A study in scripture on how deceptions enter the church. Ooty Bible Study

Part 4 of the study on what hinders this love from flowing through us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgfu8Npdo6o

Part 3 of the study on what hinders this love from flowing through us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyXQ2oNEkgc

Part 2 of the study on what hinders this love from flowing through us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtqGrbix6L4

Part 1 of the study on what hinders this love from flowing through us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwIfW0TxCbU

This study was previously uploaded in the following 5 parts.

1. Availability
2. Our work in the Kingdom of God, Gifts and Fruit
3. Where is my house?
4. Zion
5. The Assignment

I felt it important to give an option to watch this study as a whole.

Continuation of the Bible Study in Ooty on April 8, 2011

Zion – the name that God chose for His dwelling place

Excerpt from Jan 07, 11 cell meeting in Ooty – discussing what Biblical meditation is and why we must renew our mind in the word of God.

B. A Defiled Conscience

I Corinthians 8:7

7 However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

Titus 1:15

15 To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.

C. A Pure Conscience

This conscience knows of no offense against God or another human being that has not been addressed and taken care of (II Timothy 1:3, I Timothy 1:5,  Acts 24:16).

2 Timothy 1:3 (New King James Version)

3 I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day,

1 Timothy 1:5 (New King James Version)

5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,

Acts 24:16 (New King James Version)

16 This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.

If we continue to carry a guilty conscience, our spiritual life will become a “shipwreck” from the lack of closeness with God and other Christians (I Timothy 1:18,19, pg. 1001).

1 Timothy 1:18-19 (New International Version)

Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, 19holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.

1. Because we do have consciences, however, and because we really are accountable to God, it means that guilt is something very real.

2. Because the whole concept of sin and accountability tends to be rubbished today, all feelings of guilt tend to be written off as psychological problems.

3. Now it is certainly possible to have exaggerated or unreal feelings of guilt. But this does not negate the real thing.

4. Christianity not only takes guilt seriously, but it has an answer for it in

1. repentance,
2. confession, and
3. the acceptance of forgiveness through the cross of Christ.

5. When we fail morally we can dismiss it, we can deny it, we can distort it, or we can deal with it. If we deny the reality of sin and guilt and our accountability to God, then we have no way of dealing with it. Our mental homes are full of people who would not be there if they knew they were forgiven.

6. Because our conscience is not sufficient guide in itself to living as God intended we should, if we want to live in a meaningful relationship with him we need some clearer guidelines.

7. God has given us these through the Bible. As Paul puts it in writing to his younger disciple, Timothy, “Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. The Scriptures train God’s servants to do all kinds of good deeds” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17).

4. Summary

God’s Sovereign Authority, the Scriptures’ Veracious Authority and the Authority Our Conscience are higher than any man, regardless of his office or title.

No one on the face of the earth has a God-given right to command you to disobey your conscience. Your Bible or your God. These are all above any human office or authority – be it Church, state or otherwise.

The conscience is subject to the Scripture, and the Scripture proceeds from God. Hence, we are to be subject to these HIGHER authorities, even if they come in conflict with the LOWER authority God gives to men.

Conscience Part 1 of 2

Greek: suneidesis (GSN-4893), joint knowledge of God and man; knowledge of our
acts, state, or character as to right and wrong; the faculty, power, or principle which decides the lawfulness of our actions and affections, and approves or condemns them; the moral faculty or sense; consciousness of actions; the eye, judge, and guide of the inner man.

Used 32 times. The word “conscience” is not found in the Old Testament

If you’ve ever done someone wrong and then found yourself unable to look that person in the eye, you’ve experienced the power of the human conscience. It has a tremendous power over the spirit to either bring it great strength or to sap it of its power. This week, we look at the Bible’s teachings on this important subject.

The place of conscience in discerning right and wrong.

Because God has created us as moral beings who are personally accountable to him, and created us for fellowship with him, he has given us a built-in moral conscience.

In Romans, chapter 2, Paul is speaking about those peoples of the world who have never had the privilege of being given God’s moral law as the Jewish people had. He says, “Some people naturally obey the Law’s commands, even though they don’t have the Law. This proves that the conscience is like a law written in the human heart. And it will show whether we are forgiven or condemned, when God has Jesus Christ judge everyone’s secret thoughts, just as my message says” (vv. 14-16).

The problem, however, is that we live in a fallen world where we have all been infected by sin, and one of the results is that our conscience gets distorted too.

The Bible talks about

• a “good conscience” (1 Timothy 1:5), and
• a “clear conscience” (1 Timothy 3:9),
• but it also talks about a “weak conscience” (1 Corinthians 8:12),
• a “seared” conscience (1 Timothy 4:2),
• a “corrupted” conscience (Titus 1:15) and
• “an evil conscience” (Hebrews 10:22).

Our conscience can be desensitized if we fail to listen to it, even to the extent that we become morally blind, stumbling around in moral darkness as John puts it (1 John 2:11).

Our conscience is a bit like an alarm clock. We are very good at rationalising our behaviour and we can reset it and make it go off when we want!

The Bible teaches that God has placed basic principles of His Law in every person’s conscience (Romans 2:14,15). This operates whether or not the person ever reads the Bible or even has been told anything about God.

Romans 2:14-15 (New International Version)

14Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.

However, by the constant ignoring of that conscience, the internal voice can be dulled to the point that when evil is done the conscience responds very little or not at all.

A conscience in this condition is referred to as a “seared conscience” in I Timothy 4:2 – Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

The Conscience After Trusting Christ

The Bible also speaks of three different types of conscience that the true Christian may have.

A. The Weak Conscience

This conscience is essentially an uninstructed conscience — lacking in a knowledge of the Bible to the point where it is overly sensitive and calls some activities “sins” which are not wrong according to the teachings of the Bible (I Corinthians 8:1-13).

1 Corinthians 8:1-13 (New King James Version)

Be Sensitive to Conscience

1 Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.

4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.

7 However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.

9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

In the situation discussed in I Corinthians 8:1-13, the Apostle Paul was answering the question of whether or not a true Christian should eat meat that had first been offered to idols and then sold in the market place.

On the one hand, some Christians were saying, “What difference does it make? Idols are only pieces of wood and stone!” (I Corinthians 8:4-6). While others had consciences that were bothered by eating the meat. THESE WERE THE PEOPLE WITH THE WEAK CONSCIENCES (I Corinthians 8:7).

