For the last 10 years, I have been studying church history. Apart from my study of the New Testament, I must have read at least 60 books on the subject. My latest journey is the 8 volume “History of the Christian Church” by Philip Schaff.
I am rather pleased with this purchase as it normally sells for $200 and I paid $50. A big thanks to the Christian book trade in the USA.
One of my purchases was tapes called “Pastors in Crisis” which talks about all the sorts of problems that pastors in the USA experience. There were cases cited of pastors who gave up because of the success syndrome. They were employed to get results and when they didn’t they were sacked or resigned.
This does not surprise me as I went though a website that advertised Christian jobs. There were 263 adverts for pastors. Apart from three, the qualifications required were experience, a degree and the ability to make things happen. Only three mentioned they wanted someone who had a serious prayer life.
In one book, I read that on average, 1,600 USA pastors resign or are sacked each month. In my country there are over 10,000 ex pastors who gave up because of burnout or unrealistic expectations.
One other thing the tapes mentioned was the fact that these situations were sad because these men were called by God to do a special ministry.
I am not convinced however as I cannot see God approving of something contrary to his word. My own feeling is and it has been confirmed by other writers that probably at least 50% of the pastors out there should never be in ministry.
The reason they are is that they are fuelled by rejection so they need to be needed which means their so called “calling” is nothing more than to cover up a dysfunction without having to face it.
If you are in ministry because of rejection, everything is filtered through it so you are unable to see reality. A protective mechanism builds a wall to stop you being hurt so you cannot see the wood for the trees as they say.
Apart from the forgoing, I cannot find anywhere in the New Testament church where they hired a pastor from outside the church to run it. Leadership in the NTC was firstly apostles and prophets and later resident Elders who were chosen from within the fellowship. Not once does it say a pastor is in charge.
What this tells me is that when you ignore the obvious and impose a man made system on a spiritually devised and God given structure, you are asking for trouble because you are trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.
I believe the reasons I have stated are the reasons why the current church leadership model is a killing ground for professional pastors. It doesn’t work because it was never intended to.
The question no one wants to ask is “why do we so blindly follow man’s design and ignore the scripture and what God intended for leadership of the church.”
There can only be one answer to this and that is that man has too much invested in their way of doing things and to do otherwise would mean a loss of authority, power and prestige because doing it God’s way would mean that he gets all the glory, not man.
Man’s sinful nature does not want that to happen.
Showing posts with label DO IT GOD'S WAY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DO IT GOD'S WAY. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Saturday, April 9, 2011
NEW WINESKINS
I have been reading about new wine and new wine skins. Jesus said you don’t put new wine into old wineskins. Why is that? apparently wine skins that were made out of goat skins, when they had wine put into them, the wine fermented, meaning it became alcoholic.
Whilst this fermentation took place, gasses were produced which a new wineskin could cope with as it expanded. An old wineskin did not have this capacity so putting new wine into an old wine skin meant that you would probably lose the lot as the old skin would burst under the pressure of the gasses.
All sorts of interpretations have been put on this passage of scripture in Luke 5, even to the point of arguing that Christians should not drink alcohol.
When I read scripture, I like to have the proceeding word of God as well as the written word, so I tend to ask the Holy Spirit if there is anything that he wants me to know.
With this passage, I started thinking about the church, and God putting new wine into……..
I get the impression that we are very pleased to have the new wine but we want it put into old wineskins. In other words, we don’t want to change. God can give us the new wine but it will have to be in the context of a programme that never changes from week to week, so if that is not convenient to God, then we will have to give it a miss (and continue with our programme).
My experience has been over the years that when the new wine comes, the programme goes out the window, because the new wine of the Holy Spirit always challenges the status quo.
The programme says we are running the show. The new wine says God is in charge because anything can happen, including the supernatural. We tend to shy away from this as…we can’t control it and we see that as chaos.
Well it is chaos in a way as we don’t know what the Holy Spirit is going to do next.
I know of a church that has a prayer group that prays for God to show them people out in the community that need prayer. They actually see the person concerned that He wants them to pray for in a vision and then they go out into the community looking for that person.
A father and his young daughter got a vision of a lady with her arm in a cast. They went down the street and they met a lady with her arm in a cast. The little girl said to her “can we pray for your arm?”
When a sweet little girl says that to you how can you refuse. She and her father laid hands on the arm and prayed and she was healed of a medical condition that she’d had for years.
That is new wine at work, not a programme.
If you want to control everything, keep going with your programmes. If you want the Holy Spirit to be in control, get rid of the old wineskins so you can have a new filling of new wine.
Whilst this fermentation took place, gasses were produced which a new wineskin could cope with as it expanded. An old wineskin did not have this capacity so putting new wine into an old wine skin meant that you would probably lose the lot as the old skin would burst under the pressure of the gasses.
All sorts of interpretations have been put on this passage of scripture in Luke 5, even to the point of arguing that Christians should not drink alcohol.
When I read scripture, I like to have the proceeding word of God as well as the written word, so I tend to ask the Holy Spirit if there is anything that he wants me to know.
With this passage, I started thinking about the church, and God putting new wine into……..
I get the impression that we are very pleased to have the new wine but we want it put into old wineskins. In other words, we don’t want to change. God can give us the new wine but it will have to be in the context of a programme that never changes from week to week, so if that is not convenient to God, then we will have to give it a miss (and continue with our programme).
My experience has been over the years that when the new wine comes, the programme goes out the window, because the new wine of the Holy Spirit always challenges the status quo.
The programme says we are running the show. The new wine says God is in charge because anything can happen, including the supernatural. We tend to shy away from this as…we can’t control it and we see that as chaos.
Well it is chaos in a way as we don’t know what the Holy Spirit is going to do next.
I know of a church that has a prayer group that prays for God to show them people out in the community that need prayer. They actually see the person concerned that He wants them to pray for in a vision and then they go out into the community looking for that person.
A father and his young daughter got a vision of a lady with her arm in a cast. They went down the street and they met a lady with her arm in a cast. The little girl said to her “can we pray for your arm?”
When a sweet little girl says that to you how can you refuse. She and her father laid hands on the arm and prayed and she was healed of a medical condition that she’d had for years.
That is new wine at work, not a programme.
If you want to control everything, keep going with your programmes. If you want the Holy Spirit to be in control, get rid of the old wineskins so you can have a new filling of new wine.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU LORD!!
Please forgive me again as I have discovered another article, the author of which is unknown to me. let me know if it is you and I will do the right thing by you.
The church today is weak, anemic, sick and in bondage. We are just like the unsaved when it comes to sickness, divorce and other areas of bondage. I believe the reason is that the message of freedom from demonic powers isn’t being preached.
God’s people are sick. They are in spiritual bondage. I believe God is looking for deliverers, for those who will stand unashamed in the power and authority of the Lord Jesus and speak to set His people free!
The church worldwide is facing a leadership crisis. Not only does it have too few leaders, but many of those leaders have weak spiritual lives. Media headlines in recent years attest to the compromise, worldliness, moral failure, human ambition and error in the church.
During His earthly ministry, Jesus lived in continuous union with His Father. This inward, spiritual fellowship was the source of everything in His life and ministry (see John 5:19). From this inward union came wisdom, discernment, power and miraculous works. As a result, Jesus perfectly revealed the Father: "If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. ... Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:7-9, NIV).
Biblical Christian leadership is not vision-based, competency-based, success-based or even values- or character-based; it is Christ-based. Everything must come from an inward union with Him. This is not merely semantics for the sake of influencing behaviour. It is truth that goes to the very heart of how we understand Christian life and Christian leadership.
Making this distinction doesn't undermine the importance of vision, competency or character. In fact, it establishes that true vision, competency and character come from the indwelling life of Christ and not from human effort or capacity. "If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; [for] apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5, NIV).
Jesus isn't just describing the "best" way to true Christian leadership; He is showing us the only way. He is revealing that everything else is mere human works. He is pre-eminent (see Col. 1:18), and is the only true foundation for our lives and ministries (see 1 Cor. 3:11). Like a body without a head, true leadership isn't possible without Christ being first—not merely as a doctrine we agree with or a set of values we hold, but as a living, inward experience in our personal leadership.
The church today is weak, anemic, sick and in bondage. We are just like the unsaved when it comes to sickness, divorce and other areas of bondage. I believe the reason is that the message of freedom from demonic powers isn’t being preached.
God’s people are sick. They are in spiritual bondage. I believe God is looking for deliverers, for those who will stand unashamed in the power and authority of the Lord Jesus and speak to set His people free!
The church worldwide is facing a leadership crisis. Not only does it have too few leaders, but many of those leaders have weak spiritual lives. Media headlines in recent years attest to the compromise, worldliness, moral failure, human ambition and error in the church.
During His earthly ministry, Jesus lived in continuous union with His Father. This inward, spiritual fellowship was the source of everything in His life and ministry (see John 5:19). From this inward union came wisdom, discernment, power and miraculous works. As a result, Jesus perfectly revealed the Father: "If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. ... Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:7-9, NIV).
Biblical Christian leadership is not vision-based, competency-based, success-based or even values- or character-based; it is Christ-based. Everything must come from an inward union with Him. This is not merely semantics for the sake of influencing behaviour. It is truth that goes to the very heart of how we understand Christian life and Christian leadership.
Making this distinction doesn't undermine the importance of vision, competency or character. In fact, it establishes that true vision, competency and character come from the indwelling life of Christ and not from human effort or capacity. "If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; [for] apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5, NIV).
Jesus isn't just describing the "best" way to true Christian leadership; He is showing us the only way. He is revealing that everything else is mere human works. He is pre-eminent (see Col. 1:18), and is the only true foundation for our lives and ministries (see 1 Cor. 3:11). Like a body without a head, true leadership isn't possible without Christ being first—not merely as a doctrine we agree with or a set of values we hold, but as a living, inward experience in our personal leadership.
