A local church was having a series on “church structure”, so given that I pretty much cannot stand the man-made “structure” of the Western “church” it piqued my curiosity. I thought I would give it a try, and listen to the sermon online.
Well, some sermons really piss me off, and this one did not disappoint.
I really do go in with an open mind to hear what the dude has to say … I do, I really do.
The local pastor was explaining that the people who leave the institutional church are in rebellion … well duh! It does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out. The people who leave (like myself and many others wandering the post-institutional wilderness) are rebelling against the “religion” within institution.
Ok, making sense to me so far.
The talk went into implicating the “institutional church” for all of its religious hypocrisy, and he compared the “institutional church” to the religious leaders that Jesus gave His awesome “Woe to you, you hypocrites” speech to.
Ok, I get it.
The local pastor said that people who leave the “church” are rebelling against the negative religious spirit, and I was mostly agreeing with his talk until BAM! We hit his conclusion.
He started spewing his concluding remarks…
explaining that people who do not submit to (as in obey) what he was defining as “the structure” of the “institutional church” (in other words the elders and hierarchy of the church), that they (the leavers) are in rebellion against “righteous judgment”, because believers need “the structure”.
(believers NEED “the structure”)… I am like, oh well … same shit different sermon.
Let me try to get my boots out of the mound of horse shit this guy is saying at the end.
He was basically saying that people leave “the structure” because “the structure” is corrupt, yet people need “the structure”, and if they do not continue participating in this corrupt system, then that means they have “rebelled against righteous judgment”.
Hold on let me go get something to clean up this vomit.
Typical BS. Everything was making sense until the local pastor started talking about his own righteous judgment and not God’s.
This is one doctrinal issue (among many) that push me away from the “system”. I agree there are elders in this world, just not defined the way some men define them as, and then saying you MUST obey them and the hierarchy they follow.
Anyone hear a sermon about “church structure” lately, and what were your thoughts?
Allergic to BS 
Rebels are a nasty bunch. All those reformers that we admire now, and even Jesus. But it’s not always fun being viewed as the rebel. I know my wife wishes I would often remain quiet and try to fit with the crowd better. And in some situations I am learning to shut up and smile. But when you are different there has gotta be some venue to express yourself and be true to who you are.
Answer your question: no, I don’t recall ever hearing a sermon on church hierarchy. I think it’s best they don’t bring that one up. But I am finding researching the history of hierarchy in the church is interesting.
jhutton – thanks for the comment. I am enjoying your blogposts!
I have hard time shutting up and smiling, but I am getting better 🙂
Did he quote this verse:
They went out from us because they never really belonged to us. If they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their going showed that they never belonged to us.
In other words, by leaving church, you are an apostate, a reprobate, a false teacher, and a heretic!
jeremy – no he did not, but I can see where it would fit. He “cherry picked” some other verses. 🙂
Will you share the link for this sermon, please?
genoise – I do not want to give the link. I do not want to give the pastor’s name (he is someone I know, and I do not want to stir up anything).
If I can find the word document transcript I will send it your way.
Thanks! FYI, as of yesterday this camel’s back finally broke. I am done with IC once and for all. There! That was freeing now, wasn’t it? 🙂 (I would have said “that was easy”, but only in my dreams…)
genoise – welcome to the post-institutional wilderness 🙂
Apparently i’m “lukewarm”… Let the BS begin!