Where are the Christians that are of the caliber of the book of ACTS???
Post date: Dec 15, 2015 8:45:3 PM
A Book of Acts Church almost seems to be a rare thing in the times in which we live today,
but the Church that God intended... the Church that the Gates of Hell would not prevailed against...
was birthed in the Book of Acts and the true way it should be established and function has never changed.
The Book of Acts Church is what the world needs today and it is what Followers of Christ are called to be..
Today's Church is NOT producing the same caliber of Christianity as those Christians in the Book of Acts.
But how can we when many Churches are so busy becoming "relevant", "contemporary", working to build there "own" kingdom, preaching motivational self help, make you feel good messages, while striving to becoming the happening place, so that they can draw the masses and offer something that would keep them coming so that they can meet the bills and call themselves a thriving ministry.
Many Churches are spending more money on salaries, buildings, programs and marketing the church as a corporate business and calling it "ministry".
In doing so, we have trained the body of Christ to become more interested in buildings, programs, positions, titles and entertainment rather then a real "book of Acts" Christianity. So much so that if a Church is not meeting in a nice building somewhere... then it is not considered a valid ministry.
Think about it.... if you meet in a "home"... do not pay your "pastor"... "staff"... "music director" or "musicians"... spend most of your budget on "missions", "feeding the hungry" and the "needs of people". If you spend the Wednesday night service in "prayer" only... and what some would call Sunday School, is spend in teaching people how to "win their world for Christ"... and every member during the week is sharing Christ, fishing for men... and in your main service the pastor is equipping people to live a selfless, sacrificing, servanthood.... the ministry is "people"... the ministry is work... laboring for the Kingdom... type of lifestyle.... Many would not attend.
You see, should you invite people to this kind of Church... many people in the community may not consider it to be a "real Church" or "ministry"... for many people can not get past that you are meeting in the "home"... and think to themselves that you must not be a "real" Church.... for we have been taught that bigger is better.... and technology is a sign of success.
Yet this type of home Church that is selfless, servant minded, actively reaching the world for Christ... body of believers describes the "Book of Acts New Testament Church"
Now are you saying that we must go back to this kind of Church.... YES... I am saying we must go back to the methods that raised the caliber of Christians that were meeting from house to house... for it is not were we meet... it is about what we are truly producing at the end of the day.
Reality is... the only way to produce Christians of the same Caliber of those in the Book of Acts... is to model the Church after that of the Book of Acts... those Christians who "loved not their life even unto death"... those Christians were selfless... sacrificing... servants who considered themselves bought with a price and no longer their own.
They were so in love with Jesus that there purpose and priority in life was to be fisher's of men, bring men and women into the kingdom and make disciples.
In Acts two, 3000 were added to the church... in the fourth chapter 5000 were added to the church... by the eight chapter persecution has scattered the church as far as Samara and Saul was dragging men and women to prison and the bible tells us that while the apostles stayed in Jerusalem, the church, the 8000 were preaching the Gospel everywhere. Not the Apostles but the Church folk.
The system of the Book of Acts to established and operate the Church was nothing like the system that we use today. In the Book of Acts the system looked more like this:
Started with the disciples fishing for men and making disciples who would make disciples
They operated in true unconditional love and unity
They were a true family having all things in common
The met from house to house
They continued in Apostles doctrine, prayer and breaking of bread
They operated in the power of the Holy Spirit and became an unstoppable force, turning there world upside down
God added to the Church daily such that would be saved.
Think about it... every follower of Christ was in “full-time” ministry and there is:
No Building
No Programs
No sound system or equipment
No Pastor's Salary
No Paid Worship Leaders
No Paid Musicians
No scheduled revival, miracle or healing services
With $0 overhead... think of the money that can go to pure ministry... feed the hungry... caring for widows and orphans... fullfulling the Great Commission.
Not to mention... no expenses on church anniversaries or 5 day pastor appreciations... no more centering ministry around personalities, talent and gifting. Only Celebrating Jesus.
