3:00 PM – 3:45 PM Session # 14
The New Testament Church in
Action
1Cor 12:12 ¶ 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.
Paul’s
confirms what we have already stated.
The human body, and the body of Christ as His church, should function
alike.
1cor 12:14 For the
body is not one member,
but many. The Greek makes use of the “absolute
negative” for the word “not”. Literally
defined, we are told that under
no circumstance, should a congregation be made up of a few active
members. This argument hits at the very
core of “a great church deception.” My beloved brethren, one pastors that literally controls the
governing life of a church, makes for all intents and purposes, the body of
Christ into a “non body”. Like
wise, parishioners who fail to discern, and fulfill their ministries, forcing
pastors and ministers into positions of control, do just the same.
1Cor
12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I
am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
v
Deception in the church; an independent spirit.
1Cor12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not
the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? What an incredible dependency we must have
for each other. An independent spirit
towards the Lord Jesus, or towards one other, will stunt our process of
growth. Every member is called to
sharpen each other, through their callings and ministries.
1Cor 12:17 If the whole
body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were
the smelling? The fewer the number of
members serving and ministering within a local body, the fewer will be the
giftings available to it. This
particular congregation will be greatly hindered in its discernment of demonic
infiltration. There will be a
deficiency in the prophetic that administers guidance, exhortation, and
encouragement, and the confirmation of God’s will.
1Cor14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
If the apostolic
ministries are deficient, how will the right foundation be laid? A church without the revelation of Jesus
through the apostolic witness of the risen Christ will build lopsided.
Acts 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great
grace was upon them all
1Cor3:10 According to the grace of God which is given
unto me, as a wise masterbuilder( ARCHITECT), I
have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man
take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
v
Every church that I have attended in the last twenty years, for the exception of the one that I go to now, has been unable to
discern the presence of wolves, gross sin, and major doctrinal error, blatantly
obvious in its midst. In due time God
always exposed these forces. Considerable damage had been done to the flock
however, or God finally closed the congregations down. Much of this has to do with the lack of
commitment and participation of the church’s members or the prohibition of
spiritual gifts by the elders.
1Cor12:
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the
body, as it hath pleased him..
The
pastoral staff shares in the function of overseeing, for example
Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves,
and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the
church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
This favorite word of mine
for “overseeing” is “episkopos” .
Literally, it comes from two words meaning, “standing above, in order
to examine into, and scope out needs and problems.” My brethren, this
remains a true function of any eldership staff.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have
no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
Literally
the Greek admonishes us, that not even of the weakest member can we say “I
have no need of you” and not be lying!
The superior members are in desperate need of the inferior
22Nay, much more those members of the body,
which seem to be more feeble, are necessary.
The weakest members are indispensable.
23And those members of the body, which
we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely
parts have more abundant comeliness.
Literally “we place a wreath of superabundant honor upon the weaker
or more unseemly members”, says the Greek. .. Our deformed, indecent, and unseemly parts
always require special care. That same
care should be given to all weaker members within our congregations.
24For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having
given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: “To temper” means That God has
caused each part of His body
to be melted and hammered together into an organic whole.
Mat 10:5 ¶ These
twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the
Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house
of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of
heaven is at hand.
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the
dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
9 9 Provide (To acquire, procure, or possess) neither gold, nor
silver, nor brass(coins
or brass, or money) in your purses,
10 Nor scrip(a traveling bag for
provisions) for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves:
for the workman is worthy of his meat.
v
Personal testimony: The vision of the hand sweeping the
coins
v
Guaranteed finances for ever
v
The pot of manna
v
The rhema word of God as our guarantee in
life!
v The restoration of the apostolic walk
must come forth in this country, at least amongst prophets and apostles. Called
apostles, cannot operate as apostles if they do not have an experiential
understanding of Matthew chapter ten. I
personally would like to have a lot more money than what I currently have. Our intentions, for one, are to give freely
into Native American ministries who desperately need it. However, if the need is to continue to
operate in the walk depicted in Matthew chapter ten, though considerably more
difficult and not always enjoyable, we must continue to do so. This walk is one
which full of the miracle working power of God and which amply displays the
ways of God.
Koinonia
1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that
are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in
him.
·
First John two and fifteen
is an example of what I call a “proportional scripture.” In other words, to the proportion that the
love for the things of this world fills the limited space of our heart, is to
the same proportion that the love of God has no more room within that limited
space, and must leave.
·
If we see the importance of
our ministry as greater than that of being simple slaves of Christ Jesus
without any rights, save the right to obey, the things of this world will not
have been taken to the cross, and our ministry will take place in the bondage
of vainglory, jealousy, bitterness and the likes. True ministry is never about
numbers, money, fame, glory or recognition.
