The problem is that modern Christians see those buildings they call churches as the temples of God, they are not!
They sense that everyone in those places is born again, but they are not!
They see all the rituals and programs as being of God; they are not!
When someone has a false view of the gathering of believers, they will place their trust in those places, the way things are done and one man up front, which is nothing like what God commanded for the gatherings of believers.
Believers are to come together to edify one another, equipping each other for individual lives for a lifestyle of witnessing.
The reason there is no special day to meet, no one man preacher, and no rituals is that Christ in every believer is led by the Holy Spirit, and each one has gifts given to them by Christ Who lives in them. Nothing is based on personal talent, all is based on the calling given by Christ.
1 Corinthians 14:26-31 "26 What is the outcome then, brothers and sisters? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. All things are to be done for edification.
27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it must be by two or at the most three, and each one in turn, and one is to interpret;
28 but if there is no interpreter, he is to keep silent in church; and have him speak to himself and to God.
29 Have two or three prophets speak, and have the others pass judgment.
30 But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, then the first one is to keep silent.
31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be [l]exhorted;
32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; 33 for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace."
Every believer in the gathering has gifts of the Spirit that they should be using.
1 Corinthians 12:12-23 "For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one part, but many.
15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body.
16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body.
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, just as He desired.
19 If they were all one part, where would the body be?
20 But now there are many parts, but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again, the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;
23 and those parts of the body which we consider less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor, and our less presentable parts become much more presentable,
24 whereas our more presentable parts have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked,
25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same care for one another.
26 And if one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if a part is honored, all the parts rejoice with it.
27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it."
With a one-man-paid-pastor system there is the misunderstanding that he is in authority rather than the Holy Spirit. He is to be believed without question because he is educated and paid. The pews face forward in worship fashion toward the one who has the authority. No one speaks unless given permission by the man in charge.
When we do things God's way, everyone participates as led by the Holy Spirit, and no man is the authority; only Christ is the Authority.
Our modern churches began the man-centered gatherings hundreds of years ago and have grown more ungodly every year since. This is why we have cultural Christians instead of Christ-following Christians.
People tend to be lazy; they want someone else to tell them what to do and how to act, so they don't have to think, and can pride themselves on how many things they do right according to the organizational church rather than according to God's Word.
I have met many Christians who defend their beliefs according to the pastor and negate what the Bible says to remain loyal to their paid preacher.
May many believers' eyes be opened to the cultic practices of the modern church and become bold enough to resist following any man. May they follow Christ and develop their gifts without apology.
