In this installment we will explore
one of the most destructive forces to the body of Christ today. Throughout history the church of God
The dangers of classism
The desire to see societies
classified has been a flaw of all humanity throughout the ages. It has caused discontent, disharmony and it
has even started wars. We seek to impose
logic on our surroundings through introducing classes, because through class
structures we can easily group people according to the classifications we
establish in our societies. To most this
may seem a benign practice, but I assure you it is not. Classism separates people on many bases. The more prevalent of separation is usually
along economic lines. Economically we
classify people as lower, middle and upper-class citizens. This sordid distinction separates people
according to their financial standing in the society. This tragedy has scarred the minds of the
young and hampered the healthy development of our societies for eons.
Classism does nothing more than separate
and once something is separated we introduce weaknesses into its
structure. For those of you who are
familiar with construction you realize that the strength of a building is in
the interconnectivity of its many parts.
The mortar connects the blocks that support the foundations; the walls connect
the roof to the rest of the house. If
however you introduce a distinction or separation in the walls you weaken the
entire house. This is exactly the way
that classism weakens whatever it touches.
Consider what it has done to our societies. Lower class persons feel that they can offer
no meaningful contributions to their communities because of their economic
status. Because of this they come to see
their condition as a plague to be rid off.
Upper class persons see themselves as the essentials and treat everyone
else as their subordinates. This does
not make for a cohesive community and so it weakens us.
Classism has found its way into the
body of Christ, and just how it weakens our societies it weakens the interconnectivity
of the body. The reason why your body
works is because
it is interconnected. If I were to
introduce a barrier in this well designed system you would die or become severely
debilitated. Classism is destructive and
yet we have embraced it whole-heartedly in the body of Christ. In fact it is come to the point where we can
see no other system through which we can fulfill our obligation to Christ in
this world.
What is the Clergy
System?
It may surprise you that the word
clergy is not found within the scriptures.
In fact you will come to see that this concept, as it is today, was in
no way sanctioned by God as a means of operation in the body of Christ. The clergy that we have today was based upon
Roman governmental systems that were in place at the time of the early
church. It directly mirrors their pagan
form of government and was adopted as the ideal way for the church to be
governed. The clergy system is based on the
clergy so we will define it by defining the word ‘clergy’.
The word clergy, as defined by the
dictionary, means the group or body of ordained persons in a religion as
distinguished from the laity.
This distinction is very important to the concept of the clergy, because
by its very nature the clergy introduces classism to the body of Christ. Before we go on deeper into understanding the
clergy we must identify then who is this laity it distinguishes itself
from. Well the definition for laity is
the exact opposite of the clergy. It is
a body of religious worshippers as distinguished from the clergy. Do you see how deadly classism is? This distinction which is an ungodly and demonic
concept has caused untold trouble in the body of Christ.
The Kleros and the Laos
The Greek word kleros from which we get the term clergy, and laos laos laos laos
But ye are
a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; [Laity] that ye
should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into
his marvelous light; Which in time past were not a people [Laity], but are now the people of God [Laity]: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
1 Peter 2:9-10
To whom is Peter writing? He is writing to all the people of God in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia , Asia and Bithynia
Giving
thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance
[Clergy] of the saints in light: Colossians
1:12
To whom is Paul directing this
verse? He says that God has made us. Who is this ‘us’ he speaks of? This ‘us’ is all those who walk worthy of the
Lord pleasing him in every good work.
Well now, Paul says that all who please God are his clergymen. Well don’t that beat all! God makes no distinction between the laity
and the clergy. ALL are laity and ALL
are clergy.
In whom
also we have obtained an inheritance
[Clergy], being predestinated according to the purpose
of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will Ephesians
1:11
Here again we see that we all are
partakers in the clergy (Inheritance) of God.
No distinction.
And if ye
be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs [Clergy] according to the
promise. Galatians 3:29
Do you see that? Paul says that if you are a part of Christ
then you are his clergy. Everyone who is
an heir is also a part of the clergy of God.
Feed the flock of God
which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but
willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords
over God's heritage [Clergy],
but being examples to the flock. 1 Peter 5:2-3
Now I love this verse most of
all. If you continue to hold to your
distorted concept of the clergy this verse will make no sense to you. Do you see what Peter is saying? To whom is Peter talking? In this verse he is addressing the elders
(the feeders of the flock). Well now,
what does he say to them? Keep in mind that
people in these offices consider themselves
the clergy. What does he say to these ‘special’
men of God? He tells the pastors to not
lord it over God’s CLERGY! Who were this ‘clergy’? It was the FLOCK. Well then on what
basis can it continue to stand that there is some special class of people in
the body of Christ? Will you listen to
the word of God or will you obey what you think you know?
Today the clergy has become this
special separate class of persons who have been ‘called’ by God to the work of
the ministry. (I will show just how demonic this concept of being
called to the ministry is in just a bit!)
God however makes no such distinctions.
What do we have in the body of Christ today? We have a class of people that walk in our
services late and step out early; they are the untouchables the unapproachable
the set apart. We have a group of people
that must be seated in the prominent places of our meetings and be adorned with
special clothing to display their status.
This in the eyes of God is a rank heresy that is as poisonous as
anything that Satan has introduced to the body of Christ.
Is the clergy system
God’s way?
The clergy system is defined as the
established order organized around the clergy.
It is a special group of people set aside for a particular task in the
church. Is this therefore God’s
way? NO, a thousand times NO! By its very definition today the clergy
separates itself as a special group of people with a special call on their
lives from God. It is usually
represented by a single man -- who in most cases is called a pastor and a
select group of aids which are called deacons, elders, etc. The scriptures do not support it and the
natural order of things does not support it.
What do I mean by the natural order of things? Natural order is a structure that promotes
growth and proper development in accordance with predetermined criteria. In our case we have a body called the
church. Does the clergy system therefore
encourage the growth and development of the body of Christ?
Error is spread much easier in
the body through the clergy system
The irony of it all is that the
clergy system was developed way back in 100 A.D. by the early church fathers
for the very purpose of stemming error.
The thing is that because of the nature of the system the system itself
perpetuates error. At the center of the clergy
system we usually have one man who has taken on the role of declaring the word
of God to his people. Do you see how
easy it is to spread error in this system?
