Church planting

Without saying that denominational church structure is incorrect, the problem with denominational structure is that if a denomination have a specific doctrine, the members within the denomination is deprived of the truth of God’s Word. Based on the mentioned some denominational churches see church planting as a means of furthering there believe and that each church planted should follow the denominations faith statement. The mentioned is not scriptural and instead of unified body create a dysfunctional body that is not effective in the fulfilment of the task of making disciples. 

Since the church belong to Jesus Christ and Paul describe the church as the bride of Christ that is washed by the Word of Jesus. We need to understand that church planting is not denominational, whether you belong to a denomination or not.

Paul also explained that we are the Temple of God, therefore we the church is a Tempel of God, where God as the Creator of Heaven and Earth and His Son Jesus Christ the anointed one is glorified. Again the church as God’s Temple cannot be denominational for God said in His Word that He is a jealous God. We should remind ourselves that in this building Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone, meaning that each one of us should be aligned with Jesus as we are being built into a Holy dwelling place for God as Paul described us in Ephesians 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone; in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.

Jesus is the head of the Church/body meaning that we submit to Him and His will, a body must be in unity to the Head. Unity is to be in agreement with Jesus as we walk in obedience to God’s perfect Word, if every part of the body come into agreement with the truth of God’s Word and the Head Jesus Christ (the Word that became flesh), we will be able to function as a body for we are in unity with the Head and as such achieve the goal the Head set for the body.

Jesus is the builder, we are privilege partakers in the building process (Mark 16:20). Just as Jesus initiated the Church in a supernatural way, He will continue to build it, as the scripture said in Zachariah 4:6 “not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit Says the Lord”.

Obedience to the great commission we received from Jesus, is our part and we should not forget it. Jesus is the supernatural part as He explained in Mark 16:20 He will be with us as we go in obedience, and that the signs and wonders will be a confirmation that Jesus continues to build His church in a supernatural way. We must however acknowledge that the supernatural way/or power of God’s Kingdom is not manifesting only through physical healing, but truly manifests itself when we realize that God, the Almighty Creator loved us so much that HE sent His Son so that we can become what God intended for us from the beginning, a dwelling place where He can dwell amongst us. If we consider what Jesus said to Nicodemus, the true miracle is that God made a way through His Son that His Holy Spirit can be within us, empowering us to be a living witness of His great love.

Church planting should therefore be based on the great commission and the process as Jesus taught us. First, to make disciples, to baptize them and to teach them to be obedient. We tend to think that as we teach people God’s Word, we make them disciples, but Jesus said first make disciples and teach them to be obedient only after they are baptized.

First making disciples, We tend to think that as we teach people God’s Word, we make them disciples, but Jesus said first make disciples and teach them to be obedient only after they are baptized.

The question is, when did the followers of Jesus first became disciples? 

Jesus said in John 17:20 Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who believe in me through their word, (WEB). Based on the mentioned and in reference to Acts 8:37-38 A disciple is therefore someone who believe with all their heart and confess with their lips. (Rom 10:10 [WEB]) For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

In context, to plant a church, start by planting the message of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (as a seed) in the heart of a man, a heart that have been prepared through prayer to receive the message of hope. For Jesus first said unto the disciples pray unto the Lord of the Harvest, before He said go, reminding us of the Word in Hebrew 1:14 that the angels is sent out as ministering servants to those who will inherit salvation and the parable of the seed of God’s Word sown in the soil of man’s heart.

Then baptize them. To understand the reason for the next step, we need to understand the purpose of baptism. Peter said in 1Pet 3:20-22 [WEB]) who before were disobedient, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, while the ship was being built. In it, few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.

Baptism is a symbol of being saved in Christ Jesus, not washing the flesh but and inward washing by the Spirit of the Living God, this washing is what enable us to be a witness of our Lord and Saviour, not by words but the washing unto death. We no longer live but Jesus lives within us, a new recreated life as in Romans 6.

This baptism is to be emersed/consumed by the Spirit of the Living God, His Character and Authority. We need the Spirit of God living within before we can come to a place of obedience, obedience is not possible unless we have been filled with Power from above (the promise of God). Jesus said unto Nicodemus in (John 3:3 [WEB]) Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see the Kingdom of God.”

When we talk about a supernatural church, this is the meaning thereof, a church that is empower from above not to do miracles but to walk in obedience to the Word of God and then the Word will manifest in power. (James 5:16 [WEB]) Confess your offences to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.

