did jesus lie to us?

Remember Paul?  Remember when he traveled to Jerusalem to see Peter and co? How long had he been serving God without them even knowing Paul? 14 years!  14 years of mission without contact with a local church, a HQ, etc. One moment having Christians killed, the next WHAM serving God amongst a mob who no one else had time for.  A mob who knew nothing of how to be a traditional Jew.  Totally uncircumcised!

Next thing Peter toddles up to see Paul in his stomping ground.  Peter hangs out with the Galatian locals and lives as if he is one of them.  Uncircumcised.

Next a few Jewish fellas come to see him.  And as quick as a flash Peter, out of fear of being criticised, pretends he is a good Jew too.  He stops eating with the locals and starts acting in ways that won't offend his Jewish visitors.

To put it plainly, Paul is a bit more than pissed!  He goes up to Peter and basically calls him a hypocrite to his face in front of EVERYONE.  The locals and visiting Jews too.  No hiding.  Peter, the man known for his faith received a public dressing down.

Why?  Because as Paul noted: Peter by behaving like this had stopped following the gospel message.  Because of his faith he was able to discard his Jewish Levitical traditions and live in the freedom of Christ.  But now he was suddenly doing them again.  Worse, he was advocating the locals to do likewise - follow the Jewish Levitical traditions.  Even Barnabas, Paul's loyal companion had been convinced back.

So here is what Paul explained: Just because you feel guilty that you don't follow the Levitical way once you get right with God by having faith in Christ does not mean Jesus led you to sin!  Not at all!  What makes you a sinner is trying to rebuild this old Levitical way (or follow it when it is presented to you).  Doing this makes you claim that God is a liar.  It makes you a sinner because no matter how hard you try to keep it, it can only condemn you.  Isn't this why we stopped trying to meet its requirements in the first place and follow Jesus?

Seriously dude... Remember your old self has been crucified with Christ and so it is no longer you who lives but Christ in you.  So please live by trusting in the Son of God, who loved you enough to sacrificed his life for you.  Remember, God's grace is NOT meaningless because there would be zero need for Christ is by keeping the law we could be right with God.

***

So my question is where in my life do I still pursue these old Levitical ways?  Or in other words?  What am I doing that says "I don't need Christ" "Doing this or that will make God like me?"

Am I making tithes and offerings?  Am I advocating a special priesthood (pastor-hood, apostle-hood)?  Are we repeating the same rituals (maybe with an electric guitar) in how we meet and how we do things? etc etc like rearranging the proverbial deck chairs on the Titanic. How much of what I do is based on the church culture I was born into ... 

Protestants who in addition to mixing in ideas of human kingship retained much from the Catholic church who was birthed from the Holy Roman Church who took much of what they did directly from the Old Testament traditions of the Law.

And if I am not doing these things from a old covenant stance, and God has done away with them because they only existed because Jesus had not come yet... are they not empty shells?  What point is there for them at all?

And if I think that these ways are comfortable or familiar or traditional or make sense ... am I trying to fill these empty shells with the life of the new covenant, ie Jesus?  But didn't he say this wouldn't work?  Like trying to put new wine in an old wineskin, new cloth to mend an old coat...

***

Bugger

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holy holy ... whichday?

If it is possible for some to consider some days more holy than others, while other people may consider every day as equally holy ... how will this apply to sundays?  To recognised church services?

In the former situation, there is not much more to say.  If one day is more important than another then certain things can only occur on that day.  They do not happen on others.  If it is argued that they can occur on other days, then the reason for the importance of the chosen separated day is the 'why it occurs on at day'.

However, if you are someone who considers every day as equally holy and arguing for a move away from focusing on Sundays then ... it is possible to take one of two approaches

1. Sunday  needs to becomes like every other day, or
2. every other day needs to become like Sunday
   

In effect, this is the same thing but with drastically different outcomes

1. The first dilutes Sunday because it was once considered 'more holy' and the others by virtue of this belief 'less so'.
2. The second makes the other days equally significant as Sunday because the once be 'lesser days' must now take on the sacredness of Sundays. 

And since prayer, worship, sacrament, faith, service, etc cannot be watered down, as each act no matter how infrequent is full, the second option seems more viable.
So what is implied by Jesus' comment that "the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath" in the context that every day may be considered as the Sabbath?
That is God introduced rest because men need rest.  Not.
There is a rule of rest so men must take it to justify its existence.