The people in a particular church place all their trust in a single
individual to speak the word of the Lord to them. He is to hear from God for you. Red flag, red flag. When that much responsibility is concentrated
in one place and the title Christ is not after your first name, error is bound
to occur. Instead of having a situation
where it is possible to judge we are now placed in a situation where one
man must have the mind of Christ for all.
This is no body mentality this is a recipe for disaster!
The clergy set themselves as the
voice of God in the earth
This again is dangerous. It is dangerous not only for the people of
God but for the so-called clergyman. It
is a danger for the man because he now has the burden of being the voice of God
to the people. Do you realize the
impossibility of that task? The very
system itself causes us to rely on this individual because we perceive him,
(with help from them), as more spiritual and closer to God than we are. Therefore
if we are to be closer to God we have to attach ourselves to those who already are. I am sure that this was not the original
intention for these men because trying to fulfill this task is not at all feasible. You can hear it in their sermons when they
castigate the flock for coming to them with every little problem they
have. But have they ever considered why
their followers do this? It is because
the clergy system purports them as the voice of God. Since you therefore are the voice of God,
solve my problem! Oh they want the glory
but not any of the trouble and pressure that such a position would entail. There are in essence robbing God of a direct
relationship with his people. The
direction should be to eventually get themselves out of a job by developing a
people so mature they hear from God for themselves ( you will come to see that
this was the design of God in the first place).
But his system is designed to make the people even more dependent on the
leaders of the church.
Their successes
Can we look at their success to
determine that indeed they are endorsed by God?
First off let us determine what they deem to be success. It would surprise you to know that for the
most part ministerial success is based on the growth in numbers of adherents to
a particular ministry. Depending on the
size of one’s ministry it is usually to them a determinant of whether you are
successful or not. This is evident by
the lingo of these groups where they talk in ‘number of seats in their
sanctuaries’, and rough calculation of how many people follow their ministry. Some even determine their success by how much
money they can exhibit by their lifestyles.
Well, can we use these as a barometer of the blessing of God? No, we cannot.
We must never use such shoddy measures to determine if God is indeed
with us.
Maybe we can point to the fact that
God speaks to them and through them.
Isn’t the fact that God speaks to them proof enough that he is with
them? Well let us turn to the scriptures
to find this out. Let us look at the
life of Moses. God spoke to Moses
through a burning bush – a burning bush.
God told Moses that he wanted him to deliver his people from the bondage
of the Egyptians. God even gave him the
staff of power telling him to use it as a sign to the Israelites that he would
deliver them. God gave him all sorts of
instructions. Moses then was on his way
to be obedient to God. On his way back to Egypt
And Moses
took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt
So Brother Moses is on his way to
obey the Lord, but what happened next?
And it
came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.
Exodus 4:24
Say what? God just had this long talk with Moses and here
he is now about to kill him! Well why was
that?
Then
Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it
at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. Exodus 4:25
God was about to kill Moses because
he had not circumcised his son. Do you
see this? Moses was a Jew and being a
Jew there were things that he was required to do – circumcision was one off
them. God was not about to let his oversight
slide so he stood in the way to kill Moses.
This is all in spite of the fact that he had talked with Moses
beforehand. In this same way we should
never look at someone and say that because of this and this God is with them. The determinant should be if they are in right
alignment with the word of God.
The clergy and real estate
When asked today about a vision for
their particular church a pastor will usually unveil some building plan. As of late this has been the way to prove
your valor in the Lord. The clergy systems are in competition to build the
biggest and most glorious structures to prove their validity. We have sure come a long way:
And how I
kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have
taught you publicly, and from house to house. Acts 20:20
Likewise
greet the church that is in their house.
Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
Romans 16:5
Oh maybe back then they did not
have many people and they had to meet from house to house because of their
scant numbers. Oh, let’s see:
And the
word of God increased; and the number of
the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem
Howbeit
many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand. Acts 4:4
Well how about that. They had five thousand come to the Lord and
they still
met from house to house. You will see
just why they did so in just a bit. My
point is that these were not visionless leaders yet their first inclination was
NOT to gather the believers all in
one sanctuary for meetings. So what type
of vision did they have if not to build buildings?
Wherefore I also, after I
heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not
to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the
hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the
saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who
believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Ephesians 15:19
And in another place he continues
his vision for the church:
For this cause I bow my
knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in
heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of
his glory, to be strengthened with might
by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;
that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all
saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the
love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the
fulness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19
This was Paul’s vision. His vision was to build up the people of God
and he did so rather well even though he never got his building.
They claim their system brings the
proper hierarchy to the body
The clergy system it is claimed
brings order to the body of Christ in our gatherings. They see what they have aligned themselves
with as God’s standard:
And God
hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly
teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments,
diversities of tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:28
This verse is alluded to as
defining God’s hierarchy in the church therefore justifying the clergy. While this verse does represent individuals
in the church this is by no means a hierarchy but a list of functions
in the body. If it were a hierarchy then
apostles would be a higher class order than prophets and prophets would be of greater
importance than teachers. But God said that
we are all members of the one body but with different functions. To introduce a higher order would be to
introduce schisms and it would therefore contradict:
That there
should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care
one for another. 1 Corinthians 12:28
Do you now understand what he says? He declares that if we have more care for any
member of the body than we have for another member then we have schisms.
The clergy system has become the
end-point of ministry
They set themselves up as the
receptacles of ministry. The perception
is that we should give money to them so
that they can change the
world. It is their task and we are to
aid them in doing the work of God. I
will talk more on this later but let me now ask the question? Why are they the receptacles of ministry and
we the enablers. Why are we not all
enablers and receptacles?
They call their structures
sanctuaries
The entire goal of the clergy is to
position themselves as the agents of God in the earth. Not just regular agents like the average
Christians but you know the real ones. In order to do this they have gone to the Old
Testament, pulled out a concept and brought it to use for today. Do you realize what the sanctuary was?
"You
are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar, so that wrath will not fall on the
Israelites again. I myself have selected
your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the
LORD to do the work at the Tent of Meeting.
But only you and your sons may serve as
priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary must be put to
death." Numbers 18:5-7
The sanctuary was a place where only
the priests were allowed to enter. Do
you see what would happen to any other person entering the sanctuary? God commanded for them to be put to
death. Get that, put-to-death. We are so SELECTIVE! The only reason why this term is in use today
is because it adds to the spirituality of the clergy to show the body that they
operate on a higher level than we do.
