If You Want to See REVIVAL
The Great Vacuum
Church Leadership!
I wonder sometimes how many pastors and leaders are truly ordained of God for the offices they occupy? To become a legal pastor you may be required to attend Bible college and Seminary to receive your degree to demonstrate your qualification. Other groups are more liberal with the title pastor and one can become a pastor by being recognized as such by other members of the same organization. In either case it would seem that the office of pastor is, for the most part occupied as a profession.
The basis for their knowledge seems to be taught by scholars, who may or may not be true Christians. It is sadly apparent there is precious little revealed knowledge being shared in today’s churches. There is also no real maturity evident either in the pulpit or in the pews. Early on, I realized it is not possible to lead anyone to a level of maturity you have not attained yourself. It is also not possible for any of us to live in anyone else's revelation. It is only a revelation when the Holy Spirit Himself makes it so, and no amount of applied intellect can bring it about.
In order to test our maturity we should examine scripture, Hebrews 6:1-3 outlines the basics of our faith and indicates that if our knowledge is limited to the points outlined in this text we are indeed not attaining unto any level of maturity. The scripture I refer to follows:
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit. Heb. 6:1-3
These three short verses should challenge pastors and flocks alike. If our faith is based only on the above points referred to as the principles of the doctrine of Christ they by no means should be considered as some level of maturity. Indeed, Paul says we are to leave these principles and go on unto perfection. When he says to leave these principles, he is not suggesting that we forget these principles but rather that we are not to stay with these principles only, if we are to go on unto perfection. Consider the following scripture:
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. For every one that useth milk [is] unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. Heb. 5: 12,13.
Paul is not talking to unbelievers, nor is he talking to new Christians, he is speaking to people who have been taught the first principles of the oracles of God. These people are seen as still being in need of milk and not of strong meat. How, anyone can look at church teaching today and suggest it is strong meat, is a mystery to me. In fact much of what passes, as teaching today is not even as nutritious to the spirit as babe’s milk would be. We seem to gauge our maturity on the number of years we have occupied pews rather than using the word of God as our guidepost and standard. Indeed it is sad when we can deceive ourselves into thinking we are being fed strong meat, when in fact we are not even receiving babes milk. So, then what are we being fed? Consider:
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; Eph. 4: 11-14
This passage of scripture makes the purpose of all ministry very clear and that is to perfect the saints, to build up the body until we come to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Then we are told, we will not be tossed about and carried with every wind of doctrine. Where does this doctrine come from? It comes by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. Does this seem harsh? Well, perhaps it is meant to, in any case you can't argue with the author. It would seem that many that occupy the position of Pastor and teacher do indeed need to be taught. While the deception may not be deliberate or diabolical, there is nevertheless much deception in this area of pastors and teachers. Since many pastors and teachers have not attained any real level of maturity and whose knowledge is limited to the 'principles' as outlined in Heb. 6: 1-3, they do end up crafting doctrines and teaching and passing them off every week as some Divine revelation. Indeed, they are not even feeding the flock the true milk of the gospel but rather are teaching polluted garbage and passing it off as good teaching. Use the test of Heb. 6: 1-3 to determine the strength of what you hear in church week in and week out. I think you will find that what is passing for sound teaching simply does not measure up.
THE REAL TEACHER
There is only one true teacher in the whole church, and that teacher is the third Person of the Godhead, and He is the Holy Spirit. He alone is our Comforter, our Teacher and our Counsellor. Until pastors and teachers realize this, they will be doomed to grope about as a blind man, having to invent things to say to simply keep their jobs. For many pastors this is just the way things are and they will not be able to hear one word of this writing, however, there are others who are sincere about being a pastor and will realize that this speaks directly to their hearts. They will know that their teaching comes only with the wisdom of man and is void of the Power of God. Consider the following scripture:
And my speech and my preaching [was] not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 1 Cor. 2:4-5
That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. Col. 2:2-4.
How much preaching in your church can stand the test of 1 Cor. 2:4? Where is the demonstration of the Spirit and of power? There are many enticing words of man's wisdom because for the most part what is preached comes from the abundance of man's brains, rather than by revelation of the Holy Spirit. Oh, sure it is dressed up and made to sound intellectual and perhaps even spiritual. It is however, bankrupt of any Power and if it lacks the power of God, how will Christians be able to stand in the face of great opposition unless their faith is grounded in the power of God?
