Jesus said He would build His Church (Matthew 16:18) and yet people want to do things their way. I have been working with a specific leadership team for many years now and once every other month the conversation and discussion turns to the need for a full-time pastor to be in town and functioning on behalf of the local church. This small town has no resident pastors as all functioning churches are connected to larger parishes and share their priest or minister with other congregations. But, we need a “pastor” because back when we had one…

Well, he was not full-time. He was retired and so willing to work for very little. He drove a school bus to make ends meet. The church did not grow during his time even though he lived in the town. But, we need a pastor. Why? Resident, full-time, paid pastors leading churches is really not a biblical model. It is a manmade system often used to control people. It creates a clergy-laity split among God’s people when God has always wanted a “priesthood of all believers” and not a professional clergy class. It allows the people of God to sit back and do nothing because they pay the professional to do the ministry. And, over the many centuries that this has been a model in many nations the church has been pathetic and powerless.

The Church was never meant to be pastoral. God called the Church to be prophetic and to walk in supernatural power. Every true believer can hear the voice of God for themselves and so can receive all the pastoral help they need from The Great Shepherd and the One He sent to be with us – the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. And, the church hears the voice of God for direction and the many aspects of her life through the ministry of the fivefold, ascension gift ministries of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. Specifically, the apostle as they are the Master Builders and can “see” the way that Jesus is building His Church and how that Church is to function.

In the fivefold ministry there is the role of “pastor.” But, this is not the local pastor but a member of the translocation fivefold, ascension gift ministries. Their task is to come in to a local church and teach the people how to care for one another – how to be pastoral. There are 59 “one another” verses in the New Testament and if believers actually fulfilled these verses then there is nothing for a full-time paid professional” to do. People, the priesthood of all believers, do the ministry.

The Church Jesus is building is different than what is. The current church is a man made organization and not to God-directed organism that Church was meant to be. It is based very much on a top-down, business model and not on a grass-roots up model of ministry. The way the current church functions has no room for the true fivefold ministry and so the local church is able to eliminate this God-given team ministry and settle for a paid, professional clergy (priest, pastor, minister) who cares for the people and is expected to run the church and even bring growth to the church. And, of course, it is not working because it is not the way that Jesus is building His Church.

So, unless there is a change in heart leading to a change in leadership and thus a definite change in the way we are approaching the future of this specific church I am working with – I will simply be offering my resignation and go elsewhere … investing my time and effort in something that will actually bear fruit and be something that God can truly bless and prosper.

 

I was in a lengthy and, at times, heated meeting of leaders of a Christian Church yesterday. And, we were working to understand the vision of the local church and how to take people from where they are to where God seems to want them to be. The issue of theology came up as it often does. The church works with a teaching team and so there are three, at times four, teachers preaching. And, there are some major differences in what several of these teachers believe.

As we worked our way through some issues that arose one of the leaders kept saying that he didn’t care what our theology was and that it was alright to disagree on our theology. This means it is alright to disagree on what the Scriptures teach about various topics because it is not important. And, no one challenged him on the comments. I was amazed and even a bit shocked. But, because of where we were working to get to and the limited time available I let that one slide, for now.

Theology is simply the “study of God” and is rooted in the Scriptures. And, I believe that it does matter what we believe. In the situation I mentioned above there are different understandings regarding what the Scriptures teach about healing, prosperity, the role of the supernatural gifts of the Spirit – especially prophecy, women in leadership positions, the fivefold ministry roles and specifically the role of the “pastor,” the role of special guest speakers, and on the list could go. But, “I don’t care what their theology is” kept being repeated.

If we don’t agree on the basic teachings of the faith that are presented from the same pulpit by various teachers on the team then we are simply not being credible leaders. We are not functioning as a team in unity and one accord. And, we are going to cause tremendous confusion and frustration in the hearts and lives of the people attending the church. It is incredulous to me that a leadership team does not challenge “I don’t care what their theology is.”

In the New Testament Church they worked hard to correct wrong teachings and incomplete teachings. Paul teaching the disciples of John the Baptist what the full gospel was. Aquila and Pricilla teaching Apollos the fullness of the Gospel, John writing the first of three letters to sort out some of the misunderstandings regarding salvation countering the teachings of Gnosticism – an early Christian heresy.

Today, because we have not paid attention to doctrine and teachings we have whole denominations that have moved into apostasy (once knowing the truth and no longer believing and teaching it) and heresy (teaching a false gospel). Paul warns the Church about this when speaking of another Jesus, another gospel, and another spirit (2 Corinthians 11:4). But, his warning is not being heeded.

I believe it is very important what we believe that that any and every leadership team must come into agreement with each other regarding the doctrines of the local church. To fail to do so leads to a slippery slope where soon anything goes and we find ourselves drifting quickly away from the true faith (Hebrews 2:1).

After  many years working with this local group I am deeply concerned. I will “earnestly contend for the faith as the book of Jude states we should Jude 1:3b). But, if this drifting continues and the prevailing winds keep blowing it may be time to step aside and invest my time elsewhere.

Paul travels to the city of Ephesus because he has heard that there are a number of disciples of the Lord Jesus in that city. He is hoping to meet with them and encourage them in their journey as believers. He knows that Ephesus is not an easy city to be a believer in and so wants to help them in any way that he can.

