Two Questions About Human Leadership Vs. The Spirit’s Leadership In Church

Here are two questions about church leadership for pastors and so-called laymen:

Question #1: Who is the most capable church leader in the world?
Answer: The living, resurrected Jesus Christ present in our midst when we gather in His name.
Question #2: Then why don’t we allow Jesus to actually and directly lead our church meetings, instead of running and controlling them with human leadership?
Answer: ?

Possible answers to question #2:

*  The false idea that church meetings have always been run and/or controlled by human leadership.  (The early church had spontaneous, Spirit-led church meetings [see 1 Corinthians 14:26], as did the Quakers and the Prayer Revival of 1857.  Currently the house church movement in China does, as well as much of the organic church/house church movement around the world.

*  Fear of false teaching coming forth.  (However, in our Spirit-led, sermon-free meetings at The Salvation Army Berry Street in Nashville, amazingly in 5 years, we’ve never had anyone share false teaching.)

*  The human need for control — the pastor’s and people’s need for the pastor to earn his keep.

*  The desire for the church service to look professional.

*  The desire to avoid uncomfortable and/or awkward moments in the church meeting.  (However, when this succeeds, it often quenches the Holy Spirit, who Himself likes to stir things up.)

*  Our dependence on programs, bulletins, memorized liturgy, and human agendas.

*  People’s fear of intimacy and desire to be passive spectators in church meetings rather than active participants.