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God agrees with ME (friendship)

introduction

When you read the bible, how do you discover and understand what God means?  Do we simply read the words and go apply it?  Do we listen to a church sermon from or the advice of a Christian and simply do as suggested?

Why did Jesus say to the religious leaders and scholars of his day that knowing the words is not enough (e.g. John 5:39-40)?  What did he say we need instead?

Can understanding what God means occur by interpreting the bible through the lens of your society’s culture or your personal life experiences, preferences, desires, biases? (Isa 55:8).  Or should we be evaluating our culture and personal expectations through God's meaning?

Other things to consider:

[dropdown_box expand_text=" " show_more="click to read more" show_less="click to hide" start="hide"]

• Context ... How much of the message are you being told?  A few words, a sentence or two, maybe a paragraph.  The sentences before and after a passage or quote often bring what is being said into focus.

• Topic ... What is the real focus of what you are being told?  Is the passage or quote the focus of what is being explained or is it used to justify a predetermined theme or topic?  This is seen when a speaker starts with a quote but the rest of the time is used referring to personal and cultural concepts, ideas, presumptions, etc.
  [/dropdown_box]xample

example: friendship (top of page)

To explore this further, read John 15:12-15, a quote sometimes used to speak of friendship.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
(John 15:12-15)

In a recent church service, the speaker chose this to open a message about friendship (audio).

Was the surrounding text (context) spoken of (John 15:1-27)?  No, these were the only sentences used.  In addition, they were used to open the message, a message among a series about relationships (topic), and explored by a list of cultural types of friendship and concepts (e.g. purpose, value, time needed, number of people involved) about friendship.

Does this passage clearly state that Jesus is teaching about friendship?  Yes.

Does this passage give an explanation for how Jesus defines friendship?

No. It only reveals that he was talking about friendship.

Was the text explored before or after to discover whether Jesus gave any further.  No.

So, what is the context of what Jesus was saying?

What did he say both before and afterward?befo

re

the text before (top of page)

Jesus gives an analogy where He is a vine, God the Father is the viticulturist (grape farmer), and people are a branch.

[table id=9 /]co

mmandments
what does Jesus ask? (top of page)

What are Jesus’ commandments?

• That we love one another, just as Jesus loved us (and the Father loved him)
• This means to lay down (sacrifice) your life for your friends
• As a result, a friend is anyone who does this

The benefit of this is that Jesus will share everything he has heard from God the Father.after

the text after (top of page)

Jesus continues his comments about friendship by stating that "the reason why the world hates you is because it hated him first."  Why?  Because when Jesus calls you out of the world you stop being part of it, and the world hates anything and anyone who is not part of it.  Consequently, since Jesus was persecuted, because God the Father is not known, so will you be persecuted. 

summary

summary (top of page)

To be a friend is to sacrificially love people.  This is how God the Father loves Jesus and Jesus loves us.  If you do:

• You will be glorifying God the Father by proving yourself a disciple of Jesus
• Jesus will share with you everything he has heard from God the Father
• God will prune you in such a way that anything you ask of him will be done
• You will be persecuted by anyone who doesn't know God

action plan: what to do next?

From the teachings of Jesus in John 15, is it possible to list the various types of friendship, or relationships we find in our society?  Is it possible to analyse their value or how to achieve them? Indeed does the teaching justify or prove our culture and personal expectations of friendship or other relationships?

If we take the teaching at face value, we must ask:

• How do we love people sacrificially? How did Jesus?  How did God?
• How do we prepare for and persevere through persecution?  What does persecution look like?
• How does God prune us?
• Do we limit our sacrificial love (friendship) to certain people or open ourselves to anyone?  What does this mean for our current relationships?  What does it mean for the people we currently exclude or don't see at all?

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danger of false teachers

“Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict everyone of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” (Enoch as quoted by Jude)

In the church there are people who will try to convince you that God allows us to live immoral lives.  Their argument is since God is all loving and forgiving, he will not allow anyone to perish.