Consider their use of the term ‘House of God’. Please are we serious? Listen these men are not ignorant, they know
the scriptures. I will have much more to
say on this later.
The clergy system as we know it is
not supported with scripture nor is it a system that induces growth. It is therefore foreign to the design of God
and has no legitimacy. But just what has
such a system done to the body of Christ?
I will show that it has hijacked the body and left it hamstrung. I will show that indeed it is one of the most
destructive forces know to the believers today.
The Clergy Hijack
The Individual purpose of the
believer
The current-day clergy system is a
thief of the individual purpose of the believer. The word of God is very clear that Jesus
expects each of us to fulfill a specific call on our lives:
Then said
Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow me. Matthew
16:24
The cross in this statement was an
illustration of the purpose of God in the life of Jesus. It was one of the key things that Jesus came
to do. It was an essential part of his purpose. Through this instruction Jesus was not
telling us to walk around with some cross on our backs, but he was telling us
to embrace the purpose that God has for each of us to fulfill in the work of
expanding his kingdom. Through the work
of the commission we are all called to impact
the world through our obedience to the gospel and submission to the will of
God.
Through the introduction of the
destructive laity/clergy structure and the concept of full time ministry the
clergy has robbed the typical believer of the proper perspective that is
essential for the fulfillment of the call of God on his life. The problem is that it is so engraved in our
psyches that we cannot see the truth of these errors. So we go about living frustrated lives at the
behest of those who would only use us to fulfill their own skewed aspirations.
To understand this fully we must
first examine how the clergy system has robbed the purpose of the believer
through the concept of full time ministry.
This is the sacred cow of the clergy.
The see themselves – and would have you see them – as ‘ministers of the
gospel’ or ‘full-time ministers’ or ‘workers in the vineyard’. You may not see it but these concepts have a
profound effect on your perception of yourself and your purpose. Consider the concept full-time ministry. The very phrase introduces the idea that
there is ministry that is not full time. Can you understand then what are the
implications involved here? They are saying
that they are fully involved with the work of the Lord in their daily functions,
but you on the other hand are only partially doing so due to your SECULAR affiliations. Please understand that this implies that the
whole body is not functional or not fully functional. Now what has this innocent little philosophy
done to the body? The laity, that is
supposed to be you, is supposed to bring in money to the clergy and their
ministries. You therefore subconsciously
come to see it as your part (your purpose) to help the clergy do their
work. This is destructive error! We see our purpose as making sure that the
clergy is operational. This is not the
church that Jesus created! What does the
scripture say?
And all
things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18
Therefore,
we are ambassadors for Christ,
as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of
Christ, be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that
ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 Corinthians 6:1
For the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Ephesians 4:12
Do you understand what you are to
do in the kingdom
of God
The clergy has maintained their
unspoken and sometimes explicit air of superiority by setting themselves apart
from the body through their rituals and service. The problem is that they are not separate
from us, and together we function as the people of God and the voice of God in
the earth. Consider this:
For who
hath known the mind of the Lord,
that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ. 1Corinthians 2:16
Does this jump out at anyone? It says that WE, the entire body of Christ, have access to the mind of Christ. Do you realize that you have the same access
to God that some preacher has. If you really
understood this we would not be so reliant on them for guidance from God.
Consider how the distinction of the
laity plays such a powerful role in downgrading our purpose. The call to the ‘clergy’ is NOT I repeat is NOT some higher calling.
There is no superior body part.
We are all essential. Therefore
the pastor is not of a higher calling than a politician called by God to be
so. What rubbish we spew out; what utter
nonsense we think! The clergy declares
this nonsense in order to stroke their own egos, but consider that a politician
called so by God can have a greater effect on a nation than any pastor can.
This business about a laity that is
ministered to by the clergy is utter nonsense.
What has this produced in the body?
Well we have churches that have become one-stop shops for everything the
typical believer could hope for. Thieves
of purpose they are! Consider that the
typical ‘church’ today would not only serve as a meeting place but a marriage counselor,
kindergarten, etc. In some cases there
could be found schools, shopping plazas, financial advisories and anything else
a pastor could imagine as his service to the call of God on his life. All you can hope to be in this spiritual Wal-Mart
is a shelf-stocker. Is this right? Of
course not! We are not workers for their
purpose we are workers together with them in all our purposes. How many of you think that you are fulfilling
the call of God on your life because you are an usher or worship leader in
these behemoths? Are you serious? Is the cross that God has for you ushering? It
is the
body that should be engaged with these entities APART from the ‘church’. You should be the one opening a
college. You should be the one
with a marriage counseling office. You
should be the one giving godly financial advice. Apostles, prophets, evangelist pastors and
teachers have a very SPECIFIC job
description in the kingdom
of God
You are not supposed to be some
laid back Sunday Christian; you are a part of the living body of Christ that
should be functioning not in some organization BUT IN THE WORLD. You should be in your communities doing the
work of the ministry. This does NOT mean
handing out tracks, but it does imply a dynamic member of the body being a
force of change in the world around him in the purpose that God has given to
you FULL TIME. Not ushering or singing
in some choir.
The hijack of the manifestation
of the spirit
The clergy system has also been
instrumental in hijacking the manifestation of the gifts of the spirit. How do they do this? It is very simple. They have effectively cancelled your need to
operate in the gifts. Through the
structure of our liturgies (orders of service) the only person who gets to
minister to the body of Christ is the Pastor.
We in effect come to church to hear a pastor preach. If you would read the books of Corinthians
and Acts you will see that that never was the intention of
Christ. We have today a one-celled
organism not a body! There is simply no
need for you to exercise your gifts in your meetings. So why have gifts in the first place? Only a select few of the clergy get to
operate thereby. Consider this:
For ye may
all prophesy
one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. 1 Corinthians
14:31
This was to take place during a
typical church service. Do you see what
he said? Prophecy is a gift of the Holy Spirit.
Through this verse we see that it was the intention for the body -- the members
of the body -- to perform this function.
Is this gift occurring on this level in your local church or is every
thing surrounding the ministry of a single individual?
