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THE LAW DONE AWAY

By James Kirby

From wickedshepherdss.com

Some thoughts on the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath, Covenants, and the current theological teachings in many local institutional churches.

Deuteronomy 4:8  “And what great nation is there, that hath statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?” ASV

This verse blows to smithereens any notion that the law was given to all men for all ages! The answer to the rhetorical question in the verse is… None!

No other nation upon the face of the earth was given the laws & statutes that were given to Israel. Otherwise this and a vast number of other Scriptures make no sense at all. This means that the Ten Commandments were NOT GIVEN to Adam, Abraham, Melchizedek, Isaac, Jacob, Esau, Joseph, Pharaoh, or anybody else. They were given to the Nation of Israel and them only. Then they were “Taken Away” by the Lord Jesus on His cross.

So anybody who wants to say that the Ten Commandments are still in force and binding on all men, are saying that which does not exist is “still in force and binding on all men,” which is absurd. Those who build their doctrine on the Ten Commandments are building on a vapor folks. Those who “keep the Sabbath” are keeping that which does not exist… except in their minds.

Deuteronomy 4:32 “For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?”

Read the verse carefully in context with the rest of the chapter. It’s a rhetorical question.  Has there ever been any nation or any people to whom God revealed Himself in the same way He showed Himself to Israel? No. Has He ever taken any other nation or people for His own to be a special, chosen nation above all the nations of the earth? No. Has there ever been any other nation or people to whom God has revealed Himself by way of a Ten Commandment Covenant? No! That means folks… what?

That before Israel, there WAS NO Ten Commandments! That means God did NOT give the Ten Commandments to anybody else…including Adam in Eden!

That means there was no Ten Commandment covenant in Eden. And if there was no Ten Commandment covenant then there was no “Sign” of the covenant, which was… what? The Sabbath!

True, God did “sanctify the 7th day and blessed it.” And on that day… He, God, rested, not man. Man did not observe a 7th day rest until God gave him the Sabbath and that did not happen until Exodus.

Deuteronomy 5:1 “And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and observe to do them.

2  The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.

3  The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.” ASV

This passage is DEATH to the notion that God “gave the covenant” to Adam, Noah, Abraham, the Canaanites or anybody else before Israel or that the Ten Commandments are the “eternal unchanging law of God binding on all men of all ages.”

People who say that either never read this passage or else they are deliberately contradicting God’s words in this passage in which case they are no Christians! This one passage is sufficient to sound the Death Knell to Covenant Theology and/or anybody else that claims any of the above false propositions! God made His Ten Commandment Covenant with no one else but the children of Israel who were present when Moses spoke these words. The Covenant of Ten Commandments DID NOT EXIST until Sinai and anybody who says otherwise is contradicting Scripture.

1Kings 8:9 “There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt.” 

There are just too many passages like this one in the Scriptures for a doctrine like Covenant Theology to survive. I mean folks, you can twist the Scriptures only so far before it becomes patently obvious that you are well into false doctrine.

Here once again… like how many times must the Living God repeat Himself and yet people insist on saying the exact opposite of what He said in the Bible? Once again we are plainly informed that the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel, not “all men in all ages”…when they came out of the land of Egypt, and that Covenant was the Ten Commandments!

And how was that Covenant conveyed to Israel? By way of the Two Tables of Stone upon which it was written by the Finger of God Himself. And where were those Tables of Stone, upon which was written the words of the Covenant, the Ten Commandments, deposited? In a special box called… the Ark of the… Covenant!   How in the name of truth can people possibly read these passages and conclude that “the Ten Commandments are the eternal unchanging law binding on all men in all ages?”

Is anybody hearing all this?

1Kings 8:21  “and set there a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord which He made with our fathers when He brought them out from the land of Egypt.” 

What was the Ark called folks? The Ark of the “administration of the covenant of grace which is for all men?”

That’s how a Covenant Theologian would read this verse. What was inside the Ark of the Covenant? A copy of the “administration of the covenant of grace which is for all men?” That’s how a Covenant Theologian would read this verse.

Who did the LORD make this Covenant with? Correct answer – with “our fathers” which were those who came out of Egypt and received the Covenant from Mt Sinai.

Deuteronomy 29:1 “These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.” ASV

1 These [are] the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the sons of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He made with them in Horeb. MKJV

1 These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He made with them in Horeb. NKJ

The verse clearly testifies to the fact that God made these covenants with … everybody in the whole human race, beginning with Adam in the Garden… right? I mean… it says that… doesn’t it? Doesn’t it??

NO…it doesn’t!

Oh…. yeah… it says God made His covenants with the children of Israel; In the land of Moab; In Horeb; … not Gentiles; Not in the land of Eden; Not in Messypotamia; Not in the land of Egypt; Not in Brooklyn; Not in Florida; Not with Adam [& Eve]; Not “all men in all ages.” God’s OT covenants were exclusive to Israel only.  Covenant Theology says… “Oh-h  No-o… God doesn’t know what He’s talking about….. He got amnesia and forgot that He made the Covenant with Adam in the garden of… the Presbyterian Synod!!”

Exodus 31:16  Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. ASV

Exo 31:16  Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. KJV

Exo 31:16  And the sons of Israel shall observe the Sabbath, to do the Sabbath for their generations; it is a never ending covenant. LITV

Exo 31:16  Therefore the sons of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant. MKJV

Who did God command to keep the Sabbath?  Can I ask the audience?

Why did God have to command the…children of Israel…not “all men in all ages”...  to keep the Sabbath if the Sabbath was in force from creation and people were supposedly already keeping it?

Although no one can find any place in the entire Bible where anybody kept the Sabbath before Exodus 16 and even that passage is debatable as to whether or not that was the regular weekly Sabbath which was not given until Exodus 20. It seems clear that no Israelite ever kept any Sabbath before Exodus 16 yet there is not one shred of evidence that any of them were put to death for not keeping it. If they say that there WAS a Sabbath all along but the sanction of Death was not added until Exodus, then guess what… that means that the law Changed-! What now becomes of their “UNchanging moral law of God” paradigm?”

Here it says that Israel was to keep it as a perpetual Covenant.

Why was it called a Covenant? Because, it was the SIGN of the Covenant. Which Covenant? The Covenant of the Ten Commandments which God made with the Children of Israel. Ex 34:28. Next verse.

As the SIGN of the Covenant of the Ten Commandments, it represented the whole covenant. That’s why it was a very part of that Covenant…the 4th Commandment. That means that people who place themselves under the requirement of Sabbath-keeping are of necessity placing themselves under the Old Covenant of the Ten Commandments.

For one thing, unless such people are…Ethnic Jews…such a practice is entirely unbiblical. That is to say that they have no Biblical basis upon which to engage in such a practice. God commanded the…Children of Israel…to keep it as a perpetual covenant and no one else.

Second, it is evident that a person cannot be under more than one Covenant at a time and if they are under Moses by their own choice then they are…OUTSIDE…of Jesus Christ and His New Covenant in which case they are demonstrating that they are unsaved!

That is to say… to require the observance of a “Sabbath” [modern-day professing evangelicals ‘view of ‘Sabbath’ is far removed from the description of a true Biblical Sabbath] is to place one-self under Moses and to do that is to…Reject…Jesus Christ and His New Covenant. This is what ALL Sabbatarians do. This is further enforced by the Biblical truth that the Covenant of the Ten Commandments, which was encapsulated in the Sign of that Covenant, the Sabbath,…REQUIRED…the Levitical Priesthood.

That means that as long as the Sabbath was in force, the Covenant of the Ten Commandments was of necessity in force and as long as the Covenant of the Ten Commandments was in force, the Levitical Priesthood was of necessity in force and as long as the Levitical Priesthood was in force, any priest who was not of the line of Levi and the Aaronic Priesthood was an Illegal priest.

And since the Lord Jesus Christ was not of the line of Levi & Aaron but was of the tribe of Judah, that makes Him an Illegal priest. And if that’s so then His atonement is null & void and there is no salvation. Therefore, to require the Sabbath is to reject the Lord Jesus Christ and rob saints of their salvation. This is exactly what ALL Sabbatarians do.