Because they were bothered by something that God’s Word had not forbidden in either principle or commandment, they had “weak consciences.”

A. THREE LEVELS OF AUTHORITY RESERVED FOR GOD ALONE

3. The Authority Of Conscience

The third level of authority the Bible teaches us about is the authority of the CONSCIENCE.

Some have argued that it is not possible to know what is right from wrong. However, everyone of normal mental capacity knows right from wrong -everyone! How is that possible?

We all know what we do NOT want other people to do to us. We do not want other people to take unfair advantage of us. We do not want someone to hurt us. We do not want someone to break into our homes and steal all of our goods. We do not want to be murdered, nor our wife or daughter raped or our children committing fornication or adultery.

Thus, we all know right from wrong, even if we didn’t have a Bible to tell us. We know what we don’t want people to do to us and, thus, we know what we shouldn’t do to other people.

This is the principle on which the Ten Commandments in the Bible are based.

The only thing that God has asked us not to do is that which is going to hurt either us or someone else. Therefore, when we live our lives according to the Ten Commandments, we are preserving life – ours and others.

In this way everyone’s right to life, peace and pursuit of happiness is preserved.

Now, knowing what we don’t want other people to do to us, and knowing what we shoudn’t do to them, is what the Bible calls CONSCIENCE.

A. The Apostles Teach About Conscience:

1) Don’t Violate It. The apostle Paul established the authority of the conscience in his writings. An example: In Bible times, there were many religious convictions about certain types of food. He warns us to be careful when we eat not to violate the conscience of:

a) Another. “But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ” (1 Cor 8:12); or

b) Our own. “For meat [food] destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eats with offense [a guilty conscience]” (Rom 14:20). “And he that doubts is condemned if he eat, because he eats not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom 14:23).

2) Pagans Will Be Judged By It. In the New Testament, the conscience carries tremendous authority. Many times I have been asked, “Brother Ralph, what is going to happen to the heathen who have never heard the gospel?”

The apostle Paul answered this question, “For as many as have sinned without law also shall perish without law… for when the Gentiles [the pagan or unbeliever], which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves;

“Which show the work of the law written in their hearts. THEIR CONSCIENCE ALSO BEARING WITNESS, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing… In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel” (Rom 2:12, 14:16).

God is going to judge the pagan by his response to his conscience. The conscience is God’s law written in the heart and the mind.

Even if a man doesn’t have the Bible, he has his conscience. God will judge him by the way he obeys his conscience. The conscience is the pagan’s substitute for the “law” (Ten Commandments).

Remember, in God’s sight, the conscience has tremendous authority, hence, we are to obey it.

3) We Must Submit To It. The Apostle Paul dealt with many questions of conscience, such as what we eat or drink, or what day we worship the Lord.

He writes, “One man esteems one day above another: another esteems every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind [conscience].

“He that regards the day, regards it unto the Lord; and he that regards not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it…”(Rom 14: 5,6)

How does the person respond to his conscience? For some, observing a certain day is very important. For example, in Israel the Muslims observe Friday, the Orthodox Jews observe Saturday and the Christians observe Sunday.

To violate their sacred day would violate their conscience. I am not suggesting you should observe any special day; I am saying what Paul says, “whatever your conscience dictates to you is what you must do.”

Paul goes on to say, “Let us not therefore judge another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way” (Rom 14:20).

If you hold a conviction that you should abstain from eating certain foods and you overrule your conscience, Paul says for you it is wrong (evil). If it is against your conscience to eat pork and you eat it, it is wrong and you have rejected the authority of your conscience.

The apostle Paul makes it plain that every one of us shall give account of himself to God. The manner in which we have responded to our own conscience will determine our reward and/or

judgment. If we violate our conscience, it becomes sin for us.

Paul teaches us to submit to the authority of our own conscience. Even though our conscience will not allow us to do what others seem able to do, we must obey our conscience.

There are cases when the authority of conscience has not been respected by church leaders. some have taught, for example, that a wife should submit to her husband even if she is asked to do something which violates her conscience.

This is wrong! God holds every one of us accountable, whether we are man or woman.

Sapphira was held accountable for her complicity in lying to the Holy Spirit. “Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to temp the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door and shall carry thee out” (Acts 5:9). Sapphira died under judgment because she went along with her evil husband’s plot to lie to the Holy Spirit.

2. Veracious Authority – Part 2 of 2

3) Berean Believers Commended.

The Westminster Confession is based on Acts 17:10,11: “And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These [at Berea] were more noble than those at Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

The apostles Paul and Silas brought the message of Christ to the Jews at Berea (who in those days had only the Old Testament Scriptures). They commended the Bereans for two things:

a) They recognized the authority of Scripture was greater than that of church leaders (the apostles).

b) They searched the Scriptures daily to see if what the church leaders (Paul and Silas) were saying had veracity (was true).

The Bereans were not challenging the apostles in an attitude of rebellion, but they were wanting to make sure that what was taught was in agreement with the Bible.

They were complimented by the Holy spirit because of their wisdom. They were wise enough to recognize that God has given a book by which every man and his teaching should be judged, no matter if he is an apostle or an angel from Heaven.

“If… an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached… let him be accursed [anathema]” (Gal 1:8).

Even if a volcano erupts in the midst of a gospel crusade accompanied with fire and smoke, trumpets and the sound of angelic choirs… if what is taught in that context contradicts the scriptures, it is invalid.

4) The Final Authority. God spoke through Isaiah: “Check these…words against the Word of God!… If their messages are different than mine, it is because I have not sent them; they have no light or truth in them” (Isa 8:20 tlb).

God is telling us through Isaiah that the Bible is to be the final authority for faith and practice. Neither miracle workers, nor church leaders, nor angels have authority equal to the Scriptures.

This principle of the Bible being the final authority of faith and practice was established almost 4,000 years ago when God gave the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) to a man called Joshua, the successor to Moses.

God said to him, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein…” (Jos 1:8).

God said to Joshua, “If you want to have success and prosper, take this book and READ it and live by what you read.”

That’s still God’s commandment for those who want to prosper. Take the Bible, live according to it and judge everything by it.