Friday, October 30, 2009
FOUNDATIONS
I believe with all my heart after all the books I have read this year that there are certain imperatives if the church is going to fulfil its mission.
The first one is that our relationship with God is right, left and centre of all that we do. Without this we are only playing games. Without this we do not have anything to tell the world. We worship God when we submit to his lordship and acknowledge his lordship in our lives. Singing songs won’t achieve this for us. All they do is prevent us from giving God the worship he is due because we have this strange idea that singing songs is worship.
Until we are totally broken and submitted to him, any singing is at best a feel good exercise that gives us the impression that we have made the grade. I can remember times and have read about them when the church and the individual did nothing more than to fall prostrate at the feet of Jesus to soak in all that he is and wants to be for us and to let him know that we have no rights other than to be a son of God. The refining fire of God often sweeps through and the recipients are never the same again.
The next one is unity. The major events of the New Testament Church happened because of their unity. In the upper room where they were “together, together”; in their homes where they supported each other and met needs; unity in prayer to make the supernatural happen; financial unity supporting those who needed help and so on.
We are one body and one church but we act as thought we are at war with each other, which is so sad. In a survey conducted amongst unbelievers one of the reason that they were turned off by the church was that they are always fighting and arguing with each other.
Following that we need to realise that ritual without relationship is religion, not the abundant life we were promised. In most churches, the programme is everything and the leaders are there to make it happen. Yet Jesus said he would build his church, he didn’t ask us to. Our focus is the Kingdom of God and that means our activity is out there bringing the good news of the kingdom, not sitting on the premises in a holy huddle backslapping and congratulating ourselves on what a good meeting it was.
Until we de-institutionalise we will remain irrelevant to most people. With the fractured society that we have created, people are looking for reality and authenticity. Asking them to come and observe some religious tradition is sure to put them off.
Finally, asking God to bless our efforts has got to be the most stupid request we can make. God is not interested in what we want to do. He wants us to do what he wants to do and why not. We cannot save one person but God can save everyone so it is logical that we would do what he wants us to do. That way salvation is of the Lord and that is the type of salvation that is genuine and real.
Therefore, prayer must be about Him speaking to us, not us telling him what to do. If you spend all your time speaking to God, you are not going to hear what he has to say. Every fellowship should have at least one day of prayer and fasting a month to get anywhere near where God wants them to be. If we can’t manage that, are we really serious about our walk with the Lord?
The first one is that our relationship with God is right, left and centre of all that we do. Without this we are only playing games. Without this we do not have anything to tell the world. We worship God when we submit to his lordship and acknowledge his lordship in our lives. Singing songs won’t achieve this for us. All they do is prevent us from giving God the worship he is due because we have this strange idea that singing songs is worship.
Until we are totally broken and submitted to him, any singing is at best a feel good exercise that gives us the impression that we have made the grade. I can remember times and have read about them when the church and the individual did nothing more than to fall prostrate at the feet of Jesus to soak in all that he is and wants to be for us and to let him know that we have no rights other than to be a son of God. The refining fire of God often sweeps through and the recipients are never the same again.
The next one is unity. The major events of the New Testament Church happened because of their unity. In the upper room where they were “together, together”; in their homes where they supported each other and met needs; unity in prayer to make the supernatural happen; financial unity supporting those who needed help and so on.
We are one body and one church but we act as thought we are at war with each other, which is so sad. In a survey conducted amongst unbelievers one of the reason that they were turned off by the church was that they are always fighting and arguing with each other.
Following that we need to realise that ritual without relationship is religion, not the abundant life we were promised. In most churches, the programme is everything and the leaders are there to make it happen. Yet Jesus said he would build his church, he didn’t ask us to. Our focus is the Kingdom of God and that means our activity is out there bringing the good news of the kingdom, not sitting on the premises in a holy huddle backslapping and congratulating ourselves on what a good meeting it was.
Until we de-institutionalise we will remain irrelevant to most people. With the fractured society that we have created, people are looking for reality and authenticity. Asking them to come and observe some religious tradition is sure to put them off.
Finally, asking God to bless our efforts has got to be the most stupid request we can make. God is not interested in what we want to do. He wants us to do what he wants to do and why not. We cannot save one person but God can save everyone so it is logical that we would do what he wants us to do. That way salvation is of the Lord and that is the type of salvation that is genuine and real.
Therefore, prayer must be about Him speaking to us, not us telling him what to do. If you spend all your time speaking to God, you are not going to hear what he has to say. Every fellowship should have at least one day of prayer and fasting a month to get anywhere near where God wants them to be. If we can’t manage that, are we really serious about our walk with the Lord?
Sunday, March 15, 2009
FORMULAS
There are some denominations that say you are not a Christian unless you are baptised in the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues. If that is the case, how does one explain away the following passage of scripture in Acts 19?
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
So Paul asked “Then what baptism did you receive?”
“John’s baptism” they replied.
Paul said “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, Jesus.”
On hearing this, they were baptised into the name of Jesus.
When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.
First, the men that Paul spoke to were disciples. This word in the Greek is the same as when Jesus said in Matthew 28 to go and make disciples of all nations, so we assume that they were already followers of Jesus, even though they had not heard of the Holy Spirit and had not been baptised in water other than John’s baptism. As John never went to Ephesus, we have to assume that it was some other disciples that had gone there and spoken of John and Jesus and who had not been part of the day of pentecost experience.
Second, before they were baptised in the Holy Spirit, Paul baptised them in water and please note, he baptised them into the name of the Lord Jesus, not the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In fact every recorded incident of baptism in the New Testament is never in the three titles. It is always in the name of Jesus.
This should not surprise us as Jesus said that we were to baptise in the name of the trinity, not the titles of the trinity in Matthew 28. To baptise in the titles of the trinity is to ignore the clear teaching of scripture and Jesus own words.
Third, once baptised in the name of Jesus, Paul laid hands on them and as he did so, the Holy Spirit came upon them. The fact that he hadn’t done so already did not mean that they were not disciples.
One of the things that stifles Christian expression is the demand for formulas such as the service always has to be done a certain way. You have to become a Christian this way. You cannot be a Christian unless this has happened. You have to dress this way. You are not a Christian unless you have been baptised in the spirit.
When this happens we tend to lose sight of what the scripture says and restrict everyone’s experience to set formulas and our formula is the way, the truth and the life.
That doesn’t mean that we ignore the essentials like salvation by grace alone and the new birth experience but it does mean that we have to avoid the danger of putting God into a box to satisfy our own denominational interpretation of the word of God which quite often is contrary to the Word of God.
John Wesley’s describes his experience of salvation as being “strangely warmed.” Does that mean he was not saved because he didn’t use the formula that includes the words “being born again” or the sinner’s prayer?
Of course not as his life was a testimony to his salvation.
Conversely, formulas can and do produce followers that have head knowledge of their salvation but fail to produce a changed life that a new birth experience provides. Quite often, this person is lost to the church within six months of their so called conversion or their experience in not much more that going through religious rituals each week to satisfy their need for absolution.
God is sovereign and the Holy Spirit is in charge. Therefore we must allow them to decide what does and does not happen. Only time will tell if the person is born again.
I know one thing. They won’t have much chance walking the walk if we don’t disciple them and that doesn’t mean asking them to attend Sunday morning meetings.
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
So Paul asked “Then what baptism did you receive?”
“John’s baptism” they replied.
Paul said “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, Jesus.”
On hearing this, they were baptised into the name of Jesus.
When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.
First, the men that Paul spoke to were disciples. This word in the Greek is the same as when Jesus said in Matthew 28 to go and make disciples of all nations, so we assume that they were already followers of Jesus, even though they had not heard of the Holy Spirit and had not been baptised in water other than John’s baptism. As John never went to Ephesus, we have to assume that it was some other disciples that had gone there and spoken of John and Jesus and who had not been part of the day of pentecost experience.
Second, before they were baptised in the Holy Spirit, Paul baptised them in water and please note, he baptised them into the name of the Lord Jesus, not the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In fact every recorded incident of baptism in the New Testament is never in the three titles. It is always in the name of Jesus.
This should not surprise us as Jesus said that we were to baptise in the name of the trinity, not the titles of the trinity in Matthew 28. To baptise in the titles of the trinity is to ignore the clear teaching of scripture and Jesus own words.
Third, once baptised in the name of Jesus, Paul laid hands on them and as he did so, the Holy Spirit came upon them. The fact that he hadn’t done so already did not mean that they were not disciples.
One of the things that stifles Christian expression is the demand for formulas such as the service always has to be done a certain way. You have to become a Christian this way. You cannot be a Christian unless this has happened. You have to dress this way. You are not a Christian unless you have been baptised in the spirit.
When this happens we tend to lose sight of what the scripture says and restrict everyone’s experience to set formulas and our formula is the way, the truth and the life.
That doesn’t mean that we ignore the essentials like salvation by grace alone and the new birth experience but it does mean that we have to avoid the danger of putting God into a box to satisfy our own denominational interpretation of the word of God which quite often is contrary to the Word of God.
John Wesley’s describes his experience of salvation as being “strangely warmed.” Does that mean he was not saved because he didn’t use the formula that includes the words “being born again” or the sinner’s prayer?
Of course not as his life was a testimony to his salvation.
Conversely, formulas can and do produce followers that have head knowledge of their salvation but fail to produce a changed life that a new birth experience provides. Quite often, this person is lost to the church within six months of their so called conversion or their experience in not much more that going through religious rituals each week to satisfy their need for absolution.
God is sovereign and the Holy Spirit is in charge. Therefore we must allow them to decide what does and does not happen. Only time will tell if the person is born again.
I know one thing. They won’t have much chance walking the walk if we don’t disciple them and that doesn’t mean asking them to attend Sunday morning meetings.
Friday, February 27, 2009
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A PASTOR 2?
How many times have you heard this conversation?
“Pastor, I believe God is calling me into the ministry.”
‘Good, I can recommend some good Bible Colleges that you can attend to get your degree then you can go out and find a church to be pastor of.”
