Church Upside Down

[Christsfreeservant]

Ephesians 4:11-13 ESV

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…” ​

The way most people seem to “do church” these days, at least here in America, is not the way that it was originally intended to happen.

For one, there should not be just one shepherd of the people doing all the ministering. There should be more than one shepherd in a congregation, and their jobs should be to equip us spiritually for the work of the ministry. And, we should then be going out teaching, encouraging, healing, visiting the sick, sharing the gospel, and showing hospitality, etc.

Many pastors of church congregations face burnout, discouragement, and depression, and some of them even fall into serious sin, because the weight of the ministry is all on their shoulders. For, they are expected to do all the teaching, all the preaching, all the visiting, and all the counseling and encouraging, etc.

And, they are expected to be businessmen, marketers, and entertainers, too, who know how to keep the people coming in the doors, and who know how to keep them there, too.

Yet, church gatherings are not to be for the purpose to draw in large crowds of people of the world via entertaining them so that they will feel at home among us. For, the church is not supposed to be a business marketed like any other business. The true church is the people, but not all people, but those of us who are in genuine relationship with Jesus Christ via dying with Christ to sin and living to him and to his righteousness (Rom. 6:1-23).

And, the purpose of our gatherings is to equip us for ministry so we can go out to the world, and so that we, too, can minister to one another using the gifts and ministries the Lord has assigned to each one of us. And, this is so we can help one another to grow to maturity in our relationships with Jesus Christ, and to help build one another up in the faith through mutual encouragement and the strengthening of one another in the faith.

And, this can’t happen at these gatherings if the gatherings are focused more around attracting and entertaining the world and the flesh of humans, rather than being focused on Jesus Christ and his holiness, and on encouraging one another to walk in holiness and righteousness so that we are not led astray by sin’s deceitfulness.

Ephesians 4:14 ESV

“… so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”​

Too many people within the gatherings of the church (or the institutional church) are immature, tossed to and fro by many winds of doctrine, which are being taught to them by people who claim to be God’s shepherds, but who are crafty and deceitful, and who are leading the people astray.

In fact, most of these modern-day “churches” (businesses of men) target the immature so that they can mold them according to their ways, not God’s ways. So, they lure them into their gatherings by promising them fun times, entertainment, a relaxed atmosphere, unconditional acceptance, cool programs for their kids, great music, and winsome pastors who are fun.

So “church” has become just another family-oriented entertainment venue, targeted at winning the world to their gatherings, to increase their numbers, and to build their earthly kingdoms.

Yet, I am not saying that none of the modern market-driven churches teach the Scriptures. A lot of them do, but most of them appear to teach a very watered-down version of them.

Much of what is being passed off as biblical teaching in these congregations is tainted by men in their deceitful scheming, who are wanting the world to feel at home in their gatherings, and so they won’t teach the gospel Jesus taught. In other words, they won’t teach denial of self and death to sin and walking in obedience to our Lord as part of working out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12-13; Rom. 8:1-17; Lu. 9:23-26).

And, so we have a whole lot of church congregations comprised of the people of the world (non-believers), nominal believers (in name only), immature believers in Jesus (living in adultery to their Lord), and some mature believers in Jesus Christ who are walking in holiness.

For, they are lacking true shepherds (godly ones) to lead them in the paths of righteousness, because they are following after business marketing plans for how to conduct and to build their “churches,” rather than them following after the Lord and letting the Holy Spirit lead them in how to lead their flocks to maturity in Jesus Christ, their Lord, and in holy living.

Ephesians 4:15-16 ESV

“Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”​

So, what can we do about this? What can you do? What can I do? Well, for one, we need to be in serious relationship with Jesus Christ, daily putting sin to death, and putting on Christ and his righteousness. We need to not be holding on to any pet sins, but we need to be walking in holiness in the power of God’s Spirit living and working within our lives.

We must be in the Word of God daily, drinking it into our minds and hearts, and then be doing what it says. And, then we need to be sharing it with others, too. And, we need to be sharing the gospel of our salvation, but not just with the world, but with “church people,” too, for not everyone who confesses Christ as Lord is truly saved from their sins and bound for heaven.

And, we need to pray for opportunities to share with others what is on God’s heart, too, to let them see what he sees regarding his church and how they have been functioning, and to share with them what the Lord’s church, his body, is to be. We need to point them to the Scriptures, and show them that “church,” as many people define it, is not truly “the church.”

