Obedience Versus Sacrifice: Does The Church Understand Either!

 10   Ways The Church Might Change: Point 8

[In a previous blog I have outlined 10 possible changes the Church may face in the future. This is point 8 in the series: “To obey is better than sacrifice” the Bible says.  We need to learn and exercise “sacrifice” in our Christian lives and learn to exercise “obedience” to what the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, the Bible, is saying to us as believers.  America’s churches today live in abundance, losing the essence of the principle of sacrifice. America’s churches need to learn “obedience”, not only to the written Word of God, the Logos, the Bible, but to the living Word of God, the Rhema, through the Holy Spirit.”]

I love to watch the History Channel on my cable TV.  My parents are in their latter 80’s, and their generation is dying off.  I feel they are the last generation of Americans that really know what “sacrifice” is all about.  They lived through the Great Depression of the 1930’s, where sacrifice was the norm.  That prepared them to sacrifice even more to support the troops during World War II when fighting the demagogue dictators of the world to preserve ideals like democracy and freedom.  My dad sacrificed for me, doing anything he could to see I became the first college graduate in my family.  He wanted me to live better than his generation, which came to be at the expense of losing the principle of sacrifice to my generation and those under me.  America, today, is on top of the economic world, proudly, but with pride comes the fall. Americans are not willing to sacrifice what they have for future generations; they want it now, the plastic credit card age of obtaining immediately at paying for it later.  Our children will pay for our greed as America finds itself in debt and at the mercy of its creditors.  We have lost the principle of sacrifice to power, wealth, and greed, to which America needs to repent if it wishes to keep it status as a world power and influence.

I Samuel 15:22 asks: “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord?”  He answers his own question at the end of the verse: “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.”  If we as Americans have trouble understanding “sacrifice”, how much more difficult is it to understand “obedience”?  Obedience to what, you ask? Answer” “as in obeying the voice of the Lord”! 

If the 21^st Century Church, the Body of Christ, the Priesthood of Believers expects to see REVIVAL, it has to relearn how to listen to “the voice of the Lord” for themselves.  Every believer in Jesus Christ can be like little Samuel, who, as a young man, had to recognize that he could hear the voice of the Lord personally for himself.  Levi, the High Priest, could not hear that voice even though he was in leadership at that time.  He had to rely on Samuel.  I remember when I personally learned that lesson, and like little Samuel, I was shocked at that possibility.  Over the years I have tried to nurture, to fine tune, to hone in on that skill.  I would rather sit, worship, and “listen” than stand, praise, and petition during my prayer times now, individually and corporately as a priest and as a priesthood.  Listening to the voice of the Lord is a special gift only believers in Jesus Christ can have because that still small voice comes through the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ that resides in its temple, our physical bodies. The scripture says, “Do you not know that your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit?”  Because of this, we, believers in Jesus Christ, can hear “the voice of the Lord” individually and corporately.

I was thrilled when discovering and practicing this gift, but it came at a price!  That price is OBEDIENCE!  We can hear the voice of the Lord, but if we are not “obedient” to that voice, we become as the Children of Israel who saw salvation at the hands of 500 years of slavery to the Egyptians vanish because of one man’s, Mose’s obedience to what he heard the voice of the Lord tell him. After their salvation experience they became known as the Children of Disobedience while in the Sinai Dessert trying to walk out their salvation experience, never to reach the Promise Land. Individually, and corporately they failed!  They were not willing to be “obedient” to what they “heard” from God.

How does the Church, the Bride of Christ, the Priesthood of Believers fair today on the “obedience” meter?  It is hard to say.  First, they have to be “listening to the voice of the Lord” before they can be tested for “obedience”.  As a child, when my parent spoke, that voice demanded blinded obedience.  If not, punishment was administered to bring “correction” with the ultimate result being “obedience to that voice” in the future. As I got older, when a parental voice spoke, I jumped and reacted in “obedience”. The same is with our spiritual lives.  Having the privilege of hearing the parental voice of our heavenly Father through the voice of Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ demands obedience.  Disobedience brings “conviction” because of God’s “grace” rather than harsh disciple for the purpose of “correction” is the rule of thumb for a loving God. I know personally, for I have experienced being disobedient to something the voice of the Lord told me to do, and the heaviness of conviction of my disobedience is something I never want to experience again.  Even though judged and condemned by my conscience disobedience, the grace of God has reconciled me, forgiven me, and restored me to the place of still being able to hear the voice of God, but now wanting to be obedient to that voice.

If I personally want revival in my life, and corporately want to see revival in the Church, then I have to be willing to learn how to “hear the voice of the Lord”, and more importantly be obedient to what I have heard. God is not impressed with sacrifices, for he sacrificed His Son, Jesus, on the cross so we no longer have to do sacrifices; all he wants is our obedience! If we want revival, we need to nurture our spiritual ear to hear and our willingness to be obedient no matter the cost!

Laying Down The Principle Of Selfless Blame

10 Ways The Church Might Change: Point 7

[In a previous blog I have outlined 10 possible changes the Church may face in the future. This is point 7 in the series: “Laying Down One’s Life”, vertically in our relationship to God and horizontally in our relationship with each other, is central to the gospel. On the Cross, Jesus “laid down his life” for us!  On the Cross, we must “lay down our life” for God and for each other.  Without understanding this principle, we cannot function in plurality, nor as a priesthood, nor as an unified body.”]

I explained in a previous blog, point #2, about the importance of the vertical plane between God and man and the horizontal plan between man and his fellow man that dissect each other making up the context of the Cross.  Also in my last blog I addressed the issue of the body of Christ, the Priesthood of Believers, the Church, as a pluralistic body of diversity, yet a single entity as one. The question that needs to be asked is, “How can such a diverse body be united and remain united?  The answer lies in putting the two blogs together.

In order for the Church to be united it has to embrace the doctrine of Priesthood of Believers, that in spite of its extreme diversity, common, everyday believers are the backbone of the Church, and it is they who have to step forward and perform the duties that are necessary for the Priesthood of Jesus Christ to succeed as one united distinct unit.  The Church’s diversity in the past is the very thing that has torn it asunder when what makes them different is the very thing they stood up for bringing division. Then what can keep the Church united; what will be the glue?  As I have suggested earlier, the answer likes in I John 3:16 where we, as believers in Jesus Christ, are to “lay down our lives for the brethren”.

My first reaction is that “attitude” can never be attained, for there is no historical proof.  Historically, the opposite, division, has always resulted, so why would I believe in the impossible.  I know scripturally it says, “all things are possible in Christ Jesus who strengthens me,” but this dimension goes beyond the vertical relationships between God and man through Christ Jesus, it goes between man and man.  As man, Adam, a creation of God, are we willing to consciously make the decision ourselves to be “selfless”? Can we willing lay down our life for the common good of the unit, the Body of Christ?

Jesus, as a man, as flesh and blood, as the Son of God, came to earth to be obedient for the cause of laying down his own life, willingly, for the brethren.  He proved that such a deed can be done only through “Christ Jesus who strengthens me”, but just as Jesus experienced on the Cross, it could be extremely painful.    Being Christ-like means one has to be utterly “selfless”; it is not about me, but about the kingdom of God.

So what does it mean to be selfless, to lay down your life?

Jesus, when on the Cross, never played the “blame game”? The Church has debated over the centuries, “who is to blame for Jesus’ crucifixion?”  Some blame the Romans and Pilot washing his hands clean of a case for political gains of an innocent man being accused by a ruthless mob.  Some have blamed the Jews, the Sanhedrin, or Jewish governing body, for Jesus’ crucifixion.  The great reformer, Martin Luther held this anti-semantic view during his life which became the seeds for the Spanish Inquisition and the Holocaust later in history. Some blame it on the sins of you and me, a favorite theme of modern day Evangelical evangelists.  Jesus did not blame the Romans, nor his fellow Jew, nor you or me, for while on the Cross his attitude came out in His own words, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  His crucifixion was preordained by God, the Father, himself; even prophesied by prophets of old. It was going to happen because it was part of God’s eternal plan. There IS NO BLAME!  Even blameless, selflessness is being willing to take the blame even though it is unjustified; that is what Jesus did! As the Sacrificial Lamb, he took the blame even though he was innocent, willingly, selflessly, for the good of mankind!

“Laying down your life for your brethren” must begin with laying down and crucifying one’s “blame game”.  It doesn’t matter who is right or wrong. What matter’s is God’s will, God’s eternal plan, and if that plan is to lay down the blame, carrying the unjustified burden and accusations even thought you may be right, even at the expense of one’s reputation and life, then do so! That is being “Christ-like”! It was never God’s plan for the Priesthood of Believers to be blaming and condemning one another for their faults, sins, and short comings; It was God’s plan to extend GRACE to cover his/her faults, sins, and short comings.  The Church preaches grace; now it is being called to LIVE GRACE TOWARD ONE ANOTHER!  Impossible, you may first shout, but again “all things are possible in Christ Jesus who strengthens you!”

Church, brethren, the Body and Bride of Christ, the Priesthood of Believers, let’s begin to “lay down our lives to/for one another”, “selflessly”, “without blame” while extending “grace”; for then we will see the miracle of the fulfillment of the unity of the Body of Christ for which Jesus prayed in John 16.  No prayer goes unanswered, and neither will this one, particularly if Jesus himself prayed it and fulfilled the answer to that prayer!  At the cross, being willing to “lay down one’s life”, blamelessly, selflessly is where REVIVAL begins. Church, let’s let the REVIVAL begin there with ME!

Is An Interactive Driven Church Service Even A Possibility In Today’s Church Environment?

Have We Become Puppets On A String?

