The American church has had it wrong. I can’t talk about prior generations but for the last decade, at least, we’ve had our emphasis on the wrong things. Through the years I have visited several churches in several states and have seen a commonality in all of them. For people who are just saved or starting to attend a church the message to them is let us get you connected and show you areas you can serve. Here are our ministries we do and we would love for you to start serving. These are good things but they are not what we should be pushing on new believers.
After Paul’s encounter with Jesus he disappeared for 15 years. There isn’t much written about it but I imagine it was time being devoted in prayer, discipleship and repentance. Before he disappeared he was persecuting the church and literally at war with it. When he returns he’s on fire with the Holy Spirit turning the world upside down. The kind of ministry he had was full of power and church planting. During his time of waiting he cast off all his prior weights of disobedience and unbelief. He grew in his understanding of the cross and the power of the Holy Spirit. He learned to be completely submissive to the voice and leading of Holy Spirit.
As a church, we need to emphasize this to new believers. Personally, after I got saved I was hungry for discipleship. I went to every Bible study, was serving at every opportunity. But I was still lacking true discipleship. I’m not blaming my continuation of sin on any one other than me but if there were people in place in the church whose sole purpose was to truly disciple and walk through all the garbage I had maybe I still wouldn’t struggle today.
With all the “falling” of well known pastors and people in ministry, I think Jesus is trying to reveal something to us as a whole. We need to repent and we need people to walk with those who are in that process. The longer a person is in the church the harder it is for them to come clean about things they are still struggling with. We believe the lie of the enemy that says don’t say anything. Don’t let them know. They can’t know. But Jesus judges his house first, bringing hidden things to light.
Disobedience, trespass, unbelief and sin cannot be in the presence of God. He his holy and those things get judged in his presence. If we want the fire of God to fall in our congregations, on the church, the bride as a whole we need to remove all disobedience and trespass from our midst. He is holy and his temple needs to be holy, set apart for him and him alone.
When Ananias and Sapphira lied about how much they had they dropped dead instantly because of how intense the fire of God was upon the early church. A simple lie. There is so much more than lying that is happening in the church. Woe to us! Let us repent of these things so the fire god can fall, even greater in these latter days.
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