Why? Because Christ’s body, his church, has been turned upside down, and it barely even resembles Christ’s body anymore, nor does it function as his body. For, thieves and robbers, who are wolves in sheep’s clothing, have taken over “the church” and turned it into a house of robbers, i.e. into a marketplace, and it is no longer a house of prayer, for the most part.

And, then we need to be functioning as the body of Christ ought to, using the gifts God has imparted to us, and fulfilling the roles – the parts within the body of Christ to which he has assigned us to do and to be. And, we need to be speaking the truth in love to one another, and not lies, so that we can help one another to grow to maturity in Christ AS EACH PART DOES ITS WORK.

Be Bold

So, even if the church congregation with whom you have been affiliated is not following the biblical role model for how we are to operate, as Christ’s body, it doesn’t mean we can’t follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, individually, in doing what God intends for us to do in encouraging one another to walk in holiness and in obedience to our Lord.

People may think you are crazy, at first, if you try it, though, just so you know. But, start sharing Scriptures that have ministered to your heart with others. Share poems and songs, too, which inspire us to live godly and holy lives. Share a devotional God has given to you, or one you have read, to encourage others in walks of holiness, as well. And, use the gifts God has given you to minister God’s love and grace to one another, too.

And, this is an excellent time to begin with this, too, if you have not already made this your practice. You can post Scripture verses on Twitter, Facebook, Christian Discussion Forums (various ones), LinkedIn, emails, text messages, or on video chats or whatever. And, you can share words of encouragement, hope, and healing, and songs, hymns and psalms, too.

And, do this, not just publicly, but personally, one on one, for we all need encouragement, especially right now. But, don’t share shallow feel-good messages that water down the gospel of Jesus Christ and that coddle people in their sins, for that helps no one, and that only leads people astray.

For, to encourage others in Christ means to urge, to inspire, and to embolden one another to follow Jesus Christ in obedience, and to walk in holiness, and to let the Holy Spirit be the one to lead in our lives, and not the influences of the world.

And, honestly, you may not get a lot of kudos doing this, and you may even get some rejection, but you will be making a difference in people’s lives for eternity that far outweighs any rejection you may get in return. And, you will be blessed doing it, and others will be blessed by you doing it, too.

Sanctuary

John W. Thompson / Randy Scruggs

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
Sanctuary for You

*Caution: This link may contain ads

 

[Tolworth John]

Many pastors of church congregations face burnout, discouragement, and depression, and some of them even fall into serious sin, because the weight of the ministry is all on their shoulders. For, they are expected to do all the teaching, all the preaching, all the visiting, and all the counseling and encouraging, etc.

Are you talking about your current church, or about churches to which yo have belonged, or in general about what you see?

Because part of the answer is for each church to have a body of men who share the spiritual oversight of the church, who are responsible for an aspect of church life.

Part of the answer is in the need to train up the next generation of church leaders.
Is there room for young people to be a part of Sunday school teaching, working in the youth ministry and in the old people's ministry?

How open is the church finances to its members? Who actually owns the church building and other asetts?
Are there gifted men in the church who can preach/teach etc and is the church encouraging them/training them.

Burn out is a real problem that the church has to recognise and be prepared to pay for a full time assistant minister, for a man from theological college the chance to work in a church, making mistakes, learning from the minister is valuable experience one that benefits the minister, lightening his load, the church as an enthusiastic leader jumps in upsetting established shilboths and creating new opertunities.
For the assistant he learns the hard way about the reality of being a minister, without carrying the full responsibility.

 

[Christsfreeservant]

Are you talking about your current church, or about churches to which yo have belonged, or in general about what you see?

Because part of the answer is for each church to have a body of men who share the spiritual oversight of the church, who are responsible for an aspect of church life.

Part of the answer is in the need to train up the next generation of church leaders.
Is there room for young people to be a part of Sunday school teaching, working in the youth ministry and in the old people's ministry?

How open is the church finances to its members? Who actually owns the church building and other asetts?
Are there gifted men in the church who can preach/teach etc and is the church encouraging them/training them.

Burn out is a real problem that the church has to recognise and be prepared to pay for a full time assistant minister, for a man from theological college the chance to work in a church, making mistakes, learning from the minister is valuable experience one that benefits the minister, lightening his load, the church as an enthusiastic leader jumps in upsetting established shilboths and creating new opertunities.
For the assistant he learns the hard way about the reality of being a minister, without carrying the full responsibility.

John, what you are describing is the institutional church which is not exactly the same as the church, the body of Christ. The institutional church is a structure of men, of buildings and church denominations and in partnership with the federal government, at least here in America. These are businesses of men called "church" because some of the church gathers together in these buildings and under these organizations. But the businesses themselves and the buildings, etc., are not the church.

