THE CHURCH ALIVE CONCEPT
READERS INDEX
INTRODUCTION
The Church Alive is probably not for everyone! It is not a high speed, high profile ministry. Frankly many are tired of that approach. But for some it is what they need and what they have been looking for. It is something much simpler and more basic than the majority of "churches". It is a fellowship larger than four walls, but small enough to meet individual needs. It is an intimate, personally caring body, not just an organization.
It is a place to be healed spiritually and / or emotionally, but does not offer "pat" answers. It does offer tools, training, guidance and opportunities to grow and serve, and to feel needed. It operates on the premise that many lost and wounded will not be reached simply by organized religion.
The Church Alive (CA), is reversionary in its approach to both theology and ministry. It looks at scripture from a Biblical modality rather than filtering it through a 21st. century world view. This approach looks at the Bible simply, rather than through the system that man has created and complicated, as it was written rather than how men's feelings about it, and understanding of it have evolved over the years.
The Church Alive does not seek to condemn or duplicate what other churches are doing. By a careful study of scriptures, the CA's purpose is to regain much of what was practiced for a specific purpose by the earlier church, yet has been lost over the centuries. We believe there is a level of strength and life to be found there that will be very beneficial to the Church in this and every millennium. Could this be some of what Luther and Calvin sought at the beginning of the Reformation, yet because of their necessary reaction to a corrupt church, missed and did not fully attain?
With the CA, there is no emphasis on membership. Instead every believer is encouraged to become active in ministry. In order to feel or be a part of the CA, you need to ask yourself this question: "what is more important, labor or membership"? In Matthew 9:37, Jesus said, "the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few", therefore it is important to focus on what you feel God would like for you to do, and get busy. This certainly does not mean we exclude grace. On the contrary, we are to show our appreciation of what grace has wrought in our lives. By service we become convinced of the power of grace.
Our goal then is to help the lost find Christ, and the saved find their ministry. We firmly believe in setting the ministry free. We believe that each believer is appointed and destined for maturity. The purpose of the pastor is to teach, train and mature every believer and release them to their ministry. It is our feeling that too many pastors seek to hold onto the ministry that God has given them, thereby stunting the growth of believers. It is much like the mum who finds it too difficult to let her children grow up, so she holds on to them tightly, never letting them leave the nest, never letting them have their own life and family. The result is that if her children are going to marry and have a family, it will have to happen in her home, and under her supervision.
We expect every believer to leave the nest, and start their own "spiritual" family. To that end we offer a number of effective training opportunities and materials. These are designed to bring each believer to maturity, then allows them in turn to begin maturing others.
To do this we have, among other materials, an interactive audio / video curriculum to be used by any born again Christian, regardless of their talent, to win and mature people in any situation. Our fellowships are specifically designed to be operated in the absence of a pastor. This is so done for a number of reasons. The most important reason, is so that regardless of finances or availability of staff, God can plant a Church in any place, at any time, using anybody who is willing. Another very important reason, is that we learn and grow so much faster when it is our responsibility to lookout for someone else, instead of waiting to be fed by another.
If what you have been reading doesn't sound completely ludicrous, or if in fact it may sound a bit interesting,, keep reading. We have a great number of opportunities available for you to begin to minister and grow, and to labor in the field. If you are ready to step out in faith, and are willing to be trained and submitted by / and to God's vision through the CA, we would love to accommodate you.
All you need to get started is a good attitude, a teachable spirit, a faithful commitment, a born again walk with the Lord, and a willingness to let Him have control of whatever you have. He and we will do the rest!!
The word REVERSIONARY or being in the state or process of reversion, is a way to see the scriptures simply. Webster, in speaking of these terms, says, "an act or process of returning (as to a former condition), . . . A return toward an ancestral type or condition: reappearance of an ancestral character".
The CHURCH ALIVE, as we have said, takes a reversionary approach to both theology and ministry. We seek to look at the scriptures through reversionary eyes, and try to understand it from the approach of the writers within their respective situations, with the simplest view possible. Another way of stating this fact, is that we seek an understanding and a ministry based on the lowest common denominator.
We do not believe that there is one essential method for the Church in one culture or era, and yet something extremely different in another. On the contrary, we believe that there is essentially one outline for the Church, and this is found only in the scriptures. The Bible is not a relativistic book, but the established word of God. The Church is not merely subject to the whims of man, but it too is the remarkable work of God.
The reason that the Church has survived throughout the centuries, can only be attributed to the fact, that in every era and culture, there has been enough of a thread of this essential model of the church present to preserve it. When the Church gets far enough away from that model, it ceases to exist as a church, and eventually ceases to exist as an entity.
How then do we know what is the true model? What is the test of the lowest common denominator of the Bride of Christ? How are we to understand the difference between essentials and extravagance? The answer is simple but sometimes cajoling. The test is found in one word: PERSECUTION.
Jesus said, ". . . I shall build my Church, and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it". We then apply this formula for simplicity's sake as follows: whatever will not stand the test of tribulation, is not essentially the Church. It may be helpful, it may be famous, it may be entertaining, it may be emotional, it may be somber and sacred, it may be moral, it may be cultural, it may be familiar, it may be antique, it may be brand new, it may be loved exceedingly, but if it does not stand the test, it is not necessary. It is not necessary, because all or most of those things disappear in times of trouble, but the Church remains regardless of the circumstances. That is the promise of Christ.
In the times of tribulation the Church was unable to put on big shows, large preaching and mission conferences, hire the most gifted preachers or the most talented musicians and worship leaders, get hold of the grandest organs, most beautiful stained glass, the highest steeples, build the greatest buildings, seminaries and universities. But it has always managed to train its children and one another in the basics of Christ, and to grow both spiritually and numerically, adding to themselves those who were willing to both live and die for Christ.