For the body
is not one member, but many. 1 Corinthians 12:14
There is however an interesting
side-effect to this line of thought and that is that it places a demand on the
pastor to ensure that legitimacy is added to the work of his ministry. To do this he usually ensures that he is
walking in the gifts of the spirit so he takes it upon himself to walk in
healing, prophecy, word of knowledge etc.
This is often fruitless because Jesus who gives the gifts does not
concentrate them in one man. Consider:
But the manifestation of
the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of
knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of
miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that
one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man
severally as he will. 1 Corinthians
12:7-11
He distributes these gifts
throughout the body. He does this
because this is essential to the development of the body to maturity. It was through the gifts’ expression that we
were all to become mature. Can’t you see
therefore how much damage is done to the body of Christ when one individual is
the center point of the assembly? There
is no way that he gives all the gifts to one man, and the purpose of the gifts
was for all of the body to profit. So if
we just have a single individual operating with impunity then how can the body function? For that matter how can it profit? It may surprise you to know that the
functions of the apostles, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher were NOT the central focus of the typical
meeting of the early church. It was
rather the outline given by Paul where every member was functioning through the
gifts that God dispersed throughout the body that was the ideal order of the
day. How far we are fallen! Just as a side note look at the list again do
you see any ushering and worship leading as gifts or manifestations of the
spirit? The clergy has created all these
auxiliary things to prop itself up and to give its activities credence.
This concentration of work that we
have today in a typical pastor is not good and it is also not new. Due to our desire to not be responsible or to
even be intimate with God we have encouraged the clergy in the construction of
this heresy. Consider the plight of
Moses:
But there remained two of
the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other
Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they
were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they
prophesied in the camp. And there ran a young man, and told Moses,
and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men,
answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto
him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that
the LORD would put his spirit upon them!
Numbers 11:26-29
Moses had the right attitude. He knew that it would be better if God would
speak through ALL his people. But
wouldn’t that make Moses’ job redundant you ask? Well isn’t that the goal of maturity? Joshua was acting as the typical pastor’s aid
(or as they are now called ridiculously so armor bearers). “Oh it is not possible that the gift could be
in anyone but our pastor. Oh no, no one
else should prophesy! If all prophesied
then when will the pastor speak?” What
an incredibly debased mind we have! What
has this produced today? You may say
that your pastor taught you about spiritual gifts. Oh really, but has he allowed the people to manifest
those gifts. How can he you ask. When
would we have time for him to preach? This
is my point exactly! You see we would
not have time for a lot of things if we operated how God intended. But we would have a body that was FULLY
functioning and hearing from God; a body that was mature and edified one
another.
The hijack of our giving
This particular incursion has had
significant affect on the operation of the body of Christ. The clergy’s hijack of our giving has not
only hampered our obedience to the gospel of the kingdom, but it has also
hindered the advance of the kingdom thorough the body itself.
No one can deny that financial
blessings can be had through our giving.
Giving is an intricate part of the new creation in Christ that we become
upon our adoption of the gospel of the kingdom.
It was God’s intent to create a people who would not give because they
were obligated to do so, but because they were moved to because of the
priorities of their hearts. But the
clergy denies us this right. Apart from
teaching the heretical teaching of the compelled tithe they establish themselves
as a giving station. The logic is
simple:
I am doing the will of God. You
are working in the secular word. You
should give to me so that you can partner in my real work for the Lord. I will
then use these funds and distribute to the needy.
Is this the intention of God? Absolutely not! This model has induced us to
divorce ourselves from the obligation we have to give to others. We cast off our responsibility by giving to
some church and saying to them I PAY YOU TO DO God’s work so I am your partner. Oh yeah is that how it goes?
Give to him that asketh YOU, and from him
that would borrow of You turn not thou away.
Matthew 5:42
And
whosoever [individual not some organization]shall
give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in
the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose
his reward. Matthew 10:42
Jesus said
unto him, If thou
wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and
thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. Matthww
19:21
Give [YOU
give], and it
shall be given unto you; good
measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give
into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be
measured to you again. Luke 6:38
Sell that YOU have, and give alms; provide
yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not,
where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. Luke 12:33
Let him [the
individual] that stole steal no more: but rather let
him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he [the
individual] may have to give to him that
needeth. Ephesians 4:28
Do you realize what the central
focus of each of these verses is? It is
YOU giving DIRECTLY to a cause. Not
through some organization, but you directly impacting a need. What does this do? It sets you up as a minister of the gospel
and you get the opportunity to help. God
does not want his body to be seen as an organization but as individuals each
touching their world directly for him.
After all he says to us:
Let your
light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16
When we divorce ourselves from our
obligation to give to the world directly we embrace the concept ‘the church
will do it for me’. While those around you
go hungry and without we placate our consciences’ by saying that we have given to
the church. If people need help they
should go there! This is akin to what the
Pharisees were doing with the Law of Moses:
"For Moses said,
'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER'; and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR
MOTHER, IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH'; but you say, 'If a man says to his father or
his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say,
given to God),' you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his
mother; Mark 7:10-12
Back then if you dedicated a gift
to the temple even though your parents were starving the Pharisees exempted you
from supporting them directly. Jesus
rebuked such nonsense then, and he still rebukes it today!
It may interest you to know that
giving collectively was only
done on special occasions and never on a regular basis. The following verses are used regularly in an
offertory appeal but closer scrutiny proves otherwise:
Remember
this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows
generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided
in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
Now, to what in particular was Paul
referring? He tells:
There is
no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints. For I know
your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians,
telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your
enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. 2 Corinthians 9:1-2
Paul was addressing a gift that
they had promised to meet the needs of the impoverished saints in Jerusalem
Now about
the collection for God's people: Do what I
told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of
you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up,
so that when I come no collections will have to be made. Then, when I arrive, I
will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with
your gift to Jerusalem
Do you see that? This was a collection to help the saints in
another place. This was a collective
effort for a single purpose. This was not
a regular occurrence, but a singular event.
What did they do any other time?
Command
them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
1 Timothy 6:18
To whom were they to be willing to
share?
Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:13
And do not
forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God
is pleased. Hebrews 13:16
You, I say YOU directly were
supposed to find a brother in need and meet that need. Not waiting on some church but YOU doing it. YOU were supposed to help that person get
into a business; YOU not some church. YOU
were supposed to ensure that the poor sister’s electricity was always running
not some church but YOU. YOU were
supposed to pay that hospital bill for some unfortunate person, YOU not some
church.
