If Jesus Doesn’t Show Up, Can It Really Be Called Church?
Mark 1:21-26 NKJV
Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.
Question :
Did this spirit just decide to possess this man when Jesus came to the synagogue to preach or was he already there?
If he was already there why didn’t he manifest before?
Answer:
It was the presence of Jesus that caused this unclean spirit to cry out.
Question :
If Jesus presence isn’t in the place that one calls church; can it really be called church since Jesus was the one that said that He alone would build His church?
Could it be that someone or something is being lifted up or being made equal to Jesus?
Answer :
Exodus 34:14 GW
(Never worship any other god, because the Lord is a God who does not tolerate rivals. In fact, he is known for not tolerating rivals.)
If the pastor, and not all, is not being placed on a pedastool that belongs to Jesus alone then why does a congregation disintegrate when he has a moral failure?
This is taken from an excerpt from the book, The Pastor Has No Clothes.
I met an expressive woman the other day
Whose passion blew me away.
Tears filled her eyes as she praised;
By Her admiration and Love, I sat amazed.
She Proclaimed a solid faith and undying trust.
With so much love I thought she would combust.
She had a great passion I’d never seen before,
But when she said,”my pastor”, I nearly fell on the floor.
The whole time her heart outpoured
I thought she was speaking of Jesus Christ our Lord
If Jesus doesn’t show up can you really call it church?
My Dreams and Visions 
If I may answer- NO!…If only there were more upper cases than the actual upper cases!
Jesus is THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH. What is “church” without the head?
Sadly, most churches and religions have subsituted Jesus for human beings. In such cases, they are just “gatherings”, regardless of if they call themselves church.
The Holy Spirit is here to point us to Jesus and if He keeps trying but Jesus is being excluded- or even included IN PART- in the “services” (may I call it, WAY OF LIFE), He groans, weeps and is troubled to remain.
Whomever the Spirit is ACTIVE in will definitely not remain in there because the Spirit is all about Jesus and NOTHING ELSE. Everything else in disguise is filth to Him.
I know because I have experienced it…I believe you have Tony and so many others who have had experiences in this way or in similar/different ways.
My post CALLED OUT OF RELIGION talks about some of my experience in this.
Good post and food for thought/discussion, and hopefully application.
Peace be unto you dear brother.
Also, I know what you mean… I have a lovely friend I have known for years (infact most of my family members sadly!!).
She is very passionate about the Lord but “pastor-ism” and religion has engulfed her so much..and always did. Pastor tells her when to breathe and when to hold her breath. It is really bad.
I throw in my “make sure everything you do, the Holy Spirit leads YOU to it first and is the final call” statements here and there (as the Spirit leads me) in all our discussions and she is quick to agree but I know she doesn’t exactly KNOW what I am talking about.
It is so sad to hear her talk in that way but I have learned, through one of my family members and other family members, to leave the when/how to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
I have learned not to jump in and try to save the world as I often used to do, until they are ready.
The Lord will always give us opportunities to sow the seed, here and there and will keep leading us to when and how to approach these things.
Simply jumping in and shoving THE TRUTH at someone who has not been made ready/convicted by the Holy Spirit might make us feel good and like we actually did something but will do no good; so I have learned.
I also know this because it has been my own personal experience. I had years (all my life) of hearing God’s Word but He alone found me and revealed things to me when He knew I was ready and it was totally in a different way than I knew. He used people/things but ,from expereince, He already started throwing desires/questions/doubts in my heart before leading whomever or whatever to open my eyes.
In that way, whatever is being said takes on an entirely NEW meaning and doesn’t fall on deaf ears.
I have this issue, also with another family member who is VERY CLOSE and dear to me and it makes me sad that sometimes I am guilty of trying to jump the gun.
Before and during the whole “trying to convince” conversation, I hear the Holy Spirit telling me “She is not ready, She won’t understand”. In the past I have ignored this only to regret it after the whole conversation ends up futile. Thankfully recently I have surrendered her to Him.
So we pray. Pray for God’s children who are lost and blind.
I have several family members like that. The verse occurs to me sometimes that a prophet is honored except for in his own house/among kin. (prophet can also refer to any who simply speak the word of God).
Yes be led, only God preps the hearts/breaks the blinders and prides etc, but faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word and like seeds or water to prior seeds keep on keepin’ on sharing with grace the word, God’s word goes out and does not return to Him void but completes the purposes for which it sent and the farmer plants and tends with patience for the crops to grow and a harvest..
A helpful prayer-pray for the Lord to send unto them people who they will listen to perhaps more then you as their family member, He will and has done that for many I’ve prayed that for, some real amazing stories when they call and say-you’ll never believe what’s been happening to me for the last few weeks..anyway seeds deeper planted by others sent of God then family sometimes maybe.
Good word but in this instance I was not referring to any of my friends or family members but rather to people meeting as a church without Jesus being present.