It is simple moment-to-moment obedience to the Lord as He tells us where
to go and what to do, whether it would be to the small or the great, the
exciting or the mundane.
Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he
will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and
despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
·
Greek: You cannot be a
slave to two lords… You will hate one, and love the other one
unconditionally…you will embrace one; and think little of the other…Ye cannot
be a slave to God and to material acquisitions.
·
Matthew six and twenty four
is another one of those “famous” proportional scriptures. To the extent that we embrace material gain
for the wrong motives is to the same extent that we will think little of, and
hate the Lord. By hating the Lord, I
mean to say that we will hate what He requires from us that regard the yielding
up of the material wealth that we dearly embrace. Our ability to obey the Lord,
as Lord, will be restricted likewise to the extent that we are submitted to the
lordship of material gain.
q
New Testament fellowship must supercede
religious tithing! This is a very important truth!
Act
2:42 ¶ And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship,
and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 And fear came upon every soul: and many
wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44 And all that believed were together, and had
all things common;
45
And
sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had
need.
v Possessions; property, land and estates:
Goods; possessions, good, wealth
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord(Homothymadon) in the temple, and breaking bread
from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, {from…: or, at home}
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the
people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
·
Today, we hear more and
more what I consider as sound doctrinal arguments regarding that tithing is not
taught by the Lord Jesus. I believe
that there is soundness in tithes and offerings. For twenty-two years I have tithed and have never lacked anything. Today, I still usually tithe and find that
there is strong spiritual safety in doing it. However I find myself being
governed much more by the law of fellowship.
In other words at any, and in all occasions, I must be ready to impart
great or small, from all my possessions whether physical, emotional, or
spiritual as led by the Holy Spirit, knowing that nothing belongs to me, and
that God loves and wants to bless everyone equally to me.
q My wife, Mary, has a wonderful story
that has made a substantial impact upon my life. When she was a missionary with Youth With a Mission in England,
there were many young people that virtually had to pray in their soap,
toothpaste, and the expenses for the school.
Mary came into the organization with a trust fund that paid her monthly
expenses. The Lord had prior to this revealed to her that everything belonged
to Him. Everyone that was attending the
school was just the same as Mary; God loved then equally, and wanted to bless
them in the just same way as Mary had been blessed. She was simply the steward of the trust fund as the Holy Spirit
directed. This my friends is the
meaning of “New Testament” fellowship.”
2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly
shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also
bountifully.
·
He which soweth
bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Greek: “He that soweth upon a blessing shall reap
upon a blessing.”
·
What the apostle Paul has
in mind when he tells us to sow bountifully is that our sowing must be of such
quality and in such quantity that it will reach to produce a real blessing upon
someone else. Such a man or woman will
reap a blessing back from the Lord.
Mother Teresa said, “We must love until it hurts.”
1 Tim 6:18
That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute,
willing to communicate;
v Ready or free to impart
1Tim 6:19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the
time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
· Greek:
Treasuring up for themselves a beautiful foundation into the future so
that they may be
free in the present time to grasp and make their own eternal life.
The Gideon Principle or That of the Over Comers
v Watchman Nee
stated that since the church at large has failed to obey God, God has attained
and completed His work always through out all generations with a few
people. It is supremely important that
these few will hear and obey the rhema word without hesitation. They must always move forward, never doubting
or hesitating. God will do great things
and accomplish His plans through these few in each and every local body.
Basically the work leaving Egypt and entering into the Promised Land was in the
hands of Moses, Joshua, and Caleb; the three over comers.
Abram
¶ Gen 12:1 Now the
LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred,
and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2
And
I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name
great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Moses
Exodus 3:4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside
to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses,
Moses. And he said, Here am I.
7 ¶ And the LORD said,
I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have
heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
4 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the
Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large,
unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and
the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the
Jebusites.
Gideon
Jude 7:5And the LORD
said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and
deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every
man unto his place.
3:45 PM – 4:00 PM Break
4:00 PM – 4:45PM Session # 15 Saturday
Church Growth Not By Programs But By the Spirit #1
Matthew
26:28 For this is my blood of the new (the freshness of something new) testament, (covenant) which is shed for many for the remission
of sins.
·
Testament
In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the word for testament
is more correctly translated as covenant. The idea of a covenant as defined by W.E.
Vine in “An Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words” is a “mutual undertaking between two parties or
more, each binding himself to fulfill obligation.”
· New :
This is a most interesting word.
It is defines as the freshness of something brand new, as is the case of
a new car. The New Covenant has the
ability to convert all things and make them brand new in quality, if we fulfill
our obligations in keeping covenant with the Lord through obedience.
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation):
old (archaic)
things are passed away
; behold, all things are become new
· Second Corinthians five and seventeen utilizes this exact word for “new”. At the instance of our