At the inception of the church a
centralized giving program was evolving.
Let us look at this:
For there was not a needy
person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them
and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles' feet, and
they would be distributed to each as any had need. Acts 4:34-35
Well was this an efficient
model? You may declare its efficacy by
pointing to the fact that under this system there was not a needy person among
them. But was this the best way? Consider the Apostles response?
So the
twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, "It is not
desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.
Acts 6:2
This proves that giving in this way
was not the most efficient or desirable way.
In fact this proves that giving was best done directly. This proves the point that the clergy system
as structured is not the best way to meet the needs of those in need. Consider what arose because of the
centralization:
Now at
this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the
native Hebrews, because their widows were
being overlooked in the daily serving of food. Acts 6:1
This would not have happened if the
giving was more direct.
The final thing that the hijacking
of our giving has done is that it places the possibility of being blessed only through
giving to clergy. This coupled with the
prosperity gospel has ensured a continued stream of money to their
coffers. If you are impoverished
yourself and you read Jesus’ promise that if you give it would be given to you
what would be your first inclination. Would
it be to give to your fellow impoverished brother or some mega ministry? I have never heard them tell you that you can
be blessed abundantly by finding some poor person and giving directly to
them. Oh no brother, if you want the
hundredfold you better find some jet-set Armani
wearing preacher. If not your seed
is falling into bad soil. Such rubbish! We need to REPENT! We need to repent of the destructive concepts
we embrace that have not only hampered us but have robbed those who should be blessed
by us.
The hijack of order
Here is one you may not have
thought of. The clergy has hijacked the
order that was given to the body of Christ.
By order I mean the structure and proper functioning of our ranks. How did they do this? Why do we assume that the order that Paul
speaks of must come through the Pastor?
Let all
things be done decently and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:40
Why do we assume that it is a
clergy function to maintain order in the church? Look at what he says:
What then
shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word
of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must
be done for the strengthening of the church. If anyone speaks in a tongue,
two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must
interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the
church and speak to himself and God. Two or three prophets should speak, and
the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to
someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all
prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits
of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of
disorder but of peace. 1 Corinthians 14:26-33
Who is responsible for the order in
this church service? The answer is right
there -- he is addressing the body. He
could have easily said now you elders or you pastors you better get them people
in order. No he does not say this; he
tells the body to maintain order in the body. We were supposed to be a self regulating
entity. We have this concept that we are
dumb animals that God has to control through the pastor. This is rubbish; we all have the spirit of
God in us. Paul instituted these
guidelines so that we can all govern ourselves in our congregations.
What about when action was required
in the body? Surely Paul instructs some
single individual to deal with sin in the body.
No he did not. Do you remember
when in the Corinthian church there was a brother living in incest? This was a pretty grievous situation. Did Paul instruct the bishop, elder, pastor
or whoever to go and rebuke this fellow.
No sir he did not! Look at what
he says:
In the name of our Lord
Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided
to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his
spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your boasting is not good Do
you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out
the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact
unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. 1 Corinthians
5:4-7
And in another place Paul says:
For what have I to do with
judging outsiders? Do YOU not judge those who are within the church? But those who
are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES. 1
Corinthians 5:12-13
Well now, just who was it that was
to deliver the vile brother over to Satan?
The body. And who was it that was
to clean out the leaven (sin) from among them.
The body. Well blow me down! We would not even consider this today. In such a situation we would bring it to the
attention of the clergy. Let the clergy
deal with this, they have the authority.
Nonsense, God gives such authority to the body of Christ. You the collective!
Order in the church was to be done
by the body and it was never orchestrated by any one man. Did they have instances of a one man show for
us to see in the scriptures? Yes they did:
I wrote unto the church:
but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among
them, receiveth us not. Wherefore, if I
come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with
malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the
brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.
3 John 9, 10
This Diotrephes character loved to
be in charge of things. Do you see his
activities? He determined who spoke and he determined who was welcomed. HIM,
not the body. This was not
in line with the body concept of the scriptures, but it is
the norm of what we have today.
Doesn’t the scripture teach that we should be submissive to our leaders?
It is important to address this
concept now. The scriptures do instruct
us to be submissive to those that lead us, but in order to understand this we
must first understand what was Jesus’ concept of leadership:
Also a
dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.
Jesus said to them, "The kings of the
Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call
themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like
that.
Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who
rules like the one who serves.
Luke 22: 24-26
We must be very careful when making
assumptions when we read the scriptures.
Upon examining verses on submission to leadership in the body of Christ
we can easily incorporate our flawed concepts of leadership in our
readings. Examining the verses above it
is clear that in regards to leadership Jesus rejects the prevailing view of a
leader on top. Whether we see it or not
this is what we have adopted today as our model. Our Pastors only carry ‘servants’ in word
only. Look at their lifestyles they are
in their positions more catered to than the kings of this world. In fact if we were to institute the
leadership style of Jesus here most would run away from the notion of being a
pastor!
So what does it mean that we should
be submissive to them?
Now I urge you, brethren
(you know the household of Stephanas, that they were the)first
fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves for ministry to the
saints), that you also be in subjection
to such men and to everyone who helps in the work and labors. 1
Corinthians 16:15-16
And we beseech you,
brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; 1
Thessalonians 5:12
This seems to be establishing a
hierarchy in the body of Christ. Upon
closer examination we can see just what this submission to leadership really
means:
Remember
your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the
outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:7
So I urge
and implore you, be imitators of me.
1 Corinthians 4:16
Do you see these above verses? They are declaring in no uncertain terms just
what this submission was to be. We are
to submit to our leaders in the Lord by being imitators of their way of life. THAT IS SUBMISSSION. Submission in this sense does not mean a
superior and a subordinate, but imitation.
Peter says it most brilliantly:
Neither as
being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.
This is God’s way and this is his
order.
The hijack of praise, worship
and the presence of God
The clergy has been very instrumental
at hijacking the concept of praise and worship.
These activities have become things that we think are best done
corporately. The clergy has gone so far
as to redefine these concepts and that for the worse.