The Bible is VERACIOUS AUTHORITY. It is a higher authority than any office in the Church. It is above any Church official, be he apostle, pope, prophet, cardinal, evangelist bishop, pastor, priest, teacher or deacon.

The Roman Catholic Church recognizes the veracious authority of Scripture, for even the Pope is not supposed to teach doctrine contrary to the Bible.

David said, “He [the Lord] hath exalted his word above all his name” (Ps 138:2). Think of it! God has given Christ a name above every name (Phil 2:9), but He has exalted His Word above even His Name. This places the Bible above even His Name. This places the Bible above every human authority, whether it be religious, political or military.

Every believer is obliged to search the Scriptures to find out if what the church leaders teach is according to the Scriptures. We are never to believe or practice anything contrary to the Scriptures, the Word of God.

Nowhere in the Bible or teaching of the early Church fathers, do we have evidence that church leaders (or any other human being) spoke with veracious authority. This is a level above human authority.

2. Veracious Authority – Part 1 of 2

The word “Veracious” is taken from the word “veracity” which means “truth”, or that which is always true beyond a shadow of a doubt.

For example, when you were in school you were taught in mathematics class the simple truth that “2+2 equals 4″. Your teacher was speaking with veracious authority at that point.

This simple mathematical formula is a fact that does not have to be arbitrated, argued over or justified. It is true. It is a irrefutable statement of mathematical fact.

As in the above example, anything that is truth has authority by virtue of the fact that it is true. Paul the apostle acknowledged this. “For we can do nothing against the truth..” (2 Cor 13:8). Truth has authority.

A. Truth Has Authority.

To reject truth is to incur judgment. “That they all might be condemned who believed the truth..” (2 Ths 2:12).

1) God The Father Speaks Truth. God always tells the truth; thus His words have veracious authority.

“God is not a man, that he should lie… hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Num 23:19).

“My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.. I have sworn.. that I will not lie…” (Ps 89:34,35).

2) God the Son (Jesus) Speaks Truth. “Jesus saith unto him, I am… the truth… ” (John 14:6). Because He is the truth – everything He says is true and thus is binding.”..we know that thou art true, and…teach the way of God in truth…”(Mark 12:14). “For … truth came by Jesus Christ’ (John 1:17).

Thus, in order to be saved, we must believe what He says. “..he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).

3) God The Holy Spirit Expresses Truth. The Scriptures ascribe this quality of truth to God, the Holy Spirit. Thrice Jesus describes Him as “… the Spirit of truth…” (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13). In 1 John 5:6, we read, “… the Spirit is truth.” thus, the Holy spirit becomes an expression of veracious authority in the God-head.

B. The Bible Has Authority.

The Scriptures are given by God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as an expression of Truth and, therefore, they hold the place of veracious authority. This authority is active in the lives of men, even if they refuse to acknowledge it.

We have the Word of God expressed not only in the Person of Jesus – the Word Incarnate – that is in flesh (see John 1:1,14), but we also have the Word expressed in the Bible (the Inscriptured Word).

1) Inspired By the Holy Spirit. The Bible was written as a result of the action of the Spirit of God upon men. The spirit divinely inspired their thought and words. David described this phenomena in these words: “The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue” (2 Sam 23:2).

God breathed into them His words. these “…holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Pet 1:21). these men recorded God’s words for us.

That which He breathed through men became an expression of our Lord in inscriptured authority. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God [Greek = theopneustos, meaning divinely breathed in]…” (2 Tim 3:16).

Consequently, when we look at the work of the Holy spirit in relation to bringing God’s truth to men, we know that He inspired or breathed forth through men what we call the Scriptures (the Bible).

God has given us a book inspired by the Holy Spirit called the Bible, and of it He says: “..thy law is truth… all thy commandments are truth” (Ps 119:142, 151).

Thus the Bible holds the place of VERACIOUS authority for the christian (and all mankind). We must judge and determine what is right by what the Bible says.

2) Three Guidelines For the Authority Of Scripture. We live in a day when men have attacked the Scriptures from within as well as from without the Church. Thus, we need to reaffirm that which ancient Church councils established.

Hundreds of years ago, church leaders met to deal with certain problems which were disrupting the faith and practice of the believers. The “Westminster Confession,” which resulted from this conference, provides us three statements which should serve as a guideline for church leaders in understanding the VERACIOUS AUTHORITY of Scripture. They are:

1. “Nothing contrary to Scripture can be true.”
2. “Nothing in addition to Scripture be binding.”
3. “Every believer is responsible to God to search the Scriptures to see if what is being said by church leaders is true.”

A. THREE LEVELS OF AUTHORITY RESERVED FOR GOD ALONE

1. Sovereign – Imperial Authority

The highest authority is SOVEREIGN or IMPERIAL AUTHORITY. This level is never questioned or challenged. It is absolute, infallible, and authority of the highest magnitude. This authority belongs exclusively to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Some denominations arrogate to ecclesiastical offices this high honor reserved in the Scripture FOR GOD ALONE THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO BIBLICAL BASIS FOR CHURCH LEADERS (or any human being) TO EXPERIENCE SOVEREIGN AUTHORITY.

The Bible warns in no uncertain terms that they who do so are falling into the same sin that led to Satan’s fall from Heaven. Lucifer (Satan) tried to arrogate to himself authority that belongs to GOD ALONE.

“How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer … For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to… rule… I will take the highest throne… I will… be like the Most High”‘ (Isa 14:12-14 tlb).

Satan’s fall from Heaven resulted from his trying to usurp to himself sovereign authority reserved for God alone. Let religious leaders be warned. You can fall into the same snare as the devil.

A. Jesus Christ – Only Sovereign Head Of The Church.

In writing to the church at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul tells us Jesus alone has the position of sovereign authority in the Church.

“..I pray for you constantly, asking God… to give you wisdom to see clearly and really understand WHO CHRIST IS… I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great his power is to help those who believe… It is that same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in heaven, far, far above ANY OTHER king or ruler or dictator or leader… And God has put ALL things under his feet and made HIM [and ONLY Him] THE SUPREME HEAD OF THE CHURCH…” (Eph 1:16-22 tlb).

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only One Who holds the position of a sovereign over the Christian. He is the One Who is enthroned above all principalities and authority.

