-I want to talk to you about transitions that need to happen in the church world. In the process I am sure I will TIP SOME SACRED COWS!
• Citipoint is in a time of transition
• At the same time the church, as a whole, is in a time of shifting…
o From affluence to influence
o From consume to contributor
o From selfish power to servant power
o From program investment to people investment
• The world believes that the church is...
o Insignificant...insufficient...irrelevant
• Yet, God is going to raise His church up with…
o Power...Prominence...Position
• These may be challenging times for the church
• But they are great times.
• My fear is that we become so enamored with having church
• That we lose the purpose of having church
• We must understand that our transition is positioning in a place to do and be what He has called us to do and be
• We are, in fact, a Chosen Generation
• Our purpose of coming to church must change
o It’s not socializing or fulfilling religious duty
o It’s no longer being satisfied with two perfectly sung songs
o 20 minutes of poetic phrasing / called preaching
o We must have an encounter with God
o We must get in the place where heaven opens
o We must change ourselves
o So we can change our world
o My position is as a watchman on the wall
o I am not here for your entertainment
o We have destroyed the purpose of the pastor in the church
o We have everything except what the Bible declares
o I must not only lead a charge
o But prepare the church for the same charge
o I cannot be satisfied with our accomplishment
o But with an undying, unyielding passion, push, press on
Transition – a passage from one position to another
- transitions – most painful / most fruitful
We are all living in a time of major transition in the church world
o And while it may be very painful
o I believe they will be the most fruitful season
Because in
Acts 2:17
“In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh”
John 2:10
“The master of the banquet saves the best wine for last.”
God is transitioning His church for a great end time harvest.
And is ready to pour out new wine
But, we are still stuck in an old wine skin system!
Systems:
Saul – Man’s choice - religious
David – God’s choice - spiritual
Lot – Sodom – misplacement of
Fathering anointing
Abraham - Fathering anointing
Many sons
Etc.
Babylonian 3 Hebrews, broke
Systems / Cultures have to change
We can remodel / spend money and dress up an old system
And not change anything
We live under old systems
Samuel was replacing the old system of Eli
o Saul – David
o Abraham – Lot
o Babylon – 3 Hebrew boys
We are in a transition:
Globally
Ecumenically
Socially
Governmentally
Personally – Citipoint
Transition = a passage from one place to another
New wine is poured out into new wineskins.
God can’t pour new blessing (wine)
Into old wineskins (systems)
We break systems by tipping sacred cows
And having new wineskin (systems)
o The church can no longer be for those who want to
Play church
Control a Pastor
Have a little word and a lot of self
Debate
Power Struggles
1. SACRED COW NEW WINE SKIN
Church as Mother Church as Father
• We live in a generation that has been over mothered and under fathered
o Mother is the nurturing one
o Mother is the encouraging one
o Everything in the church is fine when we operate in a mothering system
o But people get upset when the fathering system steps in
o Because this generation is not accustomed to a fathering system.
• Father
o Sets the system – an order
o Disciplines
o Guards the gate – Adam
o Give banks to the river
• The role of a father is of great importance
o In family life
o And church life
• Under-fathering is dangerous because
o No vision
o No rules
o Guidelines
o Standards
• Just as over-fathering
o Abuse of power
Authority Rests in the relationship not position
Relationship is not build from authority
MALACHI 4:5-6
5 "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."
• Restoring hearts of a Father to their children
• and children to father
• Is helping us prepare for the coming of the Lord
• The restoration of Spiritual Fatherhood cannot be underestimated
• It might be the difference between
o Living on the old stage
o Or on the new stage.
Deuteronomy 4:37
37 “Because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength”
- Moses reminds Israel that blessings were
- due to the fact that God loved their Fathers.
- Be careful whose authority you’re under.
- Name change in marriage
- Father gets blessed – be happy
- The anointing flows down
• A house (church) is
- Led by God’s anointing on a person
- Grown by God’s vision in a person
- Matured by God’s gifting in a person
• When we fail to honor or acknowledge a Father
• We lose vision (stay in lane)
Proverbs 30:17
17 "The eye that mocks a father,
that scorns obedience to a mother,
will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley,
will be eaten by the vultures.”
• The church’s ability to:
• Move ahead
• To be fruitful
• To multiply
• To have dominion
• Largely depends on its willingness to honor its father.
2. SACRED COW NEW WINE SKIN
Pastor as Minister Pastor as Leader
1 CORINTHIANS 12:28 – First Apostle
-Governs the church
-Fatherly oversight
-Appoints deacons & elders
-Oversees its ministries
-Leads the church
Myth
“If He is the minister, He does the ministry”
• Not according to Ephesians 4:11-16 (read)
Train saints to do the work of the ministry
• So God gives pastors to lead
• But in today’s church system a Pastor can’t lead
• Because he has to get someone’s approval
o So his calling is unfulfilled
o Thus the saints or church dies
o Because it doesn’t follow Godly government.
