"Back to the Future!" by Wade Urban Eph.1:7-10, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that is the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth – in Him.” To live victoriously in this life, it is essential to understand that ALL THINGS are summed up in Christ – He is the Alpha (foundation) and the Omega (capstone). The first church understood this. We need to examine the first church – its motivation, mission and lifestyle and compare it to the church today. Perhaps we can discover some glaring differences and make necessary corrections in our own lives so we can walk in the fullness of Christ and power of Holy Spirit as they did. The power of the 1st century church came from their message – Jesus Christ and His Finished Work! Their message was not the church as an end to itself. Just as Jesus Christ came to earth to put a human face on God, so also the church is to represent Lord Jesus Christ to a world lost in darkness. The first church was the vehicle through which the message and demonstration of the gospel of the kingdom originated. Their emphasis was “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1: 27). It was never about a particular denomination, doctrinal form, nor was it compliance to some manmade model; but it was the formation of Christ in believers’ lives. Paul wrote in Gal.1:15-16, “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles.” Paul explained that Christ was not revealed to him, but “in him”! In this same letter, Paul wrote, “My little children, for whom I travail in birth again until Christ is formed in you” (Gal.4:19). The message of the first church never consisted of just teaching about Christ; but experiencing Christ through Holy Spirit so that Christ would be “formed in them”! Teaching mere form and doctrine as information is not enough to make this internal transformation a reality. Doctrine must become experience leading to knowledge, and then understanding before it can become part of us. Form and doctrine alone may well be responsible for some of the most heinous deception of our time; as well as the cause of millions of “false conversions” with people not being led to Christ, but to a particular fellowship, personality, denomination, emotion, even a single truth. Those experiencing “false conversions” often become major stumbling blocks and persecutors of the true church of Jesus Christ. Their false conversion experience was from the evil side of the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” to the good side (Gen.2:9). The problem is that both sides of that tree have the same root system leading to death. Only One Way, One Truth and One Life leads to Father; and that is through Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 14:6). No other entrance is acceptable to God, not matter how “good” it sounds or looks to be! 2 Cor.3:18 states, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” The scripture confirms that we are changed into what we behold. When we behold Christ, we are changed from one degree of glory to a higher degree! When we worship God, we are submitting our lives to be transformed more and more into His image and through the knowledge of Him we become a “partaker of His divine nature” (2 Pet.1:2-4). This certainly goes to explain why Islamists worshipping Allah (prince of Persia) are changed into the nature and character of that ruling principality whose character is to kill, steal and destroy ( Dan.10:13; Jn.10:10). All men were created to worship. Even those denying God’s existence worship something – that’s how man was made. The truth is that our lives will be submitted to either Holy Spirit leading us to life; or a counterfeit spirit leading only to death and despair. Who or what are you worshipping? Where and in what does your allegiance and trust lie? Improper motivation is another major disqualifier for living in victory. Jn.1:35 - 38, “Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, ‘Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are you staying?” They did not ask, “Where do you bless? Or, visit?” But, “where are you staying?” It is vital we distinguish the difference between that which God blesses and that which He inhabits! Ishmael was blessed because he was Abraham’s son – even though he was a product of the flesh! Products of the flesh will always persecute the Spiritual Seed (Gen.21:8-20). The child of the flesh must always be cast out! We must look beyond that which God blesses and give our undivided attention to Isaac – the child of promise – that which God not only blesses, but also inhabits! Our carnal plans and desires rarely coincide with God’s plans for us. Ps. 137:9 explains, “Happy the one who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock!” Our “little ones” - plans and desires for recognition, power, and wealth need to be “dashed against the rock” of Jesus Christ as we submit to His plans for our lives. To me, one of the most sobering passages of scripture illustrating improper motivation is Matt. 7: 21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in your name?’ And I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Inner motivation is as important to God as the actual results of what we do in His name! It’s just not what we do, but why we do it that’s important to Him. Are we properly joined to Christ? Ezek.37:7, “So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and bones came together, bone to his bone.” Are we doing things for Him, or from Him? Are we joined to Christ, or just to an organization? The church is not an end, but a means! All things are summed up in Christ! We do not become the church in order to become a part of this. We become the church when we have done this. The church is not the pattern for the church. Christ is the pattern for the church! We are easily deceived when improperly joined. 2 Cor.11:3, “But I fear, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” True faith comes from the recognition of the One in whom we believe! We cannot substitute “faith in faith” for true faith in God. “In Him” were the promises given! 2 Cor.1:20, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” As we become properly joined “bone to his bone” ( in Christ) His covenant promises begin to be manifested through our lives. A danger exists when we become the sole object or the “end result” of God’s covenant promises. Some attempt to use God’s covenant promises “on Him” instead if “in Him”! 1 Cor.10:4, “And all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” Moses lost his inheritance in the Promised Land – He was told to “speak to the rock”, but he struck the rock twice! He represented the authority of God to the Israelites and in this instance he misrepresented God to them! Such presumption can cost us our inheritance in the Promised Land of life “in Christ” just as it did Moses! God’s love must be the priority of our lives. As judgment descends upon the household of God, the church (1 Pet. 4:17), our teaching, preaching, and ministries must impart God’s nature (love). We must speak the truth in love (Eph.4:15), while demonstrating God’s love through gifts of healings, working of miracles, signs and wonders which in themselves declare Jesus Christ is Lord! Faith working through love (Gal.5:6) demonstrates the anointing of Holy Spirit in our lives. This is not impartation of information which is the modern church’s solution to life’s problems, but an impartation of life (zoe) in the power of Holy Spirit just as the first church. Our life “in Christ” is the Final Product of the Finished Work of Jesus Christ. Joel 2 :12 - 17 provides a pattern for the first steps in restoring the vision of the first church – “Now, therefore,’ says the Lord, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’ So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him – a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes; let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room. Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar; let them say, ‘Spare Your people, O Lord, and do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” When the church begins to truly repent the Lord’s promise is – “So I will restore to you the years the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, and the chewing locust” (Joel 2:25). I see the swarming, crawling and chewing locust as the spirit of anti-Christ, the religious spirit which infiltrated the first church and culminated in the centuries of the Dark Ages before the Reformation in the 1500’s, led by Martin Luther. This spiritual swarm of locusts have again been active in the church – first eating away the “fruit” of Holy Spirit’s ministry; then the “leaves” resulting in barrenness; continuing on to the ‘bark” exposing the tree to destruction as the locust continues to eat away towards the heart of the tree bringing total death and destruction. Does anyone else see the symptoms? Many in the church today sense a major move of Holy Spirit on the horizon to bring revival, renewal, and yes, restoration of the purpose of the first church. A “Back to the Future” move of Holy Spirit requires believers to birth it into the earth through intercession. Are you satisfied “playing” church, or do you really want to see an authentic move of Holy Spirit? I think I’ll let that question settle in your hearts. Amen.
Posted on: Sat, 31 Aug 2013 13:33:32 +0000
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