Third, the Sabbath was a…Perpetual…or Everlasting Covenant throughout all Israel’s generations. That means that it was to last until the “generations” of Israel came to an end, which event took place with the 1st Advent of the Messiah and His Atonement. The NT tells us that when the Lord Jesus gave up His Spirit, the veil of the Temple was torn apart from top to bottom. That was a demonstration of God that the Old Covenant was fulfilled in His Son and abolished. The entrance into the Holy of Holies, which was the very presence of God was now open to All men everywhere, not just Jews through the Levitical Priesthood. This is exactly what all Sabbatatrians…REJECT…That means Sabbatarians…Reject…Scripture!

Can you Reject Scripture and call yourself “Christian” at the same time?

Now “the covenant” of the Old Testament is, fundamentally, the Ten Commandments (Ex. 34:28; Deut. 9:9-11, 15). This is the first or old covenant that Paul subjects to the stinging contrast with Christianity.

Not only is the Ten Commandments covenant obsolete, but being a ministration of death, it is a “condemnation” system (2 Corinthians 3:6-10) that the mercy of the New Covenant had to remove that men might be saved. No unbiased mind can read the contrast drawn by Paul in this passage and fail to see the necessity of abrogating [i.e. ending] the Ten Commandment system, the Old Covenant, in order to bring life and salvation to men through Christ. Had the Old Covenant stood, no human being could ever have been saved.

He is saying that if the Ten Commandments are still in force then there can be no salvation. And why not?  Because… and this is a Biblical point that most people are completely unaware of…wherever the Ten Commandments are in force, there is of NECESSITY the requirement of the Levitical priesthood.

It was by way of the Levitical priesthood that the Law was given and carried out and NO one was allowed to be a priest who was not of the tribe of Levi and the line of Aaron. But ladies and gentlemen herein is the Death Knell to covenant theology so read it carefully:

Jesus Christ was not of the tribe of Levi, but of the tribe of Judah!

Therefore…if Moses is still in force then so is the Levitical priesthood.

And if the Levitical priesthood is still in force then….Jesus Christ was NOT a legal priest and there is NO SALVATION!

The ONLY way that Christ could be a legal priest was if the priesthood was changed… and it was.

And the ONLY way for the priesthood to be changed was to change the law as well… AND IT WAS!

Hebrews 7:12  For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

If the law was not changed then neither was the priesthood…for they stand or fall together. And if the priesthood was not changed then Jesus Christ was not the Savior of the world! Therefore…Covenant theology…rejects…Jesus Christ as the Messiah and in so doing denies His salvation. It denies the Gospel!

Yes… this all covenant theologians do. Every time they say, “The Ten Commandments are the eternal, UNchanging law of God,” they are denying the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. Every time a covenant theologian applies water to an unregenerate infant… or adult, he is rejecting Jesus Christ as Messiah and denying the Gospel.

Every time a covenant theologian says “keep the Sabbath,” he is rejecting Jesus Christ as Messiah and denying the Gospel.

John 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Grace came by Jesus Christ… not Moses! Therefore, Moses was in no way “a different administration of [the covenant of] grace.” Moses was a ministration of Death!

Genesis 9:15  And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. ASV

Genesis 6:18 has the first use of the word “covenant” in Scripture and along with it, this passage presents to us nothing less than a clarion, bold faced announcement by God of the fact that He is Establishing a Covenant with someone. Now here’s the question. How important is this Covenant God established with Noah and…every living creature of all flesh…?

Is this Covenant more important than the other Covenants that are related to soteriology, salvation and the Gospel…? Namely, the Mosaic, or Old Covenant and the New Covenant?

Is this Covenant God made with Noah and…every living creature of all flesh…More important?  Not only NOT but it is not even on an equal plane with them. And yet God saw fit to state plainly that He was establishing a covenant with Noah and…every living creature of all flesh…while at the same time there is…NOTHING AT ALL…stated ANYWHERE in the first three chapters of Genesis of God making Any Covenant with Anybody!

Nothing; Zilch; Nada. In fact you will find that all through the Bible whenever God makes a Covenant with anybody it is…plainly stated…, as for example here in this passage. Yet nowhere in the first 3 chapters of Genesis is it stated that God established the 10 commandment Covenant with Adam in the garden, or anybody else…contrary to Covenant Theologians’ claim that it was.

Genesis 1 to 3 contains a lot of major doctrines of Christianity which are plainly stated. Why would God not plainly state that He was cutting a covenant with somebody here in Genesis 1 to 3 while He does so in all the other places in the Bible?

Genesis 9:16  And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. ASV

Like…folks…How many times must God emphasize the fact that when he makes a Covenant He states it plainly? Yet Covenant Theologians want to tell us that…somewhere…in Genesis 1 – 3 there is a “covenant” that God was making…With All Mankind…even!

To such a notion I have a one word question…Where?

There is absolutely NOTHING stated by God or anybody else in Genesis 1 – 3 about anyone making any covenant with anybody…anywhere; Nowhere. Like… folks…it’s just not there. In every other place in Scripture where there is a covenant, it is plainly stated. There is even a “covenant of salt” in Scripture and it is specifically stated…as a Covenant [Numbers 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5].  Yet nothing is stated anywhere in Genesis 1 to 3 of a covenant.

CTer’s “explanation” is that the so-called “conditions” of the covenant are found in Genesis 2 / 3 but such is nothing but a reading of one’s subjective opinion into the Bible.

The Advent of Christ along with the conquest of Satan is prophesied in Genesis 3:15 but neither does that prove any covenant was given to Adam or anybody else, especially the 10 commandment covenant. Such is an illogical leap of nonsense. There simply is no covenant of “grace; works; redemption” or any other anywhere in the first 3 chapters of Genesis. People who “see” a covenant there are hallucinating.

Exodus 34:27  And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.

Exodus 34:28  And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. ASV

What do the words, “Write these words” mean? What “words” was God referring to?

Covenant theology’s answer, “An administration of the covenant of grace?”

Where are such words found in this passage, or anywhere else in the entire Bible? Answer…In the CTV!

Commentators…I repeat…Commentators are the ones who say such things as, “it was the ceremonial and judicial injunctions comprehended above” referring to the above passage. What?

Well… according to verse 28 the “ceremonial and judicial injunctions” includes the Ten Commandments!

According to this passage the “words” were the Ten Commandments. The phrase “Ten Commandments” is found in only three places in the entire Bible folks! And they are all in the Pentateuch. Once here; once in Deut. 4:13 and once more in Deut. 10:4. That’s it. And in all 3 places the Holy Spirit clearly defines exactly what the words of the Ten Commandments were. Here and in Deut. 4:13 God the Holy Spirit makes direct statements as to what the Ten Commandments were. And Deut. 10:4, being flanked by 9:15 & 10:8 clearly identifies them as the exact same thing found here and in Deut. 4:13. So now for the grand question:

What…exactly…were the words of the Ten Commandments…according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures?

The Ten Commandments were the words that God wrote and here He says that these were the very words of the Covenant. What covenant? The Covenant that He, God made with…the whole human race…? No!

With Moses and Israel…And Them Only…

So the Ten Commandments were not the “eternal unchangeable law of God!” Neither were they meant for “all men in all ages” but were the words of the covenant God made between Himself and Israel…exclusively…

This one passage alone is sufficient to destroy Covenant Theology.

The Ten Commandments were the words of the covenant that established Israel as a special nation before God. They were the “document” that identified Israel as a Theocracy! As far as we know Israel was the only Theocratic nation in the entire history of humanity. Unless you were/are a Jew, the Ten Commandments…as a covenant document…mean absolutely nothing to you. This is not to say that you are free to violate the laws of God…you are not.

The laws of God, which apply to all men universally, are very different from God’s Covenant made with Israel which was identified by a Covenant document called “The Ten Commandments” comprised of…Some…of those laws with 1 or 2 others that  did not apply to all men universally!

Such as the laws pertaining to the Passover. Unless you clearly understand this vital distinction between the laws of God which apply to all men universally and the laws that comprised the Special Covenant God made with Israel Only, you will be hopelessly lost in confusion with regard to the doctrine of the covenants. The result will be a false doctrine of the covenants.

So again, to the question…“What are the Ten Commandments?”…

Answer: The Ten Commandments are the words of the Covenant that God made between Himself and the Nation of Israel.

Zion vs Babylon (The True Church vs Man’s Church)

The following is an excerpt written by Charles Elliott Newbold, Jr. He draws an excellent contrast between Zion (The True Church) and Babylon (the world’s church). 