• The average stay of a Pastor is 2.9 years
• God has called pastors to lead
Not by popular vote
People didn’t want 2 services
People didn’t want illustrated sermons
People didn’t want to buy a bus
People didn’t want to buy chairs
• If God gave pastors the church to prepare his people to build his church…
• Don’t you think God can empower and instruct him?
• We are uncomfortable with this power that the pastor has
• We say he’s a dictator … power hungry
• Here’s a few things to remember:
1. I didn’t ask … God asked me
Pastor Authority
Supplies the power
The ability to command direct
People Power
Influence – multiplication
God Glory
Strength
2. Most people that don’t want the pastor to have power because they want the power
3. We should want the pastor to have power and authority
(Joseph) … to feed the famine
People upset with this one, people want to be followed!
Why would we want to follow someone without it?
4. Trust is the root…authority is the fruit
• Only 6 out of 50 best Christian leaders are pastors
• Because they say the church kills their gift…
• So, we have a great leader like Billy Graham…
• But no local church to facilitate God’s people
• Accountability vs. Control
Control = Constraint – restraint
Dictating what people do or don’t do
Accountability = Rendering an account of what a
person has already done.
• As a pastor I am not accountable TO everyone
• I am accountable FOR everyone
Pastors pastor Pastors, people don’t
• The other side of the coin
3. SACRED COW NEW WINE SKIN
Focusing on the Pastor Focusing on People
• The New Testament church’s power was not because of a handful of specialized pastors / apostles that did everything.
• The church is hindered from its full potential because we get so attached to personalities.
• Super Pastor
• Live in a hero / Idol mentality
• This is why we want to empower people
• We are not here to start your ministry
I supply vision
Vision is your lane to drive, your ministry
• I am not that talented
I need to empower / release people
To accomplish the vision
• Vision vs. Division
• Today’s church knows more about the pastor than we do about our God
• People say, “I don’t even know the pastor”
• But the real question is…
Did he help you get to know God?
• And many pastors have gotten addicted to
o The co-dependent relationship
And are more interested in fondling people than feeding people
• It’s unhealthy when we come to church with the number 1 priority trying to be buddies with the pastor.
• When we would rather shake someone’s hand than touch God we are here for the wrong reason
EXPLAIN:
a) Why you can’t get me before service
b) Why time is limited through the week
i. Available vs. approachable
ACTS 6
-called to the body at large
-it is to your advantage
-T.B.N.
• When we become co-dependent on one another, then we’re not healthy
• We’ve turned pastors into glorified social workers
• Because we live in a world where people are emotionally dysfunctional
• That people need to fellowship and make friends
• Pastor Paul said: 1Corinthians 2:2
“I don’t want to know anything except Jesus Christ crucified.”
• Paraphrase:
I don’t want to know about you
I am just going to preach Jesus to you
That probably wouldn’t go over big in America
• Balance
We should honor the man/women God is using (Galatians 6:6)
Not idolize him/her
4. SACRED COW–Closed Circle NEW WINE SKIN–Open Circle
Church is for us 4 & no more Church is for all & even more
• New ideas – new people in a growing church see closed circles
• This speaks of transition of why we come to church
• We’ve got to stop coming to church for the wrong reasons
• The church doesn’t exist for preservation
• We get blessings to be blessings
• The church has got to be bigger than the Old Wine skin of:
My taste
My opinion
My voice
My message
My church
Key word “My”
• Come get Holy Spirit filled / Holy Spirit spilled
River / Reservoir
• When you were a sinner, the devil treated you bad
• Now you’re saved…parking spot…front seat
• Statistics show that we spend
$10 per saint
$1 per sinner
5. SACRED COW NEW WINE SKIN
Loyal to Denomination Loyal to God
• From 1968 – 1995 = 26 years
• Episcopal Church 3.4 million 2.5 million
• United Methodist 11 million 8.6 million
• Presbyterian 4.2 million 3.7 million
• United Church of Christ 2 million 1.5 million
• In 1974 old line denominations included 51% of American adults
• By 1994, 20 years…it dropped to 32%
• During the same time period, 1974 – 1994 Pentecostal increased from 9% to 24%
• Since 1994, Pentecostal have been in a plateau:
A/G: 1970’s = 65% growth
1980’s = 29% growth
90=96 = 5% growth
2000 = 0% growth
• Two schools of thought:
Outside influences
Inside influences
• 90% of those that studied this said it was outside influences
• My question then is can the church only be successful is society doesn’t change?
