A Treatise on Church Growth part eleven

Here we are referring to your heart's condition. What spirit are you of? Is it one of rebellion or submission to the Holy Spirit? The key is to always follow him, wherever he leads. By all means, obey him if He is leading you out of Bondage and into Freedom but do not mistake a spirit of rebellion against the sometimes painful maturing process you must go through within a church family, as freedom. The point is - are you maturing? A good way to tell the difference is this - in bondage, you are sitting there, year after year, chained to a pew, slowly dying in your prison cell. In a proper setting, you are growing, living, changing for the better. If you are at the same level of maturity after attending a church for several years - check yourself and your church. One of the two is the problem. Are you intimate? Intimacy with other saints in a local assemblage will expose our weaknesses and wounds as well as our strengths. This will lead us down the path to healing and maturity.

But if the Holy Spirit leads you to leave a fellowship, do not believe you are alone. Do not believe your church is the only oasis in the desert of life and you will die in the wilderness of the world if you leave. Many pastors are jailors who keep their congregations in religious bondage all the while holding the keys to freedom, to death, hell and the grave. They do not enter in and the prevent others from doing so and they often use fear to keep you in line. Toe the party line as they say! Any dissention in the ranks, any disagreement with party doctrine is often met harshly. And they often curse those who leave them, telling them they will go to hell if they don't continue to attend their church, though their church has nothing to do with the kingdom of God on earth.

Many of these pastor/jailors will be like the jailor in the book of Acts, who, when the power of God showed up to set Paul and Silas free, was saved along with his whole house (church). Let us continue to believe and pray for all churches in religious bondage. Do not give up on them.

Christian, you do not forfeit your salvation or right standing with God by following HIM to the uttermost parts of the earth. Your identity is found in Christ. You are not a Baptist, Charismatic, Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Seventh Day Adventist, etc. You are a Christian. Who you fellowship with or don't fellowship with doesn't affect this eternal fact. Trust me. If God leads you out of a fellowship it is usually because He knows you are not being properly cared for and greater blessings and maturity lie elsewhere and He will guide you into them.

God is raising up shepherds after his own heart. Shepherds who are uncorrupted guides who will attend to the sheep of his pasture, to his bride, without raping or abusing her in any way. Shepherds who know their solitary goal is to see her prepared for the Bride Groom, mature, without spot (not too young) or blemish (not too old) but ready to be joined with her promised betrothed in one final act of Holy matrimony, forever. Praise God!

to be continued...