Currently:  Sunday morning Christian church services “enable” those attending: You are given a bulletin of “programs” and “up coming events” when entering; see audio visuals projected of “programs” and “upcoming events” on huge screens in the foyer and/or in the sanctuary; are “cued” when the service begins with music by a professional sounding worship team; told by the worship leader when to stand and when to sit; told what to sing through projected words; because of the “audio mix”, you can choose to sing or not because no one will know if you are singing due to the volume of the professionals singing and playing; are told to sit when the worship leader deems worship has ended; exhorted to financially give to support the staff, the programs, and the system as a continual act of worship; have someone give announcements of “programs” and “upcoming events” because the staff does not believe you read your bulletin nor read the projected announcements; are expected to quietly soak in a professionally developed and delivered sermon which requires no feedback pn your part, so you may actually tune out the speaker if you wish or cat nap as some have been known for doing; asked to respond to selected trained members of a prayer or counseling team in front of the church, join in singing a closing song, or chose to leave the premises.

This is what is required of you to be part of a Christian church service in America today. You do not have to bring your Bible for there is either one under your chair or pew or scriptural references projected as outlined in the sermon to justify the senior pastor’s points.  Even if you brought your Bible, there will be no outlet for you to read it aloud or share from it like the pastor or staff will do for you. You do not have to pray, for the senior pastor or a staff member may do that for you during the service, or a prayer team will take care of that before or after the service.  You do not have to sing, but if you do, all is scripted for you, played loud enough so you might blend in with the background singers if you sing loud enough. You are required to come prepared for one thing: the offering, to give “unto the Lord” to support the professional staff and facilities that is producing for you such a glorious professional production.

What do you learn from this experience? You learned what songs the worship leaders like and the interpretation and theology of the Senior Pastor who delivers the sermon. That nothing is required from you if it does not have financial connections. That the voice of the commoner sitting in the audience or congregation is not important, for you will never hear that voice. You have no idea what their spiritual journey’s story is nor what they theologically believe.  There is no interaction among one another beyond social surface greetings, for you may not see one another again for week. 

We have become reduced to puppets on a string.

What would happen if those who came to the Sunday Morning Christian church service were accountable for daily Bible reading and quiet devotional times during the week, and actually tried to hear the small voice of the Holy Spirit to teach them when reading their Bible and for direction in their lives? If given an outlet to voice what they have read, heard, and understood in place of a professionally delivered sermon, church would begin to be personal and relational.  What if those who are musically or artistically gifted sang, drew, or created during the week? If given an outlet to sing, draw, and create on Sunday, anticipation for creativity by the Holy Spirit may become the norm for a church service.  What if “programs” and “up coming” events were not announced, but instead “relationships” shared by the people attending, sharing their spiritual salvation and sanctification journeys with each other.  You might just now know what spiritual life exists in the members of “body of Christ” who are attending. What would happen if those attending would begin praying for one another on a personal and corporate level, laying hands on one another, releasing one’s faith towards each other? What ministry would that create?  What would happen if community were developed instead of weekly “programs” and “up coming events”, so that the members of the body would intermingle with each other daily or throughout the week, and Sunday morning would only be a corporate sharing time of what was happening amongs them six other days of the week.

“Oh,” comes the cry, “but there must be order. There would be no order,” is the fear! Order through fear of losing control shows lack of FAITH in the leading of the Holy Spirit by those in leadership. Bottom Line: Who is in control here? God has given “gifts” to “see over” what the Holy Spirit is leading and doing when God’s people gather, instead of man’s control through “offices” “overseeing" what is happening to establish order instead of freeing the Holy Spirit and their congregation to worship.

Whose service is it? Really, the Senior Pastor’s, his staff, and the worship leaders, or is it the people of God’s who have assembled together?  “Where two or three are gathered, there I AM.” God, the I AM, is in the midst of His people, so let’s allow Him to manifest Himself there! That is His desire! That is His plan!  If we truly want to worship God, let’s give Him His desire: to be manifested among His people.

So I ask, “Is an interactive driven church service even a possibility in today’s church environment?”

Are All American Churches “Failing Churches”?

A Result Driven Church?

Rick Warren has had quite a lot of success with his “Purpose Driven Life” book which presents the Christian life as a life driven by purpose. What is the purpose for the Church? Thoughtful question!  It is usually answered by Christians very generally like: to glorify God, to establish His kingdom here on earth, to lift up the name of Jesus, to be the Bride preparing itself for its Groom, etc.  But how do you evaluate the “results” of such statements? Can they be measured? Every Christian church truly feels it is glorifying God, establishing His kingdom, lifting up the name of Jesus, being the bride, etc., but how do they measure their results in reaching these conclusions?  Are they too ambivalent?

We demand “results” from our American public education system, so we “test” everything to collect data to evaluate success.  Data now drives the definition of success in education. Data supposedly “proves” if students are making Yearly Average Progress, if the staff is proficient, if school districts are performing well.  The unrealistic goal is that every student will become proficient no matter of their academic capabilities, and there will be data to “prove” if they are or aren’t.

What would happen if we measure our churches by “results”?

How many people received physical healing at your church this week? (Numbers, data, please!) The Bible states that when people were brought to Jesus “all were healed”. Data results: Jesus = 100%; my church (?)

Sunday church service went long; how many people did the church feed before sending them home? (Numbers, data, please!) The Bible records two such events where at least 4,000 to 5,000 men (not including women and children, a slight data miscalculation).  Data results: Jesus fed 4,000 to 5,000 men; my church (?)

How about longevity attendance records?  Jesus called, nurtured, and developed twelve disciples during a three year internship period. He lost only one, Judas, in order to fulfill prophecy. That is only an 8% loss, a 92% proficiency rate. How many people have left or “church hoped” in your church this year? Data Results: Jesus = 92% proficiency rate; my church (?)

Churches judge success by numbers, usually attendance figures to its programs and financial figures meeting its projected budget. Supposedly a successful church is a church growing in numbers that generate higher financial figures so more programs can be offered and hiring of more professional staff.  A successful church carries a huge staff to support its system. Data Results: My church grew by 35 people this year and increased our budget by $65,000. So numbers, data, does count, huh?

But how do you rate, judge, or evaluate a church’s staff? On performance: how well they speak or preach, if they are people oriented, on organizational skills, etc.?  Public school teachers are evaluated on “student performance” and “student achievement”.  How would the church staff fair being evaluated by “parishioner/congregant performance” and “parishioner/congregant discipleship growth or achievement”? Since most church staffs “enable” their parishioners/congregants telling them when to stand, when to sit, when to pray, when to shake hands and greet, when to financially give, when to receive a church bulletin, when to listen to announcements, when to listen to the sermon, when to take notes, when to respond to the sermon, and when to leave the service, I think most church staff’s would receive “FAILING GRADES” on results.  How many parishioners/congregants are “pew sitters”; how many of them are “active”?

How do you judge results of a sermon? Are people really changed by them? Do those listening really apply what they have “heard” in the senior pastor’s excellent oration? Can they even remember what the sermon was about last week, or a month ago?  To be polite a parishioner says, “Nice sermon” as they shake the pastor’s hand while leaving the church, but how do you measure the effectiveness of a sermon since it is the keynote of almost every church service: on presentation or on results?

Look at your church. Who is doing all the work on a Sunday morning: the staff or the saints?  How many parishioners were actually part of the corporate Sunday service (excluding ushers & nursery providers)? Divide that number by your total attendance; now you know how many were actually participating in “worship”, giving back to the Lord what they have received.  I am sure it would less than 10% of your congregation, and most of them would be your staff!

In America we are quick to label public schools as “failing schools” because of data, measurable data, of supposedly recorded results of how those they were teaching performed.  If we did the same with the American church, we would have to admit that we would also have to label the American church as a “failing church”, for we have to admit that in most churches there isn’t much measurably getting done by those who are supposedly being “taught” how to live the Christian life unless they are a professional on staff!

Leadership: Position or Service? Dependent or Independent?

What We Do Rather Than Who We Are Is Important

I believe a leader is a person who has people following for the purpose of their equipping, growing, and nurturing with the ultimate goal of their release into independence, standing on their own, and begin equipping others to reproduce themselves. Leaderhip IS NOT creating a following of dependency on you.

I know a church that has seen the size of their eldership dwindle substantially over the years and not replace them. They are a church where on Sundays the staff and elders do everything the congregation hardly anything: Leads worship, gives the announcements, greetings, and offertory, and sermon.  If there is ministry to be done during the service in the front of the church, the elders are called to do it because the senior pastor wants to expose his elders to his people.  Being an usher is the only non-staff exposure of the morning, but the staff church administrator does the rest.

In a church that was strongly prophetic in the 1990’s who trained their people to hear God for themselves and developed prophetic presbyteries, today hardly a prophetic utterance is given during any service.  The sanctuary is full, yet I cannot reiterate anyone’s testimony of their salvation experience since I have never heard it.  I have no idea what God is doing among his people, for there is no time for them to share testimonies of what God is currently doing in their lives.  A large amount of time is given for announcements of upcoming church programs and activities, but not for the saints to share what Jesus is doing in their lives. 

The pastor of this church told the congregation that his goals for this coming year was to enlarge the elder base of his church and begin training leaders.  He threw out the comments to the men of the congregation, “Where are you?” implying that they should be coming forth as leaders. One fallacy of this mindset is that if you enabled a congregation to be passive, don’t expect them to become aggressive leaders. If they can’t serve unless they are staff, don’t expect them to serve as leaders.

Those attending Sunday church service have been “enabled” to not do or initiate anything on their own, only follow what has been preprogrammed by the staff: sing along following projected lyrics to loud music where only the lead singer and his backup band can be heard, stand when told, be seated when told, give financially when told, and greet one another when told, then sit quietly but look inventive during the sermon given by staff. It is like those in the congregation are puppets on a string.

I contend that just because they are following everything the people on the platform are telling them to do; the people on the platform are not necessarily true leaders just because they are being followed.  What is the purpose of leadership? According to Ephesians 4 it is to “equip the saints for the work of service.” The goal for leadership should be to equip those following them to replace them!  Reproduction should be the goal!  If you are producing dependent robots on your command, you will just get robots who know nothing else but follow your command. They will not be able to stand, mature, on their own.  One of the main goals of the five fold is to bring maturity, Christ-likeness, to believers: develop a believer into the fullness of Jesus Christ, not create religious robots.