That is the usual response.
Now, how many times have you heard this conversation?
“Pastor, I believe God is calling me into the ministry.”
“Yes, I have noticed that you are very enthusiastic about serving the body of Christ. I would like to test the validity of your calling so I will take you on board and mentor you. You can learn from me and the other members of the ministry team and if all goes to plan, if and when you’re calling is obvious, you will be recognised on the same terms as I am.
As you know, being in leadership is a serving ministry, so you will have to learn to serve the people and put others first as it is not about you but about building the body of Christ. If you are happy with that, I will meet with you once a week to talk about what you have been doing and what you intend to do. Otherwise I want you to do what the spirit of God is telling you to do to edify and care for the flock. Is that OK?”
I bet that you haven’t come across that response. Most of the time the person is shunted off to an approved Bible College and then he is never heard of again because he has to go to another smaller country church that needs “a pastor” and then he slowly makes his way up the ladder of success in bigger and more prestigious churches in the denomination.
In the New Testament, church leadership was always on the basis of appointment from within the congregation or they went out to start their own church in the case of an apostolic ministry. No where do we read of someone going to another church in another town to become its “pastor”.
Certainly we do not read of people going to “Bible College” to be suitable material for leadership. One thing is sure and I learnt this when I went to bible college. It doesn’t teach you to be a leader. Only God can make you a leader and give you an anointing, without which you are running on empty and guaranteed to suffer a breakdown and in all probability end up out of the ministry and no use to anyone.
The scripture makes it quite clear that the five ministries of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher are there to produce others doing the same thing. They are not there to build their own ministry as a means of earning a living. If they do that, they do not have the backing of God or scripture and can only lead people astray.
“Pastor, I believe God is calling me into the ministry.”
‘Good, I can recommend some good Bible Colleges that you can attend to get your degree then you can go out and find a church to be pastor of.”
That is the usual response.
Now, how many times have you heard this conversation?
“Pastor, I believe God is calling me into the ministry.”
“Yes, I have noticed that you are very enthusiastic about serving the body of Christ. I would like to test the validity of your calling so I will take you on board and mentor you. You can learn from me and the other members of the ministry team and if all goes to plan, if and when you’re calling is obvious, you will be recognised on the same terms as I am.
As you know, being in leadership is a serving ministry, so you will have to learn to serve the people and put others first as it is not about you but about building the body of Christ. If you are happy with that, I will meet with you once a week to talk about what you have been doing and what you intend to do. Otherwise I want you to do what the spirit of God is telling you to do to edify and care for the flock. Is that OK?”
I bet that you haven’t come across that response. Most of the time the person is shunted off to an approved Bible College and then he is never heard of again because he has to go to another smaller country church that needs “a pastor” and then he slowly makes his way up the ladder of success in bigger and more prestigious churches in the denomination.
In the New Testament, church leadership was always on the basis of appointment from within the congregation or they went out to start their own church in the case of an apostolic ministry. No where do we read of someone going to another church in another town to become its “pastor”.
Certainly we do not read of people going to “Bible College” to be suitable material for leadership. One thing is sure and I learnt this when I went to bible college. It doesn’t teach you to be a leader. Only God can make you a leader and give you an anointing, without which you are running on empty and guaranteed to suffer a breakdown and in all probability end up out of the ministry and no use to anyone.
The scripture makes it quite clear that the five ministries of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher are there to produce others doing the same thing. They are not there to build their own ministry as a means of earning a living. If they do that, they do not have the backing of God or scripture and can only lead people astray.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A PASTOR?
Look no further than this statement from The Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism:
"The privileged task of pastors and teachers is to lead God's people (laos), into maturity and to equip them for ministry. Pastors are not to monopolize ministries, but rather multiply them, by encouraging others to use their gifts and by training disciples to make disciples. The domination of the laity by the clergy has been a great evil in the history of the church. It robs both laity and clergy of their God intended roles, causes clergy breakdowns, weakens the church, and hinders the spread of the Gospel. More than that, it is fundamentally unbiblical."
It is good to see someone agreeing with what the scriptures say. But the fact remains, how many people who take the title and position of “pastor” do this? How many prefer to have the power and the breakdown?
Despite the Lausanne Committee saying it and saying that what is happening is unbiblical, the denominational leaders are more interested in protecting their position of authority instead of doing what the scripture teaches, and that is to dissipate their authority and ministry.
If there is only one pastor in the church, then the pastor is a failure. Every pastor should be producing other pastors. Every teacher should be producing other teachers. Every evangelist should be producing other evangelists.
Back in the eighties I started and ran a para church ministry. Within six months of its formulation I had four of the people who came to the ministry for help meeting with me once a week to begin their leadership training with a view to taking over many of the responsibilities of the ministries and eventually to become joint leaders and eventually to take over the leadership. After I stood down, one of those young men led the ministry for eight years.
In most churches, anyone who has a calling from God into leadership usually has to move to another church to get anywhere as the person at the top won’t accept someone who is on equal terms. That is why we have churches full of “a senior pastor”. Why don’t we have churches with 10 senior pastors? It is obvious that the “senior pastor” does not want to relinquish his position of power and he certainly does not want to fulfill what the scripture says he should do.
I have been in several churches in Australia and not one of them has more than one “senior pastor”. That suggests there is a hierarchy of spirituality with the man at the top being considered more spiritual than anyone else and the only one who has the ability to hear from God and lead the church.
This is a complete fallacy as the New Testament Church experienced leadership by a plurality of elders, never by “a pastor” and as the church grew, more elders were added so that ONE MAN did not have to assume responsibility for the leadership of the church.
Whenever you see a church building with a sign outside that says “Senior Pastor: John Thingamajig,” you know that the church is not interested in biblical leadership models so your opportunity to fulfill your calling is going to be minimal. They prefer their own cultural traditions with one man assuming all the power and if you disagree with anything he says, you will be considered a renegade.
"The privileged task of pastors and teachers is to lead God's people (laos), into maturity and to equip them for ministry. Pastors are not to monopolize ministries, but rather multiply them, by encouraging others to use their gifts and by training disciples to make disciples. The domination of the laity by the clergy has been a great evil in the history of the church. It robs both laity and clergy of their God intended roles, causes clergy breakdowns, weakens the church, and hinders the spread of the Gospel. More than that, it is fundamentally unbiblical."
It is good to see someone agreeing with what the scriptures say. But the fact remains, how many people who take the title and position of “pastor” do this? How many prefer to have the power and the breakdown?
Despite the Lausanne Committee saying it and saying that what is happening is unbiblical, the denominational leaders are more interested in protecting their position of authority instead of doing what the scripture teaches, and that is to dissipate their authority and ministry.
If there is only one pastor in the church, then the pastor is a failure. Every pastor should be producing other pastors. Every teacher should be producing other teachers. Every evangelist should be producing other evangelists.
Back in the eighties I started and ran a para church ministry. Within six months of its formulation I had four of the people who came to the ministry for help meeting with me once a week to begin their leadership training with a view to taking over many of the responsibilities of the ministries and eventually to become joint leaders and eventually to take over the leadership. After I stood down, one of those young men led the ministry for eight years.
In most churches, anyone who has a calling from God into leadership usually has to move to another church to get anywhere as the person at the top won’t accept someone who is on equal terms. That is why we have churches full of “a senior pastor”. Why don’t we have churches with 10 senior pastors? It is obvious that the “senior pastor” does not want to relinquish his position of power and he certainly does not want to fulfill what the scripture says he should do.
I have been in several churches in Australia and not one of them has more than one “senior pastor”. That suggests there is a hierarchy of spirituality with the man at the top being considered more spiritual than anyone else and the only one who has the ability to hear from God and lead the church.
This is a complete fallacy as the New Testament Church experienced leadership by a plurality of elders, never by “a pastor” and as the church grew, more elders were added so that ONE MAN did not have to assume responsibility for the leadership of the church.
Whenever you see a church building with a sign outside that says “Senior Pastor: John Thingamajig,” you know that the church is not interested in biblical leadership models so your opportunity to fulfill your calling is going to be minimal. They prefer their own cultural traditions with one man assuming all the power and if you disagree with anything he says, you will be considered a renegade.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
POWER AND THE GLORY
Most political and society leadership today is based on power over. Every election, the elected government, President, Premier Minister says that they will govern for all Australians, Americans, Brits etc.
In most cases, they then ignore the majority of citizens and put in place policy that is the product of a particular ideology, regardless what the majority want. I remember in my own country in 1983, the Labor government said they were going to legalise brothels. They were told in no uncertain terms that it was not wanted.
In a meeting with the government minister responsible, he said whether we wanted it or not, we were going to have it as it was party policy.
The other scenario is the government is most likely captive to a vocal minority like homosexuals who want to impose their will on the majority. In most cases, they want to overthrow that which is tried and tested and proven in the fire of adversity and which society has been built on successfully.
An example is these people who want any Tom, Dick or homosexual be given the right to marry and have children. This is despite the overwhelming fact that the best interests of the child is served when they have a mum and dad in a committed marriage relationships.
Unfortunately, the propensity to control is widespread in the church and mirrors society to be seen as relevant and “with it.” The servant mentality is rarely seen in its leadership.
In Luke 22 Jesus said to his disciples that the greatest among them is the person who serves. Thee word “serve” in the Greek is “diakoneo” which means to wait on tables or serve dinner.
When was the last time you saw a church leader wait on tables or serve dinner? Unfortunately, most of the time they want to sit at the top table with the important people and be waited on.
If we are the church and the so called leadership is appointed by God, why is it they find it so difficult to obey the word of God?
I have put it down to one or all of three things. They are rejection, cultural tradition or witchcraft in the church. All three precludes the dictates of the word of God and gives the deluded leader the idea that they are serving God when they control everybody and everything.
After all, we want everything done decently and in order and no one does that better than me, not even the Holy Spirit.
