New Podcast

We are so very pleased and excited to announce to you our new Podcast available on iTunes! There are a couple of ways to get to the podcast: First, if you have an iTunes account (which is free btw), you can simply search for Pastor Gardner, Steve Gardner, or Christ the Rock Church of God. Second, if you dont have an iTunes account, you can type in the following address and get to it directly: christtherock.netcastmin.com. Third, from my blog here, you can click on the iTunes link below to be taken directly to the page where you can either listen to the messages or download them to your computer. I hope that our ministry is a blessing to you! Please feel free to "forward" these downloads to anyone you feel could benefit from them. God bless you!

Steve's Messages on....... iTunes

Women in Ministry!

© 2010 Steve Gardner

My family and I just returned from the Church of God General Assembly in Orlando Florida. As an Ordained Bishop, sitting and debating on the General Council floor is what I consider, part of my "job description." In the Church of God, all Ordained Bishops make up what we call the General Council. The General Council's task is to debate doctrine, interpret Scripture (in a judicial manner), and determine the course for our denomination. All Ordained Bishops who attend and are registered are allowed to speak and vote. Over the years, I have seen some very interesting issues arise on the General Council floor. However, this General Assembly will no doubt be one I remember for a long, long time!

This year, one of the items for discussion was whether or not we would remove the word "MALE" from the description of qualifications for Ordained Bishop. By doing this, we would then be opening up the possibility for women to obtain the credentialing of an Ordained Bishop and hold any positions that any other Ordained Bishop might hold. This includes sitting on the General Council floor and holding the position of Administrative Bishop over States/Regions in the Church of God (from here forward, referred to as the COG). I knew, as did every other person attending, that this would be a very "LIVELY" debate! The arguments were very passionate and ran very deep. However, I was asked by another Minister and a friend of mine that I went to college with, to write a paper detailing my view of women in ministry. So, in answer to that request, let me take a moment and share with you, the reader, my viewpoints on this matter and how I arrived at that viewpoint.
________________________________________________________

First, I was and still am, in favor of women being Ordained Bishops. I am unashamedly Pentecostal! Pentecostal theology from its very inception was inclusive. The Azusa Street revival at the turn of the 20th century boasted the inclusiveness of all people, in race and in gender. This was quite a statement in the early 1900's. This was the unity that was in the Upper Room when the fire of the Holy Spirit first fell on the Day of Pentecost and it was the unity that was manifested at the Azusa Street Revival. Pentecostals adamantly believe in the "Priesthood of ALL Believers!" We also believe that the Gifts of the Spirit are distributed by the Lord as HE WILLS, regardless of race, socio-economic standings or gender. With all due respect towards my Brothers and Sisters in other theological persuasions, we in the Church of God are not Baptist nor Fundamentalist in our theology,.......... WE ARE PENTECOSTAL! As Pentecostals, we believe that ALL people can and will be used by the Lord, to advance His Kingdom! Remember the words of Luke in Acts 2:15-21.......

These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
"In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Why then would there be ministers in the COG who could possibly be against women in ministry? Some, who have been fortunate enough to enjoy a formal education, have gotten that education from a "Baptist/Fundamental" theological perspective. For years, unfortunately, we as Pentecostals simply adhered to a Baptist/Fundamental theology and only "added" a chapter at the end of our theology on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. This has rendered many of our ministers with a type of theological confusion when it comes to a purely Pentecostal perspective on theology, and that serves true in regard to their views on women in ministry. The great news is that within the last few decades, Pentecost has been blessed with some of the finest Theologians in Christianity! We have also been able to successfully establish a conservative theology from a Pentecostal perspective. We no longer need to borrow from others, and then add an "addendum." Within historical Pentecostal theology, women have played a very instrumental role in the advancement and leadership of the Church. Women like Aimee Semple McPherson come to mind, who founded the Four Square Church in 1927, which is a Holiness/Pentecostal church. She built a church in Los Angeles California which seated 5,300 people! As the founder of this denomination, she not only functioned as a "Bishop" of the church, but certainly one could argue that she functioned within the office of an Apostle. She ignored the fact that many said that because she was a woman, she was unqualified to do what it is she did! The Lord's anointing was upon her, and out of her ministry the Four Square Church (which as of 2000) boasted over 8,000,000, with almost 60,000 churches in 144 countries was born. In 2006, the Four Square Church membership in the United States alone was 353,995 in 1,875 churches. Out of her leadership as a "Bishop" and "Apostle," the entire Pentecostal Church, and in fact all of Christianity, has been blessed by some who are part of this movement. For example, Jack Hayford, who served as the President of the Foursquare Church, and who has blessed untold millions of Pentecostals and non-Pentecostals alike is ministering among us because of a woman who refused to let unfounded non-Biblical ideology keep her from doing God's will!