Yet, according to the writings of Jude 1, these people deny Jesus Christ. How?
On the one hand they claim to know God by the revelations they talk about. While on the other hand, they

• live immorally, defy authority, and scoff at things they don't understand
• grumble and complain
• brag about themselves
• flatter others to get what they want
• live only to satisfy their own desires

It is through this contradictory lifestyle they try to convince you. "I call myself a Christian, a church-goer, but am not prepared to live as a child of God."

remember

• Jesus rescued Israel from Egypt, but later destroyed people who didn't remain faithful
• The angels who didn't stay within the limits of the authority God gave were imprisoned
• Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns were destroyed for their immoral living as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment

beware
When someone claims to know God but lives for themselves they will not only bring destruction upon themselves.  To merely be around them, even at a church worship service could, if you are not vigilant cause you too to stumble.

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building a house for God?

King David turned to the assembly and said, “My son Solomon, whom God has chosen as Israel’s next king, is still young and inexperienced. The work ahead of him is enormous, for the Temple he will build is for God himself!  Using every resource at my command, I have gathered as much as I could for building the Temple of my God. Now there is enough … The people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, and King David was filled with joy. (1 Chronicles 29)

Can this passage from the Old Testament of the Bible be justified to initiate and sustain a church building venture today?

If it can, it does so because we assume constructing buildings for God is his intention.  And if it is, then we must pursue this goal no matter what.  The outcome is already decided.

In addition, if constructing buildings for God is his desire, then let us look at the examples when Jesus sought to do so and asked his disciples to likewise do so.  When you do, search the New Testament using words like temple, house, and church.

How did you go?  What is the context that these structures are referred to?  Are they ever referred to in the sense churches today use them (i.e. places to worship, do community, serve, etc)?  And if they are, were they pre-existing structures or ones Jesus and his disciples sought to build or asked others to build?

• When Jesus said he would destroy the Temple in Jerusalem and rebuilt it in three days what was he referring to? (John 2:13-22)
• Where is God’s Spirit said to dwell? (e.g. 1Co 3:16; 1Co 6:19; 1Co 12; 2Co 6:16; Eph 2)
• Where does God, the Father want to live? (John15)

 Is God for or against us erecting church buildings?  Read Haggai 1:1-11 and Luke 9:28-31.  But for the moment that is not the point.  The point is how we define the church: by its structures and activities or its people and its character.  Because depending which we choose, will determine how we see God and how he interact with the world and the people in it.

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do we need to gather together?

If we are one with the Head (Jesus), we are one with the Body (church), even if we are not gathered together.  But, if we are not one with the Head, we are not one with the Body, even if we are gathered together.

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relational responsibity

Whose responsibility is it?

A woman is sitting on her own.  She is new to town and knows no one.  She does not even have family with her.

Whose responsibility is it to initiate an interaction.  Is it hers to introduce herself or for others to approach her?  Assuming she has a level of courage in this scenario, relationships could form even if no one approached her because she can make the first move.

But what if this lady has been experiencing some trauma in her life or something else that is causing her to hold back, to not make the first move? What if she is has a bad reputation or is physically unattractive?  What if her personality is different?  What if she has low self-esteem?  What if she finds it hard to trust people due to how she has been treated in the past?

Is it fair to suggest it was her responsibility if no interaction occurred?

What if this lady was you?

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whose revelation?

It is essential we always start with God and end with him.  But all too often, people, myself included are so enthusiastic that we start acting before we have sought him.

What does this mean?  Basically, God was at work before we arrived and will still be even once we have left.  Also, it his his will, his heart, his ways, his character, etc that we need to pursue and discover agreement to.  Easy?  Not always.  We are so used to living in ways that are familiar, safe, and make sense, that we forget to start with him.  Often we only do this after we have started acting and then seek him to confirm or justify what we are doing.  I know I have and still do.

revelation           ...the act of revealing or making something known
interpretation    ...the act of explaining something
application         ...to bring into action

So, while we cannot afford to withdraw into endless prayer and contemplation, we must shift our gaze, and change our approach to him.

God is always making himself known (revelation) ... so seek ... knock ... look ... listen

He is never hidden

The question is then since God is always revealing himself, stand back and allow Him to explain himself.  I am learning, and yes I am a slow learner, to ask him questions like "why", or "what is your heart" etc.  Doing so helps bring light to the world around me and in me

As a result, acting often becomes simple.  Easy?  Didn't say that.  But simple, clear... copy him or don't.  Get it perfect?  Maybe...