In most cases, they then ignore the majority of citizens and put in place policy that is the product of a particular ideology, regardless what the majority want. I remember in my own country in 1983, the Labor government said they were going to legalise brothels. They were told in no uncertain terms that it was not wanted.
In a meeting with the government minister responsible, he said whether we wanted it or not, we were going to have it as it was party policy.
The other scenario is the government is most likely captive to a vocal minority like homosexuals who want to impose their will on the majority. In most cases, they want to overthrow that which is tried and tested and proven in the fire of adversity and which society has been built on successfully.
An example is these people who want any Tom, Dick or homosexual be given the right to marry and have children. This is despite the overwhelming fact that the best interests of the child is served when they have a mum and dad in a committed marriage relationships.
Unfortunately, the propensity to control is widespread in the church and mirrors society to be seen as relevant and “with it.” The servant mentality is rarely seen in its leadership.
In Luke 22 Jesus said to his disciples that the greatest among them is the person who serves. Thee word “serve” in the Greek is “diakoneo” which means to wait on tables or serve dinner.
When was the last time you saw a church leader wait on tables or serve dinner? Unfortunately, most of the time they want to sit at the top table with the important people and be waited on.
If we are the church and the so called leadership is appointed by God, why is it they find it so difficult to obey the word of God?
I have put it down to one or all of three things. They are rejection, cultural tradition or witchcraft in the church. All three precludes the dictates of the word of God and gives the deluded leader the idea that they are serving God when they control everybody and everything.
After all, we want everything done decently and in order and no one does that better than me, not even the Holy Spirit.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
PREACH IT BROTHER
I sometimes wonder just what is being preached from the pulpit these days. Mostly feel good sermons if the remarks that appear on christian forums on the net are anything to go by. I can’t believe how many Christians there are out there who quote one verse of scripture and then use it to prove some unbiblical doctrine. The fact that they ignore 50 other verses which make it clear what the scripture teaches and it is not what they are claiming, doesn’t seem to register on their theology scale. To them one verse is all that is needed to prove anything.
An example is one verse that talks about a plurality of elders and overseers being appointed in all the churches. This guy said that it proved that each New Testament church had a single pastor in charge that was paid for the privilege.
I am very aware that some churches are blessed with a man who has the gift of teaching and fortunately the church acknowledges the fact, but these are few and far between as most of them only acknowledge a person called ‘a pastor’ and if they happen to be something other than that and have the luck to be acknowledged as such then one can expect teaching as opposed to feel good sermons.
In fact, most churches cause their own demise for the simple reason that although Jesus gave five ministries to the church that of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher, they only recognise the ministry of a pastor.
When was the last time you saw a church notice board that says
SENIOR MINISTER: Apostle Nathaniel Growalot
Or one that says
SENIOR MINISTER: Teacher Sydney Bookalot
Those with a pastoral ministry have one passion and that is caring for the sheep and mending broken hearts and that is how it should be. That being the case, how on earth are you going to expect that same man to have a vision and passion for church growth and building and the time and energy to make it happen. A sure recipe for burnout and depression.
Most pastors are frightened of such an idea because it means that as the church increase in size, their ability to shepherd will diminish, so they will most likely feel inadequate because they cannot do their job properly.
As a result they will in all probability oppose church growth. I have spoken to ministers fraternal where there is not one visionary amongst them and they have made it very clear that growth is the last thing on their agenda.
Every church needs shepherds, but every church needs the other four ministries as well. In particular every church today desperately needs men who have an anointing to teach. Without someone like this, the bible will just be a smorgasbord of vignettes that one dips into to get a few words of comfort or guidance, rather than being the revelation of God to the church as to how they establish his kingdom.
An example is one verse that talks about a plurality of elders and overseers being appointed in all the churches. This guy said that it proved that each New Testament church had a single pastor in charge that was paid for the privilege.
I am very aware that some churches are blessed with a man who has the gift of teaching and fortunately the church acknowledges the fact, but these are few and far between as most of them only acknowledge a person called ‘a pastor’ and if they happen to be something other than that and have the luck to be acknowledged as such then one can expect teaching as opposed to feel good sermons.
In fact, most churches cause their own demise for the simple reason that although Jesus gave five ministries to the church that of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher, they only recognise the ministry of a pastor.
When was the last time you saw a church notice board that says
SENIOR MINISTER: Apostle Nathaniel Growalot
Or one that says
SENIOR MINISTER: Teacher Sydney Bookalot
Those with a pastoral ministry have one passion and that is caring for the sheep and mending broken hearts and that is how it should be. That being the case, how on earth are you going to expect that same man to have a vision and passion for church growth and building and the time and energy to make it happen. A sure recipe for burnout and depression.
Most pastors are frightened of such an idea because it means that as the church increase in size, their ability to shepherd will diminish, so they will most likely feel inadequate because they cannot do their job properly.
As a result they will in all probability oppose church growth. I have spoken to ministers fraternal where there is not one visionary amongst them and they have made it very clear that growth is the last thing on their agenda.
Every church needs shepherds, but every church needs the other four ministries as well. In particular every church today desperately needs men who have an anointing to teach. Without someone like this, the bible will just be a smorgasbord of vignettes that one dips into to get a few words of comfort or guidance, rather than being the revelation of God to the church as to how they establish his kingdom.
Monday, October 27, 2008
POWER, PROPHECY OR PROGRAMMES
“We have replaced power with programs, revelation with administration and the Father’s heart with organizational skills.”
So said John Paul Jackson in an article about the coming storm that is going to rock society here, there and everywhere.
He said we are more interested in knowing about God rather than knowing God.
He blames what has happened in the USA with the financial meltdown on the church, which is no longer a beacon for society. It is a disorganised, disunited, disinterested and a disturbingly ineffective expression of the nature and kingdom of God.
The churches focus is more about programmes, administration and organization, rather than power, revelation and the centrality of the King of Kings.
We follow the latest charismatic figure instead of the king of kings. We follow the latest fad instead of the need for prayer. We follow the traditions of our denomination instead of the pure word of God. We follow the status quo instead of the dictates of the Holy Spirit. We follow what disturbs us the least instead of the way of the cross. We follow religion instead of relationship. We follow ritual instead of reality. We follow the crowd instead of the one and only builder of the church.
Is it any wonder that our goal is not to know God but to know about him? If we get to know him, we may have to change the way we do things and the way we are. That might mean some radical reordering of our lives and the life of the church. This is fine if you haven’t got a ministry or position to defend, then it gets tricky so it is better to keep the status quo.
When we do that we lose the right to speak prophetically because prophecy never gets a hearing in the midst of compromise. Without a prophetic voice, the church is nothing more than a gabfest with the intention to keep everyone happy. In other words, it loses its power and without that it is…powerless.
Why would anyone want to join a powerless organisation when the world is full of …powerless organisations.
To speak prophetically you have to ignore what everyone else thinks. Prophets are not people who want to be popular. That is except with God. A prophet can only do one thing and that is tell it like it is. It is sufficient that they hear from God and then say what they have heard. If others cannot handle that, it isn’t the prophet’s problem.
The church has got its programmes, administration and organisation down to a nauseatingly boring T. Now what we need is a demonstration of God’s power and his word. Without that all we are doing is playing in the sandpit.
So said John Paul Jackson in an article about the coming storm that is going to rock society here, there and everywhere.
He said we are more interested in knowing about God rather than knowing God.
He blames what has happened in the USA with the financial meltdown on the church, which is no longer a beacon for society. It is a disorganised, disunited, disinterested and a disturbingly ineffective expression of the nature and kingdom of God.
The churches focus is more about programmes, administration and organization, rather than power, revelation and the centrality of the King of Kings.
We follow the latest charismatic figure instead of the king of kings. We follow the latest fad instead of the need for prayer. We follow the traditions of our denomination instead of the pure word of God. We follow the status quo instead of the dictates of the Holy Spirit. We follow what disturbs us the least instead of the way of the cross. We follow religion instead of relationship. We follow ritual instead of reality. We follow the crowd instead of the one and only builder of the church.
Is it any wonder that our goal is not to know God but to know about him? If we get to know him, we may have to change the way we do things and the way we are. That might mean some radical reordering of our lives and the life of the church. This is fine if you haven’t got a ministry or position to defend, then it gets tricky so it is better to keep the status quo.
When we do that we lose the right to speak prophetically because prophecy never gets a hearing in the midst of compromise. Without a prophetic voice, the church is nothing more than a gabfest with the intention to keep everyone happy. In other words, it loses its power and without that it is…powerless.
Why would anyone want to join a powerless organisation when the world is full of …powerless organisations.
To speak prophetically you have to ignore what everyone else thinks. Prophets are not people who want to be popular. That is except with God. A prophet can only do one thing and that is tell it like it is. It is sufficient that they hear from God and then say what they have heard. If others cannot handle that, it isn’t the prophet’s problem.
The church has got its programmes, administration and organisation down to a nauseatingly boring T. Now what we need is a demonstration of God’s power and his word. Without that all we are doing is playing in the sandpit.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
PASTOR, WHAT PASTOR?
Don’t you think it a bit strange that nearly every church appoints “a pastor” to be its leader?
Jesus appointed five ministries to enable the church to carry out the work of ministry and to perfect the saints, that of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher. Do you think at some stage he changed his mind and said “Look, I have made a mistake? All you need is one ministry, that of Pastor. So please, forget the other four.”
A bit like a company appointing a general manager, a sales manager, a warehouse manager, a finance manager and a personnel manager and then down the track saying “look, we don’t need all these managers. I am going to get rid of all of them except the general manager and let him do all of their jobs.”
How long do you think the company is going to last with one frazzled, worn out, dispirited and stressed general/sales/finance/warehouse/personal manager.
Perhaps that is why we have 10,000 ex pastors in Australia today. We have asked them to conduct all five ministries and we expect them to stay sane and healthy.
