What will the Resurrected Church be like? What is there in the word about the nature of the Church that God will Raise Up?
1. It will be A United Church - One Church. The Lord showed this to Ezekiel by a parable of the Two Sticks Ez. 37:15-28. In one hand he had the stick 'For Judah', and in the other hand, the stick 'For Joseph'. He was to join the two sticks together to make one stick. The Lord said, "I will them one nation... and one king shall be king over them all. They shall be no more two nations..."
Jesus prayed in Jn. 17:20-23, for all those who will believe in Him through the word of the apostles, "That they may be one, as Thou Father art in me and I in Thee, that they may be one in us... even as we are one...that they may be made perfect in one."
St Paul in Eph. 4: 3-16. speaks of the unity of the Church. He speaks of "the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." "There is one body, one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all..." But within this One Church there are diversities of gifts. The ascended Lord gave gifts unto men.." So we have what are called the five-fold ministry. The purpose for these gifts is also clearly stated. One Church, Many Gifts, for One Purpose.
2. The Glory of the Lord will be Permanently Present with His Church. The glory of the Lord is an awesome manifestation of the presence of the Lord. In the Old Testament the Glory was present in the temple with such power, that the people could not enter. Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord depart from the temple. But he also saw the flory return to the temple. In the Resurrected Church, there will be a permanent, awesome manifestation of the presence of the Lord.
3. There will be a Continual Manifestation of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We will not be able to escape the manifest presence of the Lord. The Church will have the mind of Christ and the nature of Christ incarnate in the members.
4. It will be a people Holy with The Holiness of God, manifesting the fulness of the nature of God, uncomtaminated by the world. The fulness of God will be manifest in the Church.
5. The Holy Spirit will be the power at work in the Church. His gifts; His fruit, and His attributes will be abundantly manifested.
6. It will be a victorious Church; A Mighty Army against which the gates of hell will not prevail.
7. The Resurrected Church will operate by the word of God, by the Spirit of God, and by the will of God. Perfect Obedience to the will of God will be the hallmarkof the Church.
8. The Resurrected Church will be blessed by the Indwelling Holy Trinity.
9. It wll be normal for the Resurrected Church to do thee works of Christ, and Greater works than Christ did.
10. God's power will flow from the Resurrected, corporately and individually, bringing life to all it touches.
11. The world, the nations will run to this Church, drawn by the power at work in it.
12. The family will be restored by the impact of the Resurrected Church, based on sex and marriage after God's design, and bringing up the children of the kingdom of God. The image and likeness of God will be seen.
13. The Resurrected Church will impact and transform the nation at all levels. It will transform the culture into the culture of the kingdom of God. It will raise up ne leadership for the nation.
14. Church and nation will be subject to the sovereignty of God. God will be all and in all.
The Resurrected Church will be far greater than all that is said here.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
More About God's Man for the Hour
1. The Man whom God Raises for the Hour Must Know he Condition of God's people. His knowledge of the condition of God's people must not be human knowledge. It must be God's Revelation. It is God who took Ezekiel down into the valley showed hm the bones, and caused him to walk around them, and take a close look at them. It is God who said to him, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel..." 37: 11-14.
In Rev. 2-3, John is given revelation concerning the state of the seven churches in Asia Minor. Five of those churches have serious faults. The Lord speaks to 'the angel' of each church. John does not speak to the whole congregation, but to 'the engel' of the church. This is perhaps the one whom we would call pastor today. In each case, the Lord is revealing to the pastor, the true condition of his church. The pastor must see his church, not from a human point of view, but from God's point of view.
2. The Man of God Must Have a Vision of The Resurrected Church. It is a vision of what God wants His Church to be, and What He is going to make of His Church. Vision Is Important. But the vision must come from the Lord. It is not human fancy. The vision Must be in line with God's Purpose and Mission for His people. The Visin Must give God's total purpose. It is not enough for dry bones to become dead bodies with no life in them. God's purpose isnothing less than making dry bones into An Exceeding Great Army.
3. The Man of God Must have the Faith that God's Vision Is Possible. "Son of man, Can these bones live?" Ezekiel's reply; "O Lord God, Thou knowest." In other words, Lord humanly speaking it is impossible; But with You, all things are possible. You alone can do that. The man of God must be a man of faith. He must have the faith of God in him. He must be filled with the creative faith of God. He must believe that he can speak, and whatever he says will come to pass. He will have whatever he says. He must have creative faith.
4. The Man of God Must be willing to be used by God, to do what God wants him to do to make His vision a reality. "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Ezekiel must have begun to realize that God had a purpose for taking him into that valley. May be God wants to use him in some way in working out His purpose. Notice that God does not hesitate to tell Ezekiel what kind of people He is sending him to. They are a hardhearted, stiffnecked, stubborn people.. 2: 3-7; 3: 7-11.
In Rev. 2-3, John is given revelation concerning the state of the seven churches in Asia Minor. Five of those churches have serious faults. The Lord speaks to 'the angel' of each church. John does not speak to the whole congregation, but to 'the engel' of the church. This is perhaps the one whom we would call pastor today. In each case, the Lord is revealing to the pastor, the true condition of his church. The pastor must see his church, not from a human point of view, but from God's point of view.
2. The Man of God Must Have a Vision of The Resurrected Church. It is a vision of what God wants His Church to be, and What He is going to make of His Church. Vision Is Important. But the vision must come from the Lord. It is not human fancy. The vision Must be in line with God's Purpose and Mission for His people. The Visin Must give God's total purpose. It is not enough for dry bones to become dead bodies with no life in them. God's purpose isnothing less than making dry bones into An Exceeding Great Army.
3. The Man of God Must have the Faith that God's Vision Is Possible. "Son of man, Can these bones live?" Ezekiel's reply; "O Lord God, Thou knowest." In other words, Lord humanly speaking it is impossible; But with You, all things are possible. You alone can do that. The man of God must be a man of faith. He must have the faith of God in him. He must be filled with the creative faith of God. He must believe that he can speak, and whatever he says will come to pass. He will have whatever he says. He must have creative faith.
4. The Man of God Must be willing to be used by God, to do what God wants him to do to make His vision a reality. "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Ezekiel must have begun to realize that God had a purpose for taking him into that valley. May be God wants to use him in some way in working out His purpose. Notice that God does not hesitate to tell Ezekiel what kind of people He is sending him to. They are a hardhearted, stiffnecked, stubborn people.. 2: 3-7; 3: 7-11.
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