Zion refers to the true body of Christ, the bride, the ekklesia; Babylon refers to the false church system of men’s traditions and religions. (Ekklesia is the Greek word in the New Testament which has been mis-translated “church” in most English versions, but it literally means “called-out-ones”.)

Zion is a people–the people of God; Babylon is a Thing–church institutions and systems.

Zion is a living organism; Babylon is characterized by organizations, institutions, and systems.

Zion consists of people who have been born into it; Babylon consists of people who have joined it or been voted into it.

Zion is a people who are called by the name of Jesus; Babylon is a people who are called by many different names that represent divisions within this Babylonian church system: Baptist, Catholic, Charismatic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, and all the rest.

Zion is Jesus-centered; Babylon is self-centered.

Zion is living by the Spirit; Babylon is living after the flesh.

Zion is heavenly; Babylon is earthly.

Zion is grace; Babylon is law.

Zion is life; Babylon is death.

Zion is being; Babylon is doing.

Zion is rest; Babylon is works.

Zion is light; Babylon is darkness.

Zion is humility; Babylon is full of pride, arrogance, and haughtiness.

Zion is liberty in Christ; Babylon is bondage to the flesh.

Zion is the Kingdom of God; Babylon is the kingdoms of men.

Zion has Jesus Christ as her head; Babylon has elected or appointed men as their heads.

Zion is a Spirit-led people; Babylon is led by rules and regulations of man’s own making.

Zion is Spirit-sensitive; Babylon is man-pleasing.

Zion is obedience to the Holy Spirit; Babylon is busy church work.

Zion accomplishes things in Holy Spirit power (Zech. 4:6); Babylon tries to accomplish things in self-strength.

Zion has its authority in the Word of God; Babylon places its authority in man-made doctrines.

Zion is one body in Christ Jesus as Lord; Babylon is sectarian and divisive, consisting of many divisions of people.

Zion worships in spirit and in truth; Babylon programs praise.

Zion preaches Christ and Him crucified; Babylon proclaims denominations, doctrines, heritage, traditions, creeds, personal views and opinions.

Zion is the priesthood of all believers; Babylon is the clergy system. The clergy are those who want to make a difference between themselves and others.

Zion answers to God as the highest authority; Babylon answers to men and their institutions as the authority.

Zion calls forth revelation; Babylon depends upon imagination.

Zion conforms people into the image of Jesus; Babylon conforms people into its own image.

Zion decreases that Christ may increase; Babylon increases itself in power, position, riches, and domination.

Zion counts the cost; Babylon counts the money.

Zion lays down its life; Babylon preserves and protects itself.

Zion waits upon God to raise up what God wants in His timing; Babylon schemes, organizes, and promotes to execute its own plan in its own way and time.

Zion seeks the Lord with a whole heart to be possessed by Him; Babylon goes after things and people to possess them.

Zion is the city of God; Babylon seeks to build a city, a tower, and a name for itself. Gen. 11:4.

Zion longs to be gathered into Jesus; Babylon passionately seeks to gather people unto itself.

Do you belong to the house of Babylon ran by man, or do you belong to the spiritual house of Zion, ran by none other than Jesus Christ. I can you promise you this – you can’t belong to both.

 WHERE DID THE PASTOR COME FROM?

The following article came from wickedshepherds.com

Answer: NOT THE BIBLE!!!!

You can turn your Bible upside down, and shake it up and down and you really can’t find a “pastor”!
 
Did you know this?
 
Does anyone ever study this?
 
Or do we just sit quietly and accept things the way they have been handed to us?
 
The word “pastor” (singular) is not contained in the New Testament text of the King James Bible.  The word “pastors”  is used once in the New Testament.
 
Just these two bits of information make me want to ask a lot of questions!  “Pastors” –  plural!!
 
Paul is writing a letter a to a small group of Christians in Ephesus. He doesn’t address it to the pastor.  Instead he talks about ministry gifts given by God to “every one of us” – and he uses “pastors” (plural-!).
See Ephesians chapter 4.
 
What does it mean?
 
Can we be open-minded enough to ask questions about this subject?
 
Can we repent of our own particular “church experience”  and look at the Word of God in purity and simplicity?
2  COVENANTS
 
There are two covenants, two testaments, in the Bible.  Christians seem to have so much trouble differentiating between the two.
 
See if you agree with this simple overview explanation: In the old covenant there are laws that are commandments (you know–”thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not murder, thou shalt not covet”–etc.)  The new covenant reiterates many of these commandments. (see Romans 13:9)  The purpose of this type law is to show us where we sin, or fall short of God’s perfection….
 
Romans  3:23    “For all  have  sinned, and come short of  the glory of God;”  This knowledge was clearly understandable in the old covenant….
 
Proverbs 20:9  “Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from
my  sin?”
 
The bad news about sin……..
 
Romans  6:23A    “For the wages  of  sin is death;…….”
I deserve to die for my sin.  This is the truthful conclusion that the commandment laws lead us to.
SIN = DEATH

Sin equals death……unless……I can be forgiven some how!  The Bible says that if innocent blood would be shed on my behalf, God would accept this offering for my sin.
 
This is a truth in both the old and new covenants……
 
Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to
you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood
that maketh an atonement for the soul.
 
Hebrews 9:13-14 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an
heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to  the purifying of  the flesh:
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works
to serve the living God?
 
So, if someone or something innocent would die in my place, God would accept this “offering” or payment for my sin.  Now, here is where the 2 covenants are different.
 
I hope you know the new covenant offering-!!
 
I hope you know who died for your sin-!!!
 
John 1:29 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold
the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
 
THE LAMB OF GOD

Yes, every Christian ought to know that Jesus offering of His body and blood on The cross of Calvary is the new covenant offering for sin–an offering obtained by faith.  But why is Jesus called a “lamb”?
 
Because John the baptist was speaking to Israel, which was still  operating in the old
covenant.  They knew what he meant when he called Jesus ”the lamb of God……”
 
Do  you?
 
Most Christians do not study old covenant sacrificial law.  We may have some vague idea that Israel had to sacrifice animals in the old covenant days, but we rarely ever study how it all worked.  Why should we do  this?
 
Well let’s look at this subject, it might sound familiar to us!
HOW TO HAVE YOUR SIN FORGIVEN–OLD COVENANT STYLE

What did Israel have to  do in the old covenant (before Jesus went to the cross) to have sin
forgiven?
 
1. They built and maintained a big building.

They assembled in this big building (often on sabbath days) and it was called the “house of God” or the ‘sanctuary” because the presence of God contained in the ark of the covenant was hidden behind a thick veil in the temple.
 
2. They made offerings. 
 
They brought these offerings (of animals and other crops) into the house of God.  How much did God ask to be offered?  “Tithe”.  1/10th of the increase of certain animals and crops in specific seasons.
 
3. They had a format that started with praise and worship.

When you entered the big building you first came to a gate called “praise” where you were required to praise God.  Next came a gate called “worship”, where worship was required.  So, the format of sacrificial law demanded a repetitive meeting or assembling of Israel, in the house of God, which began with praise and worship.
 
4. They had a “congregational” meeting.
 
The word “congregation” is only found in the old covenant.  The word simply means “a group”, but Biblically, it most often referred to the non-ministry tribes of Israel.  It was the  job of 11 of the tribes of Israel to work 6 days each week and bring the offering/tithe into the house of God.
 
This sounds familiar–I told you it  would!
 
Whether we will admit it or not, these old covenant laws are the Biblical basis for many of the rules and functions and definitions we have in “Sunday church”. 

Oh, we can couch these things in new covenant terms.  For example we could call our meeting a “Christian assembly”–but how could it be when there are so many of these old covenant rules and functions?  And don’t’ we treat these concepts as if they are law?  Don’t we do these things over and over and over again–as if they are a “requirement” somehow?
 
So, what about the pastor?
 
 
WHERE’S THE PASTOR?

Where is the pastor in this system?
 
He is the Levitical  priest.

Altar Ministry
 
Inside the temple, there was an altar.  On the altar was the “delegated, designated, anointed, appointed, ordained, authority who had the sole right to minister in the temple, the Levitical priest.
 
Numbers  15:25  And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance: and  they  shall bring  their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto
the LORD, and their sin offering before  the LORD, for  their ignorance:
 
Ezekiel  45:19  And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering, and put it upon the posts of the house, and upon the four corners of the settle of the altar, and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court.
 