Our Pentecostal history is one where men and women alike serve, minister, and lead shoulder to shoulder in ALL capacities. The 21st. century is ready for us Pentecostals to remember our heritage and visit it again!

Secondly, and this is purely a denominationally applicable point. We in the Church of God suffer from what I refer to as: "Theological Schizophrenia." We allow women to be Ordained and serve as Evangelists, Teachers, and even Pastors; but we will not allow them to sit on the General Council floor nor make any decisions regarding the very ministry God has called them to and we as a denomination have entrusted them with! They can endure all of the issues both good and bad, in the pastorate, BUT........ They can't have any say in the direction of their ministry or their church that they serve in. We recognize them as having the "Gift" of the Pastor; and we are ok with them being Pastors, BUT........ We don't want them to serve in positions where they might have leadership over men! My question is,....... “DO WE NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THE GIFT OF THE PASTOR IS ALL ABOUT?” One would have to take a step DOWN from being a Pastor to be an Administrator conducting business over the denomination! As a denomination, we are saying YES and NO at the same time to women in ministry! Not only that, in our Minutes we state that the Pastor by default chairs the Church and Pastors Council, but until this Assembly, women could not be a member of the Church and Pastors Council. So, when we would appoint a woman as Pastor of a church, she would by default automatically CHAIR the very Council she could not be a member of as a women! THEOLOGICAL SCHIZOPHRENIA! As denomination, we desperately need to do some Theological housekeeping!

Third, Biblically there are NO restrictions for women serving as Pastors, nor in any other positions of leadership within the Body of Christ. Those in opposition to women serving in leadership capacities over men, site 1 Timothy 3:1 as their "proof" text to the prohibition of women in church leadership. However, upon proper exegesis, one can see that the NIV has accurately interpreted the word "MAN" used in the KJV as "ANYONE." The Greek word used here for man, is the word TIS, which is translated.... "ANYONE." Therefore, the NIV correctly interprets it when it states: "If ANYONE desires the office of an overseer." The word TIS in the Greek here is a general term similar to our English word "MANKIND." When we use the word MANKIND, we are certainly not saying ONLY the gender MALE and not FEMALE, but rather, ALL of humanity. The word TIS used here in 1 Timothy 3 is the word...... ANYONE. If ANYONE desires the office of an overseer (Bishop, Pastor, Elder) they desire a good thing. Ah but I can hear someone saying: "How about the statement that the bishop must be the husband of one wife?" Good question! When properly exegeted, we can see that the meaning of this verse is "marital fidelity." The Bishop must be in a committed MONOGAMOUS relationship of marriage to one wife at a time. In a world of polygamy, we can begin to see why that was a very important admonition and guideline.

"Some will point to the Apostle Paul's admonition to women in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 where he says: "women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church."

However, in order to culturally and contextually understand these two verses, we have to do two things. 1) Back up and read verse 33 which says: "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints,..." And 2) We need to understand the specific setting Paul was writing to. So, how do we correctly interpret these verses? We need to understand that Jesus was the great "equalizer" of women, especially in this Oriental culture. Women sat on the opposite side of the church, and were used to being quiet and not being allowed to speak in the Temple. Now, Christ had saved them and brought equality to them. So, sitting on the opposite side of the church, and having very little knowledge of the things of God, the women would yell out questions to their husbands in the middle of the preaching. This served to not only interrupt the service, but also interrupt the flow of the Holy Spirit. Paul received a letter (or two) about this particular situation, and responded by telling the women that while they are in church, stop interrupting the service with asking questions about the message! He was instructing them to wait until they got home to ask their husbands any questions about the message they did not understand. Secondly, the application here is summed up in verse 33: "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace." The application here is not that women are not allowed to "speak" in church, as in the capacity of service as preachers/pastors or administrators, but rather that in the Body of Christ, there is to be Divine Order in the church service. God is a god of order, and in His Body, there is to be order in the worship service.