To be a fully rounded and effective expression of the church we need all five ministries. However, it is difficult for this to happen whilst we are all divided up into spiritual tribal groups (Baptist, Brethren, Lutheran, Anglican, Pentecostal and so on) and never the twain shall meet.
In the New Testament Church the local congregation which consisted of everyone who lived in a town was led by a local body of elders, who were the senior men of the fellowship.
The five ministries worked alongside them to build up the body of Christ. The apostle wasn’t called or sent to establish a new Baptist Church in the town. He usually went to a town where there was no church to begin one and when that was achieved and they were established in the faith, they chose elders to take over the oversight of the fellowship and then went on to another town with no church.
Most churches today send out people to start a church where there are already 10 churches. How good is that? One thing I have noticed that in third world countries, most of the time those with an apostolic ministry go to villages where there is no church. No wonder they are producing new converts by the thousands.
In the New Testament Church, the apostles had the original oversight of the local congregation and then they handed over the leadership to a body of local male elders. The five Ephesian ministries worked alongside the elders to help them grow the church. They never led the church themselves once elders were in place.
Depending on the numbers involved, the church in a given town might have 50 people with a pastoral ministry. None were appointed or paid. They were anointed with the ministry and got on with it.
We need to start realising that until we are a united church in each town, functioning with a leadership that sees itself with a ministry to the town not just a handful of Christians, we won’t have a hope in hell of dislodging satan and his minions from their position of power and authority, which currently we are giving him.
Jesus appointed five ministries to enable the church to carry out the work of ministry and to perfect the saints, that of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher. Do you think at some stage he changed his mind and said “Look, I have made a mistake? All you need is one ministry, that of Pastor. So please, forget the other four.”
A bit like a company appointing a general manager, a sales manager, a warehouse manager, a finance manager and a personnel manager and then down the track saying “look, we don’t need all these managers. I am going to get rid of all of them except the general manager and let him do all of their jobs.”
How long do you think the company is going to last with one frazzled, worn out, dispirited and stressed general/sales/finance/warehouse/personal manager.
Perhaps that is why we have 10,000 ex pastors in Australia today. We have asked them to conduct all five ministries and we expect them to stay sane and healthy.
To be a fully rounded and effective expression of the church we need all five ministries. However, it is difficult for this to happen whilst we are all divided up into spiritual tribal groups (Baptist, Brethren, Lutheran, Anglican, Pentecostal and so on) and never the twain shall meet.
In the New Testament Church the local congregation which consisted of everyone who lived in a town was led by a local body of elders, who were the senior men of the fellowship.
The five ministries worked alongside them to build up the body of Christ. The apostle wasn’t called or sent to establish a new Baptist Church in the town. He usually went to a town where there was no church to begin one and when that was achieved and they were established in the faith, they chose elders to take over the oversight of the fellowship and then went on to another town with no church.
Most churches today send out people to start a church where there are already 10 churches. How good is that? One thing I have noticed that in third world countries, most of the time those with an apostolic ministry go to villages where there is no church. No wonder they are producing new converts by the thousands.
In the New Testament Church, the apostles had the original oversight of the local congregation and then they handed over the leadership to a body of local male elders. The five Ephesian ministries worked alongside the elders to help them grow the church. They never led the church themselves once elders were in place.
Depending on the numbers involved, the church in a given town might have 50 people with a pastoral ministry. None were appointed or paid. They were anointed with the ministry and got on with it.
We need to start realising that until we are a united church in each town, functioning with a leadership that sees itself with a ministry to the town not just a handful of Christians, we won’t have a hope in hell of dislodging satan and his minions from their position of power and authority, which currently we are giving him.
ANOINTED OR APPOINTED?
There is a difference in case you didn’t know. In my church back home in England, we only ever anointed people. No one was ever appointed. It went something like this.
Joe says, “I think God is calling me to go into an itinerant preaching and teaching ministry”
The leadership says “Good. You go ahead and do what you think God is telling you to do. If it is of God it will work, if it isn’t it won’t?”
So Joe chucks in his job and prays and asks God where he should go. After a while, he thinks he has the mind of the Lord and off he goes.
He spends the next two or three weeks on the road and when he arrives back he tells us all about the things that happened whilst he was on the road.
He spends a bit of time at home recharging his batteries and then goes off again. He gets back again and once more he tells us that God did this and God did that.
This happens a few more times and the leadership says one day at the meeting Joe has been engaged in a travelling ministry and it is obvious that God has anointed him for this so we recognise what he is doing as being approved by God.
Note not approved by us. Because he is approved by God being approved by man will not make any difference to what he does. Joe is anointed not appointed. His ministry makes way for him.
Now let’s look at Tom. He says that he would like to pastor a church. The leadership tells him to go to Bible College and if he graduates he will be qualified to pastor a church.
Tom goes off to Bible College and does his three years and gets his degree. He presents himself to the denominational leadership and they tell him that there is small country church needing a pastor so he can go there, so off he trots and becomes the CEO of the church.
Nothing ever happens except turning over the machinery. He serves three years there and then he lets the denominational leaders know he wants promotion to a bigger church, so he is drafted to an outer suburban church a bit bigger. He spends five years there and keeps turning over the status quo with a few converts thrown in.
He applies for his next move and end up in a classy inner suburban church with a reputation. He is really making it up the ladder of success. A few more years and a bit more maintaining the status quo and he qualifies to be the area superintendant.
Tom is a fictitious character I know but he is classic example of being appointed not anointed. He has made a success of maintaining the status quo and satisfied the demands of the denomination not to rock the boat. He has done and said all the right things so he is well thought of by his denomination.
I know of an actual situation where a church needed a new minister and a certain minister from one of their smaller churches was discussed. Apparently he was deemed not suitable because he didn’t toe the line as he was the sort of person who did what God said, not what the denomination said (the two are not necessarily synonomous).
The key to the gospel is when Jesus is lifted up he will draw men to him. You can only do this with an anointing. Without it all you do is draw men to yourself. Everyone, not just those who are so called “credentialed” need an anointing from God for whatever they do. With that anything can happen. Without it nothing will happen except frenetic activity.
Joe says, “I think God is calling me to go into an itinerant preaching and teaching ministry”
The leadership says “Good. You go ahead and do what you think God is telling you to do. If it is of God it will work, if it isn’t it won’t?”
So Joe chucks in his job and prays and asks God where he should go. After a while, he thinks he has the mind of the Lord and off he goes.
He spends the next two or three weeks on the road and when he arrives back he tells us all about the things that happened whilst he was on the road.
He spends a bit of time at home recharging his batteries and then goes off again. He gets back again and once more he tells us that God did this and God did that.
This happens a few more times and the leadership says one day at the meeting Joe has been engaged in a travelling ministry and it is obvious that God has anointed him for this so we recognise what he is doing as being approved by God.
Note not approved by us. Because he is approved by God being approved by man will not make any difference to what he does. Joe is anointed not appointed. His ministry makes way for him.
Now let’s look at Tom. He says that he would like to pastor a church. The leadership tells him to go to Bible College and if he graduates he will be qualified to pastor a church.
Tom goes off to Bible College and does his three years and gets his degree. He presents himself to the denominational leadership and they tell him that there is small country church needing a pastor so he can go there, so off he trots and becomes the CEO of the church.
Nothing ever happens except turning over the machinery. He serves three years there and then he lets the denominational leaders know he wants promotion to a bigger church, so he is drafted to an outer suburban church a bit bigger. He spends five years there and keeps turning over the status quo with a few converts thrown in.
He applies for his next move and end up in a classy inner suburban church with a reputation. He is really making it up the ladder of success. A few more years and a bit more maintaining the status quo and he qualifies to be the area superintendant.
Tom is a fictitious character I know but he is classic example of being appointed not anointed. He has made a success of maintaining the status quo and satisfied the demands of the denomination not to rock the boat. He has done and said all the right things so he is well thought of by his denomination.
I know of an actual situation where a church needed a new minister and a certain minister from one of their smaller churches was discussed. Apparently he was deemed not suitable because he didn’t toe the line as he was the sort of person who did what God said, not what the denomination said (the two are not necessarily synonomous).
The key to the gospel is when Jesus is lifted up he will draw men to him. You can only do this with an anointing. Without it all you do is draw men to yourself. Everyone, not just those who are so called “credentialed” need an anointing from God for whatever they do. With that anything can happen. Without it nothing will happen except frenetic activity.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
TITHING
A very disputed subject I am sure you will agree. Like me, you have probably been told that the scriptures teach that we are to tithe because it is taught in the Old Testament. Not the New Testament, just the Old.
I read somewhere that if we are New Testament Christians, why do we have to live under the Old Testament law. Worse still why do we cherry pick the Old and impose its rules on the New Testament way of life if they suit us.
A good question. Either we are New Testament born again Christians living under grace or we are not. Mixing and matching seems a bit strange.
In addition, those who insist on Old Testament tithing forget or choose to ignore that tithing in the Old Testament is 30% not 10%. There were three offerings of 10% each. The other thing is that they were not monetary offerings they were goods.
So if you want to press home Old Testament tithing, you had better get a sheep or two ready for the offering.
The only time that tithing is mentioned in the New Testament is when Jesus told the Pharisees off because they were tithing to the last little thing but ignoring the more important things of the law like mercy and justice.
In all the passages in the New Testament about money, tithing is not mentioned once. What we do find is that the believers held all their possessions in trust to be called on as and when the church wanted them.
Take a look at Acts 4:32. There is says that ALL the believers were of one heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.
In other words, tithing and 10% was unknown because they did not own anything. You can’t tithe what you don’t own. It is noticeable that everyone thought the same way.
This verse alone puts paid to tithing along with several others.
So why do we talk about giving a tenth? Primarily due to the fact that this is the way that the CEOs (pastor/priests who are running a religious organisation) can generate enough money to pay their wages and pay the bills.
The other is that due to the fact that most pastors/priest do not live by faith in the provision of God, they want to make sure that they get paid a weekly salary so insisting on a tenth is a good way to ensure that they have a certain amount coming in.