If leadership is leading through service, not dictation, followers will imitate their modeling of service toward maturity, and eventually have to be “released” to stand on their own.  Leadership through service, not dictation, reproduces leadership.  I contend that the Christian church fails miserably in equipping the saints for the work of service opting to trust and rely on their paid professional staff producing complacency.  Those in the congregation will never develop toward maturity if they are not allowed to participate, initiate, and serve one another. 

What Happened To Diversity In Worship?

Body Ministry Is For Every Believer

Reflecting over the renewal, revival days of the Charismatic Movement of the 1970’s, I could not help wonder what has happened to tongues and interpretation in corporate worship settings or singing in the spirit today?  The church that I am attending was in the forefront during those days, and someone speaking in an unknown tongue with another person interpreting in English was a common practice.  It was an awesome occurrence since the one giving the tongue could not interpret it, relying on another member of the body to validate the word. It prevented the corporate worship session from being a one man show and called for a reverence and respect for the gifts, an accountability through discernment, and faith in the leading of the Holy Spirit among all God’s people.  People who came later to our church knowing our theological stance on the matter, began questioning why these experiences were no longer evident in our meetings. Good question! I cannot recall the last time tongues and interpretation has been evident in our worship experience. Why has it disappeared is a valid question.

I also recall the first time that I heard singing in the spirit.  It was the most corporate angelic sound that I have ever heard as everyone present was praising the Lord verbally any way they wished to express themselves, usually melodically.  With so much diversity, the sound was enriched, full, and harmonious: something very difficult to explain.  It was the ultimate body worship experience that I have ever been engulfed by, for everyone participated individually yet corporately in pure freedom of expression to their Savior and King, Jesus.  I truly believe it is a glimpse of worship of heaven here on earth.

Today, we, the church, have fallen back into the institutionalized, predictable, order-of-worship format when we gather. Usually worship is directed by a worship leader and senior pastor with little if any participation by the believers present except to “follow the lead” of the leadership on the platform.  There is no tongues or interpretation, nor prophetic utterances, nor singing in the spirit which all lead to an unpredictable service led by the Holy Spirit.  Everything is directed and executed as preplanned.

Why has the spontaneity of spiritual gifts in a corporate setting been silenced by the institutional church? Why has the church accepted the stance of toleration of the gifts but not the encouragement of using them? Why the passive stance of doing nothing? What use is a gift if it is not opened nor used?

Much of this free expression of worship had to be found outside of institutional settings during the Charismatic days of the 1970’s & 1980’s. I had to go to conferences, Jesus Rallies, Full Gospel Business Men’s meetings, etc. to worship in this setting of freedom. Does it have to be that way 40 years later?  Why hasn’t the institutional church embraced it?  Simple answer:  It is a question of control.  Who is in control of the service at your church: the leadership on the platform or the Holy Spirit moving amongst God’s people? Who do you, as a believer in Jesus Christ, follow during a corporate worship session: the leadership on the platform or the Holy Spirit moving in his temple, your body?  If the Holy Spirit moves you during a worship service, what outlet during the service do you have to express what He is doing in you or must you remain silent, submissive to the order of worship and under the scrutiny of the leadership that has to “approve” everything before it can be expressed?

If the principle of the Priesthood of Believers is to be activated in the Church, then the freedom of corporate worship by God’s people has to again be interjected into the Church’s worship experiences. Can the church take the risk of trusting the Holy Spirit to move among His people as He chooses, when He chooses, and any way He chooses, or will we keep our protective shield of institutionalized order of worship to prevent such occurrences?

Bottom Line: Who do we as a Church trust? Can we trust the Holy Spirit?  If we trust Him, then why not release Him and His lead. His purpose is to draw all men to Jesus individually and corporately!  We need body ministry to return to worship in our Churches activating the faith, giftings, point of views, passions, and voices of all believers in Jesus Christ!

WHERE DOES YOUR LOYALTY LIE - WHAT HAPPENS IN A COCOON?

Caterpillar to Butterfly: Loyalty Lies In Submission To The System– TO – Loyalty Lies In “Laying Down Your Life For Your Brethren”.

From Caterpillar to Cocoon to Butterfly – Part XV

In this series we have been asking the question, “What happens with metamorphosis during the cocoon stage?”  How, structurally, do you get a butterfly from what once was a caterpillar? In my Aug. 20, 2011’s blog, I listed several forms of transformation that I see occurring inside the cocoon of change for the church.   Today we will look at the principle: Loyalty lies in submission to the system (caterpillar) TO Loyalty lies in “laying down your life for your brethren” (butterfly).

Caterpillar: My parent’s generation was very loyal to their denomination.  You could find a Methodist church on one corner, a Lutheran church on another, and a Presbyterian church on yet another.  Never did the three meet together, and every church “member” remained loyal to their denomination.  Though not as strong as in the past, there is still a loyalty toward one’s local congregation.   Loyalty coincided with “membership”, with belonging.  To be a part of the system, denomination, religious group you had to accept their belief system of theology, adhere to their code of conduct, and attend the systems functions regularly in order to “belong”, to “feel accepted”, to “be a part of that group or family.” If you did that, you were a “loyal” follower or member.

Butterfly:  To the butterfly generation, loyalty means more than just attending service, participating in programs and activities, reciting the tenants of faith, or following dress codes or proper church social etiquette; it means building relationships with those in one’s fellowship circles and beyond.  Although surface relationships may be at first acceptable and beneficial, it demands a deeper commitment of relationship to the point of not only tolerating one another, accepting one another, to laying down one’s life for one another.  In a five fold model, one will “lay down his/her passion, point of view, or spiritual gift” to “serve” those with different passions, points of view, or gifting than theirs as well as receive gratefully from the others. This reciprocal giving and taking in love and service will build up tremendously deep relationships.

Differences: Loyalty through systems will produce works, and works produce Pharisees (see previous blog); loyalty through relationships forces one to die to themselves and live for others as well as receive from others.  There are no Lone Rangers or Pharisees in these relationships because they are linear, horizonal relationships with peers, brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.  You can be loyal to a system, but you will soon discover that the system may not be loyal to you; while if based on relationships, built on laying down one’s life for their brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, the reciprocated love returns to develop even deeper, longer, and more meaningful relationships.

Implications Today:  Corporate America demands loyalty to the system and those above you in this pyramidal structure of business when “taking care of business”, but when “downsizing” occurs, often the system is not loyal to its employees, releasing them, not “taking care of them”.  The bottom of the structure that is doing the work is to be loyal to the top, yet the very existence of those at the very bottom can be in jeopardy when faced with the bottom line: efficiency to produce profit for the system. There is no linear loyalty in a pyramidal system where you have to compete and back stab your peers to get to higher paying, elevated positions of power in the corporation.  This system breeds mistrust among peers.  The butterfly generation is building relationships linear, as peers, as equals, not in competition but in communication.  As this linear communication grows, so does the commitment level toward one another, as relationships grow stronger, deeper, more trustworthy, until one is ready to “lay down their life” in that commitment.  Marriage is a good example: today in corporate America we are losing what “laying down your life” for your wife or husband means, thus an enormously high divorce rated with children being groomed in single parent and step parent homes.  Hope for marriage as an institution can grow with this linear, horizontal relationship of total sacrifice of “laying down one’s life” producing solid, long lasting relationships in marriage.

Conclusion:  Bottom line: Where does your loyalty lie” in your work, in your church life, or in your marriage?  Does it lie in the institution where you work, the religious institution you attend, or in the institution of marriage, or does it lie in the relationship with those you work with, those you worship with, and the one whom you are committed in marriage with?  As a Church we have to realize how important relationships are compared to institutions and systems.  The church is all about relationships, yet we have institutionalized them.  Church is going through a structural metamorphosis from systematic institutions to relational and will see that loyalty will be shifting from institutional to relational.

CHURCH GOVERNMENT BY POLITICS OR RELATIONSHIPS - WHAT HAPPENS IN A COCOON?

 Caterpillar to Butterfly: Government Run By Boards, Committees, and Hierarchal Leadership– TO – Government Run On Relationships Of Give And Take In A Five Fold Format

From Caterpillar to Cocoon to Butterfly – Part X

In this series we have been asking the question, “What happens with metamorphosis during the cocoon stage?”  How, structurally, do you get a butterfly from what once was a caterpillar? In my Aug. 20, 2011’s blog, I listed several forms of transformation that I see occurring inside the cocoon of change for the church.   Today we will look at the principle: Government is run by boards, committees, and hierarchal leadership (caterpillar) TO  Government is run on relationships of give and take in a five fold format (butterfly).

Caterpillar: In the past church “government” has bred “church politics”, often power struggles.  Schisms and splits have occurred over the choice of the color of carpet, organ or no organ, youth involvement, salaries, housing, order of worship, etc., etc. Some local churches are governed through congregational meetings and voting, some by boards of deacons, elders, some by church councils, some by pastor/parish committees, and some dictated by strong pastors.  Often pastors have had to yield what they have felt as strong callings, convictions, directions, and discernment to governing boards who oppose what they are doing.  Many a discouraged pastor and/or parishioner have left the church when being caught in this political vice.

Butterfly:  Government will be built on relationships that will breed respect, honor, and accountability.  IJohn 3:16 of “Laying down your life for your brethren” will be the foundation of “serving” one another, giving and taking from each other because of linear relationships as peers, as being just Christians.  An example would be the five fold where the five very different passions and points of view would be united through the leading of the Holy Spirit as each of the five gives to the other four of their talent, ability, and passion, and willing receive from the others who are so different from them.  One’s strength will support the others weakness, and each will “release” the other to follow their passion. 