Fourth, one of the arguments that those who are in opposition to women serving in positions of leadership over men like to use, is the argument of "headship" within the home. Let's take a look at this argument from a Biblical perspective. We must understand that there are three Divine institutions that God has created and ordained. Within those institutions are functional principles and roles. The first institution God created was the family. The second institution was government. The third institution was the Church. These three institutions function independently of each other, yet complimentary of each other. The principles, roles, and responsibilities of these three institutions are different and separate from each other. For example, God gives the institution of the government the role and responsibility to establish and maintain civil order. They are also given the responsibility to punish evil and those who commit crime, even up to and including, capital punishment (I know that particular point is debatable, but we'll save that for another blog). However, what is important is, that God DOES NOT give the church nor the family the role, nor the responsibility for establishing and maintaining civil law and order within the communities they are in. That is the responsibility and role of the government not for the family nor the church! In the same understanding, the Lord NEVER gave the government the leadership gifting of: Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher. He NEVER refers to the institution of the government, nor the family as His "Bride." When the argument is used that God established "MALE HEADSHIP," they are making two very serious errors concerning the Divine Institutions God has ordained. First, God gave "headship" to the "HUSBAND" within the institution of the FAMILY alone! That headship includes mutual submission between the husband and the wife. The wife submits to the husband by respecting him and deferring the "deciding vote" on the major issues to the husband, as he follows the Lord and leads his family in following the Lord. The husband submits to his wife by loving her with the same sacrificial love that Christ had for the Church. These "roles" and "responsibilities" would be silly and unbiblical if they were superimposed upon the institution of the government! They are equally silly and unbiblical when they are superimposed upon the institution of the Church as well! Again, these divinely ordained institutions of God are separate and distinct from each other, with different and distinct roles and responsibilities. To give the Church the SAME roles and responsibilities as the FAMILY, is the same error that the Muslim faith engages in with Sharia Law, where ALL males may fulfill the role (and even to the extreme) of the husband. If we really consider this, and exegete Holy Scripture correctly instead of from our own subjective viewpoints, which too often are based upon learned ideas that are contrary to Pentecost and even greater, contrary to "rightly dividing the word of truth," then we MUST cease trying to interchangeably superimpose the distinct roles and responsibilities of each Divinely ordained institution upon each other!

Fifth, and probably most importantly, we are in the beginnings of the last great revival before the return of the Lord! This revival is being led and directed by the Holy Spirit, and He is pouring out His power and Gifting upon those who are willing to be used by Him, to the glory of Christ! As part of that, in the days and months ahead, we are going to see a return to the apostolic authority and power that once defined the Body of Christ! The power of the Holy Spirit has been "withheld" like a dam holds back a river, because we in the Body of Christ have "acted" like we did not need His power. What we have by our practice said to the Holy Spirit is: "You can sit this one out! We have done this long enough, and we know how to have church!" Actually, what we have done by our "attitude" and "actions," is to offend the Holy Spirit! Before we can EVER experience the power the Church was meant to "move and flow" in, we must apologize to the Holy Spirit for offending Him, confessing and repenting of our sins against Him! Then we must follow the admonition of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 5:25 which says: "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." We must, in these end times before the prophesized return of the Lord, be very careful that we are "keeping in step with the Holy Spirit!" We must by the same Holy Spirit, "discern and turn" in the direction that the Holy Spirit is leading the Church, the Body of Christ! Our "old wine" just will NOT satisfy the needs of sinful mankind! Nor will the "new wine" of the move of the Holy Spirit be contained in our "old wineskins!" It is NOT the Holy Spirit who must keep in step with us, nor our "pet" ideologies and beliefs, no matter how spiritual and biblical we try to dress them up as! If change and realignment to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit's moving is to occur, it MUST be we, the Lord's Bride who changes and realigns! (By the way, isn't it interesting that the Lord uses both male and female terminology when describing His people? He uses words such as "MANKIND," or in reference to the Church, the "BRIDE?" WOW! ........... God used a FEMALE gender term to describe His Body the Church, which is made up of both men and women! This is the SAME way He used a MALE gender term to describe for both males and females, how good it is to desire the office of a Bishop!)

The Holy Spirit is moving! Revival is beginning! Actually, what we are beginning to experience is not merely revival, but........... REFORMATION! The LAST Great Reformation before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ! This IS the move of the Holy Spirit! Within this move of the Holy Spirit we are beginning to see, as previously mentioned, a return to apostolic authority and gifting. That means that we are seeing a resurgence of the leadership gifting of the Apostle and Prophet within the Body of Christ. And, we are also seeing that the Holy Spirit is gifting both MEN and WOMEN alike with the gifts of Apostle and Prophet not to mention, Pastor, Evangelist, and Teacher! Men and Women alike, whether anyone's theology agrees with it or not, are being called, commissioned, empowered, and released to serve in ALL leadership and ministry service positions within the Church, the precious Body of Christ!

