Discipleship is about following the example of Jesus, allowing the Holy Spirit to awaken the loving, giving, serving nature of Christ within us all in unity.
John 13:3-5 (just before the Passover feast) Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 (and washed the disciples’ feet). NIV
Ephesians 4:1 “…I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” NIV
We have entered into a season of reformation within the church. The priesthood of all believers is being awakened, and this will be a disruption to the common idea of church growth where we ask everybody to merely be bricks building around big ministry gifts. Christians are not bricks. Christians are living stones uniquely shaped by God for a specific purpose with specific and strategic gifts.
This reformation is right on time! History reveals a pattern of major upheavals or reformations every 500 years in Christianity. This leads us right into our generation of reformation that God is desiring to awaken within us!
In the First Century we see The "Great Transformation" or "Great Transition" as Jesus died in order to give life to the church! In the Sixth Century we see The "Great Decline and Fall" of the church overall. Then in the Eleventh Century there became The "Great Divide" as division arose over theological disputes like authority of the Pope, etc. Again, five hundred years later in the Sixteenth Century The "Great Reformation" Luther and Protestantism emerged! Now we see in the 21st Century the current "Great Emergence" of the priesthood of all believers taking place!
This 500-year cycle is not just a Christian phenomenon but can also be seen in Judaism and Islam.
1 Kings 6:1 says that 480 years after the exile, Solomon decided to build a temple. Then when you read 1 Kings 9:10, you discovered that it was 20 years building. And 500 years after the return from exile, he consecrated the temple.
A few weeks ago, I explained why secular Historians now call the 20th century The Century of The Holy Spirit. Today I want to point out how the last half of the 20th Century was the awakening of the Five-fold gifts given to equip the saints for the work of the ministry! (Ephesians 4)
God was preparing the atmosphere for the emergence of the body of Christ to come into a revelation knowledge of the priesthood of all believers. You are living stones not mere bricks. In this 21st Century reformation we are called to mature, develop and grow together.
If you go back 80 years to the 1950s, we see decades of reformation and restoration of the five-fold ministry, Ephesians 4 gifts, setting the stage for the mobilization of the body of Christ.
An incredible worldwide movement of fasting and prayer was awakened in 1946-1947. Franklin Hall used the horrific imagery of the 1945 atomic bomb in his book ‘Atomic Power With God Through Fasting and Prayer’. The world was gripped with awareness of this horrific event and the book exploded with popularity worldwide igniting the hearts of believers in many nations of the world to go on extended fasts. Israel became a Nation in 1948 and world transforming ministries all seem to explode at the same time!
We had evangelists emerging in the 1950s, mass crusades, healing wave movements, you know, tents like there's a whole healing thing going on in America over here, some of them went global with what they were doing. Some of those men went out into Africa and South America and India, people like T.L. Osborne, Oral Roberts Billy Graham, Kathryn Kuhlman, Smith Wigglesworth and so many more. It was the restoration of power to the office of the Evangelist and it was amazing.
Then we had pastors emerging in the next decade Churches had been being led by pastors functioning almost like chaplains. There came this very strong pastoral move. A true Pastor doesn’t just build crowds, they build people. Shepherds cultivate maturity, not dependency but this wasn’t emerging yet.
In the next ten years the Teacher became prominent. This movement awakened people to attend conferences by the thousands with pen and paper. Crowds would sit for hours every day taking notes. And there was a real emergence of teachers for a while, like Kenneth Hagen, Derek Prince, etc. It was just like a powerful move of restoration. Then we started to see the prophets coming in the 1980’s. None of these happened without some carnal weirdness. The Holy Spirit isn’t weird, people are. There was this move of the prophetic that began shaping our thinking about hearing God’s guidance more specifically and strategically. Then in the 90s we started to have conversations around the apostle.
All of these gifts were being restored. There was a lot of controversy. The thing that didn't happen is those five gifts actually working together as team. Powerful ministry leaders began building their thing inviting others to come help them build as bricks rather than living stones. They were powerful gifts. People aligned to them, but we didn't see the unity of these offices and the gifts of the priesthood of all believers.
Celebrity leaders awaken a culture of performance rather than presence. Comparison becomes the focus rather than the call. This atmosphere builds fan bases, rather than faith communities. When church leaders embrace a celebrity culture, believers are reduced to consumers who sell their birthright to the clergy.
I and other pastors and leaders need your prayers to resist this cultural paradigm of an upside-down world. We are called to a right side up Kingdom that mobilizes the Priesthood of all believers. Our job, in 5-fold ministry, is to help you do yours! As you find your place of God’s grace in your life and ministry you will have entrance, favor and influence!
When God begins to grace your life with greater influence make sure you are responding with a Christlike disposition!
John 13:3-5 (just before the Passover feast) Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 (and washed the disciples’ feet). NIV
Jesus knew father put all things under his power and he modeled what do w power when u recognize God has made you powerful. He looked for ways to use that power for the benefit of other people
Jesus was saying there is coming at time when you are going to realize God has made you powerful. When this thought occurs to you humble yourself and look for ways to use that power for the benefit of other people.
If you’re in a Boardroom, neighborhood association mtg, play rehearsal, teaching in a classroom or
standing in a pulpit. When you realize others are looking to you as the person with influence what should you do? Use the power to promote and benefit others.
1 Peter 2:5-9 (But) you (are) like living stones being built up as a spiritual house…9 a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ESV
Ephesians 4:1 “…I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” NIV
GP2RL: Invite the Holy Spirit to help you see where you have been given influence this week and intentionally use it to serve God and others!
