Humility, Truth & Unity, Part 1

Restoration, Revival, and Awakening:
A Whole Church View

God has placed within my heart a tremendous concern and desire to see restoration, revival and awakening take place within the Church of Jesus Christ. My heart longs for God’s people, the body of Christ, to become mature and have Christ formed within them, both individually and corporately. I strongly desire to see the Church unified and working together under the direction of the Holy Spirit to accomplish God’s purposes on earth. To even begin to understand this message that I am trying to convey, the reader will have to think outside the box and beyond the boundaries of their particular part of the Church. It is often said that Christians need a “world view.” More important than a worldview is a need for a “whole Church view.” The whole Church, working together, can fulfill Matthew 24:14: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

Let’s be thankful for Christian television and any other forms of media or helps that might be available now or in the future, but let’s not let anything be our primary hope of fulfilling the Lord’s assignment to His disciples other than obedience to the “Great Commission” (Matthew 28: 19-20). Jesus Christ instructed us to pray that the Lord of the harvest would send laborers, not televisions, into His harvest (Matthew 9:37-38; Luke 10:2).

We must learn to think about and be concerned about all of the body of Christ and how she is to work together under the direction of the Holy Spirit to accomplish God’s will and purposes. This is why I have ministered in the past about churches and Christians sailing along in their individual boats and not being truly and/or fully aware of each other. On the other hand, I have warned about fleshly, ecumenical unity. Although it might make us feel good, or feel like we are accomplishing something good, it does not fulfill God’s Word. It is not the answer to John 17.

Let’s repent of our separation and fleshly attempts to accomplish God’s work. Let’s realize that one of the main reasons we have not been successful is that we have, all too often, tried to fulfill God’s will with our ways. God wants us to depend on Him, but He also made us to depend upon each other. First Corinthians 12 explains how the body is made up of individual parts, but it works as a unit. To function properly, the body must work together. We need each other’s gifts, and all of the gifts have to work together.

A Look At The Church Today:
Is Change Really Needed?

While we know that God does have faithful disciples and churches in the earth, one has only to look around at the rapid decline of society to see that the Church is not, as a whole, presently having a major impact in the battle for souls. Why? I believe it is, to a large degree, because the Church, especially in the West, has been lulled to sleep by her pride, her man-made doctrines, and the divisions they bring. The sweet morsels that are being served up from so many pulpits today have become her sustenance and only feed her pride and self-centeredness. She has lost sight of being salt and light. She has lost sight of the meaning of being a disciple of Jesus Christ and, among others things, she has forsaken the four priorities found in Acts 2:42: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, in fellowship, and in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

The majority of Christians today, including church pastors and ministers, seem to accept the status quo—the existing state of affairs—of the overall Church. Many, if not most, Christian ministers are focused predominantly on their particular group, whether it is independent, denominational, or non-denominational. Although they may have some type of ecumenical relationship with other groups, they are hard core to the core about their own group, and they are not easily convinced that change is needed. Many times, it is only some kind of shaking in their personal life or their church or group that will bring them to true humility and wake them up to the need for restoration, revival, and awakening in their Church. I continue to pray that hearts will be opened by truth and not by hard times.

Yes, I am saying that the leaders of the Church and their followers need to wake up. We need to get out of our individual boats and get back into the ship that is captained by the Lord Jesus. He has only one ship, and it is for Jews and Gentiles who, by faith in Christ, obtain righteousness in God and become part of the Church that He is building. As we are told in Psalm 127:1a, “Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it …”

Tearing Down Old Mindsets To Release Truth

Some say that “old dogs can’t be taught new tricks” in order to illustrate that people steeped in their ways are not going to change. Old dogs may have a hard time learning new tricks, but people, especially true Christians, can hear and receive revelation of God’s Word that may not have been revealed to them previously if they will be humble and teachable. They can also be humbled and lay aside the weights of man-made teachings and traditions.