In conclusion, it is time that we in Christ's Body, especially those of us within the segment known as Pentecostals, STOP segregating and dividing the Body based upon race, socio-economic standards, and of course,.............. gender as well! For you see, the Lord's body is ONE body, made up of Jew and Gentile, Male and Female, Slave and Free! It seems I read that somewhere in a sacred old book! It is time we return ourselves, our theology, and our practices back to THAT book, the Bible, making sure we "align" with it only. And that we also return to the God of that Book, and stop dividing, minimizing and limiting HIS Body! GOD BLESS YOU!

By Pastor Steve Gardner

The Forgotten Ministry of the Apostle!

For many of us, when it comes to identifying and describing the gifts the Lord has given to the Church for leadership, we can identify most all of them, but we can only identify some of them. In fact, for many of us, there are unanswered questions that arise when dealing with two of the Leadership Gifts that we have traditionally known very little about or even talked about. Those Leadership Gifts are that of an Apostle and Prophet. Questions like: What are these gifts? What are they for? What describes their ministry? Is it still for today? What do they do? How will I know them if I meet them? This lesson is dedicated to trying to help us answer these and perhaps even more questions about the “Forgotten Leaders---Apostles and Prophets.

Ephesians 4:11-13.

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, ¹²to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. NIV

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. ¹² Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. ¹³ This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. NLT

I. CHURCH LEADERS.

a. Ephesians 4 informs us that the Lord has given to the Christian Body (the Church) 5-gifts for leadership.

i. They are commonly referred to as:

1. The “Ministry Leadership Gifts”

2. The “5-Fold Ministry Gifts”

ii. However, since all member of Christ’s Church are given gifts and since all members use those gifts for ministry, then a better title of these gifts might be… “The 5-fold Church Leadership Gifts.”

II. THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE LEADERSHIP GIFTS.

a. They are listed here in our texts as:

i. Apostles

ii. Prophets

iii. Evangelists

iv. Pastors

v. Teachers

b. Is there an “order” to the listing from the Apostle Paul?

i. We will answer this question after the lesson material.

III. THE CHURCH LEADERSHIP GIFTS DEFINED.

a. Evangelist: Is a specialized office and gifting where one is given the anointing to proclaim to those who are non-believers, the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Most Evangelists are “sent out” from a local congregation to reach the unsaved. Even though we all are commissioned to “preach” (proclaim) the gospel, and we all are commissioned to be “witnesses” to the truth of Jesus Christ, the gifting of an evangelist is a specialized office/calling/gifting.

b. Pastor: The Pastors, also known as “Bishops” and “Elders” are those who have been called and gifted to “disciple” and develop the Christian converts who have been saved through the ministry of those sent i.e. the Evangelists or the Church Body witnessing and proclaiming the truth of Jesus. The Pastor mirrors the O.T. and N.T. image of a Shepherd. They watch over the “flock” of Christ, guiding, leading, instructing, feeding, watering, and protecting them from “wolves” (in this sense, false teachers and teaching). They finish their task by leading them to “green pastures and still waters,” mimicking the Chief Shepherd, Jesus.

c. Teacher: Are those specifically called and anointed by God with in-depth knowledge of the Word of God and the Kingdom of God. They acquire that knowledge through a love of studying the Word of God and listening to His Spirit. They “deepen” and “develop” the Body of Believers in a church in the truths of God, His Spirit, and His Kingdom. They work in conjunction with the Pastors, and most all Pastors, also have the gift of teaching.

IV. THE “FORGOTTEN” CHURCH LEADERSHIP GIFTS.

a. Apostle:

i. The word “apostle” comes from the Greek word: apostolos which literally means “the sent one,” and refers to any messenger appointed and sent on a special mission.

1. Paul sent designated individuals that he sent to Corinth as “messengers” which literally meant, Apostles of the churches.

ii. So, the general meaning of apostle in the New Testament included people who had been commissioned and sent by local churches as missionaries, or sent with other special responsibilities (Acts 14:4, 14 and Romans 16:7)

iii. Professor French Arrington identifies the General meaning of Apostles in the following manner:

“They were believers whom God used in a powerful and effective way. As a result, they demonstrated remarkable spiritual leadership. They were anointed by the Spirit to confront directly the powers of Satan and darkness, and to confirm the gospel with mighty signs and wonders. They were also dedicated to establishing churches. They traveled extensively, preaching Jesus as Lord and risking their lives for the sake of His name (Acts 11:21-26; 13:50; 14:19-22; 15:25-26).

i. We will discuss two ways in which the term “Apostle” is used in the Scripture.