Praise
Anyone not thinking that the
concept of praise is corrupted can go to any typical charismatic church and
observe their so-called praise and worship service. It will soon be abundantly clear to you that
what is considered praise is a song that is upbeat and that is sung really fast
and loud. But what does he say to us?
Through
Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of
praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. Hebrew 13:15
How is someone to praise God, and what
does it mean? Please try to understand;
the bible is not ambiguous. It is not
difficult to understand what it means.
In fact it has been in the early centuries a goal of the clergy to
obscure the simplicity of the word of God so that the ordinary man could not
understand it. So what is praise? Praise is defined in the above verse. Hebrews
says that it is when we thank God. That
is it. When we thank God then we are
praising God. No mystery, no confusion,
no fast song -- just thanking God. And most importantly, congregation not
necessary! In fact Paul tells us to
continually offer up praises to God.
Because the clergy has hijacked this concept and relegated it to music
then we do much damage to this command.
Worship
If ever there was a concept that
was massacred it is this one. Again
visit any charismatic church and their idea of worship will become patently
obvious to you. To them worship is a
slow-paced song that evokes tears from the congregants, screeches or siren-like
wails. To them worship is a type of song
that slows the pace down. Well tell me
is this what God had in mind? Absolutely
not! In the gospel of the kingdom
worship has absolutely nothing to do with singing!
Ok so what is worship? Well whatever worship was under the old
covenant it was not accepted under the new.
Consider this:
But the
hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the
Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship
him. John 4:23
Jesus says that true worshippers
would worship God in a new way. This new
way is identified by him as ‘in spirit and in truth’. So whatever this means it would be the new
way of worship going forward. So what
does it mean to worship God? How do we
worship God? The more important question
is can we indeed worship God in our church services today? No we cannot!
Consider that Jesus said that we would worship him in spirit and in
truth so how do we do this?
Therefore,
I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans12:1
Do you see that? It is the submission of our bodies to
fulfilling his will that is considered worship.
Not some song! He continues to expand:
Do not conform
any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind. Then you will be able to test
and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2
So you see God wants worship but
worship is a submission of your bodies to his will, and his will is
diametrically opposed to the way of the world.
Have you heard this before? If
you have read my first installment on the gospel you have. This is the righteousness that God requires,
and it is when we are in compliance with the gospel of the kingdom that God
considers that a state of worship.
As long as we have a distorted
concept of what is right we will continue to act in error. He told us specific things that have no room
for improvisation. Let us just stick to
what God says.
The house of God
This is one of the most heinous of
desecrations possible in the body of Christ.
What do we commonly call the church buildings that we attend? We call them houses of God? Do you realize how blasphemous this is? The clergy perpetuates this lie because they
want to add to the spirituality of their station. But consider, if you will, how ridiculous
this concept is. We collectively go to
some building as a group. We meet there
every Sunday and sometimes throughout the week.
It is therefore this act that qualifies this place as the house of
God. What absurdity! We live in a time where churches spring up
everywhere. The custom has been to find
space wherever it was available. So you
rent some place that use to be a chicken shack and one day it was an old
abandoned building and today it is the house of God. Are you serious? This is a classic example of mixing the old
and the new together. And it all has to
do with trying to add holiness to things. What does God say concerning this?
Howbeit the most High
dwelleth not in
temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth
is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the
place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all these things? Acts 7:48-50
Do you see what he says? HE
DOES NOT LIVE IN TEMPLES
…you also, as living
stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ. 1 Peter 2:5
Did you read this verse? It says that you, you the body of Christ you
are his house. Not some building no
matter how pretty. There is nothing
sacred about blocks and mortar. God says
that no temple was good enough for him. He
prefers to live in you his children. There
is nothing sacred at all about some church building!
Jesus
replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will
love him, and we will come to him and
make our home with him. John 14:23
And what
agreement hath the temple
of God
Let me tell of the danger that
accompanies the idea that a church building is the house of God. Do you realize what the above verses are
saying? It is saying that all that
God is lives in you the believer. Do you
see that? Do you understand that? We do not because then we would see ourselves
as sacred. The clergy has made a
building the house of God and the people are just the people of God. When will we stop these blasphemous ranting? You are sacred, you are sanctified. If we understand this we would be more conscious
of the residents we carry in us, and sin would not be so easy for us.
My fellow believers, I pray God
that you come to see the error that the clergy system perpetuates in the body
of Christ.
The hijack of the anointing and
the voice of God
Let us move now to how the system
hijacks the anointing and the voice of God.
The clergy in its effort to be a set apart group of individuals special
unto God have gone on to lay claims to the anointing. They see it as their exclusive gift that they
can dole out to whomever they please.
Some describe the anointing as the ‘burden
removing yoke destroying power of God’.
That is quite a mouthful so let us just agree that the anointing is the
power of God. In the old covenant the
anointing was a symbolic measure used among the priesthood and political realms
to signify God’s choice. Today this is
not so! This power is available to ALL the people of God not to some select
few. Some clergymen have gone so far as
to evoke the following verse to show their uniqueness in the eyes of God:
Saying,
Touch not mine anointed, and do my
prophets no harm. 1 Chronicles 16:22
Will these blasphemers never cease
to pervert the word of God? Many a
preachers use this to instill fear in their congregants so that they can act
with impunity. But what does the
scripture say under the new covenant?
But the anointing
which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things,
and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in
him. 1 John 2:27
Do you see that? We all have the same anointing from God. The suppressive clergy would not have you to believe
this because this would cut away their uniqueness.
Interestingly enough, this leads to
another point. The clergy would have you
see them as the voice of God in the earth.
Well now let us see, if:
- God has given you a purpose individually
- God has given to you, his body, gifts of the spirit
- God expects you to act directly on his behalf in the
world
- God has directed you, his body, to restore order in
your meetings
- God has handed you directly the power to praise and
worship and even to house his presence in your bodies
- God has given you his body – ALL of you -- his anointing
How pray tell is it that God would
not give you his voice as well. GOD
desires to speak directly to you!
How did the clergy exalt itself so
high above the body of Christ? It is due
to their flights of fancy where they see themselves on the same level as
Moses. As they read the scriptures they
come to see themselves in the role that Moses played. But they fail to realize that they are not of
the same caliber. We are all under a new
covenant. Consider how God viewed Moses:
Then He
said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and
seventy of the elders of Israel
Do you see what this is
saying? Under this situation Moses alone
could approach God. Do you not see that
this is not so today?