He has been exalted, “Far above all… dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come… all things have been put under his feet. HE IS TO BE THE HEAD OVER ALL THINGS TO THE CHURCH, which is his body, the fullness of him that fills all in all” (Eph 1:21-23, pph).

This position of sovereign authority belongs to the Godhead and, as far as the governance of the Church is concerned, is reserved for our Lord Jesus alone.

Hebrews Chapter One also teaches us that Jesus Christ is in the unique place of being the only sovereign Head of the Church.

“God… hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir [lawful owner] of all things… unto the Son [Jesus] he [the Father] saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.

“…God had anointed thee with the oil of gladness ABOVE thy fellows” (Heb 1:1-9).

This places Jesus over every person in the church. This simply means that no one, regardless of his position or title, can presume to rise to a position equal to the authority of our Lord. Jesus holds this preeminent position.

He was exalted above the angels, above every other throne for ever and ever. He is given the place of sovereignty in this age as well as that which is to come.

B. Beware Of Those Who Would “Take Christ’s Place”.

Anyone, or any church, who attempts to ascend to this level by making an ecclesiastical office (on earth or in Heaven) equal to or greater than Jesus is bordering on being party to an Antichrist spirit.

The term “antichrist,” in the New Testament, does not only mean “against Christ” it also means “in the place of Christ.” (Greek = an-tee’; meaning instead of, in the room of. Denotes substitution).

For example, any religious group like the Catholic Church that recognizes some one “in the place of Christ” is usurping Christ’s place.

In Catholic theology, the Pope is “the Vicar of Christ on Earth”. “Vicar” comes from “Vicarious” – meaning “to substitute – in the place of.”

This is dangerous theology – especially since the Pope’s Ex-Cathedra (from the papal throne) pronouncements are considered infallible (without possibility of error or mistake) by Catholic church leaders.

This is what Jesus warned us would happen. He told us, “Many shall come IN MY NAME [professing Christians] saying I am Christ; and shall deceive many Matt 24:5).

In Revelation 19, the Holy Spirit under scores very clearly that Jesus Christ holds a unique place in the purpose of God. In verse 16, He is described as having written on His robe the words, “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Above every king, He is King of kings. Above every lord, He is Lord of lords. To Him alone is given the place of absolute sovereign authority. There is no authority in the Church to whom a Christian should give unquestioned obedience other than our Lord Jesus Christ.

It should be noted that many churches claim sovereign authority for their potentates and leaders. To do so is not only unscriptural but anti-scriptural, as we will show in further detail in later chapters.

Introduction

A well-known church leader was quoted as expressing this dangerous view-point: “When a ‘delegated authority’ or ‘spiritual authority’ provides counsel to those under him, he speaks with God’s authority. Whenever God’s delegated authority touches our lives. He requires us to acknowledge and submit to it. JUST AS WE WOULD TO HIM IN PERSON.”

Another church leader expressed an imbalanced position when he said, “You’ll be taught by the Spirit what is involved in Apostleship-or you’ll be left in Babylon. There’s no halfway point. The only alternative you have to spiritual submission and to divine order is Babylon.”

Let me make it clear. I consider myself to be one who wants to honor all legitimate authority. However, I carry grave concerns about the impact some teachers’ concepts have on their “disciples.”

In this study, we are going to look at the abuse of authority in the Church, a subject which has brought endless confusion to many of God’s people.

As biblical truths are carried to extremes by unbalanced application, they can destroy lives. The Jonestown, Guyana, mass suicide of over 900 followers of Jim Jones illustrates what can happen. He was a church leader from America who demanded total submission to his edicts.

In Romans 13:1, we are instructed: “Let every soul be subject to the HIGHER authorities. For there is no authority but of God: the authorities that be are ordained by God.”

Using this verse of Scripture, doctrine on submission has been developed by both Protestant and “Catholic groups. These doctrines often go far beyond the scriptural concept of submission taught in the New Testament. It is these unscriptural concepts that we must boldly challenge.

” ….The truth as [expressed] in Jesus” is always liberating (Eph 4:21). It will set you free to be all the Lord wants you to be. It will not bring you into bondage to some religious hierarchy, that prevents God’s will being expressed in your life.

When the Scriptures speak of HIGHER authorities, it is suggesting that there are legitimate levels or stratification of authority to which we are to submit ourselves. It also implies there are times when higher (divine) and lower (human) authority come in conflict, and we have to choose to obey God rather than religious leaders (Acts 5:29).

Of the SEVEN levels of authority that are mentioned in the Scripture, THREE DO NOT pertain to man. These three levels of authority are reserved for God alone. These are Sovereign Authority, Veracious Authority and the Authority of Conscience. We will explain the meaning of these later.

Unfortunately, history is replete with examples of religious and political leaders who appropriate to themselves pompous titles, authority and position the Scripture reserves for God alone.

No matter how much we wish for it to be, there is simply no father without the son. No one can claim a relationship with our heavenly Father without abiding in Jesus Christ the word of God.

Being under authority is the norm in the body of Christ, this is the same for men and women. There can be no ministry unless  we are first discipled in a church and then sent.

The gifts may work, so will the devil against us, because we stand alone.

This question of accountability and submission is so vital that I tell people that when they meet a minister for the first time, the first question  they should ask is “Who sent you?” or “Who do you submit to?” If the minister or pastor says “God” then, I warn that they should run from these quakes as fast as they can!

You see, if such women/men of God are sent, there is submission, obedience and accountability, If not they simply don’t want to submit to anyone else or have someone over them telling them what to do!

The Lord Jesus set an example by constantly referring to the fact that He was “sent” or “given” things to Him by His Father to do the work He gave Him to do. This shows He never called Himself to minister; Jesus needed to be sent or given ministry by someone higher than Himself for His ministry to be legitimate, even though He is God the Son (John 17:2-4, 6-9, 11-12, 18, 21, 23-25).

The early church also functioned with this concept of sending. For example, even though Saul and Barnabas had already felt called by God into ministry they didn’t dare send themselves until the leaders of the church in Antioch also received a confirming word from the Lord to send them. (Read Acts 13:1-2, in which the tense of the original Greek wording shows that God had already called Saul into the ministry before the leaders of the church received the confirming word.)

Even Paul the apostle submitted the gospel of grace he was preaching (to the Gentiles) to the leading apostles of the Jerusalem Church (Peter and John) for fear his work was in vain (Galatians 2:2, 9).