The stuff that the Church is made of is quite clearly seen in scripture, especially in the book of Acts. Under persecution the early church experienced the purest form of body life possible, as is the persecuted church in China presently. Together they sang songs and hymns, taught the Bible, ministered to needs, met for encouragement, met for meals and fellowship, met for prayer, and when the occasion arose, they preached Christ and His kingdom publicly.
We do not condemn what the church is doing today, but do recognize much of it could well be nonessential, or even weakening to its life, power and effectiveness. Mass organization and professional ministry has robbed the Church in general, and believers in specific, of that great strength promised to the body. We also believe that when it comes time for the test to be applied to many individuals, the majority of local fellowships, and perhaps some major denominations and associations, that something other than the Church may indeed be found.
We ask the question then, why do we do so many of the things that we do? For the pleasure of Christ or for the pleasure of man? Are we seeking to build solid disciples, and ministers of Christ equipped to reach to a completely lost world, or merely to gather more religion shoppers in the supermarket of Christendom, in the name of interest, variety and entertainment?
A reversionary approach does not necessarily promise a right method of practice, but does seek to correct mistakes that we see in ourselves in light of the Scriptures, It desires to spend more, both of the Lord's and our time and money, on the things that will stand the test and last for eternity.
GOING TO CHURCH or BEING THE CHURCH How important is it to go to church? We have among many possible answers, three that keep coming up within today’s Christian community: 1) it is very important and every believer must be faithful in church attendance, 2) it is quite important and every Christian should go whenever possible, 3) or else not at all, because I can be a good Christian all by myself out in the woods; that’s where I really feel close to God! HMMMM.! Are any of these views correct or Biblical?
The Bible's first martyr, Stephen said, "However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands..." Acts 7:48-50. The apostle Paul says in several places that God “...Dwells in temples made without hands”, Acts 17:24. In 1Corinthins 3:16, "...you are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you", and also in 6:19 NIV, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;". Peter says in 1 Peter 2:5 "....you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God". That same portion goes on in verse 9 to say "...But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare ..." Gods praises. There seems to be an implication that there is not a place, or time, or method of worshiping Him, except through Jesus Christ. We are the body of Christ; we are God’s temple, not some man made building somewhere. Jesus equated the Church with raising up a body of people, not raising up a building.
It is important to remember in our approach to worship, that it is not the time, the place or the method, but to know that “...where two or three are gathered together...” Jesus is in the middle of His Church, Matt. 18:20. Why? Acts 2:46,47; 5:42; 6:1; 16:5 ;17:11,17; 19:9; Heb. 3:13, tell us that the early church met not just on the Sabbath or Sundays, and not just in the Temple or Synagogue, but anywhere people were gathered together. As Jesus was establishing it, and the apostles were building on that foundation, the church was meeting in the market place, houses, the lakeside, the hillsides, and other strange places compared to today's church. In Jesus own words to the Samaritan woman, the time was soon at hand, when they would no longer worship in a specific place, time or method, “... but in Spirit and Truth”, John 4:20-24.
What then was the significance of Temple and Synagogue attendance to Jesus and the early church? Unlike the Christian who has been made a priest and king to our God, to the Jew the Temple was where they must approach the priest to appeal to God on their behalf, and the Synagogue was where the elders of their faith taught, so here they could be found every day, and especially on their Sabbath. It was the Jew to whom Jesus came originally with the gospel, and therefore they became the first source of evangelism and the first converts to Christianity. But through their eventual rejection of Jesus as a nation, the Gospel was offered to the Gentiles. The Temple was soon destroyed and the Synagogues were abandoned by the Christians at the insistence of the Jewish leaders.
The Bible speaks over and over about a personal relationship with God. In the church we speak over and over about a personal relationship with Jesus, yet some how confuse the issue by putting church attendance in the equation, as a qualifier. Jesus clearly states that He was about to build His Church, and that both He and the Holy Spirit would be with and among us in it. He nowhere commands us to go to the church, as if it would be a place. He does tell us to go to the closet and pray in secret. We make church attendance a stipulation for our approval of an effective Christian life, or for membership in some fellowships, but never that I know of, closet attendance? HMMMM! Are we talking spiritual here, or religious? Do we really need to go somewhere to be something? “For by grace are ye save through faith . . . . .” Or am I? Are we created in God's image by what we do, or what He does. Or who's work establishes us in the church? It is so hard for humans to separate what we are from what we do. It seems like a constant struggle of the human being verses the human doing.
In the modern church, a very important situation we run into, is the use of the familiar scripture, Heb. 10:24, 25, as an imperative for going to Church. It talks of "...not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together...", which we relate to showing up when the building is open. On the contrary, when this passage was written, there were no buildings and believers were meeting daily. What actually happens now then, is that when this scripture is applied to today's practices, we feel justified for being alone all week and only fellowshiping on Sunday mornings, and Sunday and Wednesday evenings. Instead of building our fellowship times as this scripture clearly states, it has the opposite effect, and causes us to forsake our assembling together for exhortation and encouragement, and instead, weakens our fellowship.
Make no mistake about it, coming together as a church is vitally important, but to do so as prescribed by God must supersede the methods and structures of man. In order to "forsake not", we must as a church, seek daily methods as opposed to weekly methods. We must use of the resources which God has given us, be it time or material, in a way that best serves His Kingdom and His Church.
