Continued Serial: V Individual Ministries In The Church

Look at this scripture ( John 3:16; For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone believes in Him would not perish, but would have eternal life.) JESUS CHRIST IS THE LAMB SACRIFICED TO PURCHASE US FROM SLAVERY THROUGH HIS RESURRECTION.

I stated this during the sharing. Now let me pose a question about how many of us will build or develop a company and will allow the workers to handle matters their own way?

The answer is NONE WILL ( take the example from the following institutions like Microsoft, Apple, Toyota, Facebook and many more). So then my second question is why will those who have personalized the CHURCH to become ( individual, national, racial, business organizations), operating on confused or often ignoring biblical truth or teachings? Why are we satisfied that we are doing the right thing?

Apostle Paul fought such which has been a damaging situation to the CHURCH, whereby people cannot and often confuses themselves with the various religious organizations from the BODY OF CHRIST. He dealt with this matter many times during his time when it became apparent that the CHURCH was suffering intrusion.

Come with me to 1 Cor. 3:6-9,10-22, please read the scripture quoted. In the history behind this quotation, Paul was saying to us through the Corinthian CHURCH that, to plant, to water, and to cause to grow are all related to the matter of life. This indicates that the believers are God's cultivated land (after it has cost Him His Son to lay the foundation ) vs 9 to grow Christ.

The ministers of Christ can only plant and water. Only God can cause growth ( I pre-suppose that one may not be working for God if dirty tricks are used to have followers for Christ). Like many today, the Corinthian believers over-esteemed the planter and waterer and neglected the One who causes the growth. Hence, similarly like the Corinthian Church, they grew in numbers but NOT IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST OR CHRIST AS THEIR LIFE.

Like the Corinthian Church, today's' (churches) are under the prevailing influence of the Greek (worldly arguments ) philosophical wisdom, paid too much attention to knowledge, neglecting life. In the above chapter Paul's intention like mine is to turn their attention from knowledge to life, pointing out that to them he was a feeder and a planter; whilst Apollos, a waterer, and God, the One who causes the growth( Have you realised that here neither Paul nor Apollos had started and named their churches and made it the Corinth church their own but still laboured on the truth, foundation laid by Jesus Christ). These two never argued about it that way.

Rather, in 4:15, Paul told them that he was their spiritual father, who begot them in Christ through the gospel ( for the same and only Church). From the view of life, the divine view, they were God's cultivated land to grow Christ. This was and still is entirely a matter of life, a matter utterly missed by believers who are dominated by their SOULISH, NATURAL LIFE, UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THEIR NATURAL WISDOM.

Vs 9. show us that God too is and still should be a worker together with the Elders, Deaconess, Deacons, Co-workers, brothers, and sisters. Whilst we the ministers of Christ (must and should follow the one Church, One Christ. One Gospel to have organically evolved from Jerusalem, through Judea to the rest of the world one for God) are working on His cultivated land, He too is working. Now then what a privilege and glory it is that men can be God's fellow workers, working together with God on His cultivated land to grow Christ( as their pattern and way of life).

Coming to the end of this days sharing, let me state that the farm which is the believers, who are or have been regenerated in Christ with God's life ( if we have continued on the proper foundation laid by Christ) is God's cultivated land. A farm in God's new creation to grow in His Life, grow Christ in them that precious materials may be produced that way for God's building.

Hence we are not only God's cultivated land but also God's building. Corporately, we as the CHURCH of God have Christ planted in us.

Christ must, therefore, grow in us and, in the sense of this chapter we have quoted here in the sharing, produce out of us not fruits( I hear many say this) but precious materials of gold, silver, and precious stones for the building of God's habitation on earth( buildings are not built therefore with fruits for they are very fragile to hold together). Thus the building of God, the house of God, the CHURCH, (not religion or fragmented disunited, racially, segregated unchristlike orgainsations) is the increase of Christ, the enlargement of Christ ( not just church members mentored with human wisdom) in His unlimitedness.

His permission NEXT TIME we will try to enlighten the churches about what the organic building of the CHURCH STANDS FOR. THE CHURCH RECOVERED AND MAINTAINED ON THE SOLE FOUNDATION LAID BY JESUS CHRIST, MASTER HANDLED BY GOD THROUGH HIS SPIRIT AND THE TRUE CALLED AND GIFTED, TALENTED CO-WORKERS.

SHALOM.