A suggestion to adhere more to the Biblical model of the gathering of the church.I would suggest getting rid of the pulpit altogether, ditching the pews that face forward, and placing chairs in a circle so everyone could participate.
All of the traditions protestants practice concerning the gathering of Christians comes from the Catholic church model. Luther and Calvin were former Catholics who took with them when they left the church, many unbiblical practices.
They were dedicated to infant baptism, which is nowhere found in the scriptures. They believed in a hierarchy system God never commanded, and worst of all, they negated the gifts of the Spirit in every born-again believer.
Only those who had been educated by special schools were allowed to lead the gathering, allowing the congregants to believe they had no say, no gift and the Holy Spirit does not work in each of them. All of which negated the Holy Spirit quenching any sense of His leading.
John 16:113-14 "13However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.…"
This modern model of church, concocted hundreds of years ago, has defied the leading of the Holy Spirit in every believer who is not chosen by this hierarchical system.
Those who felt led to speak were disciplined for not coming under this false authority system. The Spirit of God was quenched so the people would follow those leaders who wanted their power over others.
John 14:26 "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you."
This passage was given to all believers not a select few.
1 Corinthians 2:10-13 "But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him? So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us."
Next time someone attempts to intimidate you into silence using the hierarchy system as their excuse, get out of there. These people will only keep you oppressed and guilty of something you do that God commanded you to do. False guilt and intimidation, even rejection, are the tools of the devil, who wants to silence those who love Jesus Christ.
1 John 2:20-27 "You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I have not written to you because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you have it, and because no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar, if it is not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son."
No teacher or leader is greater than the Holy Spirit Who lives in those who have been changed by Christ into a new creation. We belong to Christ, not to people.
When we obey Christ, He will be glorified. When we adhere to the dictates of men, it is the men who are glorified.
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