What makes the church unique is its identity and its source of power.
Jesus commanded His disciples, the church if you will, to tarry in Jerusalem for awhile. They were to wait on something specific. He told them to tarry until there came the enduement of power from on High. The power of the Holy Spirit.
It is this presence and power, the two of which cannot be separated, that provides the church the essential element it needs to make it the church. The fact that Jesus gave this command shows that this is the essential equipment of the church. The gift of the Holy Spirit is the unique need of, the unique power for the church. There is no substitute.
“Religious services and organized institutions do not constitute a Christian church, and these may flourish without the gift of Pentecostal fire.” Tragedy Of A Powerless Church, Samuel Chadwick.
The Holy Spirit is not needed to run social clubs, programs, bazaars, institutions, picinics and pot-luck dinners. Man is quite capable of running these on his own. While these certainly seem to be important for the modern church, the disciples did not need to tarry in Jeruslaem to receive the ability to pull these off.
Man has been able to build and run some great institutions and organizations, including businesses, schools, and even governments. He has done so without the gift of the Holy Spirit and these are incredible accomplishments. But man cannot build God’s church. It must be built by Him.
The Body of Christ is to be uniquely lead by the Holy Spirit. Is that a good description of what we witness today?