Who is Interested in God's Heart and View of Restoration?

“God desires the Church to mature in Christ and to carry on His work as a unified body under the direction of the Holy Spirit until the return of His Son Jesus Christ.”

 

I believe the heart of God longs for the restoration of His Church. God birthed the Church to carry on the work of His Son, Jesus, and to prepare to rule and reign with Christ throughout eternity as His bride. The Church has accomplished much good over the centuries but, as a whole, has never fulfilled her assignment to carry on the work of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In fact, the Church in her present state cannot fulfill her God-given responsibility. The list of her shortcomings is too long to enumerate in this message, but it will suffice to say that she is divided rather than united and, as a whole, is more immature than mature. She is not fulfilling her assignment to minister the gospel of the kingdom in the entire world as a witness to all the nations, and she definitely does not presently present herself as one who is ready for the marriage of the Lamb.

I know that these few words will stir up a hornet’s nest of spiritual opposition because they go against many of the prevalent theories and doctrines of various parts of the Church. I only ask in this message that one would seek in prayer and the Word to gain God’s vision and heart for the Church. God desires the Church to mature in Christ and to carry on His work as a unified body under the direction of the Holy Spirit until the return of His Son Jesus Christ. He knows that in her present state she cannot fully accomplish her God-given assignment and therefore needs to be restored.
How does one learn more about our Heavenly Father’s view concerning the need for the restoration of the Church? We have only one place to find the answer to this question. That place is the Word of God. A study of the Old Covenant quickly reveals that, when His people turned away and went their own way, God longed for their return to Him and His purposes for them. The New Covenant reveals God’s desire for a people, both Jew and Gentile, who will be in unity with Him and with each other. In the book of Revelation, God’s heart is revealed as Jesus calls His people to repent and return to their first love. God loves us and wants to draw us near to Him and to each other!

There are many examples in both the Old and New Covenants of God’s desire for His people to live in a covenant relationship with Him and with each other, but there is nothing that reveals God’s heart more than His giving His only begotten Son to have a people. God wants a people, a people who are in covenant with Him and with each other. God, Who gave His Son to have a people, longs for that people to be one with Him and with each other. He longs for and looks for a Church that has Christ formed within and who is carrying on the work of Jesus Christ as a unified body should. God’s view of His people is that they need to be restored to Him and to each other, and His heart longs for His people, His family, to be restored to that place. In the past, the love of God for us motivated Him to give His only begotten Son. That same love still reaches out to draw us to Him and to unite us in faith. If only we could have a revelation of His heart for us and respond in kind.

I believe the Holy Spirit is looking for faithful ministers and disciples who know and understand that the Church is in great need of restoration and will submit to Him to do what is necessary to bring about that restoration. First, He is looking for true and mature apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers who will preach and teach the whole counsel of God and unite under the leading of the Holy Spirit to equip the saints as God has always intended. Secondly, He is looking for disciples who will submit themselves to be equipped and will be single minded in their devotion to God and His purposes.

Those ministers and disciples who see the need for restoration and want to be involved in restoring the Church must realize that it will not be easy. They must view things as God views them and not as the modern Church and the world view them. It will take dedication, commitment, perseverance, and much time and effort, along with the realization that suffering will be involved. Persecution will come to the faithful! It will come from those who want to maintain the status quo in the Church, as well as from the world. Therefore, those who want to be used of God to bring about restoration must count the cost and be willing to pay the price; they must understand the cause and be willing to spend and be spent. A study and application of Gideon’s three hundred will give an idea of God’s perspective in what He is looking for. Many may try to answer the call, but only a few will be chosen. It will require more than most modern preachers and Christians are presently ready to contribute, but it will be standard for those who want to fulfill the call and responsibility of true and mature biblical ministers and disciples. The dedication will, in time, bear fruit. As many in the Church return to the Lord and His biblical pattern for the Church, there will also be a great harvest of souls won to the Lord from the world.