So, what I am talking about is the church, the body of Christ, which is comprised solely of followers of Jesus Christ who have died with Christ to sin and have been resurrected with Christ to newness of life in him, who are walking according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Rom. 12; 1 Co. 12-14; Eph. 4).

And, I am talking about the Scriptures which teach about how the body of Christ is supposed to function, which is spelled out for us in the book of Acts, and in the passages mentioned above, and others, as well.

But, you are right, there is to be a body of men who are responsible for the spiritual growth and maturity of the church, and for equipping them for ministry, and for making certain that the church functions as it ought, taking into consideration all Scriptures teaching on this subject of church and spiritual gifts and ministries, etc. But, these men are to meet the biblical qualifications for an elder or a deacon. How many men in the church (the body of Christ) today do you think would qualify? From what I know, and I do have pretty vast experience, and I read a lot, too, not many men today would qualify, not even most pastors would qualify as men above reproach.

Ok, the Bible does not define the ministries of the church the same as these human organizations do. God assigns his people differently than these human organizations do. Such as he assigned me to write out what he teaches me each day from his word and to post it on the internet. That is how he is having me minister to the body of Christ. Also, the people are not supposed to decide on the ministries or the gifts, the Holy Spirit does. Yes, the Scriptures do give us a general guideline for how public gatherings are to be conducted, but not much beyond that other than describing more how we are to relate to one another, but not necessarily how that should work, exactly.

So, we have to get our minds outside the box of institutional Christianity and think biblical Christianity. The equipping of the saints for ministry, thus, must foremost equipping them spiritually, which includes teaching them how to hear from God so that they know what God is calling them to do, for he has something different for each one of us. They should be teaching how to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and how to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit and not in our own flesh, and they should (as in Ephesians 4) instructing them about deceiving spirits so they don't end up following after false doctrines of men in their deceitful scheming.

And, this is not about finances or buildings or paid ministers, either. I don't get paid for what I do, but then the Lord provides for me in other ways. Not everyone has to be paid. If the body of Christ is functioning as it ought, and if every part is doing its work, and if every part is allowed to do its work, then we shouldn't need to pay a bunch of full-time pastors. There should be plenty of godly men to lead and godly women to lead in their God-given roles, too. For, we all matter, and we all are necessary to the proper building up of the body of Christ to maturity in Jesus Christ.

And, theological college training is not a biblical requirement, and is often a detriment, because theologically trained individuals are often so set in their ways that they can't or they won't open up their minds and hearts to the leading of the Holy Spirit. So, look for men who fit the requirements for overseer or elder or deacon in the Scriptures, and that is who you want to lead your congregations. For, too many pastors are not leading their people to walk with the Lord in holiness, for too many of them are still walking in sin.

So, where I believe we need to go in this is that we need to get back to the cross of Christ and get away from all these imaginations of men and their models for building their churches (businesses), and we need to follow the Scriptures and not marketing 101 books. And, we need godly men who are above reproach leading the people to walk in holiness and to know God and to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and then we will be on the right path as the church.

In the meanwhile, while we are waiting for this, I have made some suggestions in this writing for how we, the body of Christ, can minister to one another to help one another to grow to maturity in Christ. And, I hope some people will take these suggestions and put them into practice, for then we will be functioning more as God intended for his church to function.

I hope I have answered your questions. Thank you for reading, and for responding, and for asking questions, too. Sincerely, Sue J Love (married, age 70, Bible teacher 50+ years, mother of 4, grandmother to 14)

 

[Tolworth John]

where I believe we need to go in this is that we need to get back to the cross of Christ and get away from all these imaginations of men and their models for building their churches (businesses), and we need to follow the Scriptures and not marketing 101 books. And, we need godly men who are above reproach leading the people to walk in holiness and to know God and to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and then we will be on the right path as the church.

Yes we always need Godly men and women at every level in the church. There also needs to be a practical attitude to organising the running of a church building and being responsible for it.

It is not a business, legally it should be registered as a charity and should comply with All the rules, regulations for being a charity.

There are many churches that do not do this and are a disgrace to the name of Jesus.

There are no easy ways of determining whether a church is worth joining.
Is it welcoming, is it open about financial and legal matters. Asking how would the church handle a complaint against the pastors son, who would investigate it, would the police be informed?
What missionary organisations do they support, which ones work in this town?
How are they supporting the training of the young people? Or why are there no young people?
The only acceptable answer here is this is a retirement town. Otherwise follow the young people.