Let us give it a go.

Let us ask him to reveal himself.  Either in a part of his written word.  In a part of your walk with him in which we struggle.  Or from a blank slate, that is, be open to anything.  Then ask him to explain.

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god healed the divide

If God desires there be no division between his people, where do denominational groupings within the church fit? What about those who are called believers and unbelievers

Paul appealed people to live in harmony with each other, without divisions in the church. To be of one mind, united in thought and purpose... Some claimed to be a follower of Paul, others Apollos, others Peter, or only Christ. But Christ is not divided into factions. Nor Paul crucified for you? (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)

After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. It’s not important who did what, but rather that God makes the seed grow. (1 Corinthians 3:5-16)

How does this apply when people say “I am a Baptist,” “I am Catholic", or “I adhere to no set denomination”, etc?

Was your minister, pastor, priest, mentor crucified for you?

If Christ is not divided into different groups, what are we doing?

If Jesus ended division by terminating the system of law with its commandments and regulations, then are the requirements we expect of people to belong relevant? If not, what do they do? How?

What are we to make of the promise of Christ in that there is nothing a person needs to do for God to forgive and embrace them? For all people? For all time?

Does placing requirements on people to belong create barriers to what God wants to do?

What are the commandments and regulations the church imposes today to belong? 
Consider things such as attendance of services, how we speak, what we wear, who we interact with, permitted activities, etc. Consider things such as how to pray, worship styles, or what it means to become saved.

What are the alternatives?

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For those of you who sometimes look around and ask if things will ever change, within the structure that is church please remember...

• There was a time when exile was all the Hebrew nation knew
• There was once a time when you could have spent money to ease your way and those of your loved ones into heaven
• There was a time when unless you could understand Latin, God's word was unavailable
• There was a time when no thought was given to slavery to grow the British crops in the americas
• There was a time when hospitals and public schools did not exist
• There was a time when sharing God's word with foreigners was considered worthless
• There was a time when only a priest could speak to God on your behalf and revelation was for them to share as deemed fit
• There was a time when prophesying and speaking in tongues was considered of the devil
• There was a time when only an ordained minister could baptise or marry people
• There was a time when people believed worship was about singing songs and raising hands
• A time when the sunday service was central
• A time when the preacher was central
• A time when denominations existed

A time...

Be encouraged that while we live during times of limits, the end seems impossible, unwarrented, or unseen, depending upon who you are.  But, when we look back, hindsight always shows us breakthrough.

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isaiah 65:11

Saw the head pastor of Fusion City Church Canberra Australia sharing the message of Isaiah 65:11.

• This congregation is where my family has been visiting since late 2010.
• This is the first time I have read this part of Isaiah and fear its strength, my stomach feels knotted.
• Please read the whole chapter, and more as needed

“But because the rest of you have forsaken the Lord and have forgotten his Temple, and because you have prepared feasts to honor the god of Fate and have offered mixed wine to the god of Destiny, now I will ‘destine’ you for the sword.   All of you will bow down before the executioner.  For when I called, you did not answer.  When I spoke, you did not listen  You deliberately sinned—before my very eyes— and chose to do what you know I despise.”

Have not put interpretation, or application on this!

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identifying a shepherd

ezekiel 34

To prevent people scattering, to keep them from falling prey to wild animals, God asks his shepherds to…

• Feed his people
• Take care of the weak
• Tend the sick and injured
• Look for those who have wandered away and are lost
• Guide people with gentleness and love

To ignore this is to become God’s enemy, he will hold you responsible for what happens to people.  He will…

• Take away your right to feed people
• Destroy those who are fat and powerful by feeding feed you justice!
• Stop you from feeding yourself

And, rather than relying on the shepherds, he will take it upon himself to …

• Search and find his people
• Rescue his flock from both the wilderness and failed shepherds
• Return them back home to the ‘promised land’ from among the nations
• Tend his people and give them a place to rest in peace
• Bandage the injured and strengthen the weak

overview

In short, when God’s shepherds don't do their appointed tasks, God promised to personally do what he had asked of them.  This was fulfilled by Jesus being sent to do what Israel should have done, but didn't.  Unfortunately today, this failure continues.  The ‘church’ being the new ‘Israel’ is not shepherding God’s people.

