Learn more about you, your life, Acts 20/20 and Jesus Christ:
It is every Pastor's desire to see the fruit of his labor and be pleasing to the one that called him to be a Pastor in the first place. When our life is over and we stand before the judgement seat of Christ we want Him to be able to say, Well Done, thou good and faithful servant.
It is not easy for a Pastor to do things that will get people's attention and bring them back because he is competing for people's attention. There is so much competion to the church like television, sports and families working two jobs or more to survive. In addition to this the conditions around the world are working to destroy the family make up.
The issue and problem is, what does God want us to concentrate on as Pastors and Ministers. What is valuable to Him? What is His Vision and concerns?
God's Vision and concerns are, The Great Commission and He is not willing that that any should perish. He put a plan into place before the foundation of the earth and through the sacrifice and shed blood of Jesus He made a way that people could live with Him forever.
This same people are, also the Bride of Christ. She is being made ready for Jesus to come and get her soon. She is to be cleansed from, spot, blemish or wrinkle.
We would like to review the five day Bible Conference that was held in held in Lagos, Nigeria in November, 2008.
We will be covering how Pastors can double the size of their congregation every 12 months and how the Five Fold Ministry can multiply their outreach by joining forces together as co-laborers of God.
When Jesus left the earth to go home to the Father He gave gifts to the church in the form of men with Speacial assignments and giftings. The scriptural name of these leaders are;
1. The Apostles
2. Prophets
3. Evangelists
4. Pastors
5. And Teachers
These are also refered to as the Five Fold Ministry.
The responsibility of these positions are, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ – until we all come into the unity of faith. Ephesians 4:11-13
God is reaffirming His love for these ministers as His under Shepard’s. Each of you, are more valuable to God, than all of the world and all of the things there in.
Remember that God’s first PRIORITY is a personal relationship with each and every minister, above everything else. God is asking us, to Snuggle so close to Him, that we can hear His heart beat, and see what He sees through His eyes.
God is asking us to, Refocus on the Leadership of the Holy Spirit.
Why, is God focusing on the church leadership at this time?
If we have gotten off course, then we need to be willing to, make course corrections as necessary, like an airplane would, when it has been blown off course because of the storms of life.
With out a VISION, My people perish. Proverbs 29:18
This is WHERE and HOW, to double the size of your church every twelve months begins .
Pastors need to be contagious and encourage, the board, staff, Sunday school teachers and any one else that is involved in the church to return to their first love with the Lord. God is calling His people to come boldly to the Throne of Grace and to Snuggle up to Him. (Hebrews $:16)We need to teach the team effort approach as co-laborers with God, to all of the people that work in the church. It is imperative for everyone to have God’s vision and for all of the Church to have the same goals and Vision.
Every person in the church that is faithfully doing his or her assignment, will get the same rewards as the Pastor. It is a team effort.
Start grooming Sunday School Teachers, and teacher assistants, and others workers in the church. Prepare for church growth and a balanced body ministry.
Begin teaching Personal Evangelism to every person in the Church. That is covered in Lesson 13 in The Growing in Grace Manual.
Start reaching out to others. Review Isaiah 58:6-12, this is where God says, "Is this not the fast that I want"-- In the four Gospels, Jesus met the needs of people first and then He shared the Kingdom of God.
Continue to remain focused on your personal fellowship with God and the Leadership of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, we get so busy that we forget Whose work, we are doing.
Watch the Lord confirm His Word, when we preach and teach what He asked us to do. It is impossible not to grow, when we follow the Lord’s instructions. An example is in- Mark 16:14-20.
Watch the Fruit of the Spirit bloom in the body of Christ, the Church.
Focus, on the Leadership of the Holy Spirit. This is covered in Lesson 6, in The Growing in Grace Manual.
1. Jesus said, “Apart from me you can not do anything” – John 15:5
2. The Spirit intercedes for us according to the will of God -
Romans 8:26-28
3. We need to be Learning to hear and recognize our Lord’s voice as
away of life.
4. Jesus said in John 10:1-15 and Romans 8:14. “And they shall know
My voice” –
5. We need to be obedient to what He tells us. Be a doer of the Word.
6. Through Prayer, - Intercession, - Quiet time. We are taught that,
Those that wait upon the Lord shall, renew their strength —
Isaiah 40:31 And then we are to Seek ye first the Kingdom of
God and it’s righteousness – in Matthew 6:33
7. When you are in your quiet time, Start journaling, write down your
spontaneous thoughts and what God is telling you so that you can
review it and stay on tract.
Listen to your spirit not your head.
8. Compare your journal notes to scripture.
By living and teaching God’s three Priorities the Lord will make us very fruitful.
Those three priorities are;
1. Deepen your relationship with the Lord.
2. Teach every born again Christian to be a soul winner.
3. Develop strong New Believer and Discipleship programs.
In Learning to Share God’s Love, we will be an example to others and they will want to have what we have. They will know that you are a Christian by your love. Here are some suggested ways to apply your outreach, through--
Jesus said that He would make us fishers of men and it takes different kinds of bait for the different kinds of fish.
