Spiritual Life Report
Processed for presentation to the 51st General Council, August 2-5, 2005, Denver, Colorado. 2005 Spiritual Life Committee: Chairman Ron McManus, Isaac Canales, Deborah Gill, Randy Hurst, Don Meyer and selected pastors consulted. The General Council of the Assemblies of God, 1445 N. Boonville Avenue, Springfield, MO 65802-1894
The committee met to seek God regarding its assignment.
Throughout the history of our Fellowship, the Spiritual Life Report has been intended to offer a timely prophetic word to the Fellowship.
The Spiritual Life Committee took very seriously the responsibility of seeking to hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
When the Lord appeared to John while he was “in the Spirit” on the island of Patmos to prepare the Church for the last days, Christ chose to say two things to the Church of that day and, we believe, to the Church today:
First, the Lord indicated He would continue to speak to His Church, to shape it, and to press His claims upon it. It is His Church; He died for it. And He will not allow it to become less than what He ordained it to be.
Second, He wanted the Church to know that He had won the ultimate victory—the Church should celebrate! Jesus has conquered death, hell, and the grave and is alive forevermore!
In the Lord’s appearance to John on the island of Patmos, He spoke to seven churches in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). To each of those churches, He revealed their spiritual condition, how they should repent, and what God had prepared for them. To each of these churches He declared, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:29, NKJV). May God help us today to press through the myriad of voices that are speaking to us and cause us to hear clearly what the Spirit is saying to our Fellowship.
We believe the Lord desires to do the same to each of us today. The Spiritual Life Committee’s report focuses on three questions:
1) What is the Spirit saying to our Fellowship?
2) What is the Spirit saying to your church/ministry?
3) What is the Spirit saying to you personally?
The committee prayerfully addressed these three questions. The questions were shared with a select group of pastors from across our Fellowship. Their input confirmed and supplemented that of the Spiritual Life Committee and is integrated in this report.
The first-century New Testament Church is our example. This Church changed the world. From an assembly of three thousand people on the Day of Pentecost, believers moved into their world and, according to history, essentially turned it upside down. By the third century the known world was largely Christian. The principles, practices, and priorities of this New Testament Church must be revived in the Church today.
The principles of this church included humility of spirit. The apostles and early Christians consciously depended upon the Holy Spirit in everything they did. They acknowledged that without the Spirit’s help they could not accomplish the work of the Kingdom. Their decisions were based on what they believed the Spirit was saying. Acts 15:28 states, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us,” acknowledging this reliance on the Spirit.
Servant leadership was a key principle of the Church. Jesus said, “The greatest among you will be your servant” (Matthew 23:11, NIV). Unfortunately many of today’s churches are moving toward adopting corporate CEO models of leadership. Servant leadership is essential if the Kingdom is to be advanced in these days. In the New Testament Church, believers preferred one another—rather than competing with one another in ministry.
The practices of the first-century Church are a pattern for us to follow. Early Christians lived together in biblical relationship. They modeled the kingdom of God on earth. Their loving fellowship was a magnet to a spiritually hungry world. The manifestation or practice of koinonia must be renewed in the body of Christ if we are to be the Church that Jesus will use in these last days.
The New Testament Church sought the guidance of the Holy Spirit in evangelism. It was a common practice for believers to pray, seeking the Spirit’s direction, before people were sent out in ministry. They maintained spiritual disciplines—continuing in the apostles’ doctrine and prayer (Acts 2:42).
The priority of the first-century Church was the preaching of the Cross. Their message was Christ-centered. Present-day trends pressure Christians toward unity, but often leave Jesus out of the equation. The message of the first-century Church was focused on the person of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit came to exalt Jesus and to make Him known. The apostle Paul wrote, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18, NIV).
The Spirit is calling the Church back to the basics—to the divinely mandated mission of the Church. The Early Church continued in the apostles’ doctrine (discipleship), breaking of bread (fellowship), and the Lord added to the Church daily those that were being saved (evangelism) (Acts 2:42). The Spirit is calling the Church back to its original priorities. So much baggage can be added to church institutions that the Church’s message becomes diluted and its priorities become weakened. The Spirit is calling the Church to the priority of living out Christ’s gospel in the marketplace—bringing people to the cross of Jesus Christ.
Question One: What Is The Holy Spirit Saying To Our Fellowship?
The Assemblies of God began as a Fellowship in 1914. Brothers and sisters touched by the Holy Spirit met together in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and linked together in a Fellowship. Their objective was to send missionaries around the world, to create a publishing arm that would report on the Pentecostal revival, insure a unity in sound biblical doctrine, and produce Pentecostal curriculum to develop Spirit-filled disciples. Those purposes have been maintained.