If they left it to the Lord to tell people what they should give and where, they might find themselves at the end of the week with insufficient money to draw their wages and then they would have to trust God for their income, which they prefer not to.
After all why trust God when you can talk the people into giving enough to keep you with an out of date ideology that was done away with in the New Testament.
I read somewhere that if we are New Testament Christians, why do we have to live under the Old Testament law. Worse still why do we cherry pick the Old and impose its rules on the New Testament way of life if they suit us.
A good question. Either we are New Testament born again Christians living under grace or we are not. Mixing and matching seems a bit strange.
In addition, those who insist on Old Testament tithing forget or choose to ignore that tithing in the Old Testament is 30% not 10%. There were three offerings of 10% each. The other thing is that they were not monetary offerings they were goods.
So if you want to press home Old Testament tithing, you had better get a sheep or two ready for the offering.
The only time that tithing is mentioned in the New Testament is when Jesus told the Pharisees off because they were tithing to the last little thing but ignoring the more important things of the law like mercy and justice.
In all the passages in the New Testament about money, tithing is not mentioned once. What we do find is that the believers held all their possessions in trust to be called on as and when the church wanted them.
Take a look at Acts 4:32. There is says that ALL the believers were of one heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.
In other words, tithing and 10% was unknown because they did not own anything. You can’t tithe what you don’t own. It is noticeable that everyone thought the same way.
This verse alone puts paid to tithing along with several others.
So why do we talk about giving a tenth? Primarily due to the fact that this is the way that the CEOs (pastor/priests who are running a religious organisation) can generate enough money to pay their wages and pay the bills.
The other is that due to the fact that most pastors/priest do not live by faith in the provision of God, they want to make sure that they get paid a weekly salary so insisting on a tenth is a good way to ensure that they have a certain amount coming in.
If they left it to the Lord to tell people what they should give and where, they might find themselves at the end of the week with insufficient money to draw their wages and then they would have to trust God for their income, which they prefer not to.
After all why trust God when you can talk the people into giving enough to keep you with an out of date ideology that was done away with in the New Testament.
Friday, October 10, 2008
WHO IS YOUR COVERING? pt 2
In the New Testament we have several verses that indicate our covering is in Jesus. The first one is 2Co 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have disappeared, and-look!-all things have become new!"
To be “in” Christ is to be in a fixed position of rest. Therefore we are either in Christ or we are not. If we are, then we do not need any other covering.
Next we have Col 3:3 "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." The word “hid” means concealed or a covering. A new creation believer cannot be seen because their concealment in Christ. They are totally covered with his blood and righteousness.
A similar theme was spoken about by Jesus himself in John 15:4 where he said “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” To abide is to stay, so he is telling us to stay in Him which means a fixed position of rest.
In the next verse he says “I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” This verse points out how important that we are resident in his covering as we can only produce fruit as we do. If fact we can do nothing unless we are abiding in Christ under his covering.
In Hebrews 4:16 which says “Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” This mercy and help is available because Jesus is our high priest, so it is important that he is our covering, not the pastor or minister.
Finally Eph 6:11 tells us to “Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”. This is a covering provided by God because “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world's rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places. “ My experience is that most ministers do not have much idea about spiritual warfare so their protection would be pretty much useless.
The New Testament then makes it quite clear that our covering has been provided through the life and blood of Jesus as we are abiding in him, se we need no other. How can man provide a greater covering that Jesus himself?
Of course the favourite verse of the covering exponents is Heb 13:17 "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you."
What does this verse actually say? First there is no mention of covering. The word ‘obey’ means to convince by argument; to pacify or conciliate; to assent to for evidence and authority; to rely on. There is no notion that “you have to do what I say”.
The word ‘submit’ which means surrender is in the context of leaders who watch over your soul, not lord it over you. Theirs is a servant ministry, not a leadership one. The word ‘watch’ means to keep awake or sleepless. Therefore if anyone wants you to give them allegiance they first have to spend sleepless days and nights watching over your souls.
Quite different from “I am the boss and you have to do what I say”.
If you are being pressured to submit to a human leader, gently point out no thanks, I am already covered by the life and blood of Jesus so I don’t think you could do any better than him.
To be “in” Christ is to be in a fixed position of rest. Therefore we are either in Christ or we are not. If we are, then we do not need any other covering.
Next we have Col 3:3 "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." The word “hid” means concealed or a covering. A new creation believer cannot be seen because their concealment in Christ. They are totally covered with his blood and righteousness.
A similar theme was spoken about by Jesus himself in John 15:4 where he said “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” To abide is to stay, so he is telling us to stay in Him which means a fixed position of rest.
In the next verse he says “I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” This verse points out how important that we are resident in his covering as we can only produce fruit as we do. If fact we can do nothing unless we are abiding in Christ under his covering.
In Hebrews 4:16 which says “Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” This mercy and help is available because Jesus is our high priest, so it is important that he is our covering, not the pastor or minister.
Finally Eph 6:11 tells us to “Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”. This is a covering provided by God because “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world's rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places. “ My experience is that most ministers do not have much idea about spiritual warfare so their protection would be pretty much useless.
The New Testament then makes it quite clear that our covering has been provided through the life and blood of Jesus as we are abiding in him, se we need no other. How can man provide a greater covering that Jesus himself?
Of course the favourite verse of the covering exponents is Heb 13:17 "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you."
What does this verse actually say? First there is no mention of covering. The word ‘obey’ means to convince by argument; to pacify or conciliate; to assent to for evidence and authority; to rely on. There is no notion that “you have to do what I say”.
The word ‘submit’ which means surrender is in the context of leaders who watch over your soul, not lord it over you. Theirs is a servant ministry, not a leadership one. The word ‘watch’ means to keep awake or sleepless. Therefore if anyone wants you to give them allegiance they first have to spend sleepless days and nights watching over your souls.
Quite different from “I am the boss and you have to do what I say”.
If you are being pressured to submit to a human leader, gently point out no thanks, I am already covered by the life and blood of Jesus so I don’t think you could do any better than him.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
WHO IS YOUR COVERING?
A lot has been made in the last 30 years about how each believer should have a “covering”. It was originally the product of the discipleship movement where people were supposed to mentor others and everyone was supposed to be in submission to someone.
The idea has its merits and if done with the agreement of both parties and for mutual benefit it can produce worthwhile outcomes. Having said that like most of the “fad’s” that take over Christendom, it doesn’t take long for someone to abuse the idea or system.
I know of situation where a 50 year old married full time missionary with two children who had been a Christian for about 40 years, was told to submit to a 25 year old single guy who had been a Christian for about 5 years.
We are so good at doing the ridiculous.
This developed into the idea that you have to have a covering which was usually the leadership of the church. Again what might have been profitable became unprofitable as too many of the leadership genre decided that it was a good way to control other people’s lives.
In many cases, the sheep were not allowed to do anything without the permission of the shepherd. This of course ignores the fact that when God gave control of the earth to mankind at creation, he did not give the right to control each other.
So what is the story of the idea of “covering?” there is no doubt that it is taught in scripture both Old and New Testament. Bearing in mind the New Testament Church was a product of Judaism so the Old Testament would have been the backdrop of their understanding of God, what does it say about the idea of “covering?”
Let’s look at a few verses about the subject.
Exodus 24:15. When Moses went up into the mountain, the cloud covered it…
Exodus 40:34. Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting…
Isaiah 4:5. Then the Lord will create over all mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night…
2 Chronicles 5:8. The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and covered the ark and its carrying poles.
Exodus 33:22. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.
Isaiah 51:16. I have put my words in thy mouth and covered thee in the shadow if my hand…
Psalm 91:4. He will cover you with feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.
Psalm 61:4. I Iong to dwell in your tent for ever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
Psalm 140:7. O sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, who shields my head in the day of battle.
Isaiah 61:10. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and covered me in a robe of righteousness.
With all this evidence, it is obvious that the New Testament Church would have a clear understanding that God himself was their covering. There is no mention of another person doing the covering or submitting to the leadership of an organisation.
In fact, when you think about it, if God has promised to be our covering, why do we need a man or organisation to do what God has said he would do? I have to admit, I would feel much safer with an infallible God covering me than a fallible man. More about this in my next post.
The idea has its merits and if done with the agreement of both parties and for mutual benefit it can produce worthwhile outcomes. Having said that like most of the “fad’s” that take over Christendom, it doesn’t take long for someone to abuse the idea or system.
I know of situation where a 50 year old married full time missionary with two children who had been a Christian for about 40 years, was told to submit to a 25 year old single guy who had been a Christian for about 5 years.
We are so good at doing the ridiculous.
This developed into the idea that you have to have a covering which was usually the leadership of the church. Again what might have been profitable became unprofitable as too many of the leadership genre decided that it was a good way to control other people’s lives.
In many cases, the sheep were not allowed to do anything without the permission of the shepherd. This of course ignores the fact that when God gave control of the earth to mankind at creation, he did not give the right to control each other.
So what is the story of the idea of “covering?” there is no doubt that it is taught in scripture both Old and New Testament. Bearing in mind the New Testament Church was a product of Judaism so the Old Testament would have been the backdrop of their understanding of God, what does it say about the idea of “covering?”
Let’s look at a few verses about the subject.
Exodus 24:15. When Moses went up into the mountain, the cloud covered it…
Exodus 40:34. Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting…
Isaiah 4:5. Then the Lord will create over all mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night…
2 Chronicles 5:8. The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and covered the ark and its carrying poles.
Exodus 33:22. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.
Isaiah 51:16. I have put my words in thy mouth and covered thee in the shadow if my hand…
Psalm 91:4. He will cover you with feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.
Psalm 61:4. I Iong to dwell in your tent for ever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
Psalm 140:7. O sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, who shields my head in the day of battle.
Isaiah 61:10. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and covered me in a robe of righteousness.