• It’s time to stand up and take responsibility
• Inside influences:
o If a program doesn’t work, get rid of it
o I am not loyal to it or how long it’s been part of our denomination
o If the horse is dead / dismount
(Network report from 2007)
6. SACRED COW NEW WINE SKIN
Pampering Saints – Passing Sinners Edifying Saints – Evangelizing Sinners
• 3 lost things – Luke 15
Sheep – when he was lost – called out
Coin – didn’t know it as lost
Son – knew he was lost, knew how to get home
• I will not beg a saint to live right and come back to church
• You know where we are and what we stand for
• The best follow-up is a good service
EXPLAIN: Starbucks doesn’t beg you to come back
• The atmosphere produces a draw
John 12:32 If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me.
• We spend all our time putting
• Humpty dumpty all together again
• And he goes and sits on the same wall
• If saints are serious about growing
o Come to church
o With Bible
o With pen & paper
o With praise
EXAMPLE: when Patti got saved
• Facts 5000 fed
70 sent out
12 discipled
3 close friends
• We spend too much time trying to keep saints saved
• That we’ve neglected the sinners
EXAMPLE: NASA – rocket props
• I do believe in caring for saints
• Seasons of a church
What I’ve done
1. Set atmosphere
2. Holes – personal
3. Job & Love
• Get you healthy
7. SACRED COW NEW WINE SKIN
Pitiful & Political Powerful & Prosperous
• For many years there has been a down-and-out mentality
If you are a Christian
• Traditionally we’ve taught a loser mentality
• When all else fails
• And you’ve had nothing but bad luck
• Try Jesus with the rest of us losers
• But I am not here because I couldn’t find anything else to do!
• It’s time for a powerful and prosperous church to arise
2 CHRONICLES 9:1-9 (read)
1. Heard of His fame
2. Came to see
3. Question Solomon
4. She brought offerings
5. She saw success
6. She sowed into good ground
7. Meat – preaching
8. Wisdom
9. How they were dressed
10. Attendance
PROVERBS 31 – Picture – Powerful = virtuous
She had:
1. Worth
2. Wooing
3. Work
4. Wealth
5. Watchful
6. Walk
• Amateur hour is over
No more mom & pop shop!
8. SACRED COW NEW WINE SKIN
A controlling leadership A covering leadership
Control = A desire to coordinate everything
Before it happens
And know about everything
Nothing can get done because every decision has to be voted on
• Asked deacons
- are you ready to lose control?
- “I don’t know” is an okay answer
• Control crushers – in every relationship
Work
Family
Church
• You can tell someone in a controlled environment
o They are:
Critical
Shy
Competitive
Perfectionist
Afraid
Excuse driven
• Kids leaving controlled environments
o Can’t fly
• Control is like witchcraft
• Some ask how the leader controls everything that’s going on
• My answer is “I don’t”
As the Father (apostle)
I set an order
An atmosphere
A culture
A vision
• Whatever doesn’t fit – we eliminate!
• Jesus warns the church of control in REVELATIONS 2:6
6But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
• The doctrine of the Nicolaitans is the control of laity!
Control – I benefit from your submission
Covering – You benefit from your submission
• Characteristics of a controller:
1. Their way and opinion is always best
a. no room for disagreement.
2. Extreme in coordinating – organizing – planning
3. Desire to be noticed
4. Big fish in a small pond
5. Against anything they didn’t think of first.
• When someone refuses spiritual covering they stand alone.
• The spirit of the lion and wolf looks for the one alone
EXAMPLE: pre-marriage counseling
Parental blessing
• Go a little deeper…
Gateways
The spiritual influence
If you respond to the wrong influence
You allow a manifestation…
…invisible to the visible
I don’t allow my kids to watch certain things…it creates influences
Now if I don’t provide covering
They respond, have a GATEWAY experience
When a pastor says tithe
You have 2 spiritual influences
To obey or disobey...
o ...to disobey goes the opposite direction
o ...becoming isolated from whole
o ...spirit of the Lion
o ...ready to attach to the one alone
• Adam…all one…not good!...Alone…
EXAMPLE: Eve’s submission to Adam
9. SACRED COW NEW WINE SKIN
Democracy Theocracy
Matthew 12:25 25Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.
• Pastor that had authority and failed
• People who stole authority and never succeeded.
• Without a doubt the controversy of church government has destroyed more churches
• And people of God than perhaps any other subject
• This is one of the reasons the church hasn’t had the power to stand against Satan’s kingdom
• Satan attacks ALL forms of government
• That’s why he is called the lawless one
• He desires to bring lawlessness…or a mutated law…that gains him access
• Gives him a foothold…kills vision
• Satan…rejecting the authority of God…
• …set himself up as authority
• As anyone who won’t submit to authority
• Sets himself up as authority
• Satan revolted God’s government in Heaven
• Satan revolted God’s government in Eden
• Satan revolted God’s government in Home
• Satan revolted God’s government in the Church
GOVERNMENT:
The exercise of authority over an organization…institution…state, etc.