1. First, is the “Restrictive Sense” which includes a “specialized aspect of foundation ministry for the Church of Jesus Christ.

2. We are referring to the twelve Disciples of Jesus who were also designated as the Twelve Apostles.

a. Their designation of Apostle was in a specialized sense- Luke 9:10.

b. Luke 9 gives us a greater detailed look at the specialized calling of the 12.

c. First, they were given authority and commissioned by Jesus to proclaim the presence of the Kingdom of God and to cast out demons and to heal the sick. Vss. 1-2

d. Second, they served as direct representatives of Jesus, a function shared by others. (Luke 10:1, 17)

e. They were chosen from a larger group of disciples (Luke 6:12-16)

f. By the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the 12 formed a special group.

g. God gave them charismatic gifts, and they were recognized as having special ministry and a place of leadership. (Acts 1:20, 25, 26)

h. A major task of the 12 was the preaching of the Word of God, accompanied by signs and wonders.

i. The focal point of their preaching was their “eye-witness” account and telling of the resurrection of Jesus. (Acts 1:22)

ii. There were specific requirements given to these original 12 in the replacement of Judas who betrayed the Lord. They were:

3. The man must have been a traveling companion of Jesus throughout His earthly ministry.

4. He must have seen Jesus after His resurrection, the essential qualification (Acts 1:21-22).

iii. Matthias became the replacement for Judas, but after that no one replaced any of the 12. They passed away because of martyrdom and natural death.

5. They were, therefore, a limited group and had a special ministry in preaching, teaching and establishing churches, as well as baptizing converts and proclaiming Christ’s Resurrection.

6. They then had a vital role in laying the foundation of the Christian church. (Luke 9:1-2, Mark 3:14-15, and Acts 8:14-15 and 15:2)

7. Many were used by God to author the New Testament, which became the Scriptural “bedrock” of this new Body of Christ called the Church!

8. It is important to note that Paul never identified himself as one of the Twelve, but he insisted that he was an apostle.

a. Paul’s apostleship was supported by the fact that like the original 12, he had received a direct, divine calling from God and had seen the Lord.

b. However, there were other indicators that he was an apostle:

i. His success in preaching the good news of God’s saving love.

ii. His founding of churches

iii. The signs and wonders that verified his ministry.

1. See: Romans 15:18-19 and II Corinthians 12:11-12.

iv. The second aspect of the gift of Apostle, is a more “General sense.”

9. French Arrington, in His book: “Encountering the Holy Spirit” said this about the more General sense of the gift of Apostle:

“God set in the church apostles, prophets and teachers (1 Corinthians 12:28). These leaders and others received Spirit-given authority. Probably the most distinctive feature of the apostles is that they traveled---preaching, establishing churches and building up the body of Christ. Their ministry was not just to the local churches, but also to the church-at-large. In this broad sense, the ministry of the apostle continues today, especially the aspects of itinerant preaching and the establishing of churches. God still equips people for apostolic ministry.”

1. Bible scholar Arnold Bittlinger says this about the gift of the apostle: “The New Testament nowhere suggests that the apostolic ministry was intended only for the first-generation Christians. On the contrary, we constantly encounter people in church history whom we designate as apostles.”

Conclusion:

One of the vital missing elements of the Christian church today is the recognition, instruction, validation and support of the Spiritual-gift of the apostle. Without this gift in full operation, the body of Christ has suffered. We have suffered seemingly endless divisions and schisms, which have worked together to weaken our body, and our influence. Even in Pentecostal/Charismatic circles, we have been uncomfortable or reluctant to fully recognize, endorse and support the ministry gifting of the apostle, and henceforth, we have suffered this vital leadership element that we so desperately need. Now, a word of warning: Some have taken great delight in identifying themselves as an apostle. Pick up any copy of Charisma magazine and you will see people frequently using the term “apostle” as a title for themselves. For many of them, they use it as a title of significance and importance. However, those who are genuinely “called” and gifted to be apostles are not concerned with titles and recognition. They are about “service” to the body of Christ, bringing honor to Jesus, establishing and advancing the Kingdom of God, strengthening the Church and bringing about a genuine revival to Christ’s Bride, His Church!