In Acts 19:1-6 we see the record of him finding and meeting with the believers. He asks them a question or two and discovers that they are not born again but are really disciples and followers of John the Baptist. So, they have responded to John’s message of repentance and are ready for someone like Paul to show them who the Messiah is and what He has accomplished through His death and resurrection. So, Paul shares the Gospel of the Kingdom and these men – about 12 in number – receive the message, become born again, are baptized by immersion in water, are baptized in the Holy Spirit as Paul lays hands upon them and immediately begin to move in the supernatural gifts of the Spirit. It is a powerful and encouraging story about what God can accomplish when hearts are open, hungry, and ready.

The story continues… Paul stays in Ephesus and teaches and leads. And, this local church becomes very powerful and evangelism is a real key to their life and to the expansion of the Kingdom. Acts 19:10 states, “This continued for two years (Paul teaching), so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.”

Later, after leaving Ephesus, Paul writes to them (Ephesians – the epistle) and prays that the same Holy Spirit who lives in them because they are born again and is upon them because they have been baptized in the Holy Spirit … that this same Spirit would bring them revelation. Ephesians 1:17 states, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him…” So, Paul is praying that his people in this local church would be constantly receiving revelation and wisdom from the Holy Spirit.

He goes on to state that they should also allow the Holy Spirit to have control of their life. Ephesians 5:18 states, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit…” So, just as alcohol controls your words, actions, and attitude when drunk … let the Holy Spirit control your whole life every day. This, of course, is key to maintaining a supernatural lifestyle and witness.

Well, obviously something goes terribly wrong a number of years later because this powerful church receives a word from Jesus – the Head of the Church – and it reads: “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 2:1-7a).
And, in time, the church in Ephesus simply ceases to exist.

Well, there is much for us to learn and apply from the story of the church in Ephesus. So, give some thought to it today as you go about your daily chores. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are some things that need to change in your life and in your church… and then respond to what He shows you.

Normal Christianity is not biblical Christianity. When I chat with believers today their Christian experience has been fairly mundane and not empowering. They are living like most if not all the unbelievers who surround them in their neighbourhood. They believe in the doctrines of the Christian faith, they pray, they read their bible, and some (fewer all the time) support their local church. But, there is no life and no power in their Christian experience and thus they are often lacking enthusiasm and excitement in their Christian life. Thus they live normal lives like their non-believing neighbours and friends. But, for a true disciple of Jesus, normal is boring, routine, and deadly to any sense of adventure.

Let’s not do normal. The Bible states that when we have truly been convicted of our sin, experienced godly sorrow, and repented (2 Corinthians 7:8-10) then we are truly born again. We become true followers of Jesus and enter into a personal, dynamic, daily, ever-changing and deepening, unique, love relationship with Jesus (Romans 6:23b and John 17:3). This seriously can never be boring. And, we then have the very life and nature of God within us.

To have a relationship with the Living God we need, as with any relationship we are developing, to hear, see, and touch. The early disciples of Jesus did this in the actual flesh. John, the apostle of love and the closest to Jesus writes,

“From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we’re telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. We saw it, we heard it, and now we’re telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!” (1 John 1:1-4 The Message Version).

Paul, the one most responsible for the spreading of the Kingdom in the early Church, had an encounter with the Living Jesus on the road to Damascus where he directly saw, heard, and was touched by the living Jesus (went blind). Then, through the prophet Ananias he heard God’s plan for his life and ministry …

“Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has handpicked you to be briefed on his plan of action. You’ve actually seen the Righteous Innocent and heard him speak. You are to be a key witness to everyone you meet of what you’ve seen and heard. So what are you waiting for? Get up and get yourself baptized, scrubbed clean of those sins and personally acquainted with God.’ (Acts 22:14-16 The Message version)

Paul also heard directly from the Risen Jesus. “After I was back in Jerusalem and praying one day in the Temple, lost in the presence of God, I saw him, saw God’s Righteous Innocent, and heard him say to me, ‘Hurry up! Get out of here as quickly as you can. None of the Jews here in Jerusalem are going to accept what you say about me.'” (Acts 22:17-18 The Message Version)

It is very hard to have a relationship with someone when you cannot hear and see the person you are relating to. But, this is the normal experience of most Christians. It does not need to be this way. Let’s not do ‘normal.’ God has placed inside every truly born again believer the gift of “eternal life” which is the supernatural ability to have a personal relationship with Him. So, take the time to unwrap the gift, learn to hear His voice, and see what He is doing in His Kingdom. This is the basic rights of all of His children.

Jesus said to Nicodemus that when a person is born again He can see the Kingdom and, of course, enter the Kingdom. And, Colossians 1:13 states that when we are truly born again we are immediately free from the domain of darkness and transferred over supernaturally into the Kingdom of Jesus and light. So, we as believers, are in the Kingdom and can see, hear, and touch the King of the Kingdom as He said we could.

It is time to unwrap the gift and begin to relate to Jesus as we should – building a strong and powerful relationship with Him. Then we simply would never do normal again. We would be enjoying the challenge of the greatest adventure any person could ever wish for – walking with Jesus and fulfilling His plan and purpose for your personal life as Paul the apostle and the early believers experienced.