Hebrews  10:11  And every priest standeth daily ministering  and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never  take away sins:
 
(notice that in the old covenant, the blood was the sin offering, but when these actions are referred to in the new covenant in Hebrews, the point is made that a better offering has been made, one which can actually “take
away” sins–that is the blood of Jesus–amen!)
THE PRIESTLY TRIBE
 
There was one “priestly” tribe of Israel. The Levite’s were the only ones allowed to be ministers.
 
They had authority over the congregation of Israel.
 
They lived off part of the offering/tithe.
 
Does any of this sound familiar?
 
Whether we realize it or not, the basis for “Sunday church” and the basis for “pastoral authority” comes from the old covenant.  Specifically from the sacrificial laws, the stuff that Israel had to do, before Christ, in order to have their  sin cleansed.
 
And that’s the whole point.
 
Jesus accomplished all this stuff with His death, resurrection and ascension.  He is the high priest of the new covenant…….
 
“Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.  He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.  By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same
sacrifices, which can never take away sins:  But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.  For by one
offering he hath perfected for ever  them  that are sanctified.  Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I
will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.  Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.  Having  therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10: 8-22)
 
REMEMBER THIS LIST……
 
THINGS ISRAEL HAD TO DO TO HAVE THEIR SIN FORGIVEN IN THE OLD COVENANT……
 
1. They built and maintained a big building.
2. They made offerings/tithe.  
3. They had a repetitive format that started with praise and worship.
4. They had a “congregational” meeting.
5. The priest/pastor was in authority.
 
If we looked carefully, (and we will  see some of this later) all of these definitions and functions are either done away with or redefined in the new covenant.
 
But let’s zero in on the pastor.
 
The thing that “pastoral ministry” most resembles Biblically is the Levitical priesthood.  The problem, the thing we ignore, is that the New Testament says we are not supposed to function by this idea…..
 
Hebrews 7:12   “For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.”
A CHANGE OF THE LAW

Hebrews 7:12   “For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.”
 
Now why would this statement be in the Bible at all?
 
Is there no purpose to this statement and this area of scripture that is clearly defining the new covenant?
 
The new covenant has a different priesthood–the whole church…..
 
1Peter 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up  spiritual  sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
 
1Peter  2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:
 
Revelation 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
 
Revelation 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
 
In the new covenant all believers are called to a priesthood, a ministry, an equitable priesthood.
 
Brothers and sisters in the Lord.
 
Not an authoritarian ministry, since Jesus said “ministry” is NOT authority over other believers…….
 
“But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which
are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and
their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among 
you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:”
(Mark 10:42-43)
 
WHERE’S THE PASTOR?

Well where did the pastor come from?  Look around for clues.  Look at some other churches.  Some of those older denominations.
 
Look honestly.  How much do they resemble your church?  How much do they resemble and utilize your definitions and functions of “pastoral ministry?”

Let’s look at the oldest church, the catholic institution.  Did you know that the catholic priest (here’s the link to the old covenant Levitical priest!) is called a “pastor”?  The word “pastor”  in the catholic church means ruler.  The local bishops are called “pastors”. 

One of the titles of the pope is “the only official and correct pastor of Christians”.

“Pastor” certainly means an awful lot to catholic folks!  In the catholic church, a “pastor” is a term used to describe a ruler in the hierarchy.  And locally, the priest/pastor presides in authority over the local congregation.  He operates the local assembly/sanctuary/house of God.
 
The format of this meeting: praise and worship/pastoral teaching.  He collects and lives off the “offering” (note: catholics invented the “tithe” as the amount expected in the offering–they have only recently given up the practice.)
 
By joining the church, one accepts a format in which the priest/pastor will be the sole teacher to you and your family.  This format must be done repetitively–every Sunday–forever.
 
(remember the previous list?!)
 
The truth is that the “priest” of the catholic church is the “pastor” of the Protestant church. 
THE PASTOR IS THE PRIEST
 
Let’s open our eyes and be honest!
 
Oh, sure, your pastor doesn’t wear a long robe and collar (but doesn’t he still dress better than everyone else in church-?!)  Doesn’t he still have all the authority of the catholic priest?
 
But the outward appearance is not what we are talking about–its’ the function.  It’s the rules–the definitions–that we operate by repetitively—over and over and over and over and over again–as if these concepts are law, as if we really have to be a part of these things, in order to have our sin forgiven.
 
Maybe the protestant pastor, in some respects, has more authority over the local congregation than the catholic priest!
 
Think about it for  a minute.  Many people feel “freer” being under the authority of an independent pastor, in a “non-denominational” church.  But a pastor in this kind of church may actually have more power and influence over the people than the catholic priest, who, at least has to answer to a hierarchy.
 
Think about it!  A lot of catholic folks would never belong to a church like that.  They would be horrified at the direct influence and authority that some protestant pastors are given over the local church.  The catholic mass, though outwardly very strict and ritualistic, is actually very “safe” to many people.  The thought of a priest/pastor talking directly to them, and influencing their lives intimately, would make  many catholics run from the exercising of authority!
 
Remember–Israel, in the old covenant, had to do this stuff.  They had to have the temple and priesthood operating–in order to be forgiven by God.  They didn’t have Jesus–right!?
 
So  we’re back to the Levite’s again.  In the Old Testament, the Levitical priesthood had God’s authority to do the ministry in the house of God/sanctuary.
 
Did you know that catholic folks believe that Jesus lives inside the eucharist?  So, they build an elaborate, ornate, “sanctuary” for the eucharist.  They put it up on an altar–only the priest can touch it.  Ask  a catholic–God lives up on the altar–not in the pews!!  His presence is “up front”– only approachable by the priest–just like the old covenant temple and it’s veil.
 
Part of the catholic function used to be confession (although it’s not very popular these days). The common folks (the “congregation”) were required to go to the sanctuary and confess their sins to the priest.  So  to catholics, the building and the priesthood forgive sin.  (at least outwardly, Jesus blood is in the catholic concept–but well hidden in old covenant ritual-!)  And, if we went back into history, in the medieval days the common folks were expected to bring in crops and animals as tithe/offering to support the priesthood and church hierarchy.
 
So,  the catholic priest very much resembles the old covenant Levitical priest–and the protestant pastor is basically in the same position of authority in he protestant church (yes, even the “non-denominational church”)
 
It’s not the name of the church–it’s the functions and rules of meeting that create pastoral authority-!
 
HISTORY–STUDY IT!
 
If we really want to find out where the pastor comes from, we should study the history and origins of the Catholic church (do you study Christian history in your church??)
 
The 4th Century: Extreme Make-over Roman Style
 
There is a reliable, well-recorded history of early Christianity–it’s in the Bible!
 
I believe  we ought to study this extensively if we truly want to understand how we ought to function as the Church (more on this later).
 
But, after the record of the Bible ends, all kinds of crazy stuff happened to “the church” – and we are here,  living at the other end of all this crazy stuff.  To believe that all these years have passed, without any effects upon us today, is complete naivety. The church that has no study of Christian history is partly blind to truth.
 
In a small booklet like this, we could by no means cover 2,000 years of history–but there are certainly pivotal events which are well-recorded and have tremendous impact on us today.
 
In the 1st two centuries of Christianity, the church was persecuted by the Roman government, much the way Israel, Jesus, and the church were in the Bible.  But in the 4th century, huge changes took place.  The Roman emperor Constantine made  a dramatic turn-around and stopped Christian persecutions.  More than that, he invited Christians to be part of his government.
 
Jesus had warned not to do this–but it was done…
 
“And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over
them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the
younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.” (Luke 22:25-26)
 
“But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the
Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise
authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be
great among you, let him be your minister;” (Matthew 20:25-26)
 
Look at these verses.
 
The “kings of the Gentiles”–the “princes of the Gentiles” certainly  is a reference to the
Roman government–the Gentile government which ruled Israel at the time.
KINGS OF THE GENTILES

It is certainly well-recorded history that the Roman government and society operated by hierarchy, by one person or group exercising authority over another group or person.  But we don’t need a historical verification of this idea, because Jesus clearly defines the Roman government as a human government which operates by this principle.
 
What does Jesus say about this type of government–this type of function–of one person exercising authority over others?
 
