The Word This Week – WHO IS THE BOSS? – Malaysia’s Christian News Website

3 Feb 2014 by Rev Dr Jai Kumar –

Matt. 16:18

” On this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not overcome it.”

WHY ISN’T GOD SHOWING UP IN CHURCHES TODAY?

Why do many people today flock to clubs and bars, chase after New Age gurus to meet their happiness instead of finding it in the Churches? The reason is that many have obviously tried the churches only to find “old and outdated recipes.” Churches today are not able to give solutions to address society’s sophisticated needs and therefore people are forced to look elsewhere for answers.

It’s appalling to discover that the ” Kingdom Gospel” which is the ultimate solution to man’s ultimate need, is I am afraid diluted and compromised and sadly not delivered in many churches today. Instead, they are preaching an easy man-centered, non-confrontational gospel: A seeker friendly gospel so to speak.

How then can the church be really effective to impact the environment and change lives? Mankind is full of needs and much of it is in the spiritual area that trickles down to a dysfunctional lifestyle. When man is not walking in a right fellowship with his Maker then disorder and disharmony obviously becomes evident in their lives. Therefore the church needs to be involved in the transformation of the community rather than involving themselves in other trivial issues. This is the question we need to address seriously today.

The very purpose of a local church is to function as “an agent of transformation” for the glory of God. There must be evidence of the power and indwelling of the life of God that can be seen by all as a manifestation of Christ in its totality, “living by the truth as well as preaching it.”

UNREALISINGLY WE HAVE MESSED UP WHAT GOD HAS SET UP

Exodus 33:15

Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.

You know what? The presence of God is the most vital link in the body of Christ which obviously is the Church. When this link is absent in a Church then you are not going to see anything happening. Sadly, the Church becomes disconnected to what God is doing in the world right now. Thus the Church loses its very purpose for which God has set it up in this world and besides it merely boils down to a lifeless monument or structure.

HE IS AN UNCHANGING GOD

Seriously we need to be challenged to ask ourselves “WHO IS IN CHARGE”. He doesn’t need your assistance to run His business! He is an all knowing omnipotent and omnipresent God, He is not an outdated God.

Hebrews.13:8

He is the same God yesterday today and forever He will never change.

Daniel 2:21

And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding

We need to understand that our God is a relevant God! Our God is a living God! He moves and manifests relevantly in different time-frames. He is a God of seasons and times!

SPIRITUAL BANKRUPTCY

Unfortunately, many Churches today are immunized to the moving of God and they become so irrelevant to the purpose for which the church exists. They take pride in holding on to their old past traditions. They only preach and teach old outdated messages about what God used to do in the past at the expense of what He is doing in the present. They are unable to connect to the anointing of God and move and flow in the present time-frame in His purposes and His plans. Thus they become out of order so to speak.

IT IS GOD’S ULTIMATE CONCERN

What God has set up, we have unfortunately messed it up because of ignorance and lack of understanding. We want to function all the time with our own wisdom! Our own mind! Our own clever ideas! Little realizing that the Church is God’s business. The Church is the PILLAR and FOUNDATION of the TRUTH. The Church is supposed to be the HEADQUARTERS of God’s KINGDOM here on earth. It is the number one interest of God in this world!

Ephesians 1:22-2

“And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (NASB)

So in order to run His business we need to be prepared to allow Him to sit on His throne, we need to depend on His power and that is the Holy Spirit that connects us to God’s time clock.

WE ARE NOT RUNNING ANOTHER “BUSINESS AS USUAL”

It is a very sad situation to discover that a majority of Churches have apparently fallen below the mark and they are meddling with God’s business like any other human business by deploying their own clever ideas. Leaders and Pastors become gods and they make a mockery of God by manifesting in the flesh enforcing the tool of manipulation, control and fear. They have literally pushed the boss out of His throne. No wonder God does not show up in their midst.

The Israelites did that in the wilderness and God brought severe judgment upon them. Their experiences are a lesson to us today. Even though we might justify our actions through reason or logic, but if we are violating God’s clear commands, we are sinning against Him, and He will hold us accountable for those sins at the end.

If we want to make a difference for God and reach out to a dying world then we must invite the living God to come into His Church and take His rightful place and we just have to step aside.

IS IT A PLATFORM FOR IMAGE BUILDING?

Seriously, what are we trying to build at the end of the day?

Matt.12:35

I tell you, on Judgment Day people will give an account for every thoughtless word they have uttered,

You know what? I believe you can build a dynamic church without power. The question is who are we trying to impress and what are we trying to build? It is His Kingdom! It is His Church! He purchased it with His blood! Jesus said “this is my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”

Rick Warren says, “If you will concentrate on building people, God will build the church.” He further declares if your church is healthy, growth will occur naturally. GOD IS THE HEAD OF HIS CHURCH.

John 12:48

Jesus spoke of a day of judgement on the last day. We will be judged by his words and by our words. This means that what we preach will be judged by what he has written in His Word.

Matt.7: 22 -23

“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

WISHING YOU A BLESSED CHINESE NEW YEAR, GOD BLESS YOU RICHLY.

Note: Rev Dr Jai Kumar is an ordained & licensed minister of Covenant Ministries International N.J. USA. He is also the representative of Faith International Bible School for Malaysia & Singapore. He is the founder and senior pastor of Full Gospel Outreach Ministry KL, a member of ECCM, Spiritual Adviser & overseer of Full Gospel Christian Church KL. Co-founder and adviser of Kingdom Christian Fellowship, Subang Jaya, he is also the author of a book entitled, ‘God’s Time Clock.’