God raised up this Fellowship because the traditional denominations of the day would not respond to what the Holy Spirit was saying to the Church. The question for us today is: Will we hear the voice of the Spirit for these last days and be the Church that the Lord can use to touch this generation? Or, will He have to raise up others because of our inability or unwillingness to be pliable, flexible, and responsive to the Spirit’s voice?
The word to the Church as a whole can be personalized to us today. As we examine the principles, practices, and priorities of the first-century Church, the Spirit will speak to our Fellowship.
PRINCIPLES
A spirit of true humility must be recaptured among us. It is easy to become dependent upon our resources, programs, and systems to try to fulfill the purposes of God. This is the history of most denominations. May it not be so for the Assemblies of God. We must make a fresh commitment to the fact that it is “ ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit’ says the Lord Almighty,” (Zechariah 4:6, NIV). We are still completely and totally dependent upon the Lord to build His Church. Humility of spirit demands that we acknowledge that all that we are and all we have are a result of what God has done.
Leadership is a popular subject today. We are grateful for the training that enables our men and women to be more effective in church leadership. But let us reaffirm that what our churches and communities need from us more than anything else is spiritual leadership. They need to know that those who lead the church are in tune with the Spirit, hear from the Lord, and personally respond to His promptings. The Lord has not called us to be lords over the church, but to serve the church. Jesus said in Matthew 23:11, “But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant” (NKJV). It is impossible for an insecure leader to be a servant leader. The Scriptures record that Jesus, knowing where He had come from and where He was going, took a towel and began to wash the disciples’ feet at the Last Supper (John 13:3–5). May every spiritual leader in our Fellowship not seek the accolades and the approval of man, but be secure in what God has called each of us to be. Only then will we effectively serve the church and be God’s instruments to lead the church in these last days.
Rather than trying to change the world, the New Testament Church concentrated on being the living representation of the kingdom of God on Earth. This was a church that loved and served people. The “one another” principle is found throughout the New Testament—believers loved one another, served one another, prayed for one another, ministered to one another, gave life to one another. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4 that, if God-given ministries will function as He ordained, the Body will be thoroughly equipped for ministry—the result being that the Church will be built up as people grow into spiritual maturity.
This Church believed that the gifts of the Spirit and supernatural workings were to be common among them. They refused to water down the Pentecostal message.
Let us understand that we can reach this generation most effectively through the preaching of Jesus and His saving work on the Cross, anointed and empowered by the Holy Spirit, with signs following. The postmodern world is hungry for the supernatural. Let a fresh hunger be created in the hearts of every pastor and spiritual leader to see the Spirit work in supernatural power in every local church and ministry associated with this Fellowship. The greatest revival around the world is a Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, supernatural movement.
PRACTICES
This first-century Church practiced the guidance of the Holy Spirit in evangelism. They trusted the Lord to lead them to those who were spiritually hungry and ready to receive the message. We must help people in our churches to become sensitized to the Holy Spirit’s desire to lead them daily to reach and touch people with the life and power of Jesus Christ.
PRIORITIES
The first-century Church maintained priorities that helped them remain sensitive to what the Spirit was saying. The first-century Church did not stray from their mission. Today many local churches function in an identity crisis. Spiritual trends, programs, and methodologies come and go, but the divinely mandated priorities of the Church must be maintained. Acts 2:42 states that the Church continued in the apostles’ doctrine, preaching and teaching of the Word—and prayer. They practiced lives of prayer. They lived in spiritual fellowship with one another, and they lived out the Kingdom in the world to such an extent that people were added to the Church daily.
Tragically, the Church has moved away from these first-century priorities. New Testament believers were not consumers, but producers. They did not just go to church; they were the Church. Evangelism was not a program, but a lifestyle. They were not inward-focused. They were outward-focused.
One of Jesus’ parables concerned wineskins (Luke 5:37,38). He taught that if new wine is poured into old wineskins, they will explode. But if all the residue is removed from the old wineskin, it becomes pliable again. Then when new wine is placed in it, it can stretch and receive the new wine. The Lord is speaking to His Church today to become pliable and responsive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. Methods that were effective twenty years ago may not be today. We must evaluate every program and ministry based upon its fruitfulness. We must become flexible and receptive, so we can both hear and obey what the Spirit is saying to the Church. As an outflow of the priorities in Acts 6, the Word of God spread and the numbers of disciples were multiplied.
Question Two: What Is The Spirit Saying To Your Church/Ministry?
God has a specific plan for every church and ministry. The local church is the expression of God’s redemptive purposes in this world. Every church should be a prophetic voice in its community. Every church should equip and develop God’s people for works of service, so that the Kingdom can be built up and the gifts of ministry can be released—not only to affect the church but also its community and the world.