The Differences: Old and current governmental church structures nurtured and wheel power and support a pyramidal hierarchy structure, while the new governmental church structure would foster respect, honor, and accountability through linear relationships of service, through laying down ones life in sacrifice, not in position of authority.  

Implications Today: This process will be one of the most difficult things for the church to transition because it will be attached by the very “power” it opposes.  Unless led by the Holy Spirit and taken to the Cross of vertical and horizontal relationships the Church will not wither the storm.  The disciples were rebuked when arguing over who would be on Jesus’ left and right in the kingdom when they felt standing by his side would be a noble political cause, but they fled and would be replaced by two thieves to be on Jesus’ left and right when hanging on the cross on that infamous day. Those three on their crosses faced the same fate on a horizontal plain of suffering and death.  None of the disciples hung there nor were there. They would have to rethink their whole kingdom of God theology before changing the world.   

Conclusion: We, the church today, have to rethink our theology on church government, for church isn’t about politics, nor church government about power.  The Bible states that “the government shall be upon his shoulders,” referring to Jesus’ shoulders.  That government is built on service and sacrifice, for Jesus “came not to be serve, but to serve” and “to lay down his life for his brethren,” showing us how the kingdom of God is to be governed.   Church government the way we think of it today is about to undergo a transition that will take it from a power struggle to one of service and accountability.  Oh, if we could only see how this is to all work out inside the cocoon of change.

“YEAST” INFECTIONS ARE NO FUN, SO MY WIFE TELLS ME!

How To Rid The Church Of “Yeast Infections”!

In my previous blog I talked about how the church has no time for “yeast” during revivals, when God is on the move.  “Yeast”, properly “kneaded” takes time to rise before being baked by the heat which produces a loaf of bread with a “protective crust”.  The fleeting movement of Passover did not allow time for the “kneaded” process. The Israelites “needed” to get moving because it was time for freedom, time to display God’s power, time to move through the Red Sea on a quest to the Promise Land.  Even in the dessert there was no time to “knead” bread, thus no “need” for “yeast”, for God was still on the move leading His people by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  In the dessert he produced “yeast”-less bread called manna, collected daily or it would rot.  Manna has not use to “stay around”, for God was on the move.

Today, I am embarking on a topic my Christian sisters can blog about better than I can, for I, personally, thank heavens, have never experienced: “yeast infections.”  Being married, I have seen the pain, discomfort, and irritability caused by them through my wife, but just seeing the “fruit of discomfort” caused by them, I, in the imbecilic lack of knowledge on the subject, can only write about the second hand results.  I can safely draw the inclusion that “yeast infections” are not nice, not wanted, and should be banned!

Spiritually, the Bride of Christ, body of Christ, the Church, is experiencing “yeast infections,” and it ain’t pretty!  “Yeast infections” never are!  Jesus warned about the “yeast”, the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees of his and our day.  It still scares me that Jesus forgave sinners, the unclean, the down and out of his society, for forbidden ones, yet he severely criticizes the religious leaders of his day: “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees.” Although we Christians will never admit it, there are Pharisees and Sadducees in our midst.  We definitely will not admit it, but defend it, if we are actually ones ourselves! It is painful when one makes that discovery, I know from personal experience, for I am a “recovering Pharisee” in my own right.  “Yeast” naturally rises over time, and being a Christian for 50 years has given it plenty of time to rise in my Christian walk, but when there is revival, there is no time for it to rise.  If I want to see revival, I must clean the “yeast” out of my own life?  How about you? Where do you stand on the “Pharisee” meter if you have been a Christian for any length of time?

“Yeast” is the “teaching” of traditional, structural “truth” over time.  That definition, I am sure, could be highly debated by the Pharisees of our time, but this “yeast’s” fruit has been division in the body of Christ, not unity. I personally believe it is time to 1) recognize the five fold as being the “norm” in a God moving revival and 2) the Church needs to reinstate the apostolic and revive the “apostolic teaching” recorded in the book of Acts.

Why do we need the five fold? To prevent and cure “yeast infections” in the Bride of Christ, the Church.  The fruit of the five fold, as outlined in Ephesians 4:14-16 is “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament grows and builds itself in love, as each part does its work.”  Through “serving” one another, laying down one life for one another through submission and accountability and following the Holy Spirit, “sectarian teaching” through the teaching gifting in the five fold should be checked by the other four passions and points of view. As the teacher continues to study the Logos Word, the Bible, unity, balance, and truth will prevail through the Rhema revelations through the prophet, the birthing of those revelations through the evangelist, the daily working out of those revelations in practical life experiences through the pastor/shepherd, with correct oversight, the seeing over what the Holy Spirit is doing and teaching while releasing the other giftings to fulfill the big picture by the apostle, all prepares the ground work for the “apostolic teaching” as found in the book of Acts.

The restoration of the “apostolic” passion and point of view into the body of Christ, the priesthood of believers, will usher in the restoration of “apostolic teaching”, a teaching that will bring unity not division, simplicity not complexity, power and life not stagnation, and clarity instead of cloudiness. The tossing “back and forth by the waves”, and the blowing “here and there by every wind of teaching” will be diminished if not eliminated by the apostolic speaking “the truth in love” causing individual Christians and the Church as a whole “in all things” to “grow up into him who is the Head, that is Christ.”  Results: “Every supporting ligament” of the body of Christ “grows and builds itself in love, as each part does its work.”  Unity not sectarianism; One Body of Christ not multiple sects, denominations, groups, mega-churches, etc. all under different banners; and one Head speaking for there will be only one “mouth” to this Head, speaking the same message of truth throughout the “whole” body of Christ.

The gospel is simple, yet we, the Church, have made it complicated over the centuries. The gospel is unifying, yet we, the Church, have brought only division among ourselves. The gospel is truth, yet we, the Church, prorogate the lie that only our sect has the “true” insight into “all things”, not the rest of the body of Christ.  The way to fight the “yeast infection” in the Church today is to embrace the five different passions and points of view as found in Ephesians 4:11, allow the Holy Spirit to design them according to God’s plan for the purpose of unity in the body of Christ and the “growing up”, the maturity, of individual believers as well as the corporate Church into the fullness and image of Jesus Christ through the true restoration of the apostolic and the apostolic teaching to the Church.  The cure to “yeast” infection is Jesus Christ and responding to the constant “moving” of the Holy Spirit. 

New Winds; New Revival: Revivals Always Bring Misunderstandings!

To Understand One Another, The Generation Gap Linguistically Will Have To Be Bridged At The Cross

Revival usual occurs at the grass roots of the church out in the open, not behind their closed doors.  When it occurs, it produces tension between the “established” church and its mindsets with the “new movements” and what appears to be new mindsets.  The key for true, effective, powerful revival is to bring the two sides together.  In the 1700’s, Wesley misunderstood Whitehead’s attempts to go “out” to the coal mines to preach to the miners as they left work, criticizing him for not having them come “in” to the church to hear the gospel.  When the misunderstanding was cleared by Wesley not being able to deny the fruits of Whitehead’s endeavors, he embraced the new movement and took the lead in creating the outdoor Camp Meeting movement that revolutionized evangelism in America and help spearhead America’s Great Revival. If the misunderstandings are not cleared up, then the rival brings schism, division, and conflict in the body of Christ.

I recall the enthusiasm many of us in our twenties had when returning from an outdoor Jesus Rally in the mid-1970’s after hearing some inspirational teaching from a speaker who tried to encourage his youthful audience to grow in Jesus toward eventual church leadership.  He quoted the passage from Timothy that “it is good to aspire to become an elder.”  When our local pastor heard of it, he was shocked, offended, and threatened, thinking we were going to try to usurp his power and authority as pastor.  That was his pyramid, hierarchal mindset at the time. That was never our intention since we were only thinking horizontally, relationally, but that “misunderstanding” effected how we were allowed to “minister” at the local level.  

I can see the possibility of this same misunderstanding occurring during this next revival because of the generational gap at how each looks at leadership and accountability in the Church.  The “established” church thinks hierarchal like a business model while the “new thinking” group looks linear, horizontally relational.  Today’s many independent and megachurches have developed high control, low accountability models. The church leadership has tight control of those “under” them with not much of an umbrella, if any, accountability above them, especially if they follow a “strong pastor” format.  This is why my generation has seen so many “spiritual giants” fall from ministry.  This “turns off” many in the new movement who think linear, building relationships with other Christians, not caring about dogma, doctrine, and labels as much as “fellowshipping” with their peers, the living saints, under the banner of Jesus.  The rigid horizontal, pyramid church structure always collides with the vertical, relational, reform structure.  Only if both camps allows the other to intersect it (the horizontal and vertical), then you have THE CROSS.  Only at and through the CROSS of Jesus Christ can love, understanding, acceptance, and unity be found. 

As I have wrestled over the five fold ministry of Ephesians 4 over the last two decades, I always wondered how there could be unity from five completely different passions and points of view which historically always brought division. In my 20^th century church mentality I could not ever see or imagine how that could happen.  The vertical, pyramidal, 20^th century church structure would not permit it since they made each of the five fold ministries “offices”.  Senior Pastors now obtained the title of “apostle” or “prophet”.   How else would the church see it since the pyramid, hierarchal church structure was embedded in the church?  With this new wave of thinking horizontally, stressing relationship, I can see some daylight that there is a possibility for unity in the five fold if they are looked upon as points of view or passions for every believer in the priesthood of believers in Jesus Christ.  If relationships are built so strong in Jesus between members of the body of Christ that they are willing to embrace I John 3:16 of “laying down their life for the brethren”, then the groundwork would be laid. 