One of the short comings I see as a church, is that we have taken the living, breathing organism of the body of Christ and turned it into an organization. The structure I see in the Bible must be fluid and flowing, as Paul said to Timothy, in 2Tim. 4:2, "...be instant in season and out of season". The church must be ready for all things at all times, and the very best way to do that is to make the whole church responsible for body life rather than the professional. This means that when any two are three are together, the church is then visibly present, and this structure can then affect the world. It seems that some of the OK resources we have, have taken control of the church, be it pastors, boards, associations, affiliations, denominations and even the government. The government you say? True! For example, almost every church I know of in America, has a large budget, a pastor, a board of some kind, a building of some sorts, provides a parsonage, has 501(c)3 status with the IRS, is incorporated with state, and issues tax receipts for the LORD'S Tithe. HMMMMM? It seems in the denomination I was involved with years ago, that in order to plant a church, we had to: wait for the annual business meeting of our 600 churches to get approval, to get an accountant (Christian or not) to set up the books, to get a lawyer (same) to draw up the legal papers, raise a $100,000 budget, go before town planning and zoning, hire a pastor, get some local churches to donate a few believers each, (then hold evangelistic meetings and steal some more), and the list goes on. Yet when I read the book of Acts something totally different is going on. Paul and the other leadership are doing the Lord's work unbeknownst to the Mother Church or the government. Each are later informed of the progress that the Holy Spirit is making in a pagan society. My premise is that in the 21st century, the church very often exists only by the will of man, and probably if the truth be known, by permission of the government.
This call is not intended to be a condemnation or judgment against the established church for its present day practices, but as a plea for an open attitude toward the possibilities of a genuinely biblical approach to the Church's existence, and a call to accept all others in the true body of Christ as equally full members in the Church Universal.
My honest belief is that if we placed less emphasis on the religious aspects of Christianity and more on the spiritual, we could be much more effective in today's needy world. If character really mattered more than appearance, if honesty were more important than “fake it till you make it”, if our presentation at home was as important as our mask at church, who knows what a force we could become in the earth. By practicing, being the church more, rather than the emphasis being placed on going to church, we stand to increase our effectiveness. Lets not wait for Sunday, lets start being the effective Church now, and forsaking not real fellowship!
DAY OF WORSHIP OR WORSHIP OF A DAY
There is certainly a lot of confusion over what is the right day of the week to worship the Lord. There are strong traditions of going to church on Sunday, while the Seventh Day Adventists go to Church on Saturday, and still further, the Jews go to meeting on the Sabbath. And to compound the issue even further, each of them claim the Bible as their source of information and salvation. What is the difference between Saturday and Sunday keeping; and when is the Sabbath, and what is its relevance?
The first reference of any resting day and Sabbath keeping, is Gen. 2:2,3. This though was not a command for man to keep a Sabbath, but a day of rest and dedication by God for God. In the 10 Commandments given in Ex 20, the fourth says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy”. This is not a reference to Gen. 2, but to Ex. 16:23 where it is first given, and here the reference is to Israel. From this statement is derived the concept of a proper day to be set apart to honor and worship the Lord. But it must be remembered that the Sabbath day was given to Israel, and only Israel. Exodus 31:13-17 says very clearly that the Sabbath is to be a sign between God and Israel, not with the rest of the world.
The Sabbath is the only Commandment Jesus contested, though He spoke of a number of others, and said it is no good to keep them outwardly if we don't keep them in our hearts. Many of Jesus’ problems with religious people was over the “breaking” of the Sabbath. Mark 2:27,28, says, that the Sabbath was made for the man, not man for the Sabbath, and that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law for believers, whether just the 10 Commandments or all of the law. To keep it brief, we can we see where the Jews get their “holy” day.
There certainly is conclusive evidence that the Resurrection of Jesus was on the first day of the week, Matt. 28:1; Mk. 16:2,9; Lk. 24:1; and Jn. 20:1,19. Also we have two references of the church being together on the first day of the week. The first is Acts 20:7, where we are told that Paul and the others had been with the believers at Troas for seven days. He was leaving on the next day, so he delivered to them in their meeting, a lengthy sermon. The reference clearly says, “now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came to break bread...”. And we will see later this is what disciples did every day, but this time Paul was leaving the next day and took advantage of it. The second is, 1Cor. 16:2, where the apostle Paul tells the Corinthian church, “on the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside...”. Why the first day? Because it was the only day they met for worship? Hardly. As we have already seen and will again, they did this daily. The point more logically, was that it was a specific day of the week which would be easy to remember as it was the day of the celebration of the Resurrection, and when many would still have a significant portion of their week’s earnings left. There is only one reference to the Lord’s Day given in the New Testament, In Rev. 1:10, John says, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day", which is probably a reference to the Resurrection. Whether this was a specific reference for a "holy day", is certainly not clear. One thing that was clear, was that John was “in the Spirit”, on that day. But was that a clear reference to Lord's day worship, or simply a statement of the common practice of John the revelator?
Jesus’ disciples had learned when and how to meet, and they did so in the presence of the one we worship, as they had learned from Him. Jesus ministered daily, as the following references from Jesus own lips point out. He was in the Temple, Synagogues, fields, market place, places of work and homes continually, Matt. 26:55; Mk. 14:49; Lk. 19:47, 22:53. So it is from this background that we also find the disciples ministering daily, Acts 2:46,47; 5:42; 6:1; 16:5 ;17:11,17; 19:9; Heb. 3:13, not just on the Sabbath or Sundays, and not always in the Temple, but any where people were gathered together. In Jesus own words to the Samaritan woman, we learn that the time was at hand, when they would no longer worship in a specific place, time or method, “... but in Spirit and Truth”, John 4:20-24. Stephen says that God “...Dwells in temples made without hands”, Acts 7:48-50, implying that there is nowhere or time or method of worshiping Him except through Jesus Christ.