We are told in Col. 2: 2-3 that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. If that is the case how can Pastors and the like confess wisdom unless they are so in Christ that this wisdom is made known to them. Since it is obvious that this wisdom and knowledge is not manifest among church leaders, it begs the question " what exactly do they talk about week after week ?". Try to remember the most profound thing that you have heard from a church leader in the years that you have attended church. I am certain there were many Sundays you went home thinking you had heard a good sermon. Now try to remember what made all those sermons so wonderful. If you can't remember them, chances are they were the concoction of someone's intellect and were not wisdom revealed by God.
I make the following suggestion to Pastors in all honesty and sincerity; if you honestly want to see something different in your church services .... Sit down and shut up ...and wait for the Holy Ghost to lead your meetings! You are choking the life out of the flock with your endless sermons, contrived with your own and others wisdom. And to the flock everywhere ...Let your pastors sit down and shut up and wait for the Holy Ghost with them and don't keep expecting them to have to produce some grand teaching week after week. You can hear from God just as loudly as the person standing in the pulpit. So wake up and do your part. Understand this; you are just as much a part of the body of Christ as the person you pay to lead and guide you. If you are truly born again, the same Holy Spirit lives within you as lives within your leaders. You are to take an active role in your assemblies and are not to come into your church, expecting your leader to be your link with God. You already have your link with God and His name is the Holy Spirit. It is He who will teach you all things and lead you into all truth. Consider:
But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things 1John 2:20
These [things] have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 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. 1John 2: 26,27
These two scriptures make it very clear who is the teacher and who reveals all things to us. 1John 2:26 makes it clear that John is showing how we are to be protected from receiving lies from those who would seduce us. How are we seduced? We are seduced when we follow after cunningly devised fables which take us away from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus and in Him alone. As soon as we begin adding anything to the simplicity of abiding in Christ we are polluting the Gospel and making Jesus of no effect in our lives. Consider:
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion [cometh] not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Gal. 5: 1-9
In this scripture the Apostle Paul is addressing the idea that you still must be circumcised in order to please God. However, the same truth applies to anything you would add to the gospel of Jesus. For example if in your church you say the women are to wear their dresses to the ankles, you have just created your own version of circumcision. If you say you must study your Bible for at least one hour daily, you have just created another form of circumcision. Anything that you add to abiding in Christ becomes a form of circumcision. Galatians 5:5 makes it very clear that we wait for the righteousness which comes by faith, not the righteousness which comes by rules and regulations. Your early warning signal should immediately kick in when you hear anyone giving you a list of things you must do in order to be right with God. Unfortunately sometimes more than a little leaven manages to get into the weekly sermon, when the Holy Spirit is not leading your Pastor.
There are two very strong warnings in these scriptures, firstly that Christ becomes of no effect when we seek our justification in some form of the law, and secondly that only a very little leaven will leaven the whole lump. When we allow even the tiniest bit of the law to creep into our thinking it will eventually contaminate our whole relationship with the Lord. You will also note that verse 8 states that this whole idea does not come from him that calls us. So how come we will listen to leaders who have wrong teaching and believe them, rather than believing what Christ is saying to us? We simply are listening more to our leaders than we are abiding in Christ and listening to the teaching of the Holy Spirit. It is easier to come to church and put our feet up and wait for the Pastor to feed us than it is to spend time with the Lord hearing from Him directly. Consider the following:
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. John 15: 4,5.
Jesus clearly says that we can do nothing unless we are abiding in Him. His example of the vine and the branch illustrates our complete dependence upon him for our life and very sustenance. When you remove a branch from the vine it will wither and die since it can not support itself. The same is true of us. Our Lord said He is the LIFE. He did not say He will give us life, but rather that He is the life. Imagine if you will what kind of fruit a branch would produce if it could detach itself from the vine for most of the day; and then re-attach itself for an hour or so daily and perhaps a couple of hours on Sunday. We are no different, and that would explain the type of fruit we seem to be producing in our churches these days. This would also explain why we are subject to accepting false teaching and are unable to discern the true from the false. Only when we are abiding in the Lord as the branch abides in the vine, will we be able to hear our Masters voice and no longer listen to, or follow any other.
