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The Coming Increase of Christ in His House
It is crucial that we hear the Lord’s Word to each of us as we peer into the years that lie immediately ahead. God’s Kingdom is emerging on the Earth, and yet many of His people while regularly attending Church meetings, face a barrage of stories in His house as well as in the world.
From one preacher, we hear about a coming pre-tribulation Rapture; from another, we hear the storyline about the Church going through the Great Tribulation. But too often, what has been called prophetic has been in reality simply the teaching of a particular system of eschatological thought (i.e., teaching pertaining to the subject of the last days). But we need more; we need to hear from God.
It is not that the Lord cannot speak through such presentations. Obviously, He can. But how much of what we are hearing is the speaker’s interpretation of various Bible verses based on a certain systematic approach to the Scriptures? To be clear, we do not need more believers educated in the finer points of the various schools of end time thought. While this can be helpful to some degree, we must become trained in loving God and discerning His voice in the midst of all the stories.
There is a way forward. It will not be found when the various schools of thought with wrong conclusions repent and join the correct one. Rather, it will occur as God brings together His people around the person of Christ and we learn to love each other in spite of our differences. Normal Christianity is revealed when the Lord puts together brethren of different persuasions and then teaches them how to hear His voice through each other.
Such a scenario only occurs when we acknowledge that the Holy Spirit has been poured out in order to guide us into the truth (John 16:13). In other words, we are all on a journey, and we are called to take it together.
To be clear, there is nothing wrong with studying theology. In fact, the Lord specifically calls some to such disciplines. But when we gather with God’s people and share from the Scriptures, we must present Christ, not mere theological information. Rather than Calvinism, Calvinists must preach Christ from their Calvinist perspective. Rather than Arminianism, Arminians must proclaim the Lord Jesus to God’s people rather than simply an Arminian theological position. And we must use wisdom when we bring an emphasis that we know differs from brethren with whom we are in fellowship. If we do not trust the Holy Spirit to fulfill His ministry of guiding us into the truth together, we will take that job to ourselves, speak aggressively, and bring division to God’s house.
One difficulty we face is that we are not all on the same timetable; we must be patient with each other. How wise am I if I expect others to immediately agree with my interpretation of a certain Scripture verse if the Lord took five years of “fine-tuning” to bring me to that view? And on the other hand, what if my conclusions are off and it is not them but me who yet needs the greater adjustment?
But when all is said and done, some will simply not hear the Lord’s Word because of the condition of their hearts. To them, the Word of the Lord will seem as only one more story among all the rest found within the Christian world.
The problem is not that God does not know what He wants to say, or that He does not know how to speak clearly. Just like in Israel, to whatever degree His Word in the Church is obscured, it is because of the condition of our hearts.
And then, along with this particular problem, what is to be done when those who teach and preach do not hear Him clearly? The content of their ministry has become in some measure simply another story among many instead of clear words from the Lord. Here is one of the significant problems facing the Church today. Too many in Christian leadership are promoting something other than, or something along with the Lord’s Word, the Lord’s agenda.
As a result, the many ministries and local churches of a region are unable to express one heart and one mind concerning our identity. We may all move as one concerning a particular project, e.g., an evangelistic crusade, a regional ministry to feed the poor, etc. But as far as being a distinct unique people, moving together with one voice, we simply fall short.
But God’s Church shall ultimately come to one mind and speak with one voice to the nations. Jesus committed himself to this end when He promised to so effectively build together His people that the gates of hell would fail in its assaults.
The question facing us is whether we believe His claims or not. How authentic is our faith if we settle for a unity only of those in our particular theological camp? And how is it even possible to get from where we are to Christ’s stated goal?
We must set our hearts upon the person of the Lord Jesus as the author as well as the focus of our faith. It is not that someday He will build God’s house; He is doing so right now before our eyes. And as He works, He is speaking to us; we must listen carefully. He has made the distinct promise that we can discern His voice (John 10).
At the same time we need to heed a clear warning. Jesus stated to some religious leaders that one purpose He had in coming was not only to give sight to the blind but to cause blindness in those who could see (John 9:39-41). These Pharisees, convinced that they could see spiritually quite well apart from Him, closed the door to God’s solution for their sinful condition. Thus, thinking they saw, they became established in their blindness. On the other hand, those who confessed their inability to see accurately in the spiritual realms apart from Christ gained access through God’s door into His sheepfold, i.e., those without sight had their eyes opened.
Our entrance today into God’s sheepfold remains the same; we enter through the person of the Lord Jesus (John 10:7). But notice something with me. We do not enter only once, but gain access regularly to His people to both give and receive from them (John 10:9). We must do so through Him, not through some other means. For example, when leaders use their academic training rather than the Lord’s present emphasis as the basis for speaking, they gain access amiss. When teachers teach because they hold a position in the Church rather than because the Lord has given them something to say, they have stepped onto “the platform” through the wrong door. When a musician leads out in a song because he or she is the “worship leader”, rather than because Jesus wants to sing that song in the midst of the congregation (Hebrews 2:12), he or she has stepped out into the midst of the sheepfold actually drawing attention away from Him, the One we are supposed to be worshiping!
All of us have failed on this issue of proper access many times. And Jesus said that those who function in this manner are thieves (John 10:1). In other words, we literally steal the glory and attention due to the Lord Jesus and allow it in some measure to come to us. But whenever it dawns on any of us what we have done, our first response must be to repent, step out of the way, and then help everyone to refocus back on Him.
However, if we refuse to repent and rather persist in our ways, we will begin to slowly move toward the same heart condition exhibited by the Pharisees. Thinking we see, we will gradually lose our sight and settle for a form of religion marked by a slow decrease of God’s power in our midst. This process has been repeated consistently throughout Church history.
But brethren, I am confident of better things concerning you, yes even the fruit that accompanies salvation. God is preparing His Church for glorious days ahead. May He continue to woo us to himself. May He continue to draw our attention away from ourselves and upon His glorious majesty. He is the door of access to His people. If we would participate accurately in His work as He builds His glorious house among us, we must listen carefully for His voice and move out according to His Word and His timing.
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