Every Member Ministry

In reading the thoughts of some like-minded men, and it occurred to me this week that the way I'm conceiving of churchlife as consisting of pastors & sheep, ministers & ministries, is alien to the apostolic conception of churchlife. Whatever the denomination it may appear in, it is Romism all over again, and the mindset of the Nicolaitans, which Christ hates.

The way that God has ordered the body is described in Ephesians 4, whereby the abilities and functionality and supply is distributed among the members. The sole reason that God gave us ministers and pastors is for the equipping of the holy ones for the work of ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ. The problem with pulling any verse here out of context is that these verses have so often been preached out of context that we no longer get their sense. If you're going to get the same revelation I got, you're going to have to read the chapter and read it again, and after meditating some, read and read again.

The members are Christ's, the sheep are Christ's, and the members are called to be equipped to minister to, not outside the four walls, but to each other, that they may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--from whom the whole body, joined and knit together (1) by what every joint supplies (2) according to the effective working by which every part does its share. 1. Are we joined together? are we knit into a garment He can wear? 2. To become a supplier, Joe Christian must be given opportunity to speak. If all he ever does is listen in an audience configuration, how does that equip Joe to supply? It doesn't; it continually conditions him as a consumer.

It is time we accept the headship of Jesus Christ, present & personal. He is here today; He is here, I say. He is the same and He does not change. Any denomination who appoints a minister or pastor to assert headship in a way which cuts off the working of the ministry (as described in Ephesians 4) is putting idols in the temple. God's house is holy, and it must be purified from idols if we are to contain revival.

Does revival come and go? If visitation does not lead into habitation, look to the church government for it is out of order.

Rich and Lindy Oliver came to our church and explained to us the meaning of Laodicea -- Laos (Strong’s #2992, meaning “people”) and dike (Strong’s #1349, meaning “principle, decision”). Laodiceans trust in their ability to rule themselves, judging and deciding matters to the exclusion of Christ’s rule within His Church. The Laodicean condition of a church has everything to do with its rejection of God's way and God's form (as prescribed in scripture) for a man-made thing.