The important thing to remember in our approach to worship, is not the time, the place or the method, but to know that “...where two or three are gathered together...” Jesus is in the middle, Matt. 18:20. Why? Because we, the body of Christ, are God’s temple, not some building somewhere, 1Cor. 3:16; 6:19. What is the significance of the Temple and the Synagogue to Jesus and the early church? It is where the Jews to whom Jesus came were everyday and especially on their Sabbath. But through their rejection of Jesus, the Gospel was offered to the Gentiles, and the Temple was destroyed and were Synagogues were now off limits. Now how are we to worship? The same way, in spirit and in truth, the same as the apostles were taught and practiced.
If there is any evidence of a specific day being preferred by the early church for worship, it would have to be “every day”. Daily is the recurring word in relationship to the early church and their worship and ministry. In fact the apostle Paul went so far as to give early believers a defense against those who say worship must be on a specific day, or in specific ways. In Rom. 14:4-8, he clearly states that we are not to allow any to judge us by the day we choose to keep. He goes on to say that those who keep a certain day, keep it to the Lord, and that those who choose not to keep a day, they do not keep it unto the Lord. Further in Col. 2:8-10, 16-17, he talks about food, drink, festivals, new moons and Sabbaths. In the KJV and Philips translations it speaks of Holy days, and the Message speaks of worship services.
There is of course, nothing wrong with Sunday or Saturday as worship days. Yet care must be exercised not to overly reverence the Sabbath, but the Lord of the Sabbath. The Bible clearly gave a Sabbath, and Jesus rebuked those who made it the law of worship. How much more care must we exercise for a day which is hardly even implied by the Bible. In this day we see so many people caught up in the reverence of Sunday, as if simply keeping it would make one holy. For many it is another day with as many rules of “keeping the day” almost as the Pharisees' practiced. If God had so much trouble breaking a religious peoples infatuation with a Sabbath worship in Jesus’ day, why would He turn around and create another day to worship?
I see no scriptural evidence for keeping Saturday or the Sabbath for Christian believers, and little evidence for keeping a Sunday Lord’s day either. The evidence points to taking advantage of, and utilizing to the fullest every opportunity for ministry. There is so much that speaks of keeping everyday unto the Lord.
Our purpose is not to criticize the keeping of the Lord’s Day, but to caution the worship of the Lord’s Day. There has been so much good come out of its observance, as well as some harm. The point is, that if you are going to observe the Lord’s Day as such, do it not as unto the Sabbath, but as unto the Lord, and give the rest of the week the attention that Jesus desires and deserves!
TLC THE CENTER OF IT ALL
TLC is the central infrastructure of the Church Alive by which we seek to fulfill our calling as a fellowship. The focus of the TLC meeting format is to facilitate the growth process needed to fulfill both the Purpose and Vision statements of the Church Alive: "Raising up a people of destiny, created in the image of God", "Meeting Jesus, Meeting Daily, Meeting Needs".
The format used is a "lay" or "peer" based model. It is our understanding from scripture that the most effective model of growth exampled in the Bible is action ministry performed by the people of God, under the direction of Godly leadership. It is not the spectator / performer style so prevalent in our churches today. On the contrary it involves every individual at every level of maturity. We understand that for the body to be healthy, it must be moving and exercising as a whole, just as the human body does. It is not enough for a person to go to the gym where people are working out. That person may go every day, but if they don't join the physical program, they wind up out of shape and suffer loss of their health, or worse yet, their very life.
Those who are young need milk according to the Bible; and accordingly it is the mature who are to see that they get it. When a child grows they eventually outgrow their parents and the need to be fed by them. The signs of maturity are to be able to feed ourselves and as well to be able to feed others. This is true in the family and it is just as true in the church. Many Christians refuse to feed themselves, but insist on having a pastor prepare and serve all their meals. When this happens, during the normal processes of family life, we immediately become concerned and take action to get them back on the road to growth, or soon discover that they are lazy and are little more than users. Why should it be any different in the church if we are all appointed to maturity. A common problem in the church, is that many pastors have not themselves become mature enough to raise adult believers. Many parents are very good at raising infants and toddlers, yet have no skill at all in raising teens and young adults. So too it seems with many pastors; they get people saved and going to church, but never turn out mature believers. Too often they lack the personal / spiritual maturity, and remain insecure in their position, thus not trusting their "teen / young adult" spiritual believers to grow up. We are plagued in today's society by dysfunctional families and dysfunctional churches, filled by dysfunctional people led by dysfunctional leaders.
In the TLC meeting every person is accepted as an equal member in the body of Christ. They are not expected to know all or any of the answers to spiritual matters, but they are expected to contribute to the body life of the group. When matters are discussed, and that is in every meeting, they are expected to ask questions and to give their opinion. It is in the expression of our opinions that we get a real chance to test them. We believe that young Christians will look like young and unlearned individuals who should be loved, accepted and appreciated just as they are. They will never be made to feel inferior for their lack of maturity, therefore they will have no problem to open up and express themselves at their present level. Toddlers have no shame in expressing themselves as toddlers, neither should spiritual toddlers. Because of this freedom, they can move around at this level comfortably, and then naturally move on to the next level.