“……….not  so  among  you”
 
Is it possible that people who  lived in the 4th century disobeyed this teaching of Jesus?  In the Bible, Jesus was warning his apostles that they were going in this wrong direction.  Certainly this means anyone could go in this same wrong direction–of functioning in hierarchy and human authority.  Like any law of God, it is a possible mistake our fallen human nature could conceive of and function in.  We need always to know and study God’s
laws and Jesus’ teaching to correct ourselves.
 
So, do you think it possible that people who  lived 1700 years ago, who lived through extraordinary persecution and difficult circumstances could have been lead to disobey this concept?  If we study the historical record it seems as if this change was forced upon the people of that day–the Roman emperors had that kind of power.
 
Well, the fact is that it did happen.
 
And if we are without knowledge of these things, we are destined to repeat the mistakes of the past.
 
“Pastoral authority”  is  a mistake of the past–and we will be destined to repeat this mistake if we refuse to study where the pastor came from.
 
What did the “Roman makeover” of the Christian church look  like?  Go to a catholic church next Sunday and you will get an idea.
 
The catholic church has enforced and guarded the tradition of the mass for 1700 years.  The function of the priest/pastor is central to this tradition.  There have been very few changes–in fact there is no room for change.  No one in the catholic church (probably even the pope himself!) could study the Bible and realize that there are mistakes or misdefinitions.  Rather, one of the jobs of the “pastor” (and this certainly includes the protestant pastor as well) is to defend the system–to see that the format and “order” carries  on.  In fact, the Bible is utilized,
by a series of complex buzzwords, to reinforce the system and the authority of the leadership.
 
So, the mistakes of the 4th century have been “written in stone” for Christians to observe–live out–and be defined by–for 1700 years.
 
THE PRIEST BECOMES THE PASTOR

Reformation–great-! (sort of!)
 
About 500 years ago the Bible finally began to be published in common languages–and this lead to a “reformation.”  People started to read the Bible  and realize that it said some different stuff than the catholic church had been teaching people all those years! (If you are anything but catholic, you are protestant, meaning you “protest” the authority of the catholic church–you rebel you-!)
 
The publishing of the Bible gave people the revelation that they were saved,  not by paying money to the church, but by the blood of Jesus on the cross (this in itself is a revelation that goes against the old covenant/Levitical priesthood/temple function the church had been operating by.)
 
But, what happened also, was that the reformation was used as a political tool.  In England, Henry 8 decided that his country would no longer accept the pope and the catholic government.  However, he promptly made himself  the head of the church in England. (anyone care to read the Bible–sorry Henry–Jesus is the Head of the church-!)
 
The important thing to understand for our study, is that the system of church government–which had been a system of collecting  money for the pope, became a system of collecting money for the king.  The function of human government did not change at all in the church.  Need proof of this?  Next Sunday go visit an older protestant denominational church.  Some of them look more like a catholic mass than the catholic church does!
 
In other words…
 
Reformation–yes—BUT–
 
Don’t mess with the mass–!!!
 
The system of catholic church authority (priest/bishop) became a part of the kings’ government.  He ruled people partly through the church (collecting taxes, among other things). The churches hierarchal government ultimately brought tribute to the king’s purse.  Something very important to understand about this period of history, is that our most influential Bible translation, the King James Bible, comes to us from this era.  While a very accurate translation, the fact is that King James was a monarch who “had the rule”  “over” his “subjects” – who had to “submit” to  his “authority” and “obey”.  He controlled the people through the “office” of the “bishop”.
 
King James very strongly believed that God had given him his position of authority over the church.  So, one can understand that if you were translating a Bible for King James, you need to work these buzzwords into  the text
wherever possible.  A study of the Greek  of some of these words and phrases shows that they are poor translations and totally disregard what Jesus taught about authority.  But, we today are still  “stuck” with these concepts, words and phrases that seem to enforce the system we are familiar with.
 
DO WE EVER STUDY “PASTOR”?

So, at the time of the reformation, the “priest” of the catholic church changed his name to “pastor” (or perhaps “vicar” or perhaps something else). The name change means nothing – if the function and definition are the same. And they were.  And things haven’t changed much since then.  The truth is that the protestant churches are every bit as strict about the format for meeting and rules and definitions of  ”ministry” as their catholic counterpart.
 
Why?
 
Because Christians do not study function from the New Testament.
 
We are so sure our weekly church function is correct, unchangeable, unquestionable.  We don’t realize how this ritual, and the definitions that arise from it (of which “pastor”  is one!) are truly not in the New Testament Bible. These rituals make us blind to the New Testament church and the example that Jesus gave us.
 
We’ve pointed out just  one—Jesus’ teaching on authority.
 
When was the last time you heard a sermon on “Luke 22:25-29—??
 
“And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over
them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the
younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater,
he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat?
but I am among you as he that serveth. Ye are they which have continued
with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father
hath appointed unto me;” (Luke 22:25-29)
 
Christians do not study ministry, authority or church function from the Bible, because they believe they are already experts on the subject.  If you go to church every week, you “study the pastor”.  You see a person, a nice guy usually, someone we like, someone who helps us.  We see everyone else around us being a “congregation” a group of  “lay people” (a term not in the Bible–neither is “clergy”), folks who do NOT do ministry.  Every week the pastor is the only one who can talk.  We accept it.  We believe in it.  We do it over and over and over again.  We support it financially and with our prayers.  We raise our children in it.
 
Christians won’t study ministry, because most believe they are already experts.
 
This makes us blind.
A NEW TESTAMENT PASTOR?
 
The way that many people verify their pastoral experience Biblically, is like this:
 
“Well, the word “pastor” is in the New Testament–so–it must be whatever we want it  to be”
 
Little phrases are used–”feed the flock” — “feed my sheep”–these supposedly mean all that a pastor is (financial head, advisor, teacher, ruler, councilor, parking lot attendant–whatever we want  it to be)
 
Aren’t we running the church on a parable?
 
The reality is that we simply are taking these out-of-context New Testament phrases, coupling them with our long-accepted, long-standing tradition and experience (which is Biblically based on the old testament Levitical priesthood) and ending up thinking everything is “just okay” in the church.
 
Well, we are  ignoring what the New Testament describes, for the blinding power of experience.
 
“Pastor” is actually a quite simple ministry, and very easy to study “pastor” in new covenant terms.  The Greek word translated as “pastors” is used 18 times in the new testament.  Some of these references are speaking of the real-life shepherds present at Jesus’ birth.
 
But there is one particular area of scripture in which Jesus talks about being a “good shepherd (pastor)”.
 
It’s in John 10, but to fully understands Jesus’ teaching we should begin our study in John
chapter 9….
 
1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. (John 9:1-7)
 
There is something unique going on here.  This is not just a physical healing, but rather there is a release to ministry.  
REMEMBER THE MISSION

When reading actions of Jesus we should always bear in mind His mission statement in Luke 4:18-19…
 
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at
liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”
(Luke 4:18-19)
 
Notice the last part…….
 
“……..recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”
 
This is exactly what Jesus is doing in John chapter 9.  It might help our study to know one particular Greek word.  In Luke 4:18 the word “set” is the Greek “apostello”–the root word of apostle.  An apostle is simply someone who is “sent” to carry the Gospel–someone ”set at liberty to preach the acceptable year of the Lord”.
 
In John 9 the name of the pool (rather strangely translated twice) is “sent” which is again the Greek “apostello”.
 
So what is happening in John 9?
 
Jesus is simply taking a blind man (who had never been allowed in the temple–because of his “sin”) and releasing him to ministry.  This lines up perfectly with the New Testament doctrine of ministry being a “gift given to every one of us” (see Ephesians 4) and there are many other examples of this in the New Testament.
 
Almost an entire chapter of the book of John is devoted to the formerly blind man’s witnessing of Jesus. The Pharisees look at him and say he is a “teacher” (if sarcastically–the fact is that he is witnessing the Gospel).
 
Finally, at the end of the chapter we see this question asked of Jesus:
 
39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said  unto  him,  Are  we  blind  also?
41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see;  therefore your sin remaineth.
 
His answer is contained in John 10, where, He equates this release to ministry as the
actions of a “good shepherd (pastor)”.
A GOOD PASTOR, A DOOR TO MINISTRY

The key phrase He uses is…..
 
“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
 
So.
 
A new covenant “pastor” is a ministry anointing whereby one releases others to serve God.
 
Somewhat ironic–that so many Christians believe a “pastor” is someone who holds them “under authority”-!