Who are God’s people?  Anyone.  Whether we acknowledge him as Lord or remain estranged.

.

Because the same expectations and consequences of being a shepherd (e.g. discipling) exist today as they always have,  God asks us:

[table id=1 /]

Are the pastor and leaders of your church personally doing these things themselves?  Are you (Revelations 1:4-6)?

Is it enough to speak about it, preach a sunday message/sermon, pray about it, delegate to others?  Or do we need to be involved in the day to day lives of people?

How does God consider those who don't do as he has asked?  He will consider them his enemy and will remove their authority, give them justice, and humble them in every aspect of their lives.  Yes, pastors, priests, elders, deacons, anyone he has asked to be his shepherds.  Does this also mean you (Revelations 1:4-6)?

conclusion

God wants to prevent people from scattering, to bring them home, and keep them from falling prey to anything that may destroy them.  He sends shepherds to help.  Are you helping?

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church growth - paint by numbers

The following is a response to a spoken message by Tony Rainbow of Victory Church (Adelaide, Australia) to the people of Fusion City Church (Palmerston, Canberra - Australia)

audio link

introduction

Tony began by stating how there were about 120 believers gathered in one place after Christ's ascension (Acts 1:13-15). It was to these people Peter stood and spoke.

Please note this is the only scripture Tony uses during his entire message.

However, rather than putting this into the context of Jesus having asked them to stay in the city until they received the gift of the Spirit, Tony spoke of the significance of the number 120 in relation to human group dynamics:

• Ignores the broader church by prioritising the local
• Had it all together relationally
• Were all at everything which was connected with Jesus' training
• Relationships were like a family
• The leadership style was casual and collaborative
• Communication was informal and face to face
• There was an ease in how they gathered
• Everyone knew each other by name

But are these statements interpreted upon the bible itself or assumptions about small group dynamics?   For instance, where in the bible is proof that this or any other group knew the names of all their companions?  Indeed, was the group fluid, did people come and go?  Did anyone ever disagree on matters about God?

Instead, Tony suggests that these group characteristics, while being "the most awesome thing that could ever happen." But the problem comes when we "set this as the goal, we set a ceiling to the growth of the church, because that style of church only works with a certain number of people."

But why?  This assumption occurs when it is presumed people intended to continue gathering in groups of this size.  Why?  Because, the argument being made is to correlate church growth today with a particular gathering 2000+ years ago.

Where in this gathering is the evidence to suggest anyone intended to continue gathering in this way? What about other gathered people in the bible? Where during Jesus' life did he ever model this?

Why do people today find it necessary to justify church growth in terms of the number of people gathered?

bad logic

Arguments that try to build upon faulty assumptions tend to have personal agendas or opinions behind them. Why? Because the conclusion was considered before the evidence was sought.  Consequently, proof tends to be biased to justify seeing what we want to see.  Worse is when the bible is quoted in order to not only support the argument but actually pose it as God's idea in the first place.  The logic is: because scripture is "Holy Spirit inspired", "God's word", etc, then an argument no matter how flawed, given enough quotes, must be true.

This has occurred here with Tony.

Rarely do we allow God's word to speak for itself.

terra nullus

A further assumption being made by Tony is churches today are local in nature.  That is, a church is defined by the people who gather for services in a particular location. Yes, local churches today often have attendances of 80-150 people. However, what we forgot or ignore is local churches do not start, let alone grow, in a state of terra nullus. We falsely assume the territory our local church occupies or entered (planted) was not previously inhabited.

Was your church the first in the area you live?

And, if it was indeed a pioneer: was God there beforehand, or did God only start working in the lives of people when your church was established?

Sometimes it is a challenge to remember that your local church is but one of many, even within a few street blocks. And regionally, one among many many more.  No local church is an island unto itself.  As such, the church to which you belong is not 30, 80, or 120, but could actually be populated by many thousands.

misdirection

Tony: "Who wants the church ... to grow?  Most people want the church to grow but get stuck at a certain number.”

Tony: Churches get stuck at 150 or less because this is “about the most number of people a person can connect with.  Thus people naturally feel displaced once their group reaches 50-150 people.”