In the pyramidal, hierarchal structure that I have lived through, I can truthfully say that I do not know any brother or sister in the Lord who would actually lay down their physical or spiritual life for me, nor I for them.  I would “feel obligated” to do it for my “superiors”, my pastor and staff, but never for each other.  In the linear, vertical structured based on I John 3:16, it would become natural in building a deeper relationship with those in the body of Christ.  Through reciprocal “serving” of one another, trust would be built, and accountability would be established which the vertical, pyramid structure of leadership would not understand nor embrace, thus the conflict, misunderstanding, and division that revival normally produces.

It is my prayer and desire in these blogs to help bridge the gap between the old, 20^th century vertical structure with the new, 21^st century horizontal structure by having them “intersect” making a CROSS.  At that point of intersecting, at that point of allowing the supernatural vertical relationship with God the Father through His Son, Jesus, with the nurturing of the precious Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, can the miracle of unity be found.  Both different points of view, different mindsets, different understanding can realize and understand that they are saying the same thing in Jesus, only linguistically different, for the kingdom of God principles are the same for both groups or camps.  That is why I think this upcoming revival which we are only feeling the birthing pangs, the beginning contractions, here in America, will be the birth of the Church maturing individually and corporately in Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of Ephesians 4.

The Need For Apostolic Teaching!

Are You Tired Of Being Tossed To And Fro?

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is Christ. Eph. 4:14-15

In my youth I remember listening to a local religious station that had 15 minute blocks of teachers, constantly all day: preach, preach, preach.  Unless you were a Christian, I have no idea why you would listen to that station.  Almost everyone of them gave the “salvation message” and a call for “financial support from listeners like you.”  After several hours of various “salvation messages”, I remember Jimmy Swiggart’s program as something refreshing because it had to do with Christian growth and something different called the Baptism in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues.  Well not much teaching could be done in fifteen minutes when five minutes was introduction and another five pleading for financial support, so he had to speak in “series” that may last all month.  As son as he was done, the next radio preacher to come on preached against the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, claiming the gifts died with the apostles, and Swiggart and others were examples of the “beloved” who were to be deceived in the end times as recorded somewhere in the book of Revelations.  This was followed by a Bible Prophecy program teaching from the books of Daniel and Revelation claiming that Henry Kissinger was the anti-Christ because if you studied the numerical Jewish alphabet the numbers from the letters in his name added up to 666.  What a fiasco!  And this was Christian radio!  This is what Christianity in America looked like?

Today, the internet has exposed Christianity as a hodge-podge of theology that divides and polarizes the body of Christ.  I watched a YouTube video of an affluent pastor talking about the different streams of the emergent church movement, pointing out their fallacies.  Although boasting to be more mainline historically, he refuted being a denomination or label, but actually a correct branch of the emergent movement. Are you confused? Of course his interpretation and his sect’s interpretation were the only “correct” interpretation. 

Every branch of Christianity feels they have the “truth” and all of the millions of believers world wide who do not share their views on theology are down right wrong somehow!  We even have Christian Talk hosts who love to pull witch-hunts on famous church leaders for the sake of so called truth by revealing heresies, false doctrine, and false teaching.  There life has become a crusade fighting everyone and anyone in the Church who is not under their theological umbrella.  Of course their views are never in error.

Are you tired of being tossed around and blown here and there by all these so called bible teachers and self proclaimed prophets as defenders of truth?  Whose right?  Are any of them on base? What good is Christianity if there isn’t basic doctrine?  Can’t we go back to the time the book of Acts was recording the “acts of the apostles” who had a simple message.  There was simplicity to the Christian message.  There was power in the Christian message.  There was unity in the Christian message because of what was called “the apostles teaching”.  The apostles taught the same message that Christ in the flesh had taught them and that the Holy Spirit taught them after Jesus’ ascension. 

I have come to realize that the salvation message is the same for those in a denomination church, or evangelical church, or denomination church, or emergent church, etc.: We are sinners in desperate need of a Savior, and Jesus is that Savior. It is that simple!

Why I Need The Five Fold In My Life! A Self Confession

 I’m Tired of Getting Ripped Off By Failure When Being Alone

Personal History:  Over the last four decades I have been involved in “church” at almost every level. Some would credit me as being a “good Christian” because I went to Vocation Bible School and sung in the choir as a child, have attended and worked at church camps through my youth, as an adult taught Sunday School, aided in birthing an inner-city urban church, lead two different home churches, participated in leadership in a church plant, headed a youth ministry at my home church and regionally where I lived, lead the youth component of a major city-wide evangelistic Crusade, coordinated Lay Witness Missions in dozens of churches in the Mid-Atlantic region, took lay speaker courses and filled pulpits, earned a Master’s Degree in Biblical Studies, been in church leadership positions as an elder, taught Bible courses, participated in prophetic presbyteries, became faculty advisor for a public school Christian club, and even have my own blog site writing hundreds of blogs on the five fold which you are currently reading.

But, to tell you the truth, unfortunately, the inner-city urban church no longer exists, neither do any of the home church where I participated, nor does the church plant where I once was an elder.  I resigned from my home church office as Youth leader and struggled as a regional Youth Coordinator.  Lay Witness Missions are now scarce if not history.  My pastor said I should earn a Master’s Degree so “doors would open”; since earning that degree, no doors have opened.  I no longer get invitations to fill pulpits. Our local church no longer has prophetic presbytery teams, thus the almost disuse of that gifting. I write on a blog on a topic from a point of view that is unique to most of the Church, not its current acceptable standard.  Some people would credit me as a “good Christian”, but the data, the evidence, appears to show the contrary, a failure.

I have pondered my failures for hours, days, years, ruminating over them, analyzing them, trying to figure out what happened even though I was pure at heart, I thought spirit led, but the accuser, satan, always gets the upper hand by putting me down, condemning me as a “failing Christian.”  The reason I have failed is because in almost every one of those positions I found myself doing whatever I was doing alone.  Don’t get me wrong; Jesus was with me through them as well as other Christian brothers and sisters, but when involved with an evangelist in church planting, or church birthing, or in an evangelistic Crusade, I flowed evangelistically, but I did not have the support of a pastor/sherpherd, teacher, prophet, or apostle around me for protection, guidance, and accountability.  I had tastes of pastor/shepherding in small home groups, but again I did not have the other four giftings around me to share their points of view, insights, and accountabilty.  I have taught Bible School, Bible Classes, Sunday School, and even developed my own Christian course, but did not have the other four around me to make the “head”, “academic” knowledge into practical “living out” daily the kingdom of god knowledge to those I taught.  I have dabbled in the prophetic, but saw the independent spirit of the prophet if not submitting to the other four five-fold passions and points of view.  I even got a taste of the apostolic as a coordinator for Lay Witness Missions by “releasing” those on my team to share their evangelistic testimonies, care for those they stayed with for the weekend, share the truth of the gospel through mini-teaching, and working prophetically by listening to the small voice of the Holy Spirit all weekend, but did not have the opportunity to continue those giftings once our team left.

I have tasted each of the five fold passions, points of view, and giftings in my faith journey, but realize the importance of them in the context of a “body ministry”.  I need an evangelist around me to bring life and rebirth. I need a shepherd to care for me and the rest of the flock. I need a teacher to make the writing Word of God a living Word of God.  I need a prophet to challenge me towards intimacy with God.  I need an apostle to “see over” what the Holy Spirit is doing in my life, then “releasing” me to be free in my passion while setting up an accountability factor through relationships around me. 

I confess: I’ve blown it, often. I have failed even when my intentions were pure.  I have become self defeated because of the constant bombardment of the accuser, satan, constantly exposing my failures. In spite of all of this, I still have a yearning, a belief, a faith that all this can work, and will work if only the different points of view in Christianity would have one point of view, Jesus, if all the different passions in Christianity had one passion, a passion to “serve”, a passion to be intimate with the Father through Jesus and His precious Holy Spirit, a passion to “lay down one’s life for his brethren.”  The golden rule is to love god and your neighbor. Hey, Church! Let’s not only love God, but lets also love our Christian brothers and sisters, our family, by laying down our lives for one another!  That is the power of the five fold! You in the Church who have different passions and points of view than mine; I NEED YOU!

Five Fold In The Business World

Why Does The Financial World Embrace The Five Fold Before The Church Does?

 I have listened to my son as he has learned about the business world in America and sometimes marvel that they use principles that should be anchored in the Church, but the church does not embrace or practice.  Churches are known to be “cheap” in the business world, wanting hand outs, cut rates, volunteers in stead of paid staff even though they run their institution as a business.  There is a business side to the American church: budgets, staffing requirements, property management, pensions, office expenses, etc.  The budget dictates often what a church can and cannot do.  Yes, God does speak through finances!  Like the business world, it too has created a hierarchy: senior pastor, associate pastors, office staff, and at the bottom, of course, janitorial staff, all who are paid hierarchically by position.  Who ever heard of a janitor getting paid as much as the senior pastor even though both do their work equally as “unto the Lord”?

If the bottom line of American business is to make money, then what is the bottom line for most American churches?  The more money they make, the “more they can do for the kingdom,” we are told.  In Jesus time, the growth of the kingdom of God did not hinge on the Church’s wealth.  When the Church obtained wealth, it was plunged into the Dark Ages of corruption and heresy.  So really, what is the bottom line for the business branch of most churches?

It amazes me that a successful business has a C.E.O. to run it, a visionary in the company to constantly produce new products or new ways to market their product, a C.P.A. who knows and follows financial laws in minute detail and will not waiver, a Business Manager to maintain the infrastructure of the corporation, and salesmen who enthusiastically proclaims and endorses the product to be sold.  It appears to be a five fold model.  Often, the American church has modeled their institutional structure after this capitalistic model: a Senior Pastor to oversee it, a business manager plotting where the church can go next financially, a biblically based teacher (unfortunately often the Senior Pastor through sermons or teaching classes, as if he already doesn’t have enough to do), a pastor (again the Senior Pastor unless he has Associate Pastors on his staff), and an evangelist (again often the Senior Pastor on Sunday mornings).  In the business world power is determined by who “controls” what.  The bottom line is control.  Unfortunately the institutional church has fallen into the same category.