It is interesting, that in John 10 Jesus gives a very accurate realistic description of how sheep are fed (all His parables are realistic actions that relate spiritual truths).  Real  sheep are fed by opening a gate. They feed themselves–they just need to be pointed in the right direction.
 
It’s really quite simple to do new covenant pastoral ministry.  Like all ministry it’s serving others and laying down ones life, in this case to help someone else serve God.  It certainly is  a very important ministry!
 
It certainly is much needed.
 
By us, by the world, but mostly it is needed by God.  But it can’t be done alone.
 
Remember, what we have really discovered is that the church is operating on a wrong set of ministry principles and definitions.
 
“Pastor” is just one of the incorrect pieces of the puzzle.  What should the puzzle look  like?  What should the church be?
 
STOP GOING TO CHURCH, START BEING THE CHURCH

What should the church be?
 
To put it very simply, the church should be people, doing their best to imitate Jesus.
 
People, doing their best to work together as equals. (because Jesus said He did not exercise authority over His followers–He was equal with others, not a ruler).
 
The church in the Bible met in small groups (because Jesus did  it)
 
The church in the Bible focused all it’s time, effort and resources to further the Gospel–the mission  of salvation, healing, deliverance, feeding the poor and release (Luke 4:18-19).
 
Jesus said this was His mission, and it ought to be ours too.
 
The church in the Bible fed the poor, helped the homeless and widows–visited prisoners–because Jesus did it (and He said He would judge those specific things in His followers.)
 
“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world: For I was an hungry, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave
me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I
was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall
the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungry, and
fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and
took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in
prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them,
Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of
these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (Matthew 25:34-40)
 
Here is another scripture rarely preached on….
 
“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world”  (James 1:27)
 
Want “pure religion”?  Most would say “go to church every week”. 

The Bible says pure religion is to minister to others.
 
LET GOD LEAD

The church in the Bible let God lead them.
 
They prayed in the Spirit and received their leading and instructions form Christ the Head (and being in small groups were able to quickly carry out these Gospel instructions).
 
Why did they do this?
 
Because Jesus did it!
 
He said He did….
 
John 8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do  nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
 
Get the picture:
 
Jesus, on  a defined mission, His leader, God the Father was not present, but able to give the specific instructions of the mission through Spiritual prayer.
 
The church–Jesus now the Head, the Authority,–being given the gifts of the Holy Spirit as the “communication line”, received Christ’S instructions to further the Gospel.
 
The church in the Bible met daily.  Not everybody, every day!  Not all in one place! (they didn’t buy the upper room!) Many small groups meeting frequently, in different places ready to do God’s will–ready to serve.
How to serve?
 
Use your gifts–your ministry gifts.
DARE TO STUDY “MINISTRY” FROM THE BIBLE
 
The gifts of ministry are the anointing’s God has given to all of us–to be worked together–to further the Gospel–to “build His Body”. 
 
Study these verses carefully.
 
Let the Word of God be correct and NOT your experience….
 
1  I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2  With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift  of  Christ.
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of  the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and  teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
(Ephesians 4:1-12)
WHAT ARE THE GIFTS?

Simple ministry definitions.
 
This is a list of simple, general definitions of the 5 ministry gifts.
 
These simple definitions line up with the new covenant example–check it out for yourself.
 
(a warning: many people who call themselves “scholars” have in the past thought up very long-winded teachings, which ultimately eliminate and minimize these ministry gifts.  Don’T believe them!  Believe that God is generous, and needs as much ministry from as many people as He can possibly get!  Remember, God needs ministry from all of us.  The Bible says so!)
 
APOSTLE………..Small groups that carry the gospel to the world.  The 1St primary ministry.
 
PROPHETS …….Anyone who speaks the word of God–this includes all the gifts of the Holy Spirit–2ND most important gift since it is God’S way of communicating His will to us.
 
EVANGELISTS …….an apostle working alone–a rarity in the new testament.
 
PASTORS ………(you know!) People who release others to serve God.
 
TEACHERS ………The 3rd and least important gift.  People who teach other believers within the church–simple direct teaching (not never-ending authoritarian speeches-!)
 
Simple gifts.
 
Simple functions that anyone could do.
 
A NEW QUESTION

We’Ave looked at where the pastor came from, but now we ask a new question…
 
Where are the pastors?
 
The answer to this question is something no one would guess.
 
The pastors, the apostles, the prophets, the teachers and evangelists are sitting in the
pews on Sunday.
 
They are the sheep.
 
Silent, submissive–convinced by tradition and ritual that they are not ministers, not qualified–not educated–not ready–not able–not gifted.
 
Convinced they can come into God’S presence once a week (but you have to pay admission)
 
Convinced by tradition they are “lay people”, a “congregation”–not ministers.
 
Convinced by tradition that they are “under” the pastor”S authority.
 
Where are the pastors?   Look  in the mirror.

Idolatry: The Extension of Self

More from The Harlot Church System by Charles Elliott Newbold, Jr.

IDOLATRY: THE EXTENSION OF SELF

Judson Cornwall aptly says, “Idolatry is principally the response of personal adoration toward something less than Jehovah God, whether that something is Self, an object made by ourselves, or a concept we may have embraced. An idol is anything or anyone, including ourselves, that is given the credit for the abilities that only God possesses.” Monty Stratton adds, “Any image we have of ourselves that is not God’s image of us is an idol, a false God.”

We, as created human beings, make things and accomplish things that we come to adore. We set these things before us and pay homage to them whether they are the songs or novels we write, the athletes we create, the gardens we plant, the businesses we build, the trophies we win, the children we sire, the rockets we orbit, the cures we invent, the sermons we preach, or the churches we institute. We live vicariously through the idols we have made of movie stars, music stars, and sports stars. We want the power that we imagine fame and fortune would bestow upon us. We want to be god, especially over our own lives.

Though we are greater than the images we make, we still bow down and pay obeisance to them. We take such pride in our works. We allow them to control our lives, our emotions, and our relationships. We love them. We look at them, and our hearts swell with pride. They are idolatrous extensions of ourselves.

IDOLATRY: THE WORSHIP OF SELF

All idolatry is the worship of Self. It is an extension of ourselves: our adored opinions, speculations, plans, programs, and projects; it is the self-exalted work of our hands and the imaginations of our minds–all the things we do in our old man nature of flesh and sin that causes us to esteem ourselves more highly than we ought to. It is the attitude of the wicked stepmother in the story of Snow White who asks, “Magic mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest one of all?” fully expecting for the mirror to answer, “You are the fairest one of all.”

Idolatrous, fallen man is self-centered by nature. To be any different, we have to be transformed into a new creature. We need a new nature that gives us the desire to surrender Self for a higher good, namely, the life of Christ in us. Only Christ through His Spirit can implant that new nature within us.

Whatever appeals to Self is not of God. Self is in love with Self. It seeks its own. It is vain, prideful, arrogant, self-exalting, self-indulging, self-absorbed, power-hungry, and lustful. It strives for independence, self-reliance, and self-management. It uses and abuses others, if necessary, to achieve its own ambitions. It lies, steals, cheats, murders, covets, blames, justifies, and does whatever seems necessary to save itself. It goes to any end to protect itself. It is addicted to more. It can never be satisfied.

The flesh nature of Self generally looks to its own inventions–science, government, military, religion, education, sports, and other human institutions and inventions–to save us, feed us, protect us, make us happy, give us our identity, and provide us with a better lifestyle. We create institutions to serve us, and we get angry when they fail us.

Because Self is centered upon itself, it is a black hole upon the space where it stands, forever suctioning itself inward as a vacuum. Self consumes itself, is self-destructive, and has death as its final reward. Self lives and dies for Self.

IDOLATRY: SELF-STRENGTH

The idolatry of Self is seen in our drivenness to accomplish things in our own strength. We see things to do, and we must do them. We are constantly distracted by the busyness we create for ourselves. Busyness is a distraction from intimacy with God. We would rather be doing something for God than spending time with Him. Yet, He did not create us to do for Him, but to be as He is that we might have fellowship with Him and with one another in Him.

We enslave ourselves to the works we require of ourselves. Moreover, we enslave others to our works when others allow us to do so. We adore our accomplishments. Consequently, we have even made idols out of our quiet time, Bible study, intercessory prayer, street witnessing, and other works that seem “good” to us. These are not wrong. They are wonderful when they are inspired by the Holy Spirit. They become idolatrous to us when we use them to make ourselves feel like we have done something for God.