• Galatians 2:2 2 I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain.
• Galatians 2:9 9 James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews.

The bible specifies that while it is the God who calls, it is the church that sents.

Jesus said in Mathew 9:37 that the harvest is ready, but the workers are few. This shows that it is not just a matter of calling. In Matthew 22:1-14 we understand that many are called but a few are chosen. Even among those called, there was one present without the wedding garment who resolved to yield no homage, but to assert his independent self-sovereignty. What that symbolizes about that man is that

• He came into the banquet when he was told to, but he came only in appearance, he came not in heart.
• The banquet was intended for the honour of the son, this man was willing to eat the good things, but he intended no respect to the prince.
• He said, “I will come, but it shall be in such a way that the royal purpose shall not be served, but rather my purposes and needs be met.
• I shall be present myself as an onlooker, but take no share in the ceremony
• I will, on the contrary, show that I have no care for the business in hand, except so far as it serves my turn.
• The man came in full exercise of self-will and self-love.

The Lord calls every one to his kingdom regardless of sex.  The wedding garment highlights in a special way that he also expects all of us to abide by his expectations. Those who do not will be cast into the exterior darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. These are called but not chosen.  ( cf Mt 22:14).  THEY CAN NOT BE COUNTED AS WORKERS OR LABORERS FOR THE HARVEST.

Jesus stated his expectations for preparations of the laborers in Matt 28: 18-20

i)        ¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said,

(1)    “All authority in

(a)    heaven and

(b)   on earth has been given to me.

ii)       ¹⁹Therefore

(1)    Go (Remember, they are already his disciples, not untrained strangers)

(2)     and make disciples of all nations,

(3)    baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

iii)     ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

iv)     And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul tells Timothy “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” (NIV). How will they be qualified? By being entrusted with the things Timothy has heard, they will be qualified. They are reliable, they can be relied upon to walk the talk, to obey and to do, to submit to their calling.

Jesus discipled the 12 and sent them. Jesus expects them to make disciples of all nations. Discipleship requires submission to authority. It is those proven disciples in the church who are marked by the Holy Spirit to be sent by the elders.

This is the way it is according to the Bible. The choice is ours to abide or not.

A sister in the church has this line at the bottom of all her emails “A man cannot touch his neighbor’s heart with anything less than his own.” The fact is that we do touch others with the contents of our heart, and if our heart is set on rebellion, it will affect others in the church. This is the principle behind 1 Cor 5:9-11,  2 Timothy 3: 1-5, and Eph 5:11; where the bible tells us to have nothing to do with them, talking about those who call themselves Christians: “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

There is simply no Father without the Son. No one can claim a relationship with our heavenly Father without abiding in Jesus Christ the word of God.

Those who claim to do so are under deception. Have nothing to do with them.

“The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable”  – Brennan Manning

I’d replace atheism with rejection of the message of our Lord Jesus Christ thus: “The single greatest cause of the message of the rejection of the message of Jesus Christ in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable”

Greetings mighty saints of God.

Exodus 20:7 tells us to “not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain;” . We’ve been taught that this means to not use the name of God in common language as swear words or even expressions. The word vain is shäv in Hebrew. The Blue Letter Bible defines its Biblical usage as:
emptiness, vanity, falsehood
a) emptiness, nothingness, vanity
b) emptiness of speech, lying
c) worthlessness (of conduct)

Without discounting any of the above usages, I believe that passage has more to do with worthlessness of conduct than emptiness of speech, lying etc. We are called to be Ambassador’s of our Lord Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:20), we represent and enforce His Kingdom on Earth. Our conduct has to be worthy of this calling.

Is there a specific order of conduct prescribed by which we can stand without error in our representation of our Lord Jesus? In John 13:34-35 Lord Jesus said ” A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

By this ALL will know that you are My disciples, if you have LOVE for one another

This is a commandment and not a suggestion.

I have three children. When they fight, I get irritated, but God forbid, if I ever find that they have no love for each other, that would break my heart. Our heavenly Father feels no different. A long time ago, He asked Cain about the whereabouts of his brother Abel, to which Cain replied “I know not, am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). Earlier, both Cain and Abel had made an offering to the LORD. He was pleased with Abel’s but not Cain’s. Abel had offered a better sacrifice by faith (Heb 11:4). Then the LORD asked a sulking Cain “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? ⁷ If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” (Genesis 4:6)

King James Version says “… sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.”

I find the similarity between that and the passage in Genesis 3:16 where the LORD says to Eve “…  Your desire shall be for your husband,  And he shall rule over you.” curious.

Coming back to the Cain, we understand that he succumbs to sin and kills his brother. It is when God confronts him that we get the famous reply “I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Let us analyze this

Cain starts by saying “I know not”. This is the first lie said by a human recorded  in the bible. Even when Adam and Eve fell, they did not lie, but just pointed the finger and passed on the blame.

Genesis 3: 9-13

And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

We can say that rather than lying, it can be said that Adam accused Eve and she in turn accuses the serpent of tricking her.  This too is an inherited trait of Satan, who is the accuser of the brothers (Revelation 12:10).

In Cain’s case, the LORD had warned him that sin desires to consume him, and it is interesting to note that the KJV personifies sin as him. Once consumed by sin, the first thing that comes out Cain’s mouth is a lie. In John 8:44, Jesus tells us that Satan is the father of lies.

In other words, after declaring to the LORD who he was with now, Cain goes on and asks “Am I my brother’s keeper?”. What he is asking is

• Is this my concern?
• After all, aren’t you and him good buddies now?
• Aren’t you supposed to take care of him?
• What does all this have to do with me?

Sin had turned Cain against Able and God, as a result he neither had love, care or concern for his brother, not had any regard about what his Heavenly father’s concerns for his brother were.

Coming back to our times, do we have a responsibility to watch out and care for our “brethren”? We read earlier that Lord Jesus commanded us to love another, and that the world will know that we are his disciple by seeing the love we have for one another.

Paul writes to the Romans stating that they must owe nothing to no man but love; that love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:18). Love one another fervently, writes Peter in 1 Peter 1:22.

Other than what Jesus said in John 13:35-35, what touched me most was Paul writes to the Corinthians in 1 Cor 13:1-3

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

So it is clear that the Lord Jesus tells us that we MUST be known for our love for each other.

