Link said:
Let's do away with the Sunday sermon and bring in mutual edification. Let's do away with these traditions and let the brethren use their gifts in the meeting.
First, all preaching was
not done
only in homes. The Scripture states it was done in (1) cities (Jonah 3:2), (2) in the wilderness (Matt 3:1), (3) in synagogues (Matt :23, 9:35; Mark 1:39; Acts 5:42), etc. What is significant here is that it was done in the synagogues, which greatly influenced early Christian worship. Jesus himself preached in the synagogue. Look at His format:
Luke 4:16-22 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and he entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue on the sabbath day stood up to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And he opened the book, and found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor: He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised, To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down: and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, To-day hath this scripture been fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the words of grace which proceeded out of his mouth: and they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
Clearly, in this set of verses Jesus stood and read a text and then taught the text. Though there are several ways the Gospel may be shared, it was shared in specific ways in specific arenas.
Second, not everyone has the gift of preaching/teaching. While talking over the scriptures one on one may be of great benefit there is also the call of Scripture not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together so each may use his gifts to the edification of the church as a whole. The common way for the gifts to be used in the NT Church was when the congregation was assembled;
1 Cor 14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men [pl] edification, and exhortation, and consolation.
5 Now I would have you all speak with tongues, but rather that ye should prophesy: and greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
23 If therefore the whole church be assembled together and all speak with tongues, and there come in men unlearned or unbelieving, will they not say that ye are mad?
24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one unbelieving or unlearned, he is reproved by all, he is judged by all;
While not everyone has the same gifts and they should be used in an orderly fashion;
1 Cor 14:26 What is it then, brethren? When ye come together, each one hath a psalm, hath a teaching, hath a revelation, hath a tongue, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
33 God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,
40 But let all things be done decently and in order.
Eph 4:11 And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ: till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ; from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love.
Lastly, history records that sermons are the way the church originally taught! You can read the ECF—Justin, Polycarp, Ignatius, Origin. The oldest homily (app 96-97 AD) known to exist at this time is the so-called
Second Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians (you may enjoy this book:
Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers, by Andrew Louth and Maxwell Staniforth, Penguin Classics). While the authorship of this document is in dispute, nevertheless its being preached is not. In addition, the term
homily has been in existence before the time of “Origen (c.185-253), to a didactic commentary, without formal introduction, division, or conclusion, on some part of Sacred Scripture, the aim being to explain the literal, and evolve the spiritual, meaning of the text.” History clearly records for us that the sermon was a known way for preaching the Gospel! This all shows continuity in methodology.
There are several other Bible verses that could be discussed in all this, but time, time, time.... <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/broke.gif" alt="" />
Your analysis of the situation is that of the emerging church who merely believe in sages to guide one along one’s life journey.
"One of the most significant crises is that our seminary system prepares people more and more effectively for a world that no longer exists," McLaren says. "What's needed? Poets, prophets, sages, dreamers, soul-friends who build and lead communities. These kinds of leaders can only be prepared, I think, in some hybrid experience of life in a vibrant local church in the presence of mentors, enriched by intensive experiences in mission and community, along with guided study in church history, thought, art, theology, spirituality, leadership, etc."
Once again Brian McLaren is unscriptural. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/3stooges.gif" alt="" /> Let's do away with these emerging imposters and bring in mutual edification to the body of Christ.