Discussion about church government with Trask
Denominational government were put in place to maintain doctrine and unity
We are discovering, however, that the pendulum has swung to government that restricts the call of a pastor
Recognizing this trend, I propose that we are operating upside down to God’s plan
We are now finding that laws are changing and our lawyers are advising us that the President of a company should appoint Elders…and voting over minor issues have led to lawsuits
I believe god is stepping in and using the world’s wisdom to adjust what the church refuses to do!
Titus 1:
Deacons…Elders are appointed by the head of the church, never voted on
Acts 1:28 Cast lots
Acts 6 Leadership voted
Apostle, Prophet, Teacher
TERMS EXPLAINED:
Types of Government:
1. Oligarchy Governed by an elite few
2. Monarchy Government by one man
3. Gerontocracy Government by old men
(jer-en-tahk-rucy)
4. Democracy Government by the people
5. Theocracy Government by God through
appointed authorities
Lets discuss two: Democracy and Theocracy
1. Democracy
Demos…the people
Kratis…the rule
= the rule of the people
• Government of the people
• Government by the people
• Government for the people
In the church this form of government gives the people the rule
With a hire / fire pastoral system
David was picked by God.
People choose who rules…reducing pastors to politicians
NOTE: Laodicea means = mass rule
Leads to luke-warmness…Revelation 3:16
Because people naturally settle without a true leader
We see Jesus the Head of the Church can’t even get into his church under this form of mass rule…Revelation 3:20
Church democracy leads to people having ultimate power and authority and direction…allowing them to control the leadership of the church
Killing…Apostle Anointing…1 Corinthians 12:27-28
• Proton…Bomb
This ultimately leads to no vision
Leadership can’t have singular vision because he has to get everything voted on
Democracy people decide vision / leads to division
If more than one has vision it is DI-vision
The devil’s plan…he knows scripture
Proverbs 29:18…No vision people perish
This is the Devil’s plan
Before I explain theocracy let me first say God can only govern through men when He can truly govern in men
2. Theocracy
Governed by God through anointed and appointed authority
EXPLAIN: Ephesians 4:11
1 Corinthians 12:27 (notice order)
Ephesians 2:20
Titus 1
Theos = God
Kraiten = to rule
= God Rule
God always chooses a person to rule
Leaders that God
1. Called
2. Deputized
3. Chose
4. Equipped
o Moses
o Aaron God called – sometimes he would use another man to
point it out
EXAMPLE: Joshua
o Judges
o Elijah
o Jeremiah
o David
They were never self called or man called
They were not voted out by popular vote
EXAMPLE: Home isn’t a democracy
God put children in the care of parents
Sometimes children outnumber the parents
If kids voted they would live at Disneyland and eat candy for dinner!
Human forms of government have advantages and disadvantages…
…but the church is not called to imitate
JOSHUA 1 God spoke to Joshua
Joshua spoke to leaders
Leaders spoke to people
People…took a city!
10. SACRED COW NEW WINE SKIN
Program Driven People Driven
11. SACRED COW NEW WINE SKIN
Subculture Counter Culture
We will never change the culture out there
Until we change the culture in here
Divine Dozen
1. Forward thinking
2. Supernatural without weirdness
3. Promptness
4. Acceptance / Not always agreement
5. Participation
6. Order
7. Increase with integrity
8. Deliberatly driven
9. Identifiable leadership
10. Generosity
11. The method isn’t sacred – the message is
12. Grace
Atmosphere
Climate
Stronghold
Culture
- Spirits live in invisible world
- seeking response in the visible
- that’s manifestation
Satan got out from under Adam’s feet
And placed himself in the air (atmosphere)
Daniel 10
Ephesians 6
He then gets between the will of heaven & earth
And controls an atmosphere
That was Satan’s job in heaven
To create an atmosphere through praise and worship
12. SACRED COW NEW WINE SKIN
Growth Driven Health Driven
Church growth
-random evangelism
-big target
Vs. intentional – healthy people
5-fold Ministry Gifts Needed
- restore the withered hand
1. Apostles
- Father sets things in order
2. Prophets
- Future preaching
- where are we going
3. Evangelism
- big events
- best one ever
4. Pastors
- Care providers vs. care giver
5. Teachers
Spiritual Gifts - Notice order of Spiritual Gifts
1 Corinthians 12
1. Apostle
2. Prophet
3. Teacher
4. Miracles
5. Healing
6. Helps
7. Administration costs too much
8. Tongues
9. Pastor *4th in 5-fold
10. Evangelist
Pastor – lead small groups of people
Eliminating gifts that are over him
You can’t rise above leadership
Apostle – leader – vision
Many pastors eliminate those anointings that are different