This argument continues to push the idea that church growth is about the number of people who attend a service or the number of people who choose to be members a local church.

How does God consider growth?  Is it about numbers or about invisible things like character?

If there are 100 people in a room singing hymns and listening to a message from the pulpit, how many claim to know God?  How many does God know?  Indeed, does God know anyone who is not in attendance?  Does he know them if they never attend a local church anywhere?  Is that enough?

Furthermore, if the church is indeed more than the local, how do comments like the one Tony raises, redirect how we view the importance of God dwelling among his people?

Finally, I put it to you feeling uncomfortable (displaced) is natural whenever we interact with another person.  The size of the group is irrelevant.  What matters is how you treat each person as they come.  Group size never dictates your relationship.

For a moment revisit Tony's conclusions about group dynamics in a personal way:

• Are all the relationships you have with people in your church fully healthy?
• Do you attend everything your church offers?  Do you need to?
• Do people in your church treat you like family?
• Is the leadership style of your church casual?  Does it seek guidance of other members?
• Do you communicate with people informally and face-to-face?
• Is interacting with people in your church effortless?
• Do you know everyone in your local church by name?

What does it mean if your church has less than 150 people and the answer to any of these questions 'no'? At the very least it means that group size does not determine our behaviour and attitudes.

What does help shape our behaviour and attitudes?

size culture preference

Tony: "Size in numbers is connected with a size culture needing to be broken,”

Tony: “The main problem to growth is size culture preference,”

Tony: “Bigger change is needed (when) shifting from one size to another within the same denomination (than it is to shift between) denominations of the same size.”

When read in isolation, each of these statements is accurate.  We need to become free to be God’s people no matter how big or small the group of people gathered is.  Unfortunately, this is not the context Tony is suggesting, as shown below.

What was Jesus’ focus?  Did he come for the whole world or was it dependent upon the number of people gathered, the church size?

Why did Jesus so often avoid crowds?

 be big or be small

The following is a list of differences between small and larger churches.  The argument posed was churches with large numbers of people (more than 150) need to do things differntly to smaller ones.  Hence, to grow, a church must change the way it does things.  In short, population size affects activity.  An additional conseuqence of this idea is that smaller congregations are inherently different.  But given churches, no matter their size have people in them, is this accurate?

1.  smaller churches are less complex than larger gatherings because as the group size increases…

• The less we will have in common with one another.

But, how does this match with what is written in Ephesians 4?

• Not everything can happen in one Sunday service anymore (e.g. prayer is shifted to prayer meetings, exploring the word to a bible school, discipleship into home groups).

But how could everything occur during a single church service anyway, regardless of its size? What about evangelism, or family, or helping neighbours, etc?  In other words, how does delegating what daily life to set times and facilitators help?  How could you for instance pray, understand God’s word, or disciple others at home, work, school, wherever you are during your week?

2.  smaller churches need less production effort than larger churches

• The more people involved, the more planning, lead time, etc is required to enable services and other activities to occur.  Events can no longer simply be thrown together as they are were with smaller gatherings.

To what extent are these events really necessary?  Are buildings, electronic audio devices, instruments, putting out chairs, etc essential to what God needs to do?  How do similar activities occur in parts of the world where money is non-existent?  Did Jesus live this way?  For Jesus, which came first, his mission or his method?

• Smaller churches don't value the importance of quality of their activities as much as larger churches.  For example, because they embrace people, they permit anyone to sing and play an instrument regardless of their ability. 

Good.  The day we prefer how good a song sounds over the willingness of people to worship God and embrace one another, will be a sad day indeed.  To worry whether visitors are “put-off” based upon singing ability says more about how people view us, than our desire to be in God's presence.  To believe singing ability affects whether people have a “poor” or good impression of the pastor's message, or will “attract people or not” is naive at best (1 Corinthians 2).

3.  the ministry roles of smaller churches are not as specialised as those of larger churches

• Small church ministries generalise what they do whereas larger churches specialise. 

Again, this is not a matter of scale.  God gives his gift for the entire church.  Hospitality, prophesy, teaching, etc are not dependent upon how many people are gathered but who needs to be equipped so they may do what God asks of them.  Why?  Because there are other people who either don’t know him or still need help to grow personally and as a community.