It would be dangerous to stop at that without understanding how He expects us to fulfill this command.

This is no “free love”; the belief in or practice of sexual relations outside of marriage. Jesus was no hippy with a harem.

In the Bible, there are specific instruction given to express this love.

Four commands to “Love”:

1. Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27,35).
2. Love your fellow Christians (John 13:34; John 15:12,17;  1 Peter 2:17; 1 John 3:23; 2 John 1:5; Galatians 5:14).
3. Love the brotherhood (1 Peter 2:17).
4. Love your brother (1 John 4:21).

Two things not to love:

1. The world (1 John 2:15)
2. Things in the world (1 John 2:15)

Three ways to love:

1. Fervently (1 Peter 2:22)
2. With a pure heart (1 Peter 2:22)
3. As brethren (1 Peter 3:8)

Ways to show our love to one another.

1. be reconciled to one another  – Matt 5:24)
2. “receive one another” – Rom 15:7
3. “edify another” – Rom 14:19
4. “serve one another” – Gal 5:13
5. “bear one another’s burdens” – Gal 6:1-2
6. “forgiving one another” – Eph 4:32
7. “submitting to one another” – Eph 5:21
8. “exhort one another” – Heb 3:12-13
9. “consider one another” – Heb 10:24-25
10. “hospitable to one another” – 1 Pet 4:8-10

Remember

1. All will know we are disciples of Christ by our love for one another
2. This is the fulfillment of the Old Testament
3. It is a new commandment (not a suggestion) given by the Lord Jesus
4. Without love expressed Biblicaly by faith, we are nothing but a clanging cymbal, or full of hot air
5. Without this, we are nothing.

An interesting point to note is that all the 10 ways  is addressed to believers, the Church. We are called to be Ambassador’s of our Lord Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:20), we represent and enforce His Kingdom on Earth. Our conduct has to be worthy of this calling. Let us not cause the message of Jesus Christ  to be rejected by the world through our denial of Him in our lifestyle.

with love in Jesus

J.S.Kodiyil
Pastor
The Father’s House Church, Cochin & Ooty

Click here to watch a video of this teaching or visit: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?p=PL088F15C0C2F6CC23

E. CONCLUSION

The Africans tell a story about a mouse who teamed up with a lonely elephant. The mouse always rode on the elephant’s back, just behind his right ear. There he could sit and chat happily with his friend the elephant, keeping him company as they walked along.

One day they came to a bridge over a river. it seemed sturdy enough, so the elephant stepped out on it, and they crossed the river. When they arrived on the other side, the mouse said to the elephant, “Wow! We really shook that bridge, didn’t we?”

You and I are like the mouse. We have teamed up with an all powerful God. By ourselves – like the mouse – we couldn’t shake anything. But working together with God, learning and listening to hear His voice, we can bruise that old serpent, Satan, and set the prisoners of sin, sickness and poverty free (Rom 16:20).

Remember:

1. Academic Knowledge,

While useful in some arenas, cannot produce saving, healing power of God, nor the kind of leaders needed in the Church today. Remember that most of Jesus’ disciples were described as “unlearned and ignorant men. But they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). so take much time to be with Jesus by prayer and fasting. See what a different that will make.

2. God’s Word (Rhema) And His Plan Are Unique …

for every situation, person and organization. Patterns, methods, formulas and traditions – unless energized by the Holy Spirit – can be great hindrances to our hearing and obeying God’s voice.

3. God’s Plan For Your Life Is Much Bigger Than Your Own…

Wait on the Lord in prayer until you have a clear understanding of what God’s plan is.

Let us pray

Lord Jesus, I want to hear Your voice. Let faith come to me now by hearing Your voice. I surrender my life my church, my ministry to You. Guide me by Your word (rhema) and truth (logos). AMEN!

Now quietly listen! What is He saying to you? You. You just asked Him to speak to you. Stop and listen for one or two minutes.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, said something we should take heed to. “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it” (John 2:5).

D. THE MESSAGE – NOT THE MORTAR (Part 2)

3. Spread The Message

The New Testament does not have one word to say about building physical church buildings. (Neither does the Old.) Yet that is one of the highest priorities in most Western churches or organizations. In China, they have a better way.

The emphasis in the New Testament is on “spreading the message.” “And the disciples went every where preaching and the Lord was with them and confirmed what they said by the miracles that followed their messages” (Mark 16:20 tlb).

“For I am not ashamed of this good news [the message] about Christ. it is God’s power-filled method of bringing all who believe it into heaven” (Rom 1:16 pph).

“Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel not where Christ was named… but we preach Christ crucified… Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (Rom 15:20; 1 Cor 1:23,24).

Lavish church buildings will not cause sinners to believe or the lost to be saved. Only God’s power can save the lost.

Dead religious rituals will not bring men to the living Christ, Who triumphed over death, Hell and the grave. But fully preaching the gospel will. Paul wrote, ” … through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God… I have fully preached the gospel of Christ (Rom 15:19). I want to add: The gospel is not fully preached until accompanied by the miraculous displays of God’s love through mighty signs and wonders.

4. A Spiritual Graveyard

Years ago, I walked into  a great cathedral in Australasia. It had seating for 2,500 people, choir boys who could sing beautiful medieval hymns, a great pipe organ to fill the place with majestic sounds, highly educated ministers who recited the sermons and prayers. On the surface, it was very impressive. There was only one problem – they had everything but people! And this was in a city of over five million.

I attended the regular Wednesday night service in that great cathedral. The choir boys sang, the organist played, the priest read the prayers and the sermon. All in all – it took about one and a half hours.

Beside myself, there were only two other persons in the church building, two very old sweet silver-haired ladies. We three sat through this ritualistic relic of a dead Christianity which pretended to be the representation of Christ. The cathedral occupied land worth multiplied millions of dollars.

It would have been to sell the whole lot, shut down this spiritual graveyard and bury this insult to the powerful living resurrected Christ Whose eyes burn as flames. Whose feet shine as burnished brass, Who holds all power in Heaven and earth and Who promises to vomit out every church system that propagates a lukewarm gospel.

In that same church, a priest was saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. He began conducting healing meetings and hundreds started flocking out to his Tuesday night prayer/healing service. Church law would not allow such meetings in the cathedral. He was refused permission and had to conduct his services in a parish hall – far too small to accommodate the sick and infirm who came for salvation and healing.