The measure of maturity is not the ability to appear mature, but to recognize where each one is, and what it will take to move them on to the next level. This is true whether it be our own growth needs or the needs of those less experienced in the Christian walk. A good mother is a perfect example of this same method of development. She is noted as an excellent mother who can make her children feel loved, accepted, normal and ready to experience the process of growing up. While fulfilling her duties as a mother she denies her own needs and appearance, and focuses specifically on the needs and development of her children at whatever level they are, even if this means appearing less grown up than she really is. In preparing and serving food to and for her family, she is fed herself without a "self" focus. If she stops her "mature" things and "plays" with her children, she may not appear adult, but she helps her children to be happy where they are, and in due time, to become well adjusted adults themselves. If she stops her adult thoughts for a moment and really listens to her children, she "knows", not guesses their real needs and maturity level. At this point she can help them to accept just where they are until they are ready to truly grow, rather than pretending to be all grown up, before actually going through the stages of development necessary for genuine maturity.
Our homes and churches are full of "little children" who either think they are, or are pretending to be all grown up. They are taking on the leadership role in our homes, churches and society, using immature methods, with immature outcomes. There needs to be a reality check in each of our lives, and where necessary, a return to our true maturity level, and become serious about having some real "personal, home and church growth".
To accomplish this, it will take deep humility and honesty in each of our lives to begin and continue the process necessary for maturity. This I believe is one of the greatest needs of our families and churches of the day. We need to get so real with our self and God, that we can't help but being real with each other; so that we would "all come to the measure or the fullness of the stature of Christ".
In true transparency, lets all breathe a sigh of relief as the walls of pretense fall, and enjoy being "the children of the Lord" together, no matter at what age or maturity level we appear. And for the sake of those growing around us, we can at times even "pretend" to be younger than we are, once again going back and enjoying our childhood, as we help others and fill in the gaps of some of the things we may have missed along the way.
So what then is TLC? TLC is an acronym for many expressions of hope and growth. It can mean: Tender Loving Care, Together Learning Christ, Total Life Center, Transforming Lives for Christ, and the list goes on. But to those who are involved with the Church Alive, TLC means much more. It is an inclusive statement about an outlook on life, and our willingness to be faithful. It then is a place, an attitude, a resource, a condition, a relationship, and an opportunity. It is all of these and more. So to the Church Alive friend or family it is their: TEAM Life Community
As the body of Christ, we believe that each individual is vitally important to God, and is loved dearly. We also believe that each one must be just as important to every other member of the body, and should be loved to that same degree. Also, we believe that every member is appointed to maturity. Becoming mature is not just those on a board or staff, which is so common in the minds of many of today's Christians. Every individual must have the incentive, encouragement and tools to grow "to the fullness of the measure of the stature of Christ". So also, we see every believer as a minister of Christ, who must have the training, tools, affirmation and opportunity to be their best and most effective for the Lord. It is a fact that each of us are already ministers, but the question is, how affective are we, and who is reaping the benefit of our efforts? God or Satan? God has a marvelous plan for every individual, for every local fellowship, and for the whole Church in this age. We firmly believe that it must be our purpose to help see that plan worked out in the lives of every Christian and fellowship in the most effective method possible.
The TEAM of TLC, itself is also an acronym for: Tools, Education, Affirmation, and Maturity. It is our purpose to do all we can, to bring the necessary ingredients together and make them available to EVERY Christian, not just the “chosen pastoral elect”, so that each and every person will grow and touch the world around them positively and for Christ.
TOOLS
In the form of audio / video resources for the actual meetings themselves. Opportunities for hands on mission experiences. Direct outreach to the neighborhood around us. And much more.
EDUCATION
Hands on training in basic skills as an effective Christian in everyday life. Here there are opportunities to learn basic believer’s life skills, expectations to move on and become a leader, introduction to Christian career choices and training, and more.
AFFIRMATION
A caring and intimate body to hurt, heal and grow in. A place to learn of, and to become a part of, the loving fellowship of Christ, in a truly personal way, and more.
MATURITY
The tools, education, affirmation and accountability necessary to grow into the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual maturity that God has destined for your life.
So now that you know, what it is? (a peer led, home based ministry, operating on the reversionary principle of theology and ministry), where is it? It is probably meeting in a living room somewhere near you; where maturing Christians who are affiliated with the CHURCH ALIVE, are gathered, being led by a growing Christian peer leader.
WHY THE HOME?
Some are put off by the prospect of not only meeting in a home but also of ministering out of a home. To them, if it does not have stained glass and steeples, etc., there is no way that the Lord could show up. If a fellowship is meeting in a home, they think it must be some kind of cult. Why would anybody in their right mind give up a beautiful church building for a plain old house?
To answer these questions, we need to first take a look at history. The Church as we all know, was started by Jesus who used the openness of fields, moutains, lakes and streets, as well as the homes of friends, religious leaders, and common people to do much of his ministry. As He commissioned His disciples, two of the three charges He gave them, challenged them to work out of the people's homes.
We know that the disciples understood and answered this charge to them, because in the book of Acts, most of their ministry was home centered. A number of the epistles spoke of home ministry, and even named several of those same fellowships. In fact, as the young church progressed after the time of the apostles, it had no buildings of its own for 325 years.
The home, though unsung in the history books, has been the most important institution placed on this earth by God. A close scrutinization of the church histories will show that the home has been the center of attention during most of the revivals. Of course common sense tells us that it has always been the home of the persecuted church, whether historically or today.
It is simply a given to the devotee, that Christ is to be the center of our lives. To some He is merely religious ritual, but if you have read this far, you probably don't fall into that category. To any thinking person, we know that the home is the center of everyone's life. If as the church, we go home, we have the potential, to reach the families of America, Canada, Colombia and the world. Consider this: Because the television is in the middle of the home, we are seeing on the streets today what we saw on TV yesterday. When the Bible was the center each home, we were seeing it acted out on the street. The family will be reached best when the church brings the Bible back to the center of the home. What better way than home ministry, sponsored by the church in order to see this accomplished once again.
