TODAYS CHURCH ---- So Many Problems -So Little Power

Much is being said and written about the condition of the current day church. Some positive most negative. BUT, what is the truth? What is wrong according to scripture? How do we fix it?
God is unhappy with all that professes to be HIS church. (the body of Christ) See article “The Two Churches”.

Yes, God is raising up an unseen church that WILL do His will, that does hear from Him, that will obey His commands. But we must understand the faults and problems in the current church so that we are not also overtaken by these sins that have caused God to reject the present church..

Instead of looking at the resultant problems, we will look at the root causes of the problems, as this is the only scriptural way of curing the problems.

The REAL problems in the church are:

IMPROPER FOUNDATIONS
In the saints.
Of the church
IMPROPER MINISTRY
In the local church structure (authority)
In the ministry (5 [4] fold ministry)
FAILURE TO JUDGE AND EXERCISE DISCIPLINE IN THE CHURCH
By judging the church by the Holy Spirit according to scripture. (Fruit inspection)
By discipline according to scripture.

These will be the first three topics we will explore. Others will follow.

IMPROPER FOUNDATIONS


In the saints.
Most people are not taught proper principles of salvation. They are either taught only a part of the process or improperly taught. We MUST teach the COMPLETE scriptural process of salvation if we are to truly build the church of Jesus Christ His way. (if we are to prepare the bride for Christ) The following steps are the MINIMUM requirements to put a person on the scriptural road to salvation. Salvation is an on-going process, not a one time I do. The following steps are ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENTS, though not always in the order listed.
Accept Jesus Christ as your personal saviour and agree to allow Him to lead you from this point on.
Appropriate what He did at Calvary for you. Have faith in He who died for you.
Repent of your sins, ask God to forgive you, accept His forgiveness and be baptized by immersion in
Water in the name of Jesus for the remission of your sins. At which time your heart is circumcised,
thereby allowing you to understand the things of God. (Col.2:11-12)
Be baptized in the Holy Spirit to receive the power to become a Christian. (Acts 1;8)
Walk with Him through the baptism of fire to have your conversion tried, to prove your conversion is
Real. (1Peter 1:6-7 [read the whole chapter])

This of course is not a complete/exhaustive study, but a list of the Minimum Scriptural Requirements for salvation. Salvation IS NOT assured unless we endure (continue on in him) until the end.

In the church.
First we MUST remember that “the church” has NOTHING to do with a building, the church is a group of two or more saints meeting in the name of the Lord. Whereever they meet - in a home, a warehouse, a restaurant, outdoors, in a church building. It is who not where. We must change the mentality of the church being a building, which the nominal church has promulgated as a way to keep the saints in bondage to them. The church is the people of God not the place where the church meets.
According to scripture, God has ordained two types of ministry for use by His church. Those who are the authority, which serve the local body. (elders & deacons) And those who are given to the body to be used BY the saints. (5 [4] fold ministries) “given for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry” (Eph. 4:11-16) We will address only an overview here - the complete study of the Local servants and the 5 (4) fold servant ministry will be available soon.
According to scripture the (true) church is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone in whom the WHOLE building, being fitted together, grows into a Holy temple in the Lord” (Eph.2:20-21)
Almost all current day churches are built on the foundation of a “pastor” under the authority of a man made denomination. Scripture tells us that there are not to be any divisions or schizms among us if we are to please and walk with God. ALL denominations are founded on man made divisions and are therefore denominations of men and an abomination to God. Many non-denominational groups also fit in this category. Any church (group of believers) founded in any manner other than that shown in scripture, the foundation of the apostles and prophets, the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, WILL NOT be able to stand when the heat (baptism of fire) is on them. The only scriptural foundation is Love of the TRUTH. Any other foundation and God will Himself send the strong delusion and they will believe the lie. (2Thes.2:10-11) (that they are the only true group, they alone are the body of Christ) When in fact, all that want truth alone at any cost are just a PART of the body of Christ. (who are supposed to be fitly joined together to make one body.)
There are especially NO SCRIPTURES that show pastor as a job title. It is a function of the ministry of the men God has appointed as undershepherds to His body. (elders) There is only ONE leader or senior minister to the body of Christ, The Lord Jesus Christ. All others are under Him, undershepherds. The plural elders are to lead the local church. (Titus 1:5) How can we expect God to bless that which is out of His order. No wonder that there is no power in the church today.
The greatest single root problem in the church is that not only do the saints misunderstand the scriptures. But those “professing” leadership grossly misunderstand their part in the body. There is no clergy/laity in the church of Jesus Christ. God hates this mentality and will not bless any group that operates in this manner. In the body of Christ there are ONLY saints. Some have extra responsibilities. These men are the leaders and ministry. The extra responsibilities are that they are required (if they accept the ministry) to lay down their lives for the rest of the saints. They are to allow themselves to be used by the rest of the saints “for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry”. (Eph. 4:12) They are not above or to be served by the other saints, but are to serve from beneath - a servant ministry. My how this has become distorted by the churches of men. We must learn to serve - we must die to our self life if we are to be of any value to the body of Christ. “those who belong to Christ have CRUCIFIED the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal.5:24) applies to all saints, but especially to those of the ministry. Leaders are subject to more stringent requirements. (James3:1)
We of the 5 (4) fold ministry MUST understand our place in the body. I like to refer to the 5 (4) fold ministry as the Christians tools (to be equipped for the work of the ministry). As the pick and shovel are the ditch diggers tool to get his job done so are the ministry to the Christian. Yet most of those who profess to be ministry in todays church expect the other saints to serve them. This should not be. I have even heard them say (many times) such things as Bro___ are you busy this afternoon, my lawn sure needs mowing. GOD HELP US - WE MUST CHANGE - We must properly understand scripture and WALK/LIVE BY IT IF WE EXPECT TO SEE A MOVE OF God today. WITHOUT PROPER (SCRIPTURAL) FOUNDATIONS ALL THAT IS BUILT WILL FALL.
The Foundation of the church of Jesus Christ IS Jesus Christ. NO MAN is part of the foundation, but men are called to LAY the foundation. Just as men die building man made edifices (many men died building the brooklyn bridge) so ministry must be willing to die to build the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we truly understand the concept of Christianity and are already dead or dying then it will not be difficult for us to be a blessing to the body of Christ.