5. Re-Prioritize Resources

Church leaders – believe me! it is an unholy infatuation those in the Western church have with cathedrals (be they crystal or otherwise). When they construct elaborate sanctuaries at the expense of spreading the gospel, they are an offense to a God who commissioned us nearly 2,000 years ago to, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Until we align with that priority, all else we do is “wood hay and stubble” (1 Cor 3:12).

Two billion still wait to hear! God says, “Their blood will I require at thine hand” (Eze 3:20).

After fully preaching the gospel throughout the Roman Empire, Paul could testify, “I am pure from the blood of all men” (Acts 20:26). Are we? I think not! We must re-prioritize our resources to do what God has said in the Bible, and what He is telling us by His Spirit to do.

I am not against modest church buildings for necessary users. I am against investing dedicated resources for elaborate ego fulfilling project that could and should be used for helping the poor and spreading the gospel.

Next Week

Conclusion

D. THE MESSAGE – NOT THE MORTAR (Part 1)

Church leaders in Western national often compensate for their lack of power and ability to hear the voice of the Lord, by investing millions of dollars in impressive cathedrals and lavish sanctuaries. They think this will impress the world and attract people to their church.

As you study Church history, you discover the more backslidden the church, the more the leaders invested in massive structures which did little to help people or to spread the gospel. These structures likely only served one main purpose – they pandered to church leaders’ and affluent church members’ pride.

Observing how the Church operates, you would be left with the distinct impression that Jesus’ last words were, “Go into all the world and build cathedrals for every creature.” The top priority of most church leaders is to “build a bigger barn.”

1. God’s Priority

What Jesus said was this: “Go ino all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). God puts the priority on the message – not on the mortar. God puts the emphasis on  helping people. Man puts the emphasis on more mortar (buildings).

One cannot help but contrast this behavior of church leaders with our Lord. He chose a stable for His birthplace, lived as part of a poor carpenter’s family in Nazareth, and told us He had come to preach the gospel to the poor. He had no place to lay His head during the years of His ministry. At His death He was wrapped in a borrowed shroud. His body lay in a borrowed tomb during those hours of glorious conquest over death, hell and the grave. For our sakes He became poor.

From whence then do church leaders receive authority to wantonly waste the resources of the Church on gaudy cathedrals and lavish church sanctuaries when two billion people still wait to hear the gospel?

There is no record of church buildings going up until the third century when Constantine, the first “Christian” Roman Emperor, merged church and politics.

Constantine’s influence was spiritually detrimental and disastrous for the Church. Once the Church became respectable and affluent, her power with God was gone. What had been a living organism -  spreading life and blessing everywhere – became a dead organization, proliferating “form without the force” – de void of God’s word and power. Paul admonishes us, “From such turn away” (2 Tim 3:5).

2. The Church In China: An Example

China provides an interesting case study for what can happen when a church is freed from infatuation with cathedrals and elaborate church buildings.

Since before the changes in 1950 God raised up indigenous works that recognized God’s special hand upon China and its culture.

Rather than relying upon the Western way of doing things, they began to see that many aspects of Chinese culture were in harmony with the Scriptures, such s the strength and structure of the Chinese family and the importance placed upon the home as a place of worship.

So even from this time many movements began whereby Chinese believers met in their homes to worship and pray to the Living God as families.

Now too, we can understand why after the changes in 1950 (when all Western missionaries are forced to leave  China) millions of brothers and sisters from all over the country have found spiritual fulfillment not through the Western-style cathedrals, but through an ever-growing network of house churches.

After the changes in 1950, the Chinese Christians began sharing their faith with their relatives and friends. Through “relational evangelism” (that is, evangelism that spreads from relative) an amazing miracle of church growth began to take place in the church in China.

After 120 years of Western missionary activity, there were about two million Christian believers in China in 1952. Twenty years later (1972), when China opened up again to the West, it was discovered there were over twenty million Christians in China. Today (1990) knowledgeable sources place the Christian community in China at fifty to sixty million believers.

Why this dramatic growth? Freed from Western missionary money (which is often a controlling influence) and Western missionary ways of doing things, the Chinese church adapted quickly to methods much more compatible with its culture. Shut out of the cathedrals, they reverted back to the New Testament practice of meeting in homes. The believers then began functioning as a family, with dramatic results in evangelism.

Because the church in China was relieved of the economic burden of massive buildings, they could put their money into helping people and spreading the message. The priority became “spreading the message” – not ‘spreading the mortar” (building more cathedrals).

Next Week

The Message – Not the Mortar Part 2

C. THE REAL THING – NOT SUBSTITUTES

I wish co-workers’ meetings and training materials would place great emphasis in their curriculum on teaching students how to move in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and how to hear God’s voice.

1. God’s Word And Spirit, Not Academic Knowledge

Thank God for men like Dr. John Wimber, Dr. Peter Wagner and Dr. Donald McGovern, courageous servants of God who stand out in the history of our nation as men who acknowledged the importance of the Holy Spirit in the work of evangelism and church life.

They were not like their contemporaries who emphasized philosophy, literature, history, psychology and a host of other subjects instead of the Bible. these men taught others to prepare for a spiritual battle with Satan and his demons.

They taught the students how to heal the sick, cast out devils, and preach the gospel with miracles confirming the ministry of the Word. Instead of merely turning out students with theological degrees, they raised up men who were aflame with the Spirit. These could dispel the demonic influence spread over our land.

We need men like Philip, who went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ.

The Bible says, “The people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spoke, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them, and may that were lame were healed” (Acts 8:6,7).

Our training should be turning out men of faith like Stephen and Philip – men who will challenge the powers of darkness and triumph in the process. Then we will see “this gospel of the kingdom preached in all the world, for a witness to all nations” (Matt 24:14).

2. Faith No Pride.

If we continue substituting academic knowledge for the rhema of God, we are destined to failure. One of the great dangers of higher education is turning out men of pride instead of mean of faith. To paraphrase Paul, “Knowledge puffeth up, but love buildeth up” (1 Cor 8:1).

Let us not worship at the altar of worldly knowledge. Let us not put our faith in academic wisdom and technology which can only provide a convenient, but ultimately fruitless, substitute for God’s power in our lives and ministry. Rather, let us seek to be hearers and doers of God’s word. Let us learn to hear from God.