The message of the church should be Christ-centered. Jesus must be exalted. Every ministry of the church should continually evaluate its effectiveness based on whether the Kingdom is being expanded—and the Lord is adding to the church.
When the Lord spoke to the seven churches in Revelation, in each case there was an assessment—an evaluation—of that church’s condition. Are we willing to honestly evaluate the effectiveness of our church and ministry? Unless we understand where we are, it is difficult to know where we should go. And so the question for every church/ministry must be: Where are we? What needs to be changed?
We need to ask God to forgive us for our failures. When we recognize any place of ineffectiveness in evangelism, worship, or discipleship, we must be willing to humble ourselves and repent. We must pray, “Lord, forgive our failure to reach the lost in our community. Lord, forgive our failure to worship You in spirit and in truth. Forgive our failure to disciple people to spiritual maturity. Lord, forgive us for allowing our church to be ignored in our community.”
The third thing the Spirit spoke to each church in Revelation was a word of direction. No church has a future unless its dreams are bigger than its memories. May God help us to seek Him until we capture a vision that will propel us into the days ahead. God give us pastoral leaders who can clearly articulate to our congregations the unique vision God has given for each church and ministry. A vision cannot be birthed from a book. We can learn much from other people and their ministries, but God has a unique plan for every church and ministry. Our responsibility is to find what God is saying to each of us specifically.
The last thing said to each of the seven churches is, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:29, NKJV). Each of us will choose whether or not we are willing to hear. The Spiritual Life Committee is convinced that the Spirit is speaking to the leadership of the Church today. The question for each of us personally and specifically is: Are we open to hear what the Spirit is saying to us? Are we willing to evaluate where we are, repent of where we have failed, and obey the Spirit’s marching orders for our future? Each of us must make that choice.
Question Three: What Is God Saying To You Personally?
No church or ministry ever grows or is sustained beyond its leadership. Each of us must decide if we will grow in our character, in our relationships, and in our effectiveness. Does our ministry demonstrate soundness of speech, faith, and doctrine?
Character
No one person can grow beyond his or her personal walk with the Lord. We must each do some soul-searching concerning our relationship with Jesus. We must live what we preach and teach. We must ask ourselves: Am I a person of integrity? Do I maintain spiritual disciplines of prayer and personal devotion in the Word? Am I accountable in my life to others?
Relationships
Am I becoming more effective in my relationship skills? Do I recognize my need for others in ministry? Am I investing in someone else’s life and ministry? Do I keep short accounts of hurts and injustices?
Effectiveness
Am I continuing to learn and grow in ministry skills? Am I resourcing my life? Am I reaching toward my potential in Christ? Am I willing to change?
Soundness
In Paul’s admonition to Timothy and Titus, he used the Greek word translated “sound,” from which the English word “hygiene” is derived, indicating being whole and healthy. He refers to “sound words” (2 Timothy 1:13, KJV), “sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1, KJV), “sound in faith” (Titus 2:2, KJV), and “sound speech” (Titus 2:8, KJV). Paul also said that believers must have a “sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7, KJV), meaning one that is prudent and self-controlled. Does our ministry demonstrate soundness in our preaching and in our communication? Is there consistency in our ministry?
These are questions each of us must prayerfully evaluate. Every leader has a responsibility to mentor a new generation of leaders in this Fellowship. All of us are where we are today because someone believed in us. Someone invested in us and made an impact on our lives. God help us to grasp our responsibility to others.
The revelation of Jesus to John on the island of Patmos was an incredible moment. John was the last living apostle. He had walked with Jesus. He had lived with Jesus. He had served the Lord faithfully. He could have spent the final days of his life regretting all he could or should have done. He could have become angry and bitter over the injustices he had faced or his circumstances on Patmos. But John made a choice. He said, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.” He chose to worship and praise God in spite of his past failures and present circumstances. In that atmosphere, Jesus appeared to him.
Our prayer, as we conclude this Spiritual Life Report today, is that we will each respond to God with gratitude for all He has done to bring us to where we are. In spite of our faults, failures, and inadequacies, God has been faithful to us. He is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory. He is worthy to be worshipped. And as we worship Him, may we today catch a fresh glimpse—a fresh revelation—of who He is.
He comes to speak to His Church in these days to reveal where we are, to encourage us, to urge us to repent of our sins, and to give us our marching orders for the future.
We are asking every pastor, every ministry leader, every lay leader in this place to turn to Him today and seek Him “in the Spirit.” The risen and glorified Son of God seated at the right hand of the Father has come to reveal himself to us—to prepare us for these last days of harvest. If you can see Jesus today, you will be changed. If you can see Jesus today, you will know that the future is secured. If you can see Jesus today, you will know that He has come to touch you, to change you and to make you the leader you need to be. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:29, NKJV).
Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org) Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®; NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