With all this evidence, it is obvious that the New Testament Church would have a clear understanding that God himself was their covering. There is no mention of another person doing the covering or submitting to the leadership of an organisation.
In fact, when you think about it, if God has promised to be our covering, why do we need a man or organisation to do what God has said he would do? I have to admit, I would feel much safer with an infallible God covering me than a fallible man. More about this in my next post.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
WHICH ONE IS YOUR JESUS?
Jesus never taught or believed in compromise. But many people are satisfied with a lukewarm, human Jesus who doesn't challenge them too much.
So that begs the question, which one is your Jesus?
Is your Jesus one that is not about to compromise or is he the one who gives you a warm fuzzy feeling and leaves you in your comfort zone?
And your answer is, if you are honest, the second one.
Does your Jesus require you to tell religious leaders that they are a generation of vipers, or is he someone who says, there, there, I understand that life is difficult so you mustn’t get too carried away?”
Is he a Jesus that says I will look after you but you have to accept it will come with a lot of suffering, or is he a Jesus who says throw your lot in with me and I will make you rich and comfortable.
Is he the Jesus who said if you want to follow me you will have to take up you cross and…suffer, or one that says if you believe in me you are on the road to nirvana and everything will be hunky dory?
Is he the Jesus who constantly challenges you and sends you off the end of the radar into danger and unpredictability or one that will provide you with a religious experience that doesn’t change in a 100 years to maintain stability.
Is he the Jesus that says if you want to be my disciple you have to do as I tell you or is he the one that says, look, I have got all these demands but if you don’t feel comfortable about any of them give them a miss.
Is he the Jesus who said that he would build his church or is he the one who said it is all up to you so you have to get serious about building an organization if you want credibility?
Is he the Jesus who said that he would send the Holy Spirit who would lead you into all truth, or is he the Jesus who said that you can make whatever you like of the truth and whatever you come up with is OK by me?
Is he the Jesus who said that he had died so that you can have life or is he the Jesus who said that he died that you might live but if you want to get there in your own strength is just as effective.
As I look at the church today, I see mainly the second Jesus, someone who compromises at every turn, primarily because the religious leaders have taken it over and prevented the first Jesus from being part of its life.
For too many churches, despite the rhetoric, it is about the leaders, not about Jesus. Jesus said that if he was lifted up he would draw all men to him. The fact that all men are not drawn to him suggests that he is not being lifted up. If that is the case, then someone else must be.
If it is the religious leaders who are doing the lifting up you can be sure that what is in effect being lifted up is religion, and that has been condemned by both Jesus and the scriptures.
So that begs the question, which one is your Jesus?
Is your Jesus one that is not about to compromise or is he the one who gives you a warm fuzzy feeling and leaves you in your comfort zone?
And your answer is, if you are honest, the second one.
Does your Jesus require you to tell religious leaders that they are a generation of vipers, or is he someone who says, there, there, I understand that life is difficult so you mustn’t get too carried away?”
Is he a Jesus that says I will look after you but you have to accept it will come with a lot of suffering, or is he a Jesus who says throw your lot in with me and I will make you rich and comfortable.
Is he the Jesus who said if you want to follow me you will have to take up you cross and…suffer, or one that says if you believe in me you are on the road to nirvana and everything will be hunky dory?
Is he the Jesus who constantly challenges you and sends you off the end of the radar into danger and unpredictability or one that will provide you with a religious experience that doesn’t change in a 100 years to maintain stability.
Is he the Jesus that says if you want to be my disciple you have to do as I tell you or is he the one that says, look, I have got all these demands but if you don’t feel comfortable about any of them give them a miss.
Is he the Jesus who said that he would build his church or is he the one who said it is all up to you so you have to get serious about building an organization if you want credibility?
Is he the Jesus who said that he would send the Holy Spirit who would lead you into all truth, or is he the Jesus who said that you can make whatever you like of the truth and whatever you come up with is OK by me?
Is he the Jesus who said that he had died so that you can have life or is he the Jesus who said that he died that you might live but if you want to get there in your own strength is just as effective.
As I look at the church today, I see mainly the second Jesus, someone who compromises at every turn, primarily because the religious leaders have taken it over and prevented the first Jesus from being part of its life.
For too many churches, despite the rhetoric, it is about the leaders, not about Jesus. Jesus said that if he was lifted up he would draw all men to him. The fact that all men are not drawn to him suggests that he is not being lifted up. If that is the case, then someone else must be.
If it is the religious leaders who are doing the lifting up you can be sure that what is in effect being lifted up is religion, and that has been condemned by both Jesus and the scriptures.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
ONE MINISTRY OR MANY
One of the real problems that is created when a church appoints a “paid pastor” is that it usually stops other ministries from emerging.
In most cases, the guy that is called to be “the pastor” is called to do “the ministry”. That means others in the congregation that are anointed for ministry do not get a look in because they haven’t been called to be “the pastor” as though there is something superior or otherwise gifted about this ministry.
In Ephesians 4, which is the only passage in scripture that uses the term “pastor” we read that its role is to prepare God’s people for works of service (the word diakonos) but not as in “deacon”, so that the body of Christ may be built up.
Nowhere does it say that the pastor’s role is to lead the church. That is the role of unpaid local Elders.
Anyone with a pastoral ministry should, along with the apostle, prophet, evangelist and teacher, be involved in preparing or training others to serve the body of Christ so that the body is built up.
Everyone with a ministry of this nature should be training others, but how often does that happen. In most cases the preaching/teaching ministry is the exclusive right of “the pastor”. Rarely do we see others who are not appointed as “the pastor” doing any preaching or teaching. I read of one church in the USA where “the pastor” had not let anyone into his pulpit for 33 years. Even when on holiday he came back on the weekend to preach. Apparently he thought it unsafe to trust his flock to someone else. That doesn’t say much for his leadership or preaching if he thinks they are going to somehow fall away from the faith the moment his back is turned.
This is wrong. How can you build up the body of Christ as it says should happen in Ephesians, if all the ministries are not working? Where does it say that one man is to do all the preaching/teaching?
If you have one of these ministries in the body of Christ, unless you are reproducing yourself in others you are not fulfilling what you are called to do. All you are doing is using the body of Christ as a platform for your ministry, which again has no basis in scripture..
It is noticeable that Paul with an apostolic anointing took others along with him so that they could be exposed to the apostolic ministry. At various times he sent them out on their own with others to do what he was doing.
Like the body analogy of the church, a body cannot function unless every part is working. It is known as the priesthood of all believers. If your church is not functioning that way then it is a sick body that cannot function to its full potential. If one man has to do “the ministry” it is like a natural body where the heart is taking all the pressure and at sometime it will have what is known as a spiritual heart attack.
This is very evident by the fact that there are 10,000 ex ministers in Australia who have left the ministry because of mainly work overload. We ignore the obvious at our peril.
In most cases, the guy that is called to be “the pastor” is called to do “the ministry”. That means others in the congregation that are anointed for ministry do not get a look in because they haven’t been called to be “the pastor” as though there is something superior or otherwise gifted about this ministry.
In Ephesians 4, which is the only passage in scripture that uses the term “pastor” we read that its role is to prepare God’s people for works of service (the word diakonos) but not as in “deacon”, so that the body of Christ may be built up.
Nowhere does it say that the pastor’s role is to lead the church. That is the role of unpaid local Elders.
Anyone with a pastoral ministry should, along with the apostle, prophet, evangelist and teacher, be involved in preparing or training others to serve the body of Christ so that the body is built up.
Everyone with a ministry of this nature should be training others, but how often does that happen. In most cases the preaching/teaching ministry is the exclusive right of “the pastor”. Rarely do we see others who are not appointed as “the pastor” doing any preaching or teaching. I read of one church in the USA where “the pastor” had not let anyone into his pulpit for 33 years. Even when on holiday he came back on the weekend to preach. Apparently he thought it unsafe to trust his flock to someone else. That doesn’t say much for his leadership or preaching if he thinks they are going to somehow fall away from the faith the moment his back is turned.
This is wrong. How can you build up the body of Christ as it says should happen in Ephesians, if all the ministries are not working? Where does it say that one man is to do all the preaching/teaching?
If you have one of these ministries in the body of Christ, unless you are reproducing yourself in others you are not fulfilling what you are called to do. All you are doing is using the body of Christ as a platform for your ministry, which again has no basis in scripture..
It is noticeable that Paul with an apostolic anointing took others along with him so that they could be exposed to the apostolic ministry. At various times he sent them out on their own with others to do what he was doing.
Like the body analogy of the church, a body cannot function unless every part is working. It is known as the priesthood of all believers. If your church is not functioning that way then it is a sick body that cannot function to its full potential. If one man has to do “the ministry” it is like a natural body where the heart is taking all the pressure and at sometime it will have what is known as a spiritual heart attack.
This is very evident by the fact that there are 10,000 ex ministers in Australia who have left the ministry because of mainly work overload. We ignore the obvious at our peril.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
DARE I SAY IT?
The church has contributed to its own demise because it has tried to be relevant. With the rise of mega churches that are nothing more than religious corporations; churches that have entrenched the Pastor CEO concept; churches that are not a church unless they have a “church” building; churches that are programme rather than relationship orientated; churches that have spawned a philosophy that God is in business to make you rich; churches that have God running around to do their bidding.
All these are mirrors of secular life be it corporate or social. Secular humanism has spawned a religion of self where man is the centre of the universe and everything and everyone is there to serve his needs.
Let us fast back (not forward) to the New Testament era which could not be clearer about where it stood when it came to relationships.
“Those that want to be great must become servants.”
“Take care of the less fortunate (good Samaritan).”
“The way down is the way up.”
“Take up your cross.”
“Die daily.”
“Don’t lord it over others.”
“Serve one another.”
“Younger men submit to older men.”
“Give away all you have and follow me.”
No where will you find a promise that if you enter full time service (an unknown concept in the New Testament) you will be paid a salary, given an all expenses paid car, a house and three meals a day.