There are NO provision in Scripture for spectators or retirement!
Pastors, after you have reviewed and renewed God’s vision and instructions with everyone in the church, and you have put it into operation, then you can pass the new converts class and discipleship training to another person. That way, you can focus on other subjects and the management of the church. You must stay behind the people who are involved in the soul winning and the discipleship training programs, because, the program will die if you don’t.
DON’T STOP!
Keep Grooming Sunday School Teachers, assistants, and others-
Remain focused on the fellowship with God and the Leadership of the Holy Spirit.
Watch the Lord confirm His Word, by the evidence, of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Refer to the four Gospels and Acts.
Watch the Fruit of the Spirit bloom and the Gift’s of the Spirit become active in the body of Christ, the Church. 1 Corinthians chapter 12
No church can grow past the Pulpit and no Pulpit can grow past it’s relationship with the Lord.
God is asking men and women to step forward in faith and take Him at His Word. Mark 16:15-26 Romans 12:1-12 says, Present your body as a living sacrifice, which is your reasonable service.
That call, The Great Commission, those instructions and the Lord working with us, confirming the Word, is still in effect today. The New Covenant that was ushered in by the Holy Spirit 2000 years ago is, still 100% in force today and will be until Jesus comes to get His Bride.
Here is a word of Prophecy the Lord gave me;
God says, “My Word does not return to Me void, but it accomplishes what I have sent it to do”. Isaiah 56:11
The Lord also says, I sent My living Word to seek and to save that, which was lost.
My Son said, “As the Father sent Me, so send I you”.
For three years I taught you how to lead people to My Father’s Kingdom and how they should live a Kingdom life.
Then I gave to you the Keys and the Power of the Kingdom to go and do the job that I trained you to do.
I say again, I want you to return to the original instructions and do what I asked you to do.
Here are the results that you can expect if you will step forward in faith and follow My instructions and the leadership of the Holy Spirit whom I sent to guide, lead and teach you.
If you have a congregation of 50 people and you start teaching personal evangelism and discipleship to the depth that they realize that this is what I want, I can confirm the Word as I did in times before.
If each person will lead one person to me, per year (Some may not be in position to do this, but, remember some 30 fold, some 60 fold and some 100 fold) your congregation will double in six months. If you continue in obedience to the instructions I have given you, your congregation can double again in 12 to 18 months.
You must remember, what, My priorities are, and allow them to become a way of life. I am not so concerned about the numbers, but that you have finally received, My vision, to seek and to save that, which was lost.
I paid the price on the cross so that you and they might spend eternity with the Father and I in the place that We have prepared for you.
Be encouraged Pastors and Ministers. Listen to what the Lord is saying and lay down your own yoke and pick up His yoke. The Lord is asking you to make course corrections by returning to His original instructions, which starts with a personal relationship with the Father. AMEN
Given by the Lord in 2002.
Now, the next step.
How to multiply God’s work.
Each of us should contact at least one Pastor per month and share God’s Vision and His three priorities with him or her and that would apply to reaching all ministers whether they are a Pastor or not.
We suggest having a Minister’s Rally at least every ninety days to review and to lift each other up and to discuss ways to make adjustments in how we are doing God’s work. It takes different types of bait for different types of fish, so it is with being a fisher of men.
We need to set goals if we are going to achieve what God has asked us to do. A goal is a Vision and without a Vision we perish.
Jesus said in John 17:11, “Father I pray that they will be one with us as you and I are one”. He also said, “ I pray for the future believers because of the testimony of these”. In that same chapter Jesus said, that God loves you as much as He loves His Son Jesus.
These rallies can be flexible. You could invite a guest speaker and a guest singer or music group. The main focus should be on the Lord’s work with prayer and fasting.
Remember, Opposition is normal to your work for the Lord and our enemy does not like what you are doing. Paul said, that you are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus that strengthens you.
A word from the Lord.
Return to your 1st love, which is, a close fellowship with me. Close enough, that you can hear my heart beat, and you can re-catch my vision.
Learn to be led by My Spirit in your daily walk, step by step, so that you are carrying My burden (Cross) and not your own. My burden is easy and my yoke is light. Your yoke is killing you prematurely and you are not able to accomplish what I have asked you to do.
Come unto Me and I will give you rest. Bask in My love. Drink of My water. Snuggle up to me. With out Me, you can not do anything. By My Spirit, you can do everything.
I said, if I be lifted up, I would draw all men unto myself.
I said, go and make disciples, teaching people to follow Me, proclaiming the Gospel, the Cross and the resurrection and walking in righteousness, because I said, be ye Holy as I am Holy.
Being fruitful, (Evangelism) brings Glory to My Father. My Father’s house has many mansions and they are not full. These are the last days and I have said, go and compel them to come in.
Prepare the Bride for the wedding feast, for I am coming for a Bride that is with out spot, blemish or wrinkle in her spirit. Keep your lamps trimmed and full of oil, so that you will be ready when I come for My Bride.
That was given by the Lord in 2002
Prepared by Acts 20/20 Ministries
Rev. Terry K. Pickle, Director