be seems to miss that wonderful truth altogether.

 

What I was inferring was there's a divide in commentaries on whether Eutychus was actually physically dead or not. Given the Apostles gifts, if Paul resurrected Eutychus, or if Paul prayed to the Lord for his life. Or if the Lord did it on His own. That's what all the expositor's debate about. I personally think the Lord intervened and raised Eutychus up from death. Just my thoughts.

[Dennis1209]

20 minutes ago, Yowm said:

When it comes to any passage, there are no shortage of opinions.lol

You got that right, and we have to rightly divide the Word and be Bereans. 

[Fidei Defensor]

15 hours ago, 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? 

What kind of church do you attend? 

[Michael37]

4 hours ago, Fidei Defensor said:

What kind of church do you attend? 

None. See this link for discussion on the word "church" which is a transliteration of the Greek "kuriakos".

Back in the 1st century the use of kuriakos was for items or property belonging to a lord or master. The pagan temples were said to belong to whatever pagan god was worshipped there, and that god was the lord or master so the temple was the kuriakos or lord's house/property.

You can see how the word would also be adopted for buildings specifically dedicated for use by professing Christians. 

I am a member of the body of Christ in fellowship with the body of Christ. Wherever two or three are gathered in Christ's name there He is in the midst. Not only does our simple in-home ekklesia typically meet on a weekly basis but we individually assist, associate, and interact with one other daily if prompted. We don't have a mindset of "going to ekklesia", we are the ekklesia.

Currently the youngest person in our gatherings is a 57 year old former so-called pastor from a Brethren denomination. Another member is a former so-called pastor out of the A.O.G. My father and grandfather were both so-called vicars with the Church of England (Anglican), and since graduating from Evangel Ministry Training College nearly 30 years ago I have preached, taught, and served in various capacities with a number of denominations. One couple has spent years on the mission field.  

As for not doing sermons we have come to believe they actually stunt spiritual growth rather than promote it. This quote is from the book "Pagan Christianity?"

 

  

Edited August 18, 2018 by Michael37
spelling

[Michael37]

46 minutes ago, Cobalt1959 said:

Arbitrarily changing the definition of the word "ekkliesia" does not alter what the word actually means.  A quote from a book does nothing to rubber stamp what you advocate.

The New Testament church had organization, and it had a structured hierarchy with leaders appointed to certain tasks.  If your "church" does not have this organization, it is not actually a "church."  Any deviation from the New Testament template mean you are not a church according to the New Testament model.

Look at your own terminology.    You call your pastors "so-called," which is a clear sign of disrespect.  If someone operates within the parameters of a Pastorship, they are a Pastor.  There is no so-called about it.  Pastors earn the term.  They don't get it either handed out to them or denied because people like you don't think they deserve the term.  You would be considering yourself a Pastor, right now, according to your own post, but you claim to have been preaching for nearly 30 years even though in your original post in this thread you claim preaching is not necessary.  So for 30 years you have been engaged in something you claim in your original post is not necessary.  That is a long time to be practicing something you claim is not required.

Still waiting for you to explain to me how the pesky problem of personal accountability is worked out in your church model.  You have Anglicans mixing with  Pentecostals which creates a doctrinal nightmare.

How Cobalt1959, How have I changed the meaning of the word "ekklesia"? 

"Called out ones" meeting in the name of Christ for fellowship and edification and serving whomever as our neighbours is definitely NT.

I have never, ever, ever, opposed the preaching of the Gospel of Salvation, just sermons as the exalted method they are according to traditions of man applied with prejudicial legalism.

Of course we have organisation. We function as elders and overseers and keep each other accountable. A young married man and his wife were part of our number until his adultery prior to associating with us and ongoing issues with pornography and lust were being attributed to "sexual addiction" rather than sin by him. We had an intense session where he refused to repent of it as sin, while his embittered, unforgiving wife was vainly seeking worldy remedies rather than submitting to our eldership, so the fellowship was fractured to the point where it needed to end, and did, not as a legalisitic formality but as a case of "how can two walk together lest they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3)

As for the role of pastor or shepherd, it is a function that many have, but the abuse that using the word as a title has wrought is an abomination. In any given group of genuine Christians the gifts of the spirit function to produce the fruit of the spirit, and these gifts are tested at all times so that we walk in the light as He is in the light, but if there is a legalistic controlling, dominating, intimidating, manipulating, and seducing structure claiming to be mandated by Scripture I have to say it is fake. Fake, artificial, contrived, and contemptible. A work of darkness and Babylon which God's people are instructed to come out of.  

Edited August 18, 2018 by Michael37
wrong word