To Preach or Not To Preach

[P31Woman]

Hebrews 5:17

Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith.

1 Timothy 5:17

17 The elders who are good leaders should be considered worthy of an ample honorarium, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

1 Peter 5:1-5

Therefore, as a fellow elder and witness to the sufferings of the Messiah and also a participant in the glory about to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you: 2 Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but freely, according to God’s will; not for the money but eagerly; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

5 In the same way, you younger men, be subject to the elders. And all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because
God resists the proud
but gives grace to the humble.

Titus 1:5-9

5 The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town: 6 one who is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of wildness or rebellion. 7 For an overseer, as God’s administrator, must be blameless, not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not addicted to wine, not a bully, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.

HCSB all scripture

 

[SlickPen50]

P31W, I wil no longer respond your posts, even if they are on a thread I started. I cannot suffer a person that won't dialog equitably: #39.

 

[SlickPen50]

farouk, I totally agree with you. So how is the "pastor" as it has become to be, and "the sermon" a help to what you've said? And how do you know that pluralistic leadership, where "the pastor" is just one of many mature believers operating in a gifting, isn't better? And how do you know if a meeting of the faithful, not dominated by a big "sermon," but with dialog and the infusion of not only those developed gifts of the elders AND the developing of younger and not as developed gifts; isn't better for both believers and God's purposes?

You see we today are forced to defend a tradition with little to know scripture to support what we do. And the only reason we defend it is because it is familiar to us, not because there is overwhelming support and evidence for it. I appeal to scripture? Where do we see "the pastor" at Ephesus "preaching a sunday sermon" on a weekly ongoing basis such as we see in modern times? The same goes for any other named fellowship noted in the NT?

I see 58 one-anothers developing the church. I see pluralistic leadership based on relationships and maturity doing the same.

I don't see seminary training of young people with no experience being the model for the pastoral office, even as far along as the Apostle John's last few books.

 

[P31Woman]

In some of my research last night I discovered that the organic church uses the verses from Acts as their model for doing church rather than looking at it as an historical account. This also explains to me why the OP promotes the idea of Christians being appointed to public to jobs that don't require an election. Instead of looking at Daniel's appointment as history he views it as a model for Christians to follow.

I don't know about other Churches but the actual sermon is the smallest part of our actual Church meeting and ministry. The biggest part is small groups where everyone is asked to participate and our ministry work/fellowship.

As I said before I am Southern Baptist and what I have experienced in these Chruches and other simular ones are pretty much the same. The sermon is a small part of the Church experience.

I've had friends who have tried to be part of a home church. I allowed my children to attend with their kids. It was no big deal. That particular group did not make it a year. Their children are now all seminary trained Church leaders in Southern Baptist Churches here where we live. Their group was not anti-pastors, higher education or organized church. If they had been I would not have allowed my children to attend their fellowship. In fact the husband's father was a pentacostal preacher

 

[P31Woman]

Something else I am chewing over. If you use Acts as your Model for doing Church rather than as history but believe that's how God wants us to "do it". Chewing over: The role of the Holy Spirit in keeping doctrine and the Church pure without a completed cannon of scripture in Acts. chewing.....