Addicted to the Thing

The Harlot Church System

By Charles Elliott Newbold, Jr.

Some people are clinically classified as religious addicts. I am a recovering church-addict. Soon after my conversion in 1978, I saw how this church Thing was an idolatrous system of men’s traditions. I despised it (not the people in it); yet, I felt a seductive pull back into it.

I needed it. I had previously found my identity in it. I had presence, power, and position in it. As the pastor of it, I thought I owned at least a part of it. My heart would secretly boast, “This is mine!” It was my source of financial support. It was the only thing I was trained to do. I was joined to it and it was joined to me.

We bond with that Thing we call church and thereby get in bondage to it. We join it and it somehow takes possession of us. We do, in fact, get addicted to it. As Dennis Loewen wrote, “It is addictive. How do we know? One way is that we all go through withdrawal when we leave it.”

Some discerning believers who attend spiritually stagnant churches realize they no longer need to be there. The Holy Spirit is absent. The services are dead. The preacher is boring. People argue over petty, irrelevant issues. They feel their tithes are wasted on worthless salaries, programs, and mortgages. Their huge buildings stand empty more often than not. They feel obligated to serve on committees that serve the institution more than they serve the people. They see the leadership trying one gimmick after another to make the Thing relevant in order to get more people to join it and be active in it.

These precious believers want to leave but find that they cannot. Mother wouldn’t understand. “Why, that stained glass window was dedicated in grandpa’s name. How can you even think about leaving?” They rationalize that they have life-long friends there. “How can I leave them?” They are made to feel like traitors, deserters, troublemakers, or mavericks. Some people disown their own family members who leave their “faith.” Some traditions believe that a person will go to hell if they leave their particular brand of church.

So, they feel stuck in the system. They put on their Sunday morning smiles and hide their secret resentments for feeling stuck. They shake and howdy down the aisle, pretending, “Isn’t it good to be in the house of the Lord?” They settle into their familiar pews and begin again to fellowship with the backs of people’s heads.

Many who dare to leave one church go down the street hoping for a better “spiritual climate” only to find the same old whore in a brand new dress. Only the rules are slightly different. They go from church to church looking for that which is genuine only to find more phony religious facades; they go looking for Spirit and truth only to find more flesh and hypocrisy. Yet, they continue their search, because they are addicted to it. They bob up and down on their wooden horses unable to dismount because of the velocity of that carousel–the church system that perpetually spins round and round, going nowhere.

A few discerning persons are able to break away from the bondage of church, but often leave damaged and resentful. Some of these attend anonymous groups, seeking recovery from the religious abuses inflicted upon them by these religious systems of men’s traditions.

Church, as we have come to experience it, permeates every aspect of our society. It is the only thing we have seen and known that supposedly represents Christ. In going after it, just as did Israel of old, we have played the harlot and provoked the Lord to jealousy.

I hope you are praying for the Holy Spirit to lift the veil from over your eyes to see how church is a counterfeit system, to see how we have made a Thing out of who we are in Christ and gone after it instead of Jesus.

PROVOKING GUILT

Charles E. Newbold, Jr.

If we do not provide the expected support for the Thing and its programs, whether we want to or not, whether we are called to serve in a certain capacity or not, we are made to feel guilty. Have you ever felt guilty for missing a function of the church? Those little shame-based voices in your head whisper “naughty, naughty.” “It was my fault the program failed. I didn’t give enough of my time and money to it.” You can know by those feelings of guilt that you are serving a Thing and not the Master.

When we are asked by leadership in the church to make a commitment to the church, we are actually being asked to make a commitment to the Thing. Our loyalty is measured by how well we serve this Thing. We are thought to be slothful Christians if we do not support it; and if we do not even attend a local church, we are assumed to be backsliders.

On the other hand, when we “do” church, we have expectations that it ought to be a certain way. It has to work according to our expectations, or we will feel like it has failed.

If the Thing has to work a certain way before it is successful, then those who support it will be pressured into performing in such a way as to make it a success. If it is not a success, someone is to blame. It is either the people’s fault, the pastor’s fault, the choir director’s fault, or the church board’s fault.

What if you and I have different expectations about how a church should work? We will have conflict. There will always be conflict in the church because there will always be expectations in conflict. These are man’s expectations, not God’s.

 

Church: The Thing – Part 2

The Evolution of Church

by Charles Elliott Newbold, Jr.

How did this Thing we call church evolve?

Believers in the New Testament did not have such baggage. At first they were simply called the followers of the way. They gathered spontaneously in the temple and in some synagogues for a period of time. Mostly, however, they met in private homes and went from house to house. They were drawn
together by the presence of the Lord in their midst.

Christians did not have church buildings until Constantine the Great, Emperor of Rome from 306 to 337 A.D., embraced Christianity. His endorsement of the faith created a free climate for men to erect buildings “to the glory of their God.”

The earliest church buildings are believed to have been built after the pattern of the Roman basilica–architecture that was firmly rooted in the traditions of the Roman empire and has no basis in scripture. Church buildings became more elaborate with the Byzantine, Romanesque, and Gothic influences. The layout of these cathedrals often hid the monks and choirs from the people, advancing the idea of the separation of clergy from laity which is unfounded in scripture.

During the reformation, Protestants halted the building of great edifices. The reformers were content with simple, rectangular buildings. They were primarily interested in gathering the people and having a place to preach. By the nineteenth century, however, Protestant church architecture had likewise become elaborate and consisted of elements from a variety of styles.

The enchantment with church buildings throughout the centuries has contributed to the institutionalization of the church system as we now know it.

Church: The Thing

We will be posting various excerpts from Charles Elliott Newbold, Jr. book, the Harlot Church System. It is from the third chapter “Church – The Thing” and is one of the best pieces of work about the man-made church system, and the idolatry behind it I have read. Please, remember to pray God will reveal His truth to you. We can only share what we know, but if you are more interested in protecting your beliefs than seeking the truth, you will unable to hear the voice of Jesus. This goes not just for the article – it goes for everything in life.

We were few in number as we sat comfortably face to face in the living room of a godly couple’s house. I had something to share that Wednesday night. It was the first and most significant revelation that I had received from the Holy Spirit since my conversion a couple of years before.

I titled the teaching The Thing. A horror movie had been made years before by that same title. I assured my audience that I was not going to be talking about that. However, the Thing I talked about was just as monstrous. I began that teaching by saying, “That which we call the church is not the church but is a Thing.” With that teaching, I began my personal journey in discovering the idolatry of the church and the difference between it and the true bride of Christ.

Years later, my wife and I were living in west Tennessee and were waiting for direction from the Lord. While there, He led me to start a meeting on Sunday mornings and invite some people I knew to come. Some of them came. We gathered in the name of Jesus. We sang; I shared the revelations and teachings the Lord gave me; we prayed, dismissed, and went our way. We were fairly close to one another and had some contact with each other during the week. We were beginning to be the body of Christ to one another.

Then, we bought a building, renovated it, opened the doors, and had our gatherings there. We called the building “The Christian Teaching Center.” I did what I believed the Lord said to do and people began to come.

We were free of men’s burdensome traditions, formalities, creeds, rules and regulations, and programs. We were committed to following the Holy Spirit wherever He chose to take us. His presence was powerfully felt in most of our gatherings in those early days.

I insisted that we were not a church, that God had not called me to start a church, and that I was not to be the pastor of a church. I tried to make a distinction between the building, which we had given a name, and those of us who gathered in that building, whom I refused to name. I explained that this was a teaching center for the body of Christ in that area. Perhaps it was a mistake, but we held Sunday morning meetings for those who chose not to go elsewhere. That Sunday morning meeting became the main event of the week.

The pressure was on. Some who came there wanted it to be a church and wanted me to be their pastor. I was pastoring individuals, but I insisted we were not a church.

A local pastor disputed my contentions, insisting that we were a church. He contended that there was no scriptural precedent for the para-church ministry that we had. He said, “If you look like a duck, walk like a duck, and quack like a duck, you must be a duck. You look like a church, walk like a church, and talk like a church.” I did not want to hear that then, but looking back I had to admit he was right. This Thing we call church had weaseled its way into our work. The work at the Teaching Center was never supposed to be a church.

