What if We Don’t Finish the Task (Part 2) – Restoring the First-Century Church

What about Arlington? Two weeks ago. Okay. But in reverse, it is about twice a year. About twice a year. Now, just for the record—and y’all don’t know this—but in the year ’04, here to the church, I brought three messages. ’03, I brought three messages. ’02, I don’t know. That’s all I brought to the church in those two years—three per year. I’ve worked with the brothers privately, but I have not ministered here in 2004 and 2005 but three times.

Now, because I’m talking about me, because I live here locally, I want people to know that I don’t dominate the church here. At least… would you say that again? Do you agree to that? Yes. That’s right, I’ve never been to Lacey, and how often have you had someone come visit you? Last July, and at least once a year previously. Okay. About once a year. Well, these brothers are doing a far better job than I am because when I raised up the church in Atlanta… I didn’t come back for two years. I didn’t come back for two years, and, by the way, they paid for it. It was terrible.

And how can a church survive, made up mostly of new Christians, brand-new Christians, having three days? Nobody on this earth believed this could be done. And we suffer from it. We need about… a new church ought to have about six months of ministry, four to six months in the first year, and then some visits along the way. Nobody in the world believed that could be done except me.

I also was aware that every one of those churches that got raised up, very shortly thereafter, fell under unbelievable persecution. Confusing kind of persecution, not just hate persecution, but when the Judaizers came to Galatia, that was a confused mess with all sorts of voices coming to them. No, I’ll build a stake here. Nobody… unless it was the Waldensians, and we don’t know… ever believed that a man could come and go. I hope the day will come when we can say “women” to that, too.

Okay, the training of Christian workers. I’m going to stand on this. The way that we have trained Christian workers has never existed since the first century, because the training begins as being someone in church life. Then it’s a church planter who does the training, not a seminary. And then you can add to it, over half of them flunked. Brothers, I’m telling you what I’m watching. I’m watching to see if you are both gentle and loving toward God’s people and also stand like a rock… and as courageous as courage gets. Walk into any mess, anywhere, take a stand, and do something about it. Now those are two things that can be reconciled, but you’ve got to do it. But above all else is… will you hurt God’s people? And if you do, you’re out. And the other one is down deep in the belly: courage.

The ability to work with the church without hurting them when they are in need, and you step in and you say, we’re going to do this, we’re going to do this, we’re going to do this, and you don’t blink, and you’re not afraid. That’s pretty hard to do. By the way, in all of this, it’s unique and more interesting. Here’s a group of Christians who are going to meet…

(continued in Part 3)