So what makes the five fold as I propagate it among all believers in Jesus Christ as their passionate point of view different from the business world or the institutional church?  The answer: Through their bottom line.  The capitalist’s bottom line is to make a financial profit.  Often for the institutional church’s bottom line is growing in numbers and in their budget.  But to the five fold it is “equipping the saints for the work of service.”  What is each of these groups “investing” in and to gain what?  Business invests in people to acquire wealth; institutional churches invest in people to grow in number and finances; the five fold invests in people to “mature” them into the image of Jesus Christ and to bring “unity” in the body of Christ.

Allowing the evangelistic, pastoral, teaching, prophetic, and apostolic spirits to flow and move effectively has nothing to do with money; it has to do with “releasing” the saints, the everyday believers in Jesus, and trusting in the Holy Spirit to orchestrate that leading.  Unlike the C.E.O. who controls every facet of the business, the apostle only “sees over” what the Holy Spirit is doing because the Holy Spirit is in control.  Unlike the Business Manager “controlling” finances, the pastor/shepherd doesn’t control those he is over, but serves them, nurtures them, cares for them, is willing to die for them.  Unlike the C.P.A. who is controlled by financial laws, the five fold teacher is freed from being under the Law through grace in order to live life fulfilling the Law.  The envisionary businessman looking ahead in the business world to “reveal” future profits falls short to the five fold prophet whose passion it is to “reveal” Jesus Christ to the lost and to the Church.  The salesman whose goal is to sell the product, falls short of the five fold evangelist who not only proclaims and endorses what he knows, but also births the new things through the Holy Spirit. 

Accountability!  The business world is accountable to its bottom line, how much money it makes.  The institutional church is accountable it its church boards, elder boards, ministerial management boards, congregations, etc.  The five fold is accountable to each other through service, giving to each other, receiving from each other, and laying down their lives for each other.

The business world has embraced the five fold in ways that will profit their bottom line in order to be a successful business model making money to the envy of the rest of the business world with the goal of making the top ten Fortune 500 List.  Why has the Church been so reluctant to also embrace a five fold model that will profit the lost, those who need nurturing and developing, those who need grounded, those who need proper relationships, and those who need over sight?  The bottom line: the lost will be found, the hurting nurtured and cared for, those blown ever which way grounded, those with little or no self image or self worth valued in their relationship to Jesus and His Church, and those who are incomplete, become complete in the maturity, the fullness of Jesus Christ!  Why would the Church not embrace the five fold if these were Church’s results, the Church’s bottom line?

Are we investing in the kingdom of God, or are we investing in an institution?

How Does The Church Guard Itself Against False Evangelists, Teachers, Pastors, Prophets, and Apostles?

The Power Of Accountability of the Five Fold

In my last bog I asked, “How can the Church prepare, equip, prepare its saints for the ‘next’ group of false prophets, false teachers, self-proclaimed evangelists and apostles all under the title of ‘pastor’ or elite Church leader?

I have been a Christian for 50 years now, and I have witnessed the rise and fall of several well known, once famous Christian leaders who have risen in power, influence, and affluence, only to tragically fall in shame and disgrace hurting thousands of Christian believers.  Most of these men were very sincere in their Christian faith and beliefs, often starting as humble men, servants, doctrinally sound, but as they grew in stature gaining positions of influence and proclaiming titles and offices, rising up the corporate ladder of the Christian Church, subtle changes began to occur.  Once they gained the “titles” and “offices”, they began to immune themselves from other Christians, particularly those of “lower position”.  They felt “empowered” to “lead” those of less or lower caliber in the family of faith.  Soon they became hard to “get to”, particularly for the common believer.  They had build a cocoon of protection through isolation, self Bible study, individual meditation, and private worship, building even a greater distance between themselves and the “people” of God, their supposedly family.  Soon those “people” would only be needed to “finance” the teachings, the ministry, and their affluence of their leader.   Red flags begin to appear, but who is to stop this leadership, reprimand, correct, or guide this independent leader to bring accountability to his ministry, cause, or platform?

The emphasis of the “Body of Christ” is its “many members”, different parts, different gifting, different talents, different points of view all working “together” for the “unity” of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.  Its emphasis is not on one man, nor on just leadership.  Ephesians 4 calls us to “equip the saints”, not the staff, not just the leadership.  We are to “equip” the “body of Christ” for the “work of service”, not control, not position, not influence or affluence. We need to “equip” or prepare the “saints”, individual members, for “group”, “body”, ministry, not isolated individual ministry for the purpose of “maturing” the saints into the “likeness of Jesus Christ” while bringing “unity” to the “body of Christ”. 

We need to teach the saints the importance of their “new birth” in Jesus Christ, what it means, how it impacted their lives, how to share and tell their story, and how to build “relationships” with non-believers in Jesus Christ, so we can share the “good news”, the gospel.  Then we need to “release” their evangelistic passion under proper accountability of service not control.

We need to teach the saints the importance of “nurture” and “care” in Jesus, how to have a shepherding heart, how to release hospitality to the sick, the afflicted, the poor, the hungry, the wondering, the unemployed, those released from prison or still in prison.  When major disasters hit, like hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc., American’s respond generously.  We need to respond daily to the needs of those around us, not just during disasters.  Finally we need to “release” the saints to “serve”, not as a project, nor a program, nor an evangelistic effort, but as a common everyday life.

We need to teach the saints the importance of daily devotions and Bible reading, teaching the saints discipline themselves to the “manna” of our day, teaching them to allow the Holy Spirit to be their teacher while speaking to them the truth about the passages they read.  We need to teach the saints on how to “dig” for answers in the Bible, how to do effective Bible study.  Then we need to “release” them to share the Word with others.

We need to teach the saints the importance of making that Logos, written Word, the Bible, into the Rhema Word, the living Word, living out the principles taught in the Bible in their daily lives.  We need to take the saints from a theological, academic dissertation of the Bible into a practical, daily, experiential, living out of the Bible through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  We are to not only “talk” the “talk”, but “walk” the “walk.”  Actually we need to “walk” the “talk”, experience the life, the journey, in Jesus.  Then we need to “release” the saints to actually live out their faith journey in Jesus through the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ.

We need to teach the saints the importance of “Body Ministry” and the “seeing over”, or oversight of the Body.  What we do is for the common good of the body, the Church, not ourselves.  Jesus “died” for the Church, we need to “lay down our lives for our brethren.” (I John 3:16)  The five fold is not only for the “maturing” of the saints into the likeness of Jesus, but also to bring “unity” to the Body of Christ.  The gospel is about “dying to self” in order to “lay down our life” through service to our brethren, our family members of faith through Jesus.  It is not about “me”, #1 as we say in America, but about “us”, the Church, the body of Christ.  After we equip the saints towards this endeavor, we then need to “release” them to bring that unity.

Finally, if each of the five fold passions and points of view would subject themselves to serve the other four and be served by them in their daily lives and faith journeys, there would be established a powerful bond of accountability to serve and be served, preventing the isolation, inwardness, self-seeking, proclaimed self-enlightenment, independent spirit that has brought down so many Christian leaders in the past.

If there was ever a time the Church needs the five fold, it is now!

Why Didn’t The World Come To An End?

How Did Harold Camping Go Wrong?

May 21^st  came and has gone, and all the saints are still on earth!  The rapture did not take place.  The Bible warns that the dates and times of his return are not revealed, yet there are those who have attempted to “predict” the return of the Lord.  It amazes me how many people believed his message, sold all they had, only to be left now with nothing materially, hope lost, and faith damaged.  In spite of that, Harold Camping has told his followers on Family Radio that there was a “spiritual” beginning of the end and now moved the actual date of destruction to October.  What credibility does he have as a soothsayer of future predictions? Why would anyone listen to him or follow him?  Is it just because he heads a Christian radio station?

I have always been skeptical of self-proclaimed “prophets” who outline “end times” theories.  I remember in the ‘70’s when someone predicted Henry Kissinger to be the “antichrist” claiming that if you place the letters in his name with their numerical values, the end result added up to 666.  Well, it has been decades since Henry has had major political influence, and again Christianity has looked foolish in its predictions.  We have Christians who have made a mint writing dozen upon dozens of books claiming the mysteries of the book of Daniel and Revelation, outlining the course of the end times, both fictional and supposedly nonfictional.  Who are you to believe?

Why the interest, the fascination?  I have been taught that when I die, I will immediately be with Jesus.  If that is the case, then why do I need the rapture when I know I have the assurance of being in his presence after death. “Death, where is thy sting?”  I am looking forward to passing from life to death because of the assurances I have been taught about being in His Presence.  I have also grown up in churches that preach that a believer can be in “His Presence” now, just through worship.  Really, I guess, the focus should be on Jesus, not just on his return.  The book of Revelations in some Bibles is entitled the “Revelation of Jesus Christ.”  Could the book possibly be a symbolic metaphoric revelation of the person and presence of Jesus Christ, revealing who he is, his nature, not focusing on his return and end times theories.  I know the last two chapters of Revelation are metaphoric reflections of all sixty-six books into one passage, reflecting who Jesus is in the entirety of the Bible, which is remarkable.

I admired Dr. Carl Zeigler, a religious professor, when I went to Elizabethtown College for being a real Biblical scholar.  He was a brilliant man, yet he would not touch the book of Revelation because of its controversies.  He would rather reveal Jesus Christ through the Gospels than speculate about the coming apocalypse.

Mr. Camping broke away from the body of Christ, using the airwaves to propagate his theories to the general body of Christian believers, and would not subject himself to other Christian teachers for accountability.  These are all the ingredients that can lead to heresy or a cult.