Next Week

The Message – Not the Mortar

B. RELATIONSHIP – NOT FORMULA

We need to realize that God’s life-giving word seldom comes in response to religious forms or formulas. Jesus healed one blind man by mixing dust and spittle, forming mud and applying it to the blind man’s eyes. The blind man was then sent to the pool of Siloam to wash the mud out of his eyes, and was healed (John 9).

If I mixed dust and spit and put it in blind men’s eyes, probably all they would get is mud in their eyes. If God told me to do it (as He told Jesus) then the blind would be healed.

It is not the form or formula. It is hearing God’s voice and taking obedient action in response to what God has said. On other occasions, Jesus healed the blind with other means (Matt 9:29; Mark 10:52).

A proper relationship with His heavenly Father was the secret of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus said, “I do always those things that please the Father” (John 8:29). Because the condition of Jesus’ heart was always right with His heavenly Father, He could easily hear and obey His Father’s voice.

Jesus made it clear. “The Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing, and in the same way he sees the Father doing it” (John 5:19 tlb).

1. Spend Time With God.

Jesus knew the Scriptures. He confounded the wise men in the temple at age twelve with His Bible knowledge. But the secret of His ministry was His sensitivity to the Father’s voice – doing what He saw the Father doing, in the same way He saw the Father doing it.

When Jesus needed to hear from the Father, He went away for times of prayer (and sometimes fasting). You remember that Jesus’ ministry began with forty days of fasting and prayer. Often thereafter, we see Him spending nights in prayer (as before choosing His twelve disciples). We find Him withdrawing from the multitudes and going into the desert to pray.

Out of that devotional life came the sensitivity to hear the Father’s voice. Have you developed your relationship with the Father in times of prayer and fasting? If not, why don’t you try it and see what happens? You may be surprised.

Next Week

The Real Thing

‘So then faith comes by hearing … the word (rhema) of God” (Rom 10:17).

A. LOGOS AND RHEMA

There are two Greek words translated as “word” in our English Bibles. “LOGOS” and  “RHEMA” (pronounced as ray-mah). Logos often refers to the written or inscriptured “word” Rhema often refers to the living or life-giving “word”.

[Editor's note: The following examples are not meant as accurate or precise usage of these Greek words. They are given as examples of the idea the author seeks to explain related to the words logos and rhema.]

Jesus said, “It  is written [logos], ‘man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word [rhema] that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”‘ (Acts 17:11).

these verses illustrate the inseparable bond between the logos and the rhema. They always work together. We must know the Scriptures (logos) to judge whether the word (rhema) that comes to us is really from the Lord – or some other spirit. the Holy Spirit (rhema) and the Holy Bible (logos) always agreed.

Jesus said of the Pharisees, “Your error is caused by your ignorance of the Scriptures [logos] and of God’s power [rhema] (Matt 22:29). The Pharisees of Jesus’ day knew neither the logos nor the rhema.

Many church leaders know neither the Scriptures nor God’s power. Such leaders and churches make God throw up (Rev 3:15)

There are other church leaders who know the Scripture, but do not know God’s power but do not know the Scriptures. They usually dry up.

There are also some church leaders who know God’s power but do not know the Scriptures. The usually blow up.

If you know both the Scriptures and God’s power – it will cause you and your church to grow up.

1. A Rhema From God

A rhema is usually a communication from God designed and empowered to apply to a specific situation. When we are reading the Bible and a certain verse suddenly strikes us with power, we are receiving a rhema (living-word) for our personal need.

When we have been praying for God’s wisdom or God’s answer for an insoluble problem and suddenly God speaks the solution into our hearts in clear practical terms which solve the problem, that is a rhema.

When we are in the midst of some ministry-related activity and we have a sudden impression to take some specific action, which results in great blessing, that is a rhema.

[A word of caution: We should not assume every urge, impression or feeling is a rhema. No rhema will ever be contrary to the Scripture (logos), God's eternal Word.]

If I am sick, I can open my Bible and read, “… by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Pet 2:24). I have the Word (logos) to tell me it is God’s will to heal me. Yet, I may not be healed when I read the verse.

a. Peter And The Lame Man.

The lame man (Acts 3) who had lain at the temple gate for years was not healed by Jesus, Who had passed in and out of the temple many times.

Peter, fresh from his personal Pentecost, went up to the temple to pray. When the lame man asked alms, Peter received a rhema for him. “Look on me! Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, give I thee. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk!” (Acts 3:6).

Instantly, the lame man leaped up and followed Peter into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God. The lame man may have known the Bible verse, “I am Jehovah Rapha that healeth thee” (Exo 15:26). Yet he was not healed until Peter heard God’s voice and spoke the life-giving word (rhema) to him.

“So then faith comes by hearing… the word [rhema] of God” (Rom 10:17). When God speaks to you – faith comes. If you will obediently respond to what God has said, miracles will take place for you just like they did in Bible times.

b. Miracle In Mexico.

About fifteen years ago I was in Hermosillo, Mexico ministering with Evangelist D’Sousa from Panama. He invited me to go visit a man who was bedridden with sickness. When we got to the sick man’s house and started to pray for him, I sensed the Holy Spirit giving me a message for the man.

I said to him, “Unless you repent you are going to die.”

Suddenly the man broke down and began to weep uncontrollably. He was praying and crying so hard, the little bed he was lying on was shaking back and forth.

The word of the Lord (rhema) came to me again. “Take the man by the hand and tell him to get up and walk in the Name of Jesus.”

I took the man’s hand and began to gently pull him from the bed. He slowly got up and stood shakily on his feet. All at once he began to shout and jump all over the room. He had been miraculously healed in a few moments time.

I found out later he was a backslidden church member, who before his conversion had been a notorious gangster and had killed quite a few men.

He had fallen away from the Lord. Back in sin he came down with incurable heart and kidney disease. He was in such bad health the doctors had instructed no one to move him, as it could kill him. (I ‘m glad I did not know that – I might have been afraid to obey the Lord.)

That night, he was at the evangelistic meeting and gave his testimony. Because he was so well known in the community, the impact of his testimony was dynamic. Many came to Christ for salvation and healing as a result.

Next week

Relationship – not formula