• Only one person who can bring leadership and direction to this church. Thus it is an indictment (strong wrongdoing) for this person to do tasks that others could do. 

Christ and Christ alone is the one and only leader and director of the church.  Placing a person as the sole hearer and interpreter of God's word is dangerous, arrogant, and controlling.  It encourages a false separation among God's people which may cause some to shirk their responsibility to speak with and listen to God directly, and others to not discern or question what they are told to believe and do.

4.  small groups of people do not experience changes to the same degree as bigger groups

• Because not everyone will agree on the course of action to be taken, power to decide
  needs to move away from the congregation (all people) to a leadership team (a few).  This will enable decisions to be made more quickly.
  

Yes, absolutely, there will be times when, maybe every time, when disagreement will occur.  But to justify this as the reason for concentrating this priveledge in the hands of a few has the potential to ignore insight.  At the very least sharing our differences, in a manner that is respectful of others, helps to bring us closer together.  If nothing else, it evidences the contempt and lack of trust some church leaders and pastors have for people.

To simply claim possession of the decision making for yourself is again dangerous, arrogant, and controlling.  Why? People are being asked to rely on Man rather than seek God, together.  The outcome, people are shaped in the image of the decision makers and not God.

So the next time you are invited to seek God about a decision, discern whether your consultation is genuinely being sought: are opposing views listened to and acted upon?  How is the decision to be made proposed: does it sound like they just want agreement on  something they have already decided on? Is there a personal agenda hidden among words that try to convince you that what is being presented is really God's vision?

• When people leave because of the changes, this proves the church is growing.

Why?  What if you are wrong and they were right?  Was consultation ever permitted?  Maybe people are leaving for totally unrelated reasons.  Are people who stay encouraged to speak with those who leave to find out why?

• There needs to be greater emphasis on vision and strength... churches need to do fewer things so they can do them well.  Likewise a church shouldn't try to do everything in the community, but try to do some things really well.  Both of these will depend upon the existing skill set and gift set.

While there is some truth in this, it ignores that regardless of the church size, there may never be every skill and gift available for what God is desiring to do.  It is not enough to limit what can be done based upon the resources available.  Doing this reveals a belief that we can do things in isolation and in our own strength.  Let us start by seeking God about what he is doing and how we need to grow and be equipped to accomplish it.  If this includes  cooperating with people outside our group, so be it.

conclusion

• What does God consider important when it comes to growth?
• Are we lending ourselves to a culture of self, preference, and prejudice?
• Should what we do be a by-product of the size of our church group or should what we do be a product of who we are in Christ?

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is your church a sect?

Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. Such people are not serving Christ; they are serving their own personal interests. (Romans 16:17-18)

 features of a sectarian church group

• Members point to the importance of their group and/or leader instead of Christ alone.
• They claim to support the universal church, the body of Christ, but in practice promote structures and attitudes that lead to their own isolation.
• They may claim their group possesses “the real truth”
• The ministers/leaders claim to be the ones God reveals things to. People are either not encouraged to listen or understand God for themself, or told there are certain things God speaks to the leaders alone.
• The praise and warmth people receive when they first join continues only as long as they follow what is expected of them.
• Other groups of believers (Christians) are criticised or mocked.
• A belief exists that “our group” can’t learn from others who do/see things differently.
• People and groups who disagree with them are slandered.
• People and groups who reject their version of the truth are viewed as dishonest, insincere, offensive, immature, not living right, etc.
• Anyone and any group who don’t accept their teaching are cut off or isolated.
• Ministers/leaders control the way people live and their activities by requiring permission to do things or expecting direct input.
• They are typically not upfront about their core beliefs.

how to avoid joining a sectarian group

• Ask people and the leaders of the church why people leave their group.
• Ask to be able to speak with the last 3 families that left.
• Ask who God speaks to within their group and whether people are encouraged to understand what he says. Ask how and who teaches people how to hear God clearly.
• Are people freely encouraged to share what they believe God is saying? How?
• Ask how interaction with other church members outside their group is encouraged. Is action left to the leaders or for anyone?

dangers of joining a sectarian group

• They will replace the guidance of the Holy Spirit with their own, or of the ministry, or church, and claim to be the voice of the Lord.
• You will be influenced to have prejudice and intolerance toward other Christians.
• You will be influenced to invite people to belong to the church group, instead of Christ.
• Your spiritual and day to day life will become controlled.
• Their ministers may try to lead your family.
• If you query or speak against the group, your family may have wedges placed between its members.
• If you leave, they may expect your children and spouse to stay.
• If you leave, they may deal with you unfairly and harshly.