Cults are not new.  I remember the Children of God (http://www.thefamily.org/en/),  the Forever Family (http://avehurley.wordpress.com/2007/03/10/forever-family-became-cobuthen-turned-to-a-cult/),  the Moonies (http://freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/m/moonies/),  etc. to my generation during my youth. I recall the Jim Jones and the People’s Temple massacres in Guiana (http://www.religioustolerance.org/dc_jones.htm).   I have seen Christian leaders elevate themselves to begin to think they have an inside tract on God only to fall.  The tactic that worked on Lucifer that brought his fall still is influential today.  I was wondering what cults are out there today, and Camping’s teachings have been exposed, bringing tragically down many sincere Christian followers, damaging their loyalty and faith, ruining them financially.

Could this have been avoided if the Church practiced the five fold?  Mr. Camping’s evangelistic and teaching zeal would have been tempered by the nurturing heart of a pastor/shepherd who would have warned him of how his actions this would damage the sheep.  Even today he does not show regret to those who have been stung financially by his actions. The prophet who would have exposed his teachings for what they were, not life giving words but destructive words.  A true prophet would have discerned the dark side of his teachings, exposing them while warning the saints.  An apostle, or over seer, would have seen over what was happening and would have warned Camping of the results of his impending actions, but I am sure Camping would not have listened for he became his own self-proclaimed evangelist, teacher, shepherd, prophet, and apostle, and that is dangerous.  No man is to take on all those passions as a self-proclaimed leader.  Each of the five fold is a “body” ministry to the “body of Christ”, for the “body of Christ”, to empower the “body of Christ”, the saints, not just single, powerful leaders.

I do not see Mr. Camping willing to “lay down his life” for his brethren, for during his current press conference he showed no regret, no remorse for those stung by his false teachings and predictions.  He did not expose a pastoral heart of a shepherd.  I saw no remorse, not a willing spirit to admit error, only a “new” justification.  I did not see a willingness to “step down” from Family Radio, but a controlling spirit to continue to use it to spread his newly justified propaganda.  I am sorry, but I did not see “Jesus” through Mr. Camping at his press conference. 

There will be more Camping’s in the future. How can the Church prepare, equip, prepare its saints for the “next” group of false prophets, false teachers, self-proclaimed evangelists and apostles all under the title of “pastor” or elite Church leader?  That will be the topic of my next blog.

Can Worshipers Worship, Or Must They Always Be Led?

A Contrast In Styles

Recently I attended a funeral at an old established church.  When entering the foyer to the right was what use to be a gymnasium, now packed with hundreds of chairs, with a drum set and microphones on the front stage.  This was for the “contemporary” service.  The funeral was in the “sanctuary” with its pews, altar, split pulpits, huge hanging cross suspended from the ceiling, side wedding chapel and full pipe organ.  This was the home of the “traditional” service.

It made me think of the diversity in the body of Christ.  Even within a local church context there was division over personal preference, basically over styles of music and order or worship.   The older crowd, who strongly supports the edifice financially, prefers the “Old Rugged Cross”, “How Great Thou Art”, and “It Is Well With My Soul” over contemporary chorus, who would rather read a liturgy from the back of a hymnal than a projected overhead slide. Meanwhile the younger “contemporary” crowd enjoys the flexibility of folding chairs over pews, and repetitive choruses over lengthy five verse hymns in King James English, and the high tech video clips.

What they had in common is volume: “traditional” pipe organ preludes echoing off the walls with resounding vibrations, or “contemporary” choruses with more electric bass and pounding drums through a high quality sound system. The only thing that was the same in both services is the sermon; amazingly, the same sermon to different audiences!  Styles of music and worship have changed with its audience, but not the presentation of the Word by the senior pastor or staff member, and in both services the clergy let the congregation know that the delivery of the Word transcended over they styles of worship present.

In spite of differences in musical taste and presentation, neither service still allowed its worshipers, those in the congregation, to be the initiators of corporate worship. Worship leaders and choir directors with liturgists still lead the worship. The congregation was always asked to “follow” never to “lead” worship.  Worship never originated from those in the pews or folding chairs.  Both allowed you to give financially through your tithe and offering, and sing along with the pipe organ or worship band, and to greet one another informally with a hand shake and a “God bless you,” but never gave the worshiper an opportunity to give a testimony of their living faith, to read scripture that inspired them through their private devotions that came alive in their daily walk, nor a time to pray with one another or minister to one another.

We have produced another “great divide” on our churches, even at the local level, in this case because of age preferences, traditions, and styles of worship and music.  We have allowed two different congregations to be established under the same physical roof: an aged one dwindling due to a dying population but still rich with tradition meaningful to their spiritual walk, and a younger one establishing their traditions they eventually will want to hold on to as they age.  It amazes me that we preach about the “unity of the Body of Christ”, yet the church is one of the most segregated institutions in our society because of race, age, and culture. We seem not to welcome diversity in our worship experiences, but segregate it instead.

What would happen if we allowed the worship to flow out of those attending?  If “new songs” actually originated from within them but shared with all?  If scripture from the Bible, the Logos Word, would be shared and actually activated by them into the Rhema, or Living Word, in the midst of all who are worshiping?    If those worshiping actually “anticipated” the Holy Spirit to arise in and among them individually and corporately rather than follow the safety of a planned out experience?  If those attending would actually feel accountable for anything and everything happening in a service or all would just sit in silence until the Holy Spirit moved?  Where life would flow out of those attending the service toward one another?

Instead we opt for our own selfish preferences, what pleases me, what I like, what I seek, what would best benefit me, and those in my family!  That is the independent spirit that crushes “body ministry”.  Christianity is about giving out, sending out, the flowing outwardly of our inner faith.  It is not about “us” but about Jesus to a dieing, hurting, suffering, hungry, lonely, sick world.  When we encourage our Christian believers to “reach” deep within themselves to find Jesus, we then have to give an opportunity for our Christian believers to be “sent out” and “flow out” of that faith that is deep within them and reveal Jesus to the world and to each other.  What better place to practice that than in the safety of our own Church fellowship and gathering. That place should be a place of worship, a place of releasing, a place of giving, a place of flowing.

We need to rethink how we do “church” at “church” when the “church” gathers if we are really God’s “church”!

Accountability Through Diversity: Little Boxes, Little Boxes Made of Ticky-Tack?

The 21^st Century Retooling of the Church – Part LVIII

I remember the song in the ‘60’s called Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds. The lyrics read, “little boxes, little boxes, little boxes filled with ticky-tacky; little boxes on the hillside, little boxes all the same.  There’s a green one, and a pink one, and a blue one and a yellow one, and they are all made out of ticky-tack, and they all just look the same. 

And the people in the houses all went to the university where they were put in boxes, and they all come out the same. And the doctors and the lawyers and business executives, and they put them all in boxes and they all came out the same. 

And they all play on the golf course, and they drink their martini’s dry, and they all have pretty children, and all the children go to school, and all the children go to summer camp, and then to the university where they put them all in boxes and they all come out the same.

And the boys go into business and marry andraise a family in boxes made of ticky-tack, and they all look just the same. There’s a green one, and a pink one, and a blue one and a yellow one, and they are all made out of ticky-tack, and they all just look the same. ”

Churches are no different, for Baptist produce “Baptist boxes”, Lutherans produce “Lutheran boxes”, Pentecostals produce “Pentecostal boxes”, Non-denominationalist and independents produce “Independent boxes”, etc.  No matter what label the church group, they produce “their own kind”, their “little boxes”.  All these different boxes boast of being under the same label called “The Church” because they all try to produce the same image, but they look different because they look only as their own kind.

Can an individual local church produce different boxes?  It is tough, but it can only be done if there is diversity in the church itself.  My blogs have been about that diversity, known as the five fold: the recognition of evangelists, shepherds, teachers, prophets, and apostles in every church.  There are believers in almost every church who have the burden to win the lost, who want to nurture and care through hospitality, who want to teach the Word, the Bible, who want closer living, intimate spiritual walks with Jesus, and who have a burden for the Church as a whole.  They are already there! What a diversity of points of view or passions, but how do you get these diverse dialects to speak the same language, the language of the Church, the language of the active, living Word of God?  I propose only through relationships and accountability to one another.

It is amazing that opposites attract in marriage; what was the weakness of one they find to be the strength in their spouse.  Diversity is often the very strength of a marriage though it does bring it own conflicts when it seems the two are not speaking the same language.  Communications is a key to a successful marriage.  Even though each spouse can be coming from a different point of view, a different passion, what seems like a different language, only through constant dialogue, communicating with one another can a strong lasting marriage be molded, formed, or bonded.  The same is true with the Church.  Diversity is its strength, and only through continual communication between God and His people through the Holy Spirit and between God’s people to each other can meaningful, successful relationships be established in the Family of God.

An evangelist can give new birth to others, a shepherd can give nurture and care, a teacher can give the foundation of the Word of God, the prophet can give spiritual life, and the apostle proper over sight seeing over the other’s gifting while drawing their diversity into unity.  This unity through diversity can only be done when each and every one of them is willing to give to the other, but also receive from the other, from their strengths.  This giving and taking by “laying down one’s life” for each other brings accountability like has never been seen in the Church for centuries.

The Church’s calling has not been to produce “little boxes” labeled with their groups identity, but reproducing, developing, and equipping its people to grow into the image and maturity of Jesus Christ, bringing unity to this diverse body.  People should see Jesus when looking at a believer, not a Baptist, a Lutheran, a Pentecostal, an Independent, etc.  The Church needs not to major on the minors, producing little boxes, but major in the birthing, nurturing, and developing of people into the image of Jesus Christ, a major undertaking!  Only through this development will come true accountability!

Who Is Accountable?

The 21^st Century Retooling of the Church – Part LVII

When a company retools, to whom are they accountable?  It could be to the shareholder, the investor, or to management, or to the working force.  In order to make a profit, all three must work together and be accountable to one another, or a product will not be produced nor a profit made.