Another reason worth considering using the home as a ministry center, is that it is the most practical and utilitarian. Most of the things that we call upon the church to do are already being carried out by a well functioning home. The church is usually first thought of as a meeting place. So is my home. Its where dad has his friends over to watch the football game, mom has her friends over to play bridge, the kids bring other kids to play in the attic, or where the teens have their Friday night pizza party. In most fellowships, the church is also thought of as a feeding place. So is my home. This where we have breakfast, lunch or dinner, and dinner or supper, (terms intended to relate to wherever you may live). It is also where we entertain for friendly gatherings with friends.
It is where we celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Day and other holidays with a great abundance of food. It is where we have birthday parties, anniversaries and other family type food functions. The church is often called upon to put people up for the night, whether traveling speakers, deputizing missionaries, or visiting youth groups. My house too, is a sleeping place. The kids have friends over for pajama parties, the in-laws come for Christmas, the friends from the last town we lived in stop for a visit, and the nephew stops to rest over night on his way to college in a new school year. The church too, is often thought of as quiet and relaxing place to rest or retreat for some time alone. It seems that my house is a favorite for the "cold folks" up north to rest their feet in the sand in the middle of the winter, a place for a friend to stop by to relax by the pool after a taxing day at the office, or to have a chat about an upcoming hard decision over a hot tea or coffee. Once in a while, some not so familiar folks will use us a retreat destination because they can't afford a Disney vacation. You know, sometimes my home and the church look an awful lot alike and are sort of duplicating each others efforts anyway.
A very sensible reason to use a home in relation to the church ministry is financial. Unlike the mortgage at the church, there are very few who are going to walk away from the mortgage at home when things don't completely go their way. In some cases the house is already paid for, so there is never a financial drive or "begging" that many find displeasing, in order to meet this month's budget. This of course includes the rent or mortgage on the church facility, and all of the related expenses. There is a real noticeable relief in the pressure to make ends meet. This in turn saves the Lord's money for what He wants to spend it onto and allows us to be able to focus on tangible ministry. The home is the largest investment for most people and when they share it with the body, it is a real giving of all, just as the widow's mite was in Jesus' eyes.
The greatest value of using the home as a ministry center is the immediate growth potential. If there is a burden to plant a new church in a neighboring subdivision, town or state, you only need to locate the people, as the facility is already there. Financing is never an issue in your outreach. We are only using what we have instead of buying, leasing or renting new. If the church fellowship is growing too large for the facilities, we multiply our effectiveness by dividing it in two. Half stays put and the other half goes to a new home, and starts growing all over again.
Clearly the family home is the most logical place for the church and the family of God. As in the parable of the talents, we will not be held responsible for what we don't have. But what will we tell the Master when He asks what did do with what we have?
THE LOST ART OF DISCIPLESHIP
What could possibly make the difference in a church to cause its membership to desire to become effective ministers for Christ, rather than wanting a professional clergy to do it for them? To find the answer, I don't believe it will be helpful to do much looking around at the modern day church. What could really help, is to do a little "reverting".
The early church was not born is a vacuum. In the pre-church era, in the middle east, especially Greece, the principle of education was very similar to the methods we speak of here. A teacher or philosopher would produce themselves and their ideas in the market place. Those who approved, would then attach themselves to the teacher and would spend their days and nights in the presence of this person. They would eat, sleep, travel, work, shop and whatever else with that person. As they were taught, the student would share the experiences of life with the teacher. They would get a hands on lesson in the information, and a practical application of the teachers knowledge and methods. Now they would be very comfortable in reproducing what they heard and saw. The teacher, rather than simply passing information along to his students, would reproduce himself in them.
The model of Christ, is clearly seen in scriptures, to be a very refined version of this same principle. Jesus did not send his disciples off to the feet of the Pharisees at the Temple or city gates, which was the equivalency of today's universities or of the ancient Greek's market schools of learning. On the contrary, the Bible says that, "He appointed twelve that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sickness and to cast out demons" (Mark 3:14,15). It is obvious to any alert person, that Jesus had the most effective training program in the history of the world. The birth and rapid explosion of the church as demonstrated in the ministry of the twelve after His resurrection testify to its effectiveness. Jesus taught the multitudes from a distance, but not so His disciples. To these, He would explain truth, then wait for their questions. Upon seeing their obvious misunderstanding of what was just taught, He would then unfold it in a way by which they would either get then, or directly after His resurrection. He would take them back out into the public and demonstrate again what was meant. When He became assured that they had finally received it, He would now let them try it, and explain what they had just accomplished. Oh, if the church would only revert to this method today. The model of Paul, very much resembled that of Jesus, though he himself did not start out with the same advantage as that of the other disciples. Instead, he went to the top university of the day, "at the feet of Gamaliel", and first became his disciple. After the Damascus road experience, Paul hinted that he was take into the dessert for 3 years (sounds much like the other apostles) alone with Jesus, even though it was in a spiritual sense. As the apostle talks to his young followers, we can see his style showing itself. A great example is brought out to young Timothy as he shows that the true Church is Multilevel Marketing at its best.
In 2 Timothy 2:2, the apostle showed how the Gospel and its workings are passed along. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. In other words, Paul taught Tim in a group with others there, and he too is to teach others in a group (men), and teach them to teach [others] also. In 1 Thessalonians 2:8, he explains that he gave more than teaching to them, he actually discipled them as Jesus did. So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.