Once we began to “have” church, we began seeking something for ourselves. We created a Thing that had gone beyond what God had called me to do. We went back to the very thing that we had come out of. We had Sunday morning and Sunday evening services, Sunday School, and a youth program. We took up offerings and put them in a bank account. Our group became known by the name I had put on the building.

I lost my vision to build up a people and began, instead, to build up a Thing. We began to go after it instead of going after the Lord Jesus Christ. We gathered around it instead of the presence of the Lord. People started leaving and they did not know why. The more they left, the more I tried to hold on to them. I felt abandoned. But it was I who had abandoned them by allowing the work to become a Thing. Not long after that, Ichabod was written over our door, spiritually speaking. 1 Sam. 4:21. As with Elijah,
the brook dried up and the ravens ceased to bring their morsels. 1 Kings 17:3-7. It was time for us to move on. It took a year for me to muster enough courage to finally shut it down.

While most of us know that the word “church” as it is used in scripture refers to the people of God in Christ, we nevertheless have made a Thing of it. It is an extension of ourselves and exists as an entity unto itself.

Churchmanship

The following article was written by Ken Cascio on wickedshepherds.com.

 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because He has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound. Isaiah 61:1 

Whether it’s your local “VFW;” the “American Legion;” your favorite car manufacturer club; your local gym membership; the Rotary; the AARP; or your local church, once your join up for membership.…you become part of the club!

Once you join up for membership in a church, you are that church.

As human beings, something in us draws us to the things we join.  Not too soon after we join those things, they seem to have a way of possessing us!

They become us and we become them!  Take your local institutional church for example.

Without question, practically your whole identity is absorbed in this institution.  You soon begin to boast, “I am Roman Catholic; I’m a Reformed Presbyterian; I’m Baptist; I’m Southern Baptist; I’m Evangelical; I’m Unitarian; I’m Trinitarian.”  It’s endless!

And then, not too soon after that, it’s inevitable that you begin asking others, “What are you?” or, “Where do you go to church?”

Is this what Jesus envisioned when He said, “I will build My church?” Obviously not!  In fact, you can search the New Testament through and through and find that Jesus said absolutely nothing whatsoever about starting churches, joining a church or even “going-to-church!”  And yet, this is virtually the beginning, middle, and end of the “churchmanship’s“ indoctrination, indeed, all of Christendom’s creed!

Jesus said that we are in Him and He is in us, just as He is in the Father and the Father is in Him. “Abide in Me, and I in you.”   “I am the vine, you are the branches.” 

Is this how you know and experience Him at your local institutional church OR, are you joined to it (“your church”) rather than to Christ?  Which is it?

You are in it and it is in you.  Isn’t that right?  You are one with it!  Your desire is (and the admonition of your church rulers is) to bring others in union with “it” as well.  This is what you are programmed to do.

My friend, you cannot serve God and mammon.  Although this is in reference to money, the two go hand in hand.  You are either in Christ or in the institution.  You are either in Christ or in the harlot.

And to be quite honest, you know as well as I do that to truly belong to one of these local church institutions, you are required to believe what you are told to believe by those who rule within them.  Many times, you often do not know what you believe yourself apart from the doctrines of your church.

One brother recounted, “While studying for the ministry, a fellow student began asking me questions about what I believed.  I answered each one by telling him what the Baptists believe.  I continued on for a while.  Then the student smiled and asked, ‘Don’t YOU believe anything?'”

To boil it down and to put it as bluntly as possible, when someone joins their church, they are inevitably assigning their God-given freedom to run their life and manage their family over to someone else who they think is “more qualified.”  My friends, this is absolutely moronic!  Yet, it should not be too surprising given the fact that this is precisely the outcome and indeed the design of institutional churchmanship.

You are to follow and believe in Jesus alone!  Your faith in God through Jesus Christ is how you are brought into the Kingdom. “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8.  Believing what your church institution says to believe will not save you.  Yet, many tend to think it does.

Institutions, regardless of their purpose, by their very nature, always end up fostering dependency.  Again, it’s built in by design!

It should come as no surprise then when you see many church members, week after week, year after year, remaining dependent on “their leaders” to teach them, hear from God for them, do the work of evangelizing the lost for them, entertain them, and direct practically every single area of their lives.

This dependence on men is a natural byproduct of “churchmanship.” Ironically, it’s not just a byproduct… it’s also the fuel that keeps it running.  If it fails in this task, the system will crumble for lack of support.  It needs you, an immature foster child, as much as they think they need it.

This is an entire church system and authority structure built, not upon Scripture, but upon other men’s ideas and fancy’s.

While many of these practices and beliefs systems can be easily disproved from Scripture with a minimal amount of study, most local institutional church members refuse to engage in such a study.  And really, why should they anyway.  That’s why many of them “joined up for church membership” in the first place – to let the so-called “pastor” do all of the work for them!

Not only that, even if they dared to study and ask questions, they are repeatedly bombarded with the notion that it is not right to question your pastor or elder, for in doing so, you are really questioning God!

Churchmanship?  Really?

Just like as a child should never question their parents, local institutional church members are taught to never question their church leaders.  As one churchmanship proponent has said many times over the years in his sermons: “…..Along comes a church member with questions and disagreements in regards to your pastors/elders pronouncements. This church member, in his heart, does not embrace and obey the biblical mandate to obey them that have the rule over you! This wicked spirit is present in some of your hearts and you better see it for what it is.  It’s an arrogant, proud spirit.  Beware of the pride that will second guess YOUR elders.   Which is worse – for elders to err in ignorance or for YOU to INFECT yourself and others with a spirit of insubordination and rebellion! WHICH IS WORSE!”

This is what’s being force-fed into church member’s hearts and minds.  So, it really should come as no surprise whatsoever to see local institutional church members in a perpetual state of childhood, behaving and acting exactly as they were trained to do.

They need to be told what to believe and what not to believe; where to go or not to go.  They need to be told how to act; who they are to associate with, and in many other cases, who to marry, how to dress, in addition to when and if they should ever separate from their spouse!

As a result, and understandably so, “liberty” and “freedom” are not very popular ideas within the churchmanship circle.

“..And that because of the false brethren privily brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage..” Gal. 2:4

“For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage.” Gal. 5:1

“For ye, brethren, were called for freedom.” Gal 5:13

“He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised.” Luke 4:18

“If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”  John 8:36.

Scriptures such as these (and many, many more) are not prominent in institutions like this, and quite frankly, are twisted beyond any recognition.

A “Berean” spirit-type attitude is only paid lip service in these places for it certainly is never fleshed out in practice!

And as a result, these “children” will never, ever grow!  They stay forever in their baby-hood, exactly as the system has deliberately designed it to be!

For example, there are many “theological and church sects” today who will listen to and/or read nothing but their own “denominational persuasion.”   These folk will always refer to their confessions of faith or “their men”; hence these people seldom learn new perspectives.

They are locked in their own little “system” and are continually reaffirming their own “theological correctness.”

To stray into a different area of thought is almost unthinkable for many of them.  Yea, rather it is viewed as tantamount to heresy!

So there is the continued effort of always reading from the same material; always listening to the same men of your own persuasion; always singing from the same song book; always going to the same conferences where your “already pre-formed perspective” is sure to be presented.  All of these efforts (requirements) will certainly fortify you in your belief system.

If their sermon, their article, or their book said it, then it’s good enough for them and therefore, “it has to be Truth!”

I say without intending offense that such practice differs very little from that of Jehovah’s Witnesses or any other authoritarian/control groups.

“Churchmanship” may work fine for corporations, social clubs, and government entities in the world, but it has no place in His Body, the Ecclesia.   The idea of “churchmanship” is not just an inconsequential, harmless inducement.  It is an unbiblical teaching and practice that functions on an entirely wrong foundation.  It exists as a division in the Body of Christ; with unbiblical fellowship; conducting invalid meetings;  operating under fraudulent authority; with false leadership; resulting in a myriad of unbiblical practices and no such scheme will even know or recognize “the voice of the True Shepherd.”

“Churchmanship” is a man-made, man-centered, and man-sustained deceptive concoction that must be resisted at any cost.  It makes popes out of “church leaders” and “clapping seals” out of those who follow them.

Churchmanship?  God forbid! 

Instead, we are to, “Come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you, and will be to you a Father, and you shall be to me sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:17-18

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that you have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4