Finally, teach them to be obedient. As mentioned the prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective, an obedient church will be an effective church as they are united in obedience to God’s Word and not church doctrine. Obedience means to conform to Jesus Christ, to be one with Him.

Paul said in (Romanse 12:1 [WEB]) Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.

If the Church/Body of our Lord and Saviour truly present our bodies as a living sacrifice with the intend of becoming obedient as we allow the Spirit of the Living God to teach us, then the church will be founded on the Rock of Christ.

Conclusion. Samuel said to Saul that God requires obedience and not sacrifice, for it is through obedience that the power of God is manifested on earth. The victory of the cross was achieved not on the cross but in the battle at Gethsemane were Jesus said to the Father, “let Your will be done”. 

The church and church members is not asked to sacrifice, but to be obedient to Jesus and His leadership. The prerequisite to successful church planting, is obedience and not sacrifice. In reference to obedience, we must understand that for the church to obey, is to walk in accordance to what Jesus said. Jesus said in reference to church planting, go and make disciples, then baptize them and then teach them according to all that I told you, the church. 

I believe the reason for the mentioned is based on what I believe the Lord told me after I laid down my life in order to receive a new recreated life in Christ. The Lord said all I need to do is tell the truth, He will change the hearts of the people. For the church to be strong, each member must have received, and need to receive the revelation from the Lord and not from men. Paul said that concerning this to the Galatians “Furthermore, let me make clear to you, brothers, that the Good News as I proclaim it is not a human product; because neither did I receive it from someone else nor was I taught it—it came through a direct revelation from Yeshua the Messiah. Galatians 1:11-12

The church that Jesus is building has always been structured in such a way to enable believers to be accountable to one another, ensuring that the gospel is taught in accordance to what Jesus said without undermining the work of The Holy Spirit. When Paul first came to Peter, Peter saw it as an opportunity to send Paul to Tarsus, but as Paul explained that the Lord called Him for the gentles, Peter released him with a blessing. The there is the example of Apollos who also teached in the Gospel of Acts “Meanwhile, a Jewish man named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent speaker with a thorough knowledge of the Tanakh. This man had been informed about the Way of the Lord, and with great spiritual fervor he spoke and taught accurately the facts about Yeshua, but he knew only the immersion of Yochanan. He began to speak out boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the Way of God in fuller detail. When he made plans to cross over into Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote the talmidim there to welcome him. On arrival, he greatly helped those who through grace had come to trust; for he powerfully and conclusively refuted the unbelieving Jews in public, demonstrating by the Tanakh that Yeshua is the Messiah. Acts 18:24-28 

In the mentioned example Priscilla and Aquila did not belittle Apollos, they rather assisted him and he willingly received from them and then were sent to continue the good work. As the church we must acknowledge that we are called by the Lord, although we are not perfect we serve a perfect Lord, Jesus as the head and the builder of his church. A disciple is called a disciple once he believes with his heart and confesses with his mouth that Jesus is the Son of God, he is not a disciple because he knows the scripture, but because he knows the One who sent him and therefore is willing to submit to the authority of the Lord and be transformed into the likeness of Christ. 

Jesus washed the feet of the disciples with the command “Now if I, the Lord and Rabbi, have washed your feet, you also should wash each other’s feet John 13:14. To washing of feet reminds me of the wedding feast where Jesus turned the water for washing feet into the best wine. For me the significance is that through washing the feet Jesus taught us a lesson, that even though we have been washed, we however must continue to wash one another’s feet as we share what we have received from the Lord so that in the example of the wine, the latter wine will be better than the first.

Finally based on Paul’s Words to the Thessalonians “Therefore, encourage each other, and build each other up—just as you are doing. We ask you, brothers, to respect those who are working hard among you, those who are guiding you in the Lord and confronting you in order to help you change. Treat them with the highest regard and love because of the work they are doing. Live at peace among yourselves; but we urge you, brothers, to confront those who are lazy, your aim being to help them change, to encourage the timid, to assist the weak, and to be patient with everyone. See that no one repays evil for evil; on the contrary, always try to do good to each other, indeed, to everyone. Always be joyful. Pray regularly. In everything give thanks, for this is what God wants from you who are united with the Messiah Yeshua. Don’t quench the Spirit, don’t despise inspired messages. But do test everything—hold onto what is good, but keep away from every form of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:11-22