Thank God that the gift and office of apostles are beginning to be recognized again, and their very important service seen as being absolutely necessary to the Body of Christ, especially as we prepare for the soon return of the Lord! To all the apostles out there who are reading this, be they male or female, Humble and consecrate yourselves wholly to God, serve the Lord and establish and strengthen His Church! To the denominational leadership who may be reading this article, endorse and promote the office of the apostle, Biblically define and identify their role, find a place within your movements for the office of the apostle, and God will dramatically build and support your churches!

God bless you!

Rev. Steve Gardner

NOTE: I have put this article in the format of a lesson. Please feel free to duplicate this and pass it out for the purpose of teaching. However, I do ask that you identify me as the author and this blog as the source on any and all of the copies, handouts or any reproductions of paper or electronic that you may use. Thank you and God bless you!

When it comes to identifying and describing the gifts the Lord has given to the Church for leadership, many in the Church can can only identify some of them. In fact, for many of us, there are unanswered questions that arise when dealing with two of the Leadership Gifts that we have traditionally known very little about or even talked about. Those Leadership Gifts are that of an Apostle and Prophet. Questions like: What are these gifts? What are they for? What describes their ministry? Is it still for today? What do they do? How will I know them if I meet them? This lesson is dedicated to trying to help us answer these and perhaps even more questions about the “Forgotten Leaders---Apostles and Prophets!”

LESSON TEXT: Ephesians 4:11-13.

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, ¹²to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. NIV

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. ¹² Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. ¹³ This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. NLT

I. CHURCH LEADERS.

a. Ephesians 4 informs us that the Lord has given to the Christian Body (the Church) 5-gifts for leadership.

i. They are commonly referred to as:

1. The “Ministry Leadership Gifts”

2. The “5-Fold Ministry Gifts”

ii. However, since all member of Christ’s Church are given gifts and since all members use those gifts for ministry, then a better title of these gifts might be… “The 5-fold Church Leadership Gifts.”

II. THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE LEADERSHIP GIFTS.

a. They are listed here in our texts as:

i. Apostles

ii. Prophets

iii. Evangelists

iv. Pastors

v. Teachers

b. Is there an “order” to the listing from the Apostle Paul?

i. We will answer this question after the lesson material.

III. THE CHURCH LEADERSHIP GIFTS DEFINED.

a. Evangelist: Is a specialized office and gifting where one is given the anointing to proclaim to those who are non-believers, the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Most Evangelists are “sent out” from a local congregation to reach the unsaved. Even though we all are commissioned to “preach” (proclaim) the gospel, and we all are commissioned to be “witnesses” to the truth of Jesus Christ, the gifting of an evangelist is a specialized office/calling/gifting.

b. Pastor: The Pastors, also known as “Bishops” and “Elders” are those who have been called and gifted to “disciple” and develop the Christian converts who have been saved through the ministry of those sent i.e. the Evangelists or the Church Body witnessing and proclaiming the truth of Jesus. The Pastor mirrors the O.T. and N.T. image of a Shepherd. They watch over the “flock” of Christ, guiding, leading, instructing, feeding, watering, and protecting them from “wolves” (in this sense, false teachers and teaching). They finish their task by leading them to “green pastures and still waters,” mimicking the Chief Shepherd, Jesus.

c. Teacher: Are those specifically called and anointed by God with in-depth knowledge of the Word of God and the Kingdom of God. They acquire that knowledge through a love of studying the Word of God and listening to His Spirit. They “deepen” and “develop” the Body of Believers in a church in the truths of God, His Spirit, and His Kingdom. They work in conjunction with the Pastors, and most all Pastors, also have the gift of teaching.

IV. THE “FORGOTTEN” CHURCH LEADERSHIP GIFTS.

a. Apostle:

i. The word “apostle” comes from the Greek word: apostolos which literally means “the sent one,” and refers to any messenger appointed and sent on a special mission.

1. Paul sent designated individuals that he sent to Corinth as “messengers” which literally meant, Apostles of the churches.

ii. So, the general meaning of apostle in the New Testament included people who had been commissioned and sent by local churches as missionaries, or sent with other special responsibilities (Acts 14:4, 14 and Romans 16:7)

iii. Professor French Arrington identifies the General meaning of Apostles in the following manner:

“They were believers whom God used in a powerful and effective way. As a result, they demonstrated remarkable spiritual leadership. They were anointed by the Spirit to confront directly the powers of Satan and darkness, and to confirm the gospel with mighty signs and wonders. They were also dedicated to establishing churches. They traveled extensively, preaching Jesus as Lord and risking their lives for the sake of His name (Acts 11:21-26; 13:50; 14:19-22; 15:25-26).