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are you an intecessor?

An intercessor as defined in church terminology is a person who goes to God on behalf of someone else (e.g. in prayer or request) to seek something for them. It is generally understood that intercession is a God-given calling or role.

But is this true?

Are only some people called to be intercessors or is it the responsibility of all of God’s people?  Indeed, is intercession a special gift at all?

• What does Paul mean when he asks the church of Ephesus to be persistent in their prayers for all believers everywhere (Eph 6)?
• If Paul is considered an intercessor why would he ask for others to pray for him too (Eph 6:19; Col 4:3; 1Thes 5:25; Heb 13:18)?
• What does Paul mean when he asks Timothy to pray for all people, to ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them?  Or to encourage people generally to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy (1Tim 2:1-8)?
• What about Jesus asking us to pray for those who are against us (Mt 5:44)?
• Why are we asked to pray for one another at all (Jam 5:16)?

If it true that God send his Spirit to some key chosen people, why is it that Jesus sent God’s Spirit to all believers so all could understand God’s will and interact with him personally and directly?  If God is trying to communicate with all his people, then it is possible for anyone to reveal what God wants, to intercede.

Yet, regardless of all this, the one thing above all we must remember is that there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.

And as such, how did Jesus intercede?  He took on the sins of people so they could be forgiven, no longer to be punished for them.  He took on the responsibility for what others had done, so they would not becausevthey could not.

Is this the kind of intercession we see in the church?  This willingness to be sacrificed so others may lice.

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who are God's gifts for?

Read Ephesians 4

• Christ gave the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.
• Why?
  › To equip God’s people so they can to do his work and build up the church.
• Why?
  › Because as each does their own special work, it helps others grow, enabling the whole church to be healthy, grow, and full of love.
• How long will this continue?
  › Until we all come to unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son. That is, we are mature, full and complete like Christ.
  › We are no longer influenced by false teachings that sound like the truth. Instead we will speak the truth in love, growing more like Christ.

It is sometimes suggested that God gives people, specifically christians, spiritual gifts. Examples of these are found in the New Testament, with Ephesians 4 (above), Romans 12, and 1 Corinthians 12 being the main ones. This list is probably not an exhaustive one. Please note that each of these three all are introduced by a description of the unity and diversity in the body of Christ.

who are God's gifts for?
A quick definition is that the gifts God gives enable his people to do the things he needs to happen.

• Does this mean they are spiritual or practical gifts?
• Does God only give them to church people or anyone who follows Jesus Christ?
• Are they for the benefit of the person who is given the gift or for someone else?

The purpose of this message is to explore the third question: are the gifts God gives for the person he gives them to or for others.
People who suggest God's gifts, spiritual or otherwise, and whoever they are given to, are for the benefit of the receiver tend to justify this by claiming that having a gift:

• Gives you purpose; gives you a reason to get out of bed in the morning
• Helps you in personal ways (worship, understand people, heal, etc)
• Enables you to feel special or even loved
• Helps improve you intellectually and/or morally
• Proves you are 'saved' or 'filled by God's spirit'
• Helps increase your power and influence or helps draw attention to your importance

What is common between the following passages of the bible (1Co12:7; Eph 4:12; 1Pe 4:10)? Do they recommend seeking gifts from God to benefit yourself or others?

conclusion

So are any of these reasons valid? Yes, all except the last wherein attention needs to be directed to God as they are his gifts, his power, his influence. And yet the yes is a qualified yes. A trumpet does not own the breath given it anymore than we do what is given us. The air does not belong to the trumpet. The gift is not yours. Nor is the input of the air what was intended, rather the sound out the other end. The music.

Moreover, if the music cannot be heard, no matter how gifted the musician, what was the point? So could be said of God's gifts. He invests them in you so others can be affected. And in the case of Ephesians 4, he enables some to equip others, who may then affect even more.

 The question then is who are these other people?

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