This leads me to discuss something that could be misunderstood and/or resisted, but it is something that is a major block, not only to the restoration of the Church, but to the revelation of God’s heart concerning His Church. It involves the meeting of our needs. First, I want you to understand that I have always been open to seeking God for the meeting of my needs; God wants to meet the needs of His family. But there is a large group of born-again Christians and even Spirit-filled Christians who are frozen in the place of continually seeking what God can do for them. They cannot seem to break free! They may be involved in a lot of good things, but, when push comes to shove, what is dominant is always their needs. I remind you again that God wants to meet our needs, but I tell you that He does not want our focus to be frozen at that place. He does not want our needs to cause us to be focused mainly on ourselves. This is an area that can be very deceptive, and some who should be receiving the message will say that it does not apply to them. For instance, some will say that they and their church are really moving in thanksgiving, praise and worship, outreach, etc., but the truth is that, even in this, their major focus is still on themselves and/or what the benefits will be. If we are going to experience restoration and offset some future devilish, dark storms, we must wake up and listen.

Christians everywhere must repent of and grow beyond being more focused on God meeting their needs than on knowing Him and being and doing what He desires of us. Too many Christians have continually run past “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done” to get to “give us this day our daily bread.” The truth is that they know little else; their whole spiritual life is built around seeking what God can do for them and what they enjoy. A few may occasionally get a glimpse that there is something else. They may even somewhat see the need for the restoration of the Church, but they are constantly being drawn back to a need-Giver relationship with God. Their idea of maturity is growing to the place of receiving their full inheritance, and being happy and fulfilled. Some professing Christians are always looking for something fresh and new, so I weigh carefully what I am writing because others have written or spoken similar things. Yes, you may have heard similar things before, but the truth is that it has never sunk in and taken hold because you have not had the revelation of it that can only come by and through the Holy Spirit.

I have a shepherd’s heart and a prophetic message. I cannot help it; it is what God has made of me. This does not always make me popular, and, at times, it makes some people uncomfortable in my presence. People who even love and respect me keep their distance at times, but with all my heart I believe that things are going to change. I believe that many people who are presently bound by various modern church doctrines are going to break free and look for those who are ministering biblical truth. I believe that there are Christians who are ready to forsake all to follow Christ. I believe that they will form the nucleus of a faithful remnant who will help bring restoration to the Church. Yes, there is coming forth a Church who has Christ formed within and who is one with God and with each other. I believe this Church will be mature in Christ and will be the salt and light that Jesus intends for her to be. I believe that she will be focused on fulfilling God’s will and taking the message of Jesus Christ and His kingdom to all nations. I believe that she will be focused on God and not self; she will have her Lord’s heart and will prefer others. She will have a revelation of God’s heart and will respond in kind. Will this be sooner or later? Will this be before devastating storms occur? Much of that depends on a faithful few with ears to hear who will forsake all to follow Christ. They will break out of their frozen state and will burn for Christ. They will cry out in intercession and will lovingly but boldly shout truth from the housetops. They will not stop until the Church is restored and functioning as God has always intended!

If anyone really loves God, wouldn’t they want to know what God is concerned about? Wouldn’t they want to focus on Him and His concerns? In essence, wouldn’t they want His heart to be their heart? I believe that is what is at the core of biblical Christianity and discipleship. Biblical Christianity and discipleship are the great needs of our day. Are you able to see and comprehend these needs? Are you interested enough in God’s view of restoration to do what is necessary to break free from the things of the modern Church and the world to become a biblical follower of Christ?

God is looking for people who have a special concern about His concerns and not just some general concern. How concerned are you? Are you ready to forsake all and follow Christ in continuing His works? That is what you were born again for! Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes, set you free, and give you God’s heart and view for the restoration of the Church. Then look for and join with true and mature ministers and disciples who are doing the same. All to the glory of Christ! (First posted January 26, 2008)