If we are to retool the Church, to whom will the Church be accountable? To whom are those in the Church to be accountable to?  At the end of the last century, may “independent” churches, trying to avoid becoming a denomination or being part of a denomination, were birthed, held together by loosely held associations with other independent churches or totally independent from anyone.  The Missional Movement came in to existence in order for these loose federations to communicate with each other without being accountable to one another. I attend a church that is independent and currently is not under anyone’s umbrella of protection, guidance, or advice beyond the local church.  What does that say to the Body of Christ, the Church, as a whole?  To whom are we to be accountable to if anyone?

Inside the local church structure, to whom are we to be accountable?  I am told the Pastor, Elders, or leadership team.  I have been taught that I need to give a tithe to the local church to support this leadership team and/or staff as part of my accountability to them.  What then is their role of accountability towards me?  Are they accountable to me in some way? How?  I attended a church of near 3,000 this past Sunday, and realized that there is no way the pastor even knows, or even has met with each member of his flock over the past year.  The people feel accountable to him as their pastor, but what is expected of him towards them: a sermon each week, but not a personal relationship?

The church is built on relationships, and true accountability is a give and take situation.  It is reciprocal. I John 3:16 says that we need to lay down our lives for our brethren, but we cannot do that without a relationship.   Any mega-church knows that it has to have a small group ministry if it is ever going to “disciple” its flock.  I recently heard Kent Henry pointed out that during the last decade we, the church, have opted for high-tech, rear projected screens, with internet, social networking capabilities, high quality sound systems and lighting, producing an entertaining product attracting large numbers of people, but we have failed in “discipleship”.

What is a “disciple”?  What is “discipleship”?  Ephesians 4 calls it “equipping”, or preparing, “the saints for the work of the service”.  What does “equipping” mean? What actually is “the service”?  I believe that effective equipping can come only through building and establishing relationships that are accountable to one another. Only through relationships can effective “serving” or service be taught.  If we “serve” one another through relationship, we establish accountability to one another.  Think of your best friends.  Why are you best friends?  Your intimate friendship is based on the accountability of your intimate relationship.  You accept one another, even at your worse, and you listen to one another giving and taking advice.

The church has to recognize that accountability does not come by positions or offices held in a church, even though the Bible teaches to honor those in leadership, but in relationships with one another.  Big Brother programs have been effective toward needy children, but the church needs a Mature Believers in Christ program where older men build relationships with younger men, older women build relationships with younger women, not as another church program, but in actual relationships that take time, nurture, and care.  If that is established then the reciprocal will happen when the young will then take care of the old, the widow, and the widower. The book of Titus deals with this endeavor.

So how is the Church to be retooled? It should be retooled through relationships which will produce accountability.  Anything less will become just programs, changing every month or every cycle, the very trap many churches find themselves in today.  Let’s focus on relationships, the laying down of our lives for each other, which is a deep relationship of accountability.

Retooling: Scrooge and “Restitution”: The How To Do It!

The 21^st Century Retooling of the Church – Part XXXXV

So in the last several blogs I have raised the question about who, as a church, are we called to serve?  To whom shall we lay our lives down for ( IJohn 3:16)?  Today I ask the question, “How are we to lay down our lives?”

The key to this answer lies in the word “restitution ”.  Restitution is a word most people have no idea of its definition.  An online legal dictionary (http://www.lectlaw.com/def2/q044.htm ) has defined it as: “An equitable remedy that restores a person to the position they would have been in if not for the improper action of another.  Reimbursements ordered by courts as apart of a criminal sentence or civil or administrative penalty. Restitution is a standard of remedy for breach of contract and for the return of specific property and monies paid.”

I think Charles Dickens in his infamous Christmas Carol tries to depict the definition of restitution through his character Scrooge, for at the end of the novel he says of Scrooge, “Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more.”  It concludes, “It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge.”  What is this knowledge he possessed.  Scrooge’s “bah-humbug” attitude brought hurt and division among his family (with his nephew), resentment toward him (Cratchet’s wife), an ill reputation as being stingy toward the poor (“Do we not have poor houses, institutions?”), and employee/employer divisions (with Cratchet).  He has hurt and used a lot of people to obtain his goal, wealth. Only when faced with the understanding of his past, those things that molded him, when faced with his current actions and decisions, and faced with the consequences of all of this, does he decide to make a change, a turning point.

In the church world, we call that turning point “repentance”.  He was more than “sorry” for what he did; he practices “restitution” with “repentance”: he gave back more than what was required “legally”.  He not only gives the Cratchets a turkey, but the “prized” turkey; he not only gives Bob Cratchet a raise, but makes him his “business partner” so that when he dies all that he owns is Cratchet’s!  He doesn’t share just sympathy towards Tiny Tim’s illness, but gives him “life” by paying for all the bills.  It alludes to the fact that he goes even beyond that, “and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father.” He was now into building relationships which I am sure his nephew benefited from.  And to those who in the city frowned on his frugality, snide remarks, and sarcasm, “He became as good a friend, as a good master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world.”

Restitution in the kingdom of God goes beyond an apology, goes beyond the legal definition of making it right as if it never happened.  Restitution, in the New Testament Biblical sense, means going the second mile, giving more than your cloak if asked, forgiving 70 X 7, doing more than is required of you. It requires “laying down your life” for others.  The price for our sins was Jesus laying down his life for us, going beyond our sin, carrying all the sins of the world, not only extending forgiveness, but giving “eternal life”, life beyond this earth, with Him.  Amazingly Jesus has given the Church the tools needed to carry out this restitution called “grace” and “mercy”.

Scrooge had acquired the knowledge of the Spirit of Christmas, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit which guided him to go far beyond what was required of him to mend the hurts of the past he had created, the emptiness of the present, and the disappointments of the future.  Cratchet, Tiny Tim, his nephew and others now became more important than he.  He was no longer “Number #1”; others were.  That is the spirit of “laying down one’s life for his brethren”, the spirit of serving, the spirit of maturing into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

How do you “equip, prepare” the saints for the work of the service?  Simply by allowing that Christmas Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, his Holy Spirit, to confront you, change you, and nurture and develop you to go beyond what is expected.  It may also be your defining “turning point”.  That is a good start.  

Retooling: Accountability, A Radically Different Approach

The 21^st Century Retooling of the Church – Part XXXXIII

The Church has always struggled over control asking to whom is it to be accountable? Of course, the answer is always to the head, Jesus Christ, but in practical terms, to whom is it accountable?  As it institutionalizes, a hierarchy always develops which assumes the responsibility of bringing accountability to the structure. Laws, By-Laws, Tenants, and theological position papers establishing “laws” to govern morality and doctrine within the structure are created to prevent heresies.  More control diminishes the fluidity of the Holy Spirit moving within it.  Control versus the Spirit has become an age-old tension within the Church for centuries.  The question I am posing is, “Can there be a structure that would bring accountability yet allow the movement of the Spirit?”

I believe there is a structure which the 21^st Century Church should at least look at, observe, discuss, and possibly embrace, but the structure is a radical change from the traditional structure set forth by the Church fathers over the centuries as they embraced the Western Roman Catholic approach of hierarchy. So what is this structure?

First, I believe that God is restoring the five fold back into His Church.  He wants his believers to be evangelists, those that birth the kingdom of God in individuals and the Church, to be shepherds to nurture, care, and develop his sheep to be mature in Christ, to be teachers of the Word, making the written Word a living Word, to be prophets, people who listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and then wish to be obedient towards that voice, and to be apostles to see over the Holy Spirit’s movement by developing, encouraging, then releasing the other four giftings or passions of service to bring maturity to the individual believer and unity in the body of Christ.

Second, I believe the restoring of such radically different points of view of ministry can bring division, as history has proven, unless those who practice each of the five different passions is willing to “lay down their lives” for the other four through service.  Through serving one another, accountability will be established. It is natural to listen to and follow someone who is willing to sacrificially serve you.  As you serve one another, a bond of accountability is created.

Third, the presence of four different points of view at the table (evangelistic, shepherding, teaching, prophetic, and apostolic) will bring stability and prevent heresies as each point of view becomes a check and balance through service and accountability, again with the emphasis of sacrificially laying down one’s life for one another. 

I know this sounds idealistic because today those different points of view have produced divisions, denominations, church splits, schisms, etc. in the Church, but that is because those in the Church are not willing to “lay down their lives” for one another.  We preach that we need to lay everything on the altar and allow the Holy Spirit to consume it; the giving it back restored or renewed is an option but not a given, yet we are unwilling to “lay down our lives” for those Christians who are not in our “camp” of theology.  We will never see true revival in the Church until the Church is prepared to “repent” of what has divided it.  “Repentance” means the turning away of what was wrong, so if the Church is to turn away from the very structure that has divided it for centuries, what should the 21^st Century Church turn toward?  I propose the five fold structure of “service” (through one’s gifting or passion) and “accountability” (laying down of one’s life sacrificially).

Fourth, this then becomes a “pluralistic” leadership where no one gifting, passion, or point of view is the head, the chief administrator, the C.E.O., the pastor, bishop or the pope.  The apostle is not even the “head” for he is only one of the five passions of service; Jesus is the head over all five passions. When the five get together the gifting or passion that is most needed rises at that moment, at that time, to face that situation with the other four supporting that gifting or passion through their service.  The next situation could be totally different with a different passion of the five fold rising.  Only the moving of the Holy Spirit would dictate which passion of service may rise and be supported by the others in unity.

I know this model is drastically different from today’s church boards, professional hierarchical structures, but if the Church is to be “without spot and wrinkle” as a “preparation” for the Lord’s return, then maybe the 21^st Century Church should embrace a system that is to “prepare” the “saints” for the work of the “service” to develop believers into the maturity of the “full measure of Christ” brining unity to the Body of Christ, the Church, in preparation for Jesus Second Coming, a prophesied event that will happen!  Come on 21^st Century Church, let’s start the “preparation” period and begin to move toward “service” and “accountability” through a fluid model of leadership under the direction of the Holy Spirit!  That is my challenge.