Presently, there are Christians who have given up on having a great harvest of souls before the Lord’s return. They believe things will only get worse. They focus mainly on the degradation of society and a falling away. Although they may continue to work to some degree in the harvest field, deep down inside they don’t believe for a great harvest. Their motivation is weakened and their focus is more and more on being caught away. Being prepared for the catching away becomes a dominant theme even in their witnessing to the lost. Yes, we should prepare all people for our Lord’s return, but we should also keep our eyes focused on the work He has given us to do. Jesus intended for His Church to continue His work until His return. Some Christians are tempted to become more focused on going home than completing the job — than finishing the course. Maybe we need some angels to say, “Why stand you here gazing…” (Acts 1:11).

This mentality can be changed if we will humble ourselves, renew our minds, repent of our divisions, and unite in Christ. This message is to help that become a reality. Maybe we need more than restoration, revival, and awakening. Maybe we need a spiritual revolution!

A Little Leaven:
Man-Made Doctrines

Jesus intended for His Church to be built upon Himself and His Word. We have all too often built churches upon Jesus, some of His Word, and some of man’s words. It is usually the addition of man’s words that brings division and disunity within the Church. Jesus and His Word are harmonious. Remember that a little leaven leavens the whole lump. A little leaven leavens the whole church! The Church will only experience true restoration, revival, and awakening as she decides to build her house exclusively on Jesus Christ and His Word. That means we must begin examining everything we believe.

People feel threatened when what they hold dear is threatened. As the man-made doctrines within the church are threatened, and threatened they will be, some people within the church will hold on and defend them as much or more than they will defend Jesus and His Word. It is tough on one’s pride to have to admit he or she is wrong, but pride must go to make room for humility and truth. Humility opens the door to honest communication, truth, understanding, and unity, whereas pride closes the door to these things. The truth is that all that is of man must be burned away. Words of God, if spoken and heard, can shake everything that needs to be shaken. What about you? Will you follow Jesus and live by His Word only? Will you humble yourself and forsake all that is of man in the Church?

Pride or Humility?
Truth and Unity Depend On It!

There are many talented people in the secular world who have been overcome by pride. If they are teachable at all it is on a very limited basis or is received only if that person sees it as being to their personal advantage. This is true in politics, business, sports, etc. Regretfully, this is also true of many who profess to be Christian. Pride is a pervasive sin that prevents us from hearing truth that will set us free. When true humility replaces pride, we will see truth replacing the things that have divided the body of Christ, which will result in unity, true unity.

A thought came to me as I was writing this message that the division in the body of Christ is more painful to Jesus Christ than any part of His earthly suffering. Whether you receive this as literal or figurative, would you consider how important it is to our Savior and Lord that His body be one with Him and each other now and not only in the future? The pain He experienced prior to and on the cross was to bring forth a unified body that will be His bride. How can we walk together if we are not in unity? If we are in unity, we can accomplish God’s earthly commission that He assigned to us.

I have studied and prayed over John 17 many times. A few years ago the Spirit of God focused my attention on verse 17, “Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth.” It was revealed to me that being sanctified by truth is a vital part of our being one with the Lord and with each other. Would you ask the Holy Spirit to give you a revelation of how important it is to our Lord for His prayer found in John 17 to be answered? Would you give yourself to being sanctified by truth? Would you seek to have a unified body of Christ? Jesus does!

As a Christian and a minister, the experience I have gained and the discernment I have received tell me that many professing Christians view the Word of God through glasses that have been tainted by man-made doctrines. Although many individuals, churches, denominations, and non-denominations have espoused these doctrines, they are still man-made. Our Lord addresses such situations in Matthew 15:6 and 9. He said that the commandments of God are made of no effect by man’s tradition, and worship of Him was in vain because they were teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. We read these verses, but our pride often prevents us from applying them to our doctrines. Many years ago, I told a group of people that, figuratively speaking, they needed to forget everything they had ever heard about the Bible and humbly ask the Holy Spirit to teach them, as they diligently studied the entire Bible. Jesus gives us some great advice in John 8:31 and 32. “So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” (AMP)

Continued in Part 2