Oswald Chambers once said, “Many people begin coming to God once they stop being religious, because there is only one master of the human heart — Jesus Christ, not religion.”
I’ve seen this statement proven true throughout the years by people I personally know. Many of us, myself included, have been raised in a strong ‘religious’ upbringing. There are many possible wonderful concepts introduced through the institutional church. But I also know that some of our biggest foundational wounds also come through that venue as children. Religion is presented as … the Truth, and the life is to be spent trying to adhere to the all the rules, regulations, practices, and commands of the leadership.
Jesus will never insist that I obey. But if I don’t recognize who He is then I begin to write my own fate to be separated from God in my soul. I begin backing away from the recreating power of His redemption if I dismiss Him. Even then – seeing me go in another direction …He will never insist.
My advice to certain individuals who have been entrenched in the institution the majority of their lives is to stop attending services for a period. To seek out fellowship with the Body in other ways. To meet with people one on one, or in small groups, and have real and regular conversations about Jesus, religion, and the spiritual life. Learn to ask a lot of questions and then learn to really listen. Seek out those who seem to have a genuine relationship with Jesus even though they are not the ‘career / paid / professional / ordained’ ministers. Learn how to ‘hear’ the Spirit of God for yourself. Most institutions don’t teach you how to hear Him for yourself, they like to remain the substitute Holy Spirit in your life. They want to continue to ‘feed’ you even when you should have learned how to feed yourself years ago.
What’s missing in the American institutional church for the most part? The role of the prophet. Yes, there are exceptions out there, but it should be the norm in every group. The prophet’s role and CALL is to the Body of Christ, to “equip” them, like the role of every other spiritual leader and office called to the Body. The prophet helps teach the Body what intimacy is like with the Spirit of God. How to hear Him. How to walk with Him. How to pray with Him. How to go through your entire day with Him. How to discern what is Him and what is not Him. You might think that’s the pastor’s role. And so many pastors have tried to take that role without having the first inkling of the understanding of the Spirit of God or the prophetic, most have an ‘academic’ understanding, not a prophetic one. Is the pastor role needed in the Body? Absolutely. Just not in the CEO role, or single spiritual leader role, or the role that tries to fill ALL the roles of leadership in the group they are serving. The authority pyramid in the Kingdom is actually an upside down one, not a ‘top down’ worldly / business one that we currently see in 99.9% of institutional American churches today. The pastor role is one of care for the flock, to love on them, and nurture them, encourage them, and protect them. Notice I didn’t say ‘teach’ them? That’s the teachers role. Can pastors be teachers? Yes, but it is not their first calling. If they are TRUE pastors then you will know them by their genuine love and concern for you PERSONALLY. Jesus goes after the …one who is missing, hurting, and apart.
We’ve allowed the top down model of authority to infiltrate our churches and so they’ve become ..religious. Jesus wants to have a personal and intimate relationship with you. And how is that done now exactly? Through the Holy Spirit. Are you being taught how to have an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit or are you being given steps, and rules, and regulations, and reading assignments to complete? Is that how you have an intimate relationship with your closest friends? Does your friendship with others require a liturgy?
Ask Jesus to fill you with the Holy Spirit so that He can begin to teach you, speak to you, and indwell you …personally.