Could it be that we have done Church our own way for so long that many have convinced themselves that what they have done for years is the way Church should be done, yet not realizing the way we have been doing Church in our day... is NOT BIBLICAL.
I must say... it is SO SAD that many in our communities would rather go to a place where they can blend in... pick and choose.... a "turn-key" Church that has all the programs for all the age groups... that is entertaining and non confronting of my "issues" of life... a place where I pay my tithe to not have responsibilities... and "leave Church up to the "professionals"... the pastor and his staff.... a place that will turn there heads to a persons faults (sins) and build people living in sin, up with something motivational that makes them feel better about myself, but do not hold them accountable for many people like their issues (sins) after all, we are taught that life is about "Me"...
Please understand, I am not against the Church, for Jesus is coming back for the Church... but I am presenting the ugly reality the Church is facing today and how we got here. The ugly reality is... ministers over the last 100+ years have done a poor job of passing down the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. In an effort to "help" God reach people... they have compromised and brought every type of method of the world, into the Church, taking the principles of business and using them to build a church.
It is a "Leadership Issue"... for where the head goes... the body follows.
There are no bad students... just bad teachers... and in our day... teachers who were once students who had a bad teacher.
Now in many places, in the effort to have "Church", we have trained people to be "entertained"... to join a social group because anyone who is "anyone" is a part of this.... and to even go as far as to be careful not to offend anyone. We have compromised and "sold-out" to the world so much that when a real persecution comes... and it will very soon... this type of people will compromise and sell-out... because they love their "own life" more then the cause of Christ... they love their comfort... food... cars... houses.... titles... positions in community... vices and issues.... and do not understand real sacrifice, servanthood, or selflessness.
You may say that I am judgmental or being to hard.... then test yourself... take away facebook, twitter and all access to the internet, cell phone, or any love or hobby... for one month... and I suspect... within the first 24 hours someone will be going through.... "withdraws"... you see... this is how you will find out what you are really addicted too... you may not be a drug addict... but we have created a church full of people who are good people... but addicted to their technology... toys... hobbies... self.
Ministry is People.... but in so many places pastors have focus more on buildings, programs, technology and growth... and as a result... we have given birth to a monster that needs to be fed.
That 3-30+ million dollar building mortgage, overhead and salaries are now the beast they have to feed.... in order to do that... many pastors have put real faith aside and implement "business stradegies"... "marketing technics"... and methods in the name of God and Faith... to make this next Church service more impressive, sensational and entertaining then the last service so that I can get more people to come... stay... and help me "FEED the BEAST"
This is done in order to validate his vision and ministry... and show the world that it is a "success"... and it also becomes the measuring stick or symbol of his "anointing". and this launches him into a need to write books... and any other thing that can contribute to feeding the beast or making me wealthy.... and it is all justify by self declaring phrases, some which is from scripture like: "Spirit of Excellence"... "I am a Child of the King"... "Head not Tail"... "Born to Prosperity"... "Money Cometh unto Me"... "I can have what I want... I can have what I decree"... connecting much of this to seed time and harvest or reaping a havest and many times taking scripture out of content.
I want to Remind you.... Whenever Jesus spoke of harvest it was about souls.
Pastors... Preachers... Ministers... we must Repent! and put away a "selfserving gospel"
If we are going to produce the caliber of Christians that God desires... WE MUST GET BACK TO THE BOOK OF ACTS.
We believe the Church that God intended... the Church that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against is the Church that was birth in the Book of Acts. Time does not change this, culture does not change this for God has not changed, His intention was His followers to be an unstoppable force of disciple makers.
This is what we should go back to as followers of Jesus. For how the Church was birth is how it will go out... like the Book of Acts... under persecution, imprisonment, but unstoppable power.
Come and join us as we follow Jesus like those who have gone before is in the Book of Acts.
Not Just a thought...... a call to ministers for action
-bishop john