Let US therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and
find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16
Today, in this New and Living Way
The ‘clergy’ as organized today has
not a leg to stand on!
Was it always like
this?
By now I hope you come to see that
what we have today is a far cry from what God ordained. He gave us the best possible parable to
illustrate the relationships that we should have in the church. Unfortunately we have allowed the clergy
system to corrupt our thoughts and rob us of the goodness his design would
bring to us. What is this simile that he
gave us to follow? Jesus calls the
church his body. The body as you will
see is the most appropriate comparison to what Jesus really wanted. What we have today however is a two-headed
monster with one head that is Christ and another head that is the clergy system.
Understanding the body
Jesus used the body to describe our
relationship with him and with each other.
This use of the body metaphor is therefore essential to our
understanding of how we are to operate together and how he has authorized us to
perform on the earth. To anyone that has
taken a course in the anatomy of the human body you can see just how intricate
and complex the body is designed. It has
many systems that are all interconnected fulfilling their functions all for the
common good of all. Consider this:
For as the
body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one
body: so also is Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12
Do you understand this? Jesus says that we are just like a body as we
form the body of Christ in the earth.
Here are some pertinent characteristics about the body that are
essential for our understanding of how the church is to operate:
Interconnected
So we,
being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Romans 12:5
Here we see that the body of Christ
is to be a connected entity. We are
supposed to be members of one another.
This is a trait that only a body can boast. My question to you is can this be said of us
today? Of course not! The body of Christ today is the most
disjointed entity ever; so much so that if it would represent a person it could
only have true representation in a body that has undergone an explosion! Infighting, confusions, denominations, tearing
and biting at one another. There is no interconnectivity
in us. But do you want to know why? It is because we have rejected the gospel of
the kingdom of God
No superiority
This is a most important trait of a
body. Think for a movement; if your body
had more than one seat of authority what would happen? You will malfunction. This is because the body is designed to only
have one head. In the body of Christ today
we have what we call a clergy. They
stand as superiors to the rest of the body.
This is not how a body is to operate.
In your heart do you have cells that are superior to other heart cells? In your blood do you have cells that are more
important than the others? In your
stomach do you have cells that are far more important than other stomach cells? NO you do not. All cells are of the same importance. The thing is that there is only one head that
controls it all. THE CLERGY IS NOT THE HEAD OF THE BODY OF CHRIST. Those in what we call leadership simply have
a different function than us. One
stomach cell-type provides the encasement of the stomach mechanism. Another stomach cell provides the acid to digest
the food that comes in the stomach. Another
stomach cell moves the food along the digestive track. Is one cell more important than the next? Should one cell be distinguished from the rest? Should we only hear from one cell or are all
needed to fulfill an overall purpose.
The body works as a unit
This trait of the body is the third
link in the chain of how the body works.
If the heart says that I do not want to pump blood to the small toe
would the body operate effectively? No,
if such a thing were possible the toe would die. This is why the body has to work as a unit
for it to fulfill its functions. Is the
body of Christ working together as a unit?
We cannot even agree on the truth of God’s word. This is evident in the amount of
denominations we have on the earth today all thinking that they are right. Well let me say right now, YOU ARE ALL WRONG! The instant that we developed denominations
is the point where we prove that we are defeated. This is not good, we are not working as a
unit, and we are not in the bond of the spirit.
We are this disjointed mishmash of segregated people all thinking that
we are hearing from God, and the most important things we have neglected. A church here and a church there my God! Man Paul would not be able to communicate
with us today. If he addressed his
letter to the church at Nassau ,
Bahamas Florida
What should we be like?
What should the body of Christ be
like? How should we function on the earth? Such questions can not be answered without examining
the scriptures. Would you obey his
way? Or will you cling to your accepted heresies
that have no basis in the truth but in the commandments of men? For us to become a body again there are three
things that must be restored for the true nature of the body and the power of
God to be revealed through us as a whole:
- The restoration of every member functioning
- The realization of the works of service
- Connectivity
The restoration of every member
functioning
The body is not a single member
where one part operates and the other part just watches. There is a name for such a condition it is called
a coma or maybe even paralysis. If we
are to be restored to be worthy to operate in the gospel of the kingdom then
every member of the body must operate. This is especially so when we come together.
The purpose for the assembling of
ourselves was not to sing songs and hear some preacher preach. It was for mutual edification and expression
of the spirit through the gifts that he placed in the body of Christ. The body was supposed to be a self-healing
self-building entity. Where every part
operated wherever it was needed:
For the
body is not one member, but many. 1 Corinthians 12:14
Now you
are Christ's body, and individually members of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27
We are members of the body and as members
we are to operate. We are all to operate
for the edification of each other. That
is God’s plan:
But to
each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 1
Corinthians 12:7
Do you see that? When was the last time you saw anyone other
than the pastor edify the body. Listen
this is not talking about some token effort in letting a few people share a testimony
or sing a song. SINGING A SONG IS NOT A GIFT OF THE SPIRIT. We have fallen so far! How many feel that they are edifying the body
when they sing a special selection as it is called. What are these manifestations given of
the spirit for the common good?
For to one is given the word of wisdom through the
Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit,
and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and
to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing
of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues,
and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things,
distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 1 Corinthians
12:8-11
If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in
turn, and one must interpret; but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the
church; and let him speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets
speak, and let the others pass judgment. But if a revelation is made to another
who is seated, the first one must keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by
one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; 1 Corinthians 14:27 -31
Well now, look at these
manifestations of the spirit. Do you see
this? This is GOD’S order. What we have today is praise and worship,
collect an offering, announcements and bring on the pastor to preach. All this is done in the name of the Lord and
99.9% of the body is not operational. Do
you know what is even more devastating?
The order that God designed would not fit our programs today. One would have to go. Guess which one has been kicked to the
curb. Oh the pastor has a word from the Lord
you say. Well now let us review those
verses again. Well it looks like the
whole body was receiving a word from the Lord.