A very effective example of this principle utilized in modern times, is the ministry work of the Navigators, 2:7 program. They have developed a lay based ministry, which requires two years to complete, and turns out soul winning, Bible teaching, disciplers. The main thrust of their work points out the difference between Conversion and Discipleship. If one gets a convert, he gets a soul which is saved from Hell. If he gets a disciple, he gets that plus a whole life dedicated to and for Christ. With this principle in mind, Billy Graham stated that, if he had it to do over, he would disciple instead of evangelize.
Following is a perfect hypothetical example of just how effective discipleship can be. If 1 person wins 1 person to the Lord, and then disciples them for 6 months, you now have two disciples who go out and repeat the exact same process at the end of that first 6 months. So you would have 4 disciples, not converts, by the end of the first year. If they did the same and their disciples also repeated this, and so on, it would look something like this:
Year 1 = 4 soul winning disciple making disciples
2 = 16 ''
3 = 64 ''
4 = 256 ''
5 = 1,024 ''
6 = 4,096 ''
7 = 16,384 ''
8 = 65,536 ''
9 = 262,144 ''
10 = 1,048,576 ''
11 = 4,194,304 ''
12 = 16,777,216 ''
13 = 67,108,864 ''
14 = 268,425,456 ''
15 = 1,073,701,824 ''
16 = 4,294,807,296 ''
16 1/2 = 8,589,614,592 soul winning disciple making disciples (the world)
In other words, the potential is there to reach the world in our own lifetime, by any truly sold out believer who would care to become a disciple and follow this plan committedly. Impossible you say? True, impossible. But if this world's 1.5 billion professing Christians took it seriously, we could win the world in 1 1/2 to 10 years.
Who will answer the call? Just maybe the faithful of the Church Alive! Suppose? Why not? We are not interested in making many simple converts. Very few converts are actually interested in wholeheartedly serving the Lord. We believe the church will only become the Church Alive by the method of discipleship.
IS THE PASTOR PASTORING?
"The pastor wasn't there when aunt Matilda died! Can you imagine? Isn't that deplorable? And you know? I was talking to Bob and I just sensed that he would like to accept the Lord so I called the pastor, but he didn't even answer the phone. I can't believe he was so irresponsible and lazy. All I know is that he will have to answer to God for Bob's soul".
When asked to evaluate their pastor's performance, the response from most folks leaves me a little confused. If he is doing his job, they act like he is "slack", they rate him very low, and a conspiracy begins brewing to remove him. If he is doing everyone else's job, then "we love him, he's just great". Or do you suppose that maybe I AM the one who is confused? What I just described sounds like most every spiritual person's opinion. Yet I'm not sure that my understanding of the Bible allows me to see things quite that way. For some, they are sure that they have the best understanding of the scriptures, and the most anointed New Testament Church in town. As you read on, perhaps you can help me figure this out.
This chapter is tucked between two others that address this and similar issues, so in order to avoid redundancy, I will seek only to highlight his job. To begin, let me speak first to what a Pastor is not. Contrary to the opinion of many, he is not the church or its only member, or its only minister. He is not the peoples slave or go-for. He is not to sacrifice his family by staying busy eighteen to twenty hours a day, seven days a week, making it all happen.
To this we must add a statement all too common around the church, isn't that what we hired the pastor for? Jesus spoke quite clearly about that very thing in John 10:12,13, and said, But he who is a hireling and not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. It must be clearly stated and understood, that the pastor, in order to be the shepherd and not a hireling, is in the employ of the shepherd, and not the sheep. He is to follow the orders of the shepherd and not those of the sheep. In the real life situation, the sheep never demand of the shepherd nor tell Him what he must do. They certainly express their concerns and needs, and he is always sensitive to these, but he must always make the final choice for the well being of the flock. So it is with the work of the pastor.
OK, we see what he is not, so then, what is a Pastor? The role of the Pastor is clearly defined in Ehhesians 4:11-16. "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ". Here are the offices, one of which is pastor, and the job description they are to fill. Christ Himself has placed these in the church in order to accomplish exactly what He wills, not what man strives for. As these verses continue, the result of the job description becomes very clear: "till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ - from whom the whole body, joined and nit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love". A good pastor needs to somehow bring this scriptural principle to pass in the body of Christ. He must cause individuals to grow, to find their gifts and talents, to find and succeed in their ministry, and in so doing, help them and the body of Christ, come to a full grown up ministry. Sadly, by doing the amount of the type of work that most pastors are presently doing, they are holding back the very process to which they have been assigned.
For a pastor to be effective, he must make disciples. With a good eye on the fruit and gifts of the Spirit, he must seek the reproduction of these in every believer in the body. The role of a good pastor should be the same as the goal of a good parent. He should work to see that every one of his spiritual children do everything that they can, only better. He needs to be brave enough to set them free in that ministry. The role of the parent and pastor, must always be to work themselves out of a job. As we mentioned in the discipleship discussion, that good discipleship is the highest and greatest form of multilevel marketing, where the down line always passes the sponsor. The problem in most churches, is that the effort too often turns into a pyramid scheme, with the pastor always on the top. The pastor must be mature enough to let go and cause the flock to grow up completely.
The role of a Christian under pastoral leadership is to grow up, to become mature, and to take care of those who are not as far along in the faith. Blessed is the fellowship that has a pastor who does all to bring this about.
This topic actually started under the heading of Discipleship, and will end under the heading of Membership or Ministry, but this section will conclude with a question. So far, is your pastor pastoring? or robbing the flock of mature blessings?