The Forgotten Ministries!

We are given guidance by the Lord through the Apostle Paul in His writing to the church at Ephesus. He says this in chapter 4:11-13

"Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ." NLT.

The point then is this: God has "gifted" certain people, those whom He has called to that ministry, with Christian Leadership Gifts to equip, build up and bring to maturity, the Church. Those Leadership gifts are manifested in their ministry "roles" that they fulfill. For most of us, a few of these roles and their subsequent gifting are obvious and easy to understand. But for some, there are two roles and gifting that cause intense problems for their theology. That's the office of the Apostle and the office of the Prophet.

We understand and can articulate what a Pastor does. Likewise, we understand and can articulate what an Evangelist does. We even understand and can articulate what it is a Teacher does. But, when it comes to the Apostle and the Prophet, the definitions and excuses for not understanding are varied and foggy. The unfortunate reality is that many Pentecostal/Charismatic Believers and Pastors, have gotten much of their theology from a some-what blurred quasi Cessationist viewpoint. We believe that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is for today, and that the Gifts of the Spirit are still in operation, but even in my own Traditional Pentecostal denomination, we cant define the "ROLE' and "FUNCTIONAL-GIFTING" of the Apostle and Prophet. We are very uncomfortable with this Leadership Ministry, and even more uncomfortable with referring to someone (male or female) as Apostle or Prophet. "Why don't you know Steve........ The gift of Apostle and Prophet died with the last of the Lords Apostles?" Uh oh, my Pentecostal Brother and Sister, be careful....... Your "cessationism" is showing! LOL! Brothers and Sisters, don't be confused! Either these 5-fold Leadership Gifts are ALL for today, or NONE of them are for today! Are we REALLY comfortable with saying that the gift of the Pastor has ceased with the last of the Lord's Apostles (Those who walked with and saw the Lord)? Or, that the gift of the Evangelist ceased at the end of the "APOSTOLIC-AGE?" Please don't tell Billy Graham nor Franklin nor Reinhard that! Of course not! Well then, its time for a "THEOLOGICAL EXTREME MAKE-OVER!"
I will be posting a blog entry in the very near future on the validity and necessity of the office and gifting of both the ministry of the Apostle and Prophet, and, the absolute necessity of the Body of Christ to be able to recognize these giftings and accept their ministries. I will delay that post for the sake of discussion. If you receive this blog, I am very interested in YOU posting a comment on your perception of the office and ministry of the Apostle and Prophet! Tell us what YOU think, and why! We will give it some time, and then post a blog about these ministries. Until then, tell us what you think! GOD BLESS YOU!---Steve.

The Coming Reformation---Part 1

We are on the verge of the last Great Reformation before the return of the Lord. However, it is very important to note that this is NOT considered a "revival" but rather a "reformation." What is the difference you might ask? A revival is a renewed attention to or interest in something: A period of renewed religious interest: An often highly emotional evangelistic meeting or series of meetings. A reformation comes from the root word "reform" which means beneficial change, or sometimes more specifically, revolution. The latter means basic or radical change; whereas reform may be no more than fine tuning, or at most redressing serious wrongs without altering the fundamentals of the system. Let me "refine" these definitions to a more understandable workable definition.



We are now in the "Passion Week" leading up to Easter. Using the resurrection of our Lord as a backdrop, let me explain the difference between revival and reformation. Revival simply means to bring back to its original state. To bring back to conscientiousness that which has swooned. Reformation means resurrection. Something that is in place must die, then be resurrected to its intended purpose. The Church of Jesus Christ, as we now know it and see most of it operate, is in desperate need to die! And in its place have God, by the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, resurrect the Church in the image of His Son, as a Bride "fit" for the Bridegroom!



As of now, especially the Church in the West, we have made the Body of Christ in our "image." God demands that His Church be in "HIS" image! In order for that to happen, what we now have in place must die, and God, by the power of the Holy Ghost, must "resurrect" the Church INTO the image of what He intended it to be. A Bride FIT for the Bridegroom---The King of Kings and Lord of Lords!



This Final Reformation will be the last reformation before the return of the Lord. This reformation will bring about the reform of the Church the Body of Christ, BACK to its original meaning, purpose and power! This coming reformation is a confirmed fact. It is confirmed by 4 means: 1) First and foremost, God's Word. 2) Secondly, the Holy Spirit has confirmed this fact through the Gifts of the Spirit, i.e. Tongues and interpretations and prophecy. 3) Thirdly, the Lord has confirmed this coming reformation by speaking to His people in their hearts through prayer, Bible study and fasting. In fact, even non-Christians "sense" something is about to happen! 4) Fourth, Christians have correctly interpreted the "signs" of the End as mentioned by our Lord in Matthew 24. For example, here is Matthew 24:32-33 in the NLT.

“Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door."

We will continue this discussion on the coming Last Reformation in our next post. Until then, I welcome your comments!

Doing Battle with the spirit of Religion: Part 6

It's been awhile since our last posting. A lot has happened in the Gardner family since that last posting. My wife and I both underwent surgery, and much of our time has been devoted to recuperation and healing. My apology to our readers, and a special thank you to all of you who prayed for us.

We were discussing the spirit of religion and the diabolical attack he has launched against the Body of Christ, especially here in America. My focus is based upon the demographic of my ministry. I am in the South-East, and so much of what I relate is based upon ministry here in the South-East. However, what I am sharing with you is being confirmed in various other parts of the country, by pastors and lay-members who have communicated with me the similitude of battle elements they are fighting. It's simple Brothers and Sisters, we are in the last days before the return of Christ. Being in the last days, the plan of the enemy in preparation for these last days is one that was implemented many many years ago. It was initiated when the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement gained wide acceptance as a "respected" form of Christianity. This movement went from being the "odd-man-out" to being just another accepted form of Conservative Evangelical Christianity. The "frontal" resistance of the enemy, which spurred us on to deeper and more meaningful prayer, was replaced with a more subtle resistance. Infiltration, acceptance, peace, and respectability became the "bed-fellows" of the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement. What happened was nothing short of miraculous. Well,.... miraculous for the enemy and his purpose anyway.

The defining characteristic of the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement was its members dependence upon the power of the Holy Ghost. We were people of the "FIRE!" People who were full of the Holy Spirit of God, empowered for a purpose! That purpose was to advance the Kingdom of God as we prepare for the return of the Lord! This was prophesied by the Prophet Joel in 2:28-29 --- “Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike."

It was promised by Jesus in Acts 1:8 --- "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

And it was fulfilled by the Lord on the Day of Pentecost, in the Upper Room in Acts 2:1-4 -"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.²Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues^{a]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[a]} as the Spirit enabled them."

This power was what advanced the Kingdom of God, through the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Believers became dependent upon that power, and mighty miraculous acts were done in the Name of Christ, to validate the Word they were preaching. This had to be stopped! As mentioned, the devil first tried the frontal assault, and it had some success, but it only spurred on the True Believers, as they prayed and sought more of God's power. The infiltration of the church came when acceptance, respectability, rest, and peace were decreed by the devil for the Church. Now, with little pressure, and the ability to sing the "songs of Zion," hold their Campmeeting, and prayer services, the church became less and less dependent upon the miraculous power of the Holy Ghost, and more and more .............. at peace.

Power, healing, and all kinds of the miraculous became less and less visible, and quite honestly, less necessary. The advancements we used to make in the spiritual realm, by the power of the Holy Spirit, was surrendered for denominational programs and religious jargon. We sang about power! We talked about power! We reminisced about power! We even got mad at the devil, yelled at him that we were going to his "camp" to take back what he had stolen, ...... then prayed the benediction and went out to eat. ........... SUCH POWER!

Without replenishing the oil in our lamps, many of our lamps began to flicker and some even went out. We lost a lot when that happened: We lost power. We lost interest. We lost relevance. We lost our respect. And we loss people! The plan was a huge success! The Body of Christ in America was weakened and splintered. The Last Days are here, and where is the Bride of Christ? Where is her voice? Where is the church?

A friend of mine recently gave me a little book entitled: "But God!" It has chronicled all the verses in the Bible where the situation looked to be doomed to one outcome,...... "BUT GOD!"

What the enemy didn't count on, was a sovereign move of God! The Holy Spirit has begun working in peoples lives and asking one simple little question, that has big consequences. That simple question is: "Where's the Power?" And with the asking of that question, a hunger has begun! Many are looking around at their churches, their ministries, and even their own lives, and asking the question: "Where's the Power?" Answering that question honestly, has started a movement! Not a revival, but a REFORMATION! The power IS coming back to the church! Well, ..... at least to "whosoever will" be reformed and refilled with the power of the Holy Ghost. There is ONE antidote to the spirit of religion, and that is the power of the Holy Ghost! We will talk more about this in another post!

Please take the liberty to forward this blog to anyone you think might be blessed by it. Thank You!