Look at Christian history. God always uses churches, not always the ones we expect, but he uses the churches. I do not know of a revival that didn't involve church ministers and the buildings, except possibly the beginnings of Methodism when Wesley and Airfield werecshut out of the established church.

 

[Christsfreeservant]

Yes we always need Godly men and women at every level in the church. There also needs to be a practical attitude to organising the running of a church building and being responsible for it.

It is not a business, legally it should be registered as a charity and should comply with All the rules, regulations for being a charity.

There are many churches that do not do this and are a disgrace to the name of Jesus.

There are no easy ways of determining whether a church is worth joining.
Is it welcoming, is it open about financial and legal matters. Asking how would the church handle a complaint against the pastors son, who would investigate it, would the police be informed?
What missionary organisations do they support, which ones work in this town?
How are they supporting the training of the young people? Or why are there no young people?
The only acceptable answer here is this is a retirement town. Otherwise follow the young people.

Look at Christian history. God always uses churches, not always the ones we expect, but he uses the churches. I do not know of a revival that didn't involve church ministers and the buildings, except possibly the beginnings of Methodism when Wesley and Airfield werecshut out of the established church.

Definitely praying for revival right now. Buildings are definitely useful, as they help facilitate gatherings, but they aren't necessary to the growth and development of the church or the revival of the church. For example, here we are on the internet. If we believe in Jesus, and we are gathering here, we are collectively the church, no building necessary, just a place to meet. We could meet at a park or in a parking lot or in a tent. Revival can happen anywhere, for it begins in our hearts, right?

 

[Tolworth John]

Definitely praying for revival right now. Buildings are definitely useful, as they help facilitate gatherings, but they aren't necessary to the growth and development of the church or the revival of the church. For example, here we are on the internet. If we believe in Jesus, and we are gathering here, we are collectively the church, no building necessary, just a place to meet. We could meet at a park or in a parking lot or in a tent. Revival can happen anywhere, for it begins in our hearts, right?

Sure when it is summer we can meet in the par, provided the town council agree, but try meeting in winter in the park when it is raining heavily or snowing etc etc.

Yes we can hire halls etc, Ben there and owners don't always co operate, double bookings occur, previous bookings over run or don't clean up properly, the record can be unfriendly and you don't always have the means to hide the posters advertising a transexual event, spirtised meeting, smell of alcohol.
A building give a church control over these sort of issues, it identifies you in the neighbourhood and permits you to serve in many ways.
Prior to lock down we had a cocaine anon group meeting on one night and yes have seen one man come to know Jesus, a youth theatre group meet, church mid week MTG, a monthly ladies evangelistic meeting, a mid day midweek senior meeting, a ticket group meeting in the morning and several your groups meeting in the evening.

None of that would be easy to arrange in hired buildings.

How do I know. We rebuilt the church, it being cheaper than selling and buying what we needed. So moved out to give the builders free access.
All the church activities were moved to hired premises, often other churches halls or using nightsthey didn't use.
This was before internet and for a year we ran round in circles going here there and everywhere.
It made the church pull hard together to ensure we kept functioning.

Of the two arrangement having one's own building is better, provided you can afford it.

 

[Christsfreeservant]

Sure when it is summer we can meet in the par, provided the town council agree, but try meeting in winter in the park when it is raining heavily or snowing etc etc.

Yes we can hire halls etc, Ben there and owners don't always co operate, double bookings occur, previous bookings over run or don't clean up properly, the record can be unfriendly and you don't always have the means to hide the posters advertising a transexual event, spirtised meeting, smell of alcohol.
A building give a church control over these sort of issues, it identifies you in the neighbourhood and permits you to serve in many ways.
Prior to lock down we had a cocaine anon group meeting on one night and yes have seen one man come to know Jesus, a youth theatre group meet, church mid week MTG, a monthly ladies evangelistic meeting, a mid day midweek senior meeting, a ticket group meeting in the morning and several your groups meeting in the evening.

None of that would be easy to arrange in hired buildings.

How do I know. We rebuilt the church, it being cheaper than selling and buying what we needed. So moved out to give the builders free access.
All the church activities were moved to hired premises, often other churches halls or using nightsthey didn't use.
This was before internet and for a year we ran round in circles going here there and everywhere.
It made the church pull hard together to ensure we kept functioning.

Of the two arrangement having one's own building is better, provided you can afford it.

John, thank you so much for responding to this post and for having this discussion with me. I appreciate it.