Well what is this we have? Paul
even tells us to desire gifts:
But earnestly desire the greater gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:31
Well if Paul only knew. He is telling us that we should all be functioning
in our gatherings and now we are not all functioning. There is NO
NEED BROTHER PAUL FOR US TO DESIRE GIFTS BECAUSE WE HAVE NO USE FOR THEM TODAY! Paul was really not with the times. Today brother Paul we streamlined our service
and now we only have one member edifying.
We do not need your old ways
Paul, besides I do not want to have a closer relationship with God because then
he would want me to change so let the preacher preach me happy!
It is when the restoration of every
member functioning that the church will really grow. By growth I am meaning maturity. Consider that we have a body today that is
itself fraught with sin. Could it be
that these issues exist because the body itself isn’t all functioning?
…but speaking the truth in
love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,
from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each
individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in
love. Ephesians 4:15-16
Do you see God’s original intent
here in this verse? He wanted EACH
INDIVIDUAL PART WORKING. What would such
a thing cause? IT WOULD CAUSE THE GROWTH OF THE BODY. Well now, what is this we have? God says that the body will ONLY grow when
EVRY PART is PROPERLY working. Could this
be the reason why we have so much disunity and sin struggles in the body of
Christ? Of course it is! Do we think that we can deviate from God’s
best, incorporate our own ideas and still have his blessing? This verse is not talking about new
membership. How foolish are we to think
that because our churches are getting bigger that we are growing! Neither could we placate our conscious’s by
putting people to work as ushers or worship leaders or greeters (THESE ARE ALL NOT GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT). Growth here means
maturity and maturity to God is when we stop struggling with sin and begin to
look like Jesus. That is only done when
EVRY PART IS WORKING PROPERLY.
The works of service
And He gave some as
apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors
and teachers, for the equipping of the
saints for the work of service, to the
building up of the body of Christ; Ephesians 4:11-12
In this verse Paul tells of SOME of the functions
in the body of Christ. He was not
establishing hierarchy but he was establishing the function of SOME of the members of the body of Christ. These offices are essential to the operation
of the church and they have a unique purpose.
The problem is that the purpose has been altered to what we have today
as a clergy. But the true purpose of
these functions in the body would shock you!
Look at the verse again, read it slowly.
Can you see what is the purpose of these functions are in the body? Look
at the verse you will see that it says that their job was to EQUIP the saints for the work of the
ministry. In another place it says:
But we request of you,
brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have
charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, 1 Thessalonians 5:12
For even if I boast
somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put
to shame 2 Corinthians 10:8
Well now, what then are they suppose to equip us
for? What is this equipping suppose to
produce? The equipping of the saints is
for the very purpose of NOT being
dependant on these offices. Did you get that? God put them there so that they can teach you
to the point where you do not need them any longer. Look at the scriptures:
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first
principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and
not of strong meat. Hebrews 5: 12
Do you see that?
The writer of Hebrews wanted them to mature to the point where they
themselves were teachers not having to be taught. He wanted them to come to a place of maturity
where they would be able to connect directly with God. That was the design of God. He knew that the body would have to be
directly connected to the head if it was to be mature so his design was to introduce
these select few to bring the many to a place where they would no longer need
them. THE WORK OF THESE FUNCTIONS WAS NOT AN EVERLASTING PROCESS. At some point the believers should come to a
place where they are now able to receive meat and that directly from Christ.
But strong meat belongeth
to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses
exercised to discern both good and evil.
Hebrews 5:14
The goal of the pastor and the rest
is to work themselves out of a job. Why else would he tell them to mature?
…until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man,
to the measure of the stature which belongs to the
fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no
longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by
every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful
scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to
grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the
whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies,
according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of
the body for the building up of itself in love. Ephesians 4:13-16
Let us look at the two important elements
in these verses:
1 – Until. Do you see that word? This was not supposed to happen at the return
of Jesus, but it was his intention that this be an ongoing process achieving
conclusions on many levels TODAY. Once this unity and maturity was met then
these positions were no longer needed and they were assimilated back into the
body until people were added that were not yet mature.
Not that
we lord it over your faith, but are
workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm.
2 Corinthians 1:24
This is a wonderful system. They were to become a self-sufficient entity
that was in all parts working until maturity so that all would edify all. How wonderful are the ways of our God!
2 – Grow up into Christ. Do you see that phrase? This is where we would have each believer now
directly connected to God because of the maturity that has been produced in the
body through the functions of the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and
teacher.
Is your pastor bringing you to the
point that he can decrease and the body can increase to a place of maturity
where now we all are doing what the Spirit wants? God does not want a go-between; he wants a
direct link to ALL of his children.
Where ALL can hear everything he is saying. This is why we see no moderator or leaders in
the gatherings described in Corinthians.
The spirit of God was fully in charge and he used whomever he pleased to
get them to speak his word however he wished.
So what are these works of service?
The works of service are two parts:
- Our service to the body and
- Our service to the world
The maturity that was to be
produced was to bring us to the place where we all can, depending on our gifts,
edify the body of Christ. God wanted for
you to come to a place of maturity and using the gift of the Spirit to edify
your brothers and sister. Did he not say
that the gifts were for the common good and our edification?
The maturity also was to bring you
to a point where you were to now be walking in the tenets of the gospel of the Kingdom
and operating in the things that he said.
This would produce men seeing your good works and glorifying God. The acts of righteousness that would be a
part of the mature life would have been what God wants to show the world of his
goodness and grace.
Connectivity
If we are to be a body again we
must restore the bond of the spirit.
This disjointedness is hindering the spread of the gospel of the
kingdom. There are no special divisions
in the body of Christ. There are no
special offices. The clergy as we have
it today introduces such schisms. This
disjointedness can also be found in the rest of the body. What does his word say to us?
…whereas
our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the
body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may
be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one
another. 1 Corinthians 12:24-25
God’s desire was that we would have
no divisions among us. We should have
the same care one for another. NO divisions. If you give abundantly to a pastor you should
give abundantly to your sister next to you.
Look at how beautiful God had designed the body to work. Do you remember when there was financial lack
in one part of the body? Remember what Paul
said:
For I mean not that other
men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for
their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there
may be equality: 2 Corinthians 8:13-14
God’s design was to have his body
so connected that there would have been equality all around. Do you understand his plan for us? Let us put off then these concepts that have
no root in truth and put on the new and living way as outlined but the gospel
of the kingdom.
Obey the gospel!
