Beloved:
“On behalf of the Alvarez family we would
like to wish you a Merry Christmas as we remember the birthday of our Savior
Jesus Christ.”
After my study on apostles last week, The Lord changed what I was
going to do this week. He reminded me
of His # 1 love and passion. It is His
church, the bride of Christ. One of the
greatest deceptions to hit the church in these last 2000 years is our
misunderstanding of how it is supposed to function. We have come to think that church is all about a sermon, a
preacher, and a program. There are
these “ front line warriors” called and anointed by God to go out an save the
world while the rest of us go from Sunday to Sunday, attending church services,
doing an occasional outreach, and having pie and coffee at fellowship meetings.
Nothing is further from the truth! I think that the United States body of
Christ is terribly bored because of this misconception. Ephesians 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined
together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure
of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself
in love
This scripture shows us that only when every member of Christ’s body, is working to his or her maximum output, in the ministries, callings, and giftings that Christ has placed within each of us, can real building up take place. Satan is quite content to allow individual ministries to become large and powerful, as long as the majority of the body never realizes that each and every one us, is likewise equally called into something great and of significance for the Lord. As my pastor shared with me, “the “you(s)” found in the New Testament are always plural!” If the Lord wills, we shall start today with a comprehensive series pertaining to the New Testament church model. I hope that we can all acquire a basic understanding of this model, as to make the bride of Christ spotless, and help usher in, this great end time revival of lost souls. My pastor rightfully stated that the barometer of our churches’ health can be seen, in that our pagan culture has influenced it to the point, that our churches have become “Burger King” congregations just like it. Should we not be impacting our society instead?
The New
Testament model of the church is very much founded on our acquiring certain
types of “spiritual knowledge” which are important to God. Our understanding and our acquisition of these
types of spiritual knowledge are vital for building our churches.
A) KNOWLEDGE OF
CHRIST
·
Ephesians
1:17 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
<1922> of
him: My dear brethren, the four types of knowledge that we shall study
today, all come from the Greek word “epiginosko”.
( Strongs# 1921 and 1922)
This particular word defines knowledge as one that is “mature,
probing and deep, complete, accurate, thorough, and precise.”
Eph3:7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the
effectual working of his power. Christ reveals Himself differently in each of us in accordance
with the callings that He has placed within.
The more that we know Him personally with accuracy and intimacy, the
more that every ministry will be revealed, strengthened, and guided within the
local body, fulfilling Ephesians 4:6.
Rev
19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship
him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of
thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is
the spirit of prophecy; We can see that very
manifestation of the living Christ is the source of all spiritual gifts. Out of the very presence of Jesus flows the
power of God. His very gifts glorify
Him. John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will
send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he
shall testify of me:
1Cor
1:5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
6
Even as the testimony of Christ was
confirmed in you. Brethren, the more of Jesus that is revealed
in each of, the more the gifts will operate, and the more will be the
edification which the church will receive.
B) KNOWLEDGE
OF GOD’S WILL
·
Col1:9¶
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for
you, and to desire that ye
might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual
understanding;
10
That
ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every
good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Beloved, did you know that most of our churches operate today
without an accurate and complete
knowledge of what God’s will is for their specific vision? It is no wonder that most of them spin their
wheels for years to come, caught in a web of powerless programs and
agendas. To know God’s will in “all
spiritual wisdom” is incredibly important.
The “wisdom of God” is the will of God according to His strategy,
His ways, and His timing. It will
always happen in the Spirit, and always through a death and resurrection of the
vision for that ministry. We need to
spend the days, weeks, and months, that it takes in prayer to discern that will. Much more will be accomplished by our
waiting and seeking, than by our getting busy in a flury of activities. To do His will “with all spiritual understanding”
is to discern what are God’s specific steps in fulfilling the will which we
have just discerned. A church
fulfilling the will of God “with all spiritual understanding” will
take the painstaking time to move step by step in line with the Holy Spirit,
never behind, and never before Him.
C) KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH
1Tim2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to
come unto the knowledge of
the truth. Beloved, to know the
truth, is to know God’s word deeply, with accuracy, and in accordance to fact
and certainty.
John
8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and
the truth shall make you free. Many of us sadly “claim
and frame” this scripture. In reality
what Jesus is telling us, is the truth shall free us in the exact proportion to
the accurate understanding and performance that we have of it. Our
misunderstanding of scriptures through error, a lack of meditation or study, or
because we have turned them into a “doctrine of men” will not free us. Pastor, did you know that in reality the
five fold ministry is really a four-fold ministry? Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors
and teachers;. The Greek
does not say pastors and teachers, but pastor teachers, or pastors who are
teachers. In other words every pastor
is called by God to skillfully teach the scriptures.
D) THE KNOWLEDGE
OF EVERY GOOD THING WE HAVE IN CHRIST
Philemon
1:6 That the communication of thy faith
may become effectual by the acknowledging
of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. This rarely used, but vitally important
scripture, tells us that our faith will only become effectively empowered, as
we discover and use every gifting, calling, and ministry that Christ has placed
within us. Beloved this is not the
responsibility of the few but of all. When
a church discovers this and implements it, we shall see another church of
Acts.
2
Timothy 4:5 But watch thou in all
things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
Colossians
4:17 And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast
received in the Lord, that thou fulfil