The Ministry of the Holy Spirit VIII

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Sunday 02/09/14

Topic: Review: Co-partnership in His Sufferings VI

 

Series – The Ministry of the Holy Spirit VIII.mp3

Click here to watch the video.

 

Key Text:   2 Thess. 1:3-12

1 Peter 3:8-12

Partnership in His sufferings…

In this teaching we addressed a difficult passage, one which is not widely taught in America anymore, and that is the calling to suffer as a demonstration of your worthiness of the Kingdom of God.

A glass half empty person will hear this the wrong way. This suffering is NOT something God subjects us to in order to prove anything to Himself. God is all knowing. He knew Peter would deny Him, how many times and before what time of day even after Peter swore he would die with Christ. So this is not a proving to God, it is a proving in order to silence an accusation.

Many do you realize the greater story we are caught up in. The rebellion in Heaven, so far as scripture reveals was the purpose for this creation…indeed the purpose for the creation of man. This creation is an environment in which God Himself, due to His justice, has placed Himself on trial before His original accuser Lucifer.

Lucifer’s accusation was essentially that God is NOT good and that He cannot be trusted. So God creates a world, places mankind on it – a creature far less in power and might than the angels, but more noble and majestic in being, for they are in His image. These creatures would make the case for the trustworthiness of God. For even if they suffer wrongfully in His Name, they will trust Him and commit their souls to Him while doing good for they trust Him as a faithful Creator.

EVERY such suffering that is endured and won in this environment is building a case in favor of God’s good heart and against the accusation of the enemy. The irony is, that God is allowing the accusations of the enemy against the children of God, to build a case file of testimonies which will one day take the witness stand to testify against Lucifer and the case will be won and settled once for all!

NO WONDER, salvation is something that angels desire to look into – it is the answer to a question which God in His infinite justice, has allowed to be asked concerning His integrity. As such, the enemy comes in to tempt us away from our steadfast trust in God and when we have trust – satan challenges it, like he did with Job…”Does he serve you for nothing?” is the accusation, and God steps back and says…test it!

Oh, Glory to God, we play a part in the testimony of God’s good heart for all eternity!

This is just a snippet of what I taught on this morning from 2 Thess. 1:3-12. I hope you learn, glean from and enjoy the teaching of God’s word through this ministry…


Co-partnership in His Sufferings VI

We encourage you…give it a listen!

Hi my name is Mark and though I am opposed to titles, I am currently the only Pastor (shepherd/elder) serving our assembly right now.

I have been Pastoring in one capacity or another for nearly 30 years now, though never quite like I am today.

Early in 2009 the Lord revealed to me that the way we had structured our assembly (church) was not scriptural in that it was out of sync with what Paul modeled for us in the New Testament. In truth, I (like many pastors I am sure) never even gave this fundamental issue of church structure the first thought. I had always assumed that church structure was largely the same everywhere and had been so from the beginning. While I knew Paul had some very stringent things to say about the local assembly of believers, the point of our gatherings together and who may or may not lead, I never even considered studying these issues but assumed we were all pretty much doing it right...safety in numbers right?! Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

So needless to say, my discovery that we had been doing it wrong for nearly two decades was a bit of a shock to me! Now, this "revelation" did not come about all at once but over the course of a few weeks. We were a traditional single pastor led congregation. It was a top-bottom model of ministry which is in part biblical, but not in the form of a monarchy.

The needed change did not come into focus until following 9 very intense months of study and discussions with those who were leaders in our church at the time.

We now understand and believe that the Bible teaches co-leadership with equal authority in each local assembly. Having multiple shepherds with God's heart and equal authority protects both Shepherds and sheep. Equal accountability keeps authority and doctrine in check. Multiple shepherds also provide teaching with various styles and giftings with leadership skills which are both different and complementary.

For a while we had two co-pastors (elders) (myself and one other man) who led the church with equal authority, but different giftings. We both taught in our own ways and styles, and our leadership skills were quite different, but complimentary. We were in complete submission to each other and worked side-by-side in the labor of shepherding the flock.

Our other Pastor has since moved on to other ministry which has left us with just myself. While we currently only have one Pastor/Elder, it is our desire that God, in His faithfulness and timing, may bring us more as we grow in maturity and even in numbers.

As to my home, I have been married since 1995 to my wonderful wife Terissa Woodson who is my closest friend and most trusted ally.

As far as my education goes, I grew up in a Christian home, but questioned everything I was ever taught.

I graduated from Bible college in 1990 and continued to question everything I was ever taught (I do not mention my college in order to avoid being labeled).

Perhaps my greatest preparation for ministry has been life and ministry itself. To quote an author I have come to enjoy namely Fredrick Buechner in his writing entitled, Now and Then, "If God speaks to us at all other than through such official channels as the Bible and the church, then I think that He speaks to us largely through what happens to us...if we keep our hearts open as well as our ears, if we listen with patience and hope, if we remember at all deeply and honestly, then I think we come to recognize beyond all doubt, that, however faintly we may hear Him, He is indeed speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, His word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling." ~ Fredrick Buechner

Well that is about all there is of interest to tell you about me.

I hope our ministry here is a blessing to you and your family. I also hope that it is only a supplement to a local church where you are committed to other believers in a community of grace.

~God Bless!