No where will you find a promise that if you enter full time service, you will be given a car parking place next to the front door of the church building.
No where will you find a promise that if you enter full time service, you will be given a seat at the top table and be waited on.
No where will you find a promise that if you enter full time service, you will have the right to do the preaching 52 weeks a year (another unknown concept in the New Testament).
What you are asked to do is take up your cross daily and follow Jesus. That, may I say, makes a lot of people cross as it interferes with their plans to be rich and famous and comfortable and successful and popular and well educated and respectable.
All these are mirrors of secular life be it corporate or social. Secular humanism has spawned a religion of self where man is the centre of the universe and everything and everyone is there to serve his needs.
Let us fast back (not forward) to the New Testament era which could not be clearer about where it stood when it came to relationships.
“Those that want to be great must become servants.”
“Take care of the less fortunate (good Samaritan).”
“The way down is the way up.”
“Take up your cross.”
“Die daily.”
“Don’t lord it over others.”
“Serve one another.”
“Younger men submit to older men.”
“Give away all you have and follow me.”
No where will you find a promise that if you enter full time service (an unknown concept in the New Testament) you will be paid a salary, given an all expenses paid car, a house and three meals a day.
No where will you find a promise that if you enter full time service, you will be given a car parking place next to the front door of the church building.
No where will you find a promise that if you enter full time service, you will be given a seat at the top table and be waited on.
No where will you find a promise that if you enter full time service, you will have the right to do the preaching 52 weeks a year (another unknown concept in the New Testament).
What you are asked to do is take up your cross daily and follow Jesus. That, may I say, makes a lot of people cross as it interferes with their plans to be rich and famous and comfortable and successful and popular and well educated and respectable.
Monday, September 1, 2008
I DON'T GO TO CHURCH ANYMORE
I stopped going to church because it created a problem when I did. I kept bumping into myself. How on earth do you keep bumping into yourself? I have heard people bumping into each other but not bumping into yourself.
Normally you would be quite right. Normally you can’t bump into yourself. But when you “go to church” you are guaranteed to bump into yourself as I did.
So lets unravel the mystery that is not a mystery.
The reason that I kept bumping into myself when I “went to church” is simple. You can’t ‘go to church’ because you are the church. How can you go to something that you are?
Jesus came to replace ritual with relationship. He came to put his spirit in people not a building. He came to make our bodies temples of the Holy Spirit. He came to make everyone a priest. Everything that he does he does through us, not through a building or a programme.
His connection with earth is us, his body, which he is the head of. He doesn’t need any buildings, priestly class or rituals to make happen what he wants to happen. The only thing that is necessary for Christ to fulfil his purpose of putting the devil under his feet is you and me, a crucified self that is committed to his plans and purpose.
And that my dear friend, constitutes the church. Take me away and we do not have a church. Get rid of you and we do not have a church for the simple reason the head cannot function without a body.
You have heard the term if you live in Australia “a headless chook”. Jesus is a "chookless head" without a body. He is a “chookless head” without you and me. that is why you can’t go to church, because wherever you are, you are the church. The church, or the “ekklesia” is a group of ‘called out ones’.
All you can do is meet with the body of Christ as a member of it. In the New Testament Church they met in homes. Today we usually meet in specialised buildings that are somehow ‘sacred’ and they get called ‘a church’.
You can meet with your mates at the ‘footy’ but that is not the church. You can meet with your neighbours at the garden club, but that is not church. What makes it church is the fact that those gathered are born again and gathered in the name of Jesus. It is his name that gives it the authority it needs to function as ‘church’.
That is why you would keep bumping into yourself if you ‘went to church’. Because you are the church wherever you are gathered with others of like mind.
Instead of the sign outside the building saying “Much Binding In The Marsh Baptist Church” what it should say “This is where the Much Binding in the Marsh Baptist Church meets”.
Words are powerful and just changing the sign outside can change the whole mindset of the members of the church. They become a body instead of a religious organisation that meets in the MBITMBC. That is short for “Much Binding In The Marsh Baptist Church’. I am sure you will agree it is easier to say MBITMBC. Probably easier to say “that lot over there”.
Normally you would be quite right. Normally you can’t bump into yourself. But when you “go to church” you are guaranteed to bump into yourself as I did.
So lets unravel the mystery that is not a mystery.
The reason that I kept bumping into myself when I “went to church” is simple. You can’t ‘go to church’ because you are the church. How can you go to something that you are?
Jesus came to replace ritual with relationship. He came to put his spirit in people not a building. He came to make our bodies temples of the Holy Spirit. He came to make everyone a priest. Everything that he does he does through us, not through a building or a programme.
His connection with earth is us, his body, which he is the head of. He doesn’t need any buildings, priestly class or rituals to make happen what he wants to happen. The only thing that is necessary for Christ to fulfil his purpose of putting the devil under his feet is you and me, a crucified self that is committed to his plans and purpose.
And that my dear friend, constitutes the church. Take me away and we do not have a church. Get rid of you and we do not have a church for the simple reason the head cannot function without a body.
You have heard the term if you live in Australia “a headless chook”. Jesus is a "chookless head" without a body. He is a “chookless head” without you and me. that is why you can’t go to church, because wherever you are, you are the church. The church, or the “ekklesia” is a group of ‘called out ones’.
All you can do is meet with the body of Christ as a member of it. In the New Testament Church they met in homes. Today we usually meet in specialised buildings that are somehow ‘sacred’ and they get called ‘a church’.
You can meet with your mates at the ‘footy’ but that is not the church. You can meet with your neighbours at the garden club, but that is not church. What makes it church is the fact that those gathered are born again and gathered in the name of Jesus. It is his name that gives it the authority it needs to function as ‘church’.
That is why you would keep bumping into yourself if you ‘went to church’. Because you are the church wherever you are gathered with others of like mind.
Instead of the sign outside the building saying “Much Binding In The Marsh Baptist Church” what it should say “This is where the Much Binding in the Marsh Baptist Church meets”.
Words are powerful and just changing the sign outside can change the whole mindset of the members of the church. They become a body instead of a religious organisation that meets in the MBITMBC. That is short for “Much Binding In The Marsh Baptist Church’. I am sure you will agree it is easier to say MBITMBC. Probably easier to say “that lot over there”.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
ARE YOU ONE?
Are you one? If you are don’t worry as there are many more like you.
Despite what people tell you, God doesn’t reside in buildings that have a name outside indicating that it is “the church”.
So, are you one? One what you might ask?
Are you one of those who have just about had enough of organised religion that meets in a religious building and is under the control of religious or apostate leadership?
Are you one of those who despite your enthusiasm for your faith in God, have a feeling that you are being sold short when it comes to being a Christian as opposed to just talking about it?
Are you one of those who reads the bible and have come to the conclusion that what passes for the church today is nothing like the church of the New Testament?
Are you one of those who are fed up with being the cheer squad for a select few who are paid to be good so that they can perform their show each week to justify their salaries?
Are you one of those who spend most of your times sitting on the premises when you know we should be standing on the promises?
Are you one of those who are getting the idea that the church is the “same yesterday, today and forever” and nothing is ever going to change if the leadership has its way?
Are you one of those who have been branded a rebel because you believe that Jesus is your covering, not some man who has been appointed by a denomination to some religious duties and has no anointing from God?
If you are any or all of the above, do not feel you are the one and only. There is a groundswell of opinion and action that is challenging the status quo and demanding that we read the scriptures, hear from God and do what he said, as in if you are my disciple you will do what I command you.
All over the world the alternative church is happening in all sorts of places and all sorts of ways. It is ditching religion for reality, ritual for relationship and programmes for power.
They are saying that they want a relationship with God and Jesus through the Holy Spirit, not through a religion or a religious leader.
They are saying that they would rather be a soldier in Christ’s army instead of being a prisoner of war in Satan’s POW camp (the religious church).
They are saying heaven or bust and are downright dangerous. They are fools for Christ’s sake. They love not their lives to death even.
They are saying “we want what God wants, not what tradition demands”.
If that is you welcome to the band of brothers that is going to change the world. You don’t believe that is possible? Watch this space, mate. Watch this space.
Despite what people tell you, God doesn’t reside in buildings that have a name outside indicating that it is “the church”.
So, are you one? One what you might ask?
Are you one of those who have just about had enough of organised religion that meets in a religious building and is under the control of religious or apostate leadership?
Are you one of those who despite your enthusiasm for your faith in God, have a feeling that you are being sold short when it comes to being a Christian as opposed to just talking about it?
Are you one of those who reads the bible and have come to the conclusion that what passes for the church today is nothing like the church of the New Testament?
Are you one of those who are fed up with being the cheer squad for a select few who are paid to be good so that they can perform their show each week to justify their salaries?
Are you one of those who spend most of your times sitting on the premises when you know we should be standing on the promises?
Are you one of those who are getting the idea that the church is the “same yesterday, today and forever” and nothing is ever going to change if the leadership has its way?
Are you one of those who have been branded a rebel because you believe that Jesus is your covering, not some man who has been appointed by a denomination to some religious duties and has no anointing from God?
If you are any or all of the above, do not feel you are the one and only. There is a groundswell of opinion and action that is challenging the status quo and demanding that we read the scriptures, hear from God and do what he said, as in if you are my disciple you will do what I command you.
All over the world the alternative church is happening in all sorts of places and all sorts of ways. It is ditching religion for reality, ritual for relationship and programmes for power.
They are saying that they want a relationship with God and Jesus through the Holy Spirit, not through a religion or a religious leader.
They are saying that they would rather be a soldier in Christ’s army instead of being a prisoner of war in Satan’s POW camp (the religious church).
They are saying heaven or bust and are downright dangerous. They are fools for Christ’s sake. They love not their lives to death even.
They are saying “we want what God wants, not what tradition demands”.
If that is you welcome to the band of brothers that is going to change the world. You don’t believe that is possible? Watch this space, mate. Watch this space.
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