MEMBERSHIP OR MINISTRY?
Does today's Church at all resemble the church that Jesus instituted 2000 years ago? If yes, what are those points that characterize it as such? If not, what are the differences, and have these changes been beneficial? We will discuss a couple of differences that have come about in the church, in reference to the latter question. We must examine both Church Membership and Christian Ministry. I say both, because we have allowed one in some way to affect the other, and have seen the body robbed of great power and great blessing.
Does the Bible emphatically teach "church membership"? Of course we have all sat through sermons on the necessity of church membership, and we have perhaps even felt a twinge of guilt as we "knew" we were neglecting a "clear" Biblical principle. But as we look at those same scriptures without the persuasive gifts of the orator, do we find the same level of conviction? Although I have strong beliefs on the matter which will surely show, you will need to be the judge of this while we look together.
As far as I can determine, the center of the concept of church membership is built around Acts 2:47, .... And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Of course other verses are used to fortify what is believed to be taught in this verse. This is a crucial place to start, because if it actually does teach present day membership practices, it adds urgency to joining the fellowship, "daily", or immediately. If you will read that scripture again, you will see that it does not have anything to do with what any man does, but something the Lord does on His own. What exactly is it that He does? He places people in the body, or the church, and it is clear that it is speaking of the whole church, the church universal, or the Bride of Christ?
We will need to compare two scriptural concepts that are often used when teaching church membership. One is the principle of Membership, and other is the principle of Joining. To most Christians these terms are synonymous, yet the Bible seems to separate them without teaching "the name on the roll" concept as practiced in the modern church.
First, look at a few of the more familiar verses concerning biblical Membership. Eph. 4:25 says, Therefore, putting away lying, each one speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. In Romans 12:5,4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 1Cor. 6:15, continues, Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of a harlot? And 1Cor. 12:12-27,(12), says, For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
I have not been able to find any verses which get any closer to "church membership" than these. If I am understanding these correctly, they speak of a concept which is the opposite of local membership, which isolates and severs fellowship with the larger body.
Secondly, we consider the verses focusing on Joining. Acts 5:13, reads, And the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. Acts 9:26 says, And when Saul was come to Jerusalem he assayed to join himself to the disciples... Compare these with Acts 8:29, Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near and join thyself to his chariot. Is He suggesting joining himself to a pagan, or to one of the Jewish religion, or even to a chariot? Hardly! But He does mean what is said in all these verses. Go and be with, and identify with and support these, so as to perform a function that will fulfill My call and purpose for your life.
Constantine and the Roman Empire brought the pagans into the church, and caused all Roman citizens and subjects to become [members] of the new state religion. Membership was an early development of the Rome Catholic Church. This again appears to be another manmade rite, from which we did not make a complete break with Catholicism during the Reformation.
Membership benefits in the church, are often to own a piece of the action, and to be in control of the outcome to a greater or lesser extent. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, that He would "build my church..." Where do we get off thinking it is in some way "my church". Where are the scares on our bodies to show that we in some way paid the price of ownership? We can see however, that ministry benefits far outweigh member benefits. In a parable in Matthew 25:21, Jesus spoke of those who get active and involved. He teaches that not just pastors, but every person who gives their all to the ministry, will never regret it. "His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord". Jesus prayed for and healed the sick, cast out demons and all manner of ministry. On three specific occasions, He commissioned His followers, the disciples, not the pastors of the flock, to do the same, although of course it did not exclude them.
Acts 6:1-7, is a perfect example of the design for ministry in the early church. In verse one we find the burden of the work growing and the leadership expressing concern that the work was not their responsibility. The next 5 verses describes how they overcome the problem by appointing seven people to oversee the work (3). It is important to note that the leaderships role was "the ministry of the Word and prayer". Also that the seven that they appointed were not appointed to "do" the work assigned, but to be "over this business".
Who then was to do this work? As we read through the rest of the New Testament, "one another" ministry becomes the focus. A minimum of twenty-one times in the NT, we are told to minister to "one another" in some specific way. In 2 Corinthians 1:3,4 we are told that counsel is given by God to all who are suffering, and is the responsibility of each to pass on to others who also suffer. James 5:16 reveals that confession is a key to healing and is expected of all who are a part of the "one another" body, so that the body may be healed. In 1 Corinthians 14:16, Ephesians 5:18-21 and Colossians 3:16,17, we find that even the church services are to be peer, or lay led, yet this does not exclude pastoral leadership from participating also.
We don't invite persecution, but it is certainly relevant to expect it in any age. This is especially true today, if we follow Christ in a "wicked and a perverse generation". Is the church prepared for the end times? How will this people lay down their lives for Christ, if we don't live for and serve Him in the present? If it seems more desireable to simply attend church and let all the responsibility of ministry fall on the shoulders of someone else, what will happen to believers when they are actually called on to shoulder these responsibilities themselvesa? I believe a day is rapidly approaching, when church membership without the balance of ministry responsibility, will be a hinderence rather than the blessing that many think it is. It will definately seperate the "believers" from the "receivers". Are we learning and growing and becoming as much like Him as we can in the easy times, or just riding on the tail of somebody else's good works?
As we consider the last several articles as a a whole, I feel it might be safe to state that good disciples can and should easily replace the role of the pastor in the day to day work of the Lord. It is his job to teach and train the body, and see the needs and fill those needs with capable [ministers] people. It is his job to hold those people accountable to the ministry and to Christ. It is not the job of the church to rather always hold him accountable to a human board, but rather to work together and each do their own tasks assigned by Christ. The pastor is the servant of the shepherd, and a gift to the church.
So what are you up to?
