Systems vs the Savior

With the commemoration of Jesus’s ascension today, it’s certainly worth taking time to consider Jesus’s work after His miraculous resurrection. The disciples had to be so confused and concerned after Jesus was crucified. Everything they thought they knew while they walked and talked with Jesus for three and a half years was turned upside down in one terrible day! Jesus did so many amazing miracles, boldly taught tremendous truth from God’s Word, speaking as one with authority. Jesus was not encumbered by possessions, popularity, or position. He was not impressed with the works or words of men, regardless of their status or intellect. Jesus spoke of things unseen, things unable to be scientifically measured by men. He made audacious claims of His deity and His home in Heaven. He clearly was led by a different spirit than the religious leaders. And the disciples were eyewitnesses of all of it! He not only taught but also empowered the disciples, sending them all into Israel to proclaim that the Kingdom of God was at hand. (Matthew 10:7) And then, a few days after His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, He was falsely arrested and brutally crucified. What darkness! And then… in three days, the Son rose again!

What victory! What glory! And yet, what confusion!

The disciples were most certainly still trying to understand what had actually happened, and what it was all about. Then, later that glorious Resurrection Day, Jesus immediately appeared in their midst. He breathed on them, inviting the disciples to receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:22) What amazing news! And yet there was more, so much more to come! John 14:12 reminds us of Jesus’s words, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” Regarding the many works of Jesus, John wrote, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written everyone, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen” John 21:25.

This 40-day period after Jesus’s resurrection was clearly crucial. It was a time of many infallible proofs. Acts 1 tells “of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after that He through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen: to whom also He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” Acts 1:1-3.

Jesus was neither mysterious nor mystical. He openly ate with the disciples; inviting them to handle Him, demonstrating that He was not some ethereal apparition. He lovingly and personally showed Himself to His disciples, instructing them and continuing to help them understand His amazing grace and truth. And Jesus now had His resurrected body. He was the first born from the dead! “And [Jesus] is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence” Colossians 1:18.

What a tremendous time indeed!!!

Perhaps the disciples were thinking that now Jesus was going to stay and set up His earthly kingdom. But soon they would be reminded of what He said in John 13 and 14.

“Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You shall seek Me: and as I said unto the Jews, Were I go, you cannot come; so now I say to you. Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know. Thomas saith unto Him, Lord, we know not where You go; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by Me. I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him: but you know Him; for He dwells with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world sees Me no more; but you see Me because I live, you shall live also. At that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” John 13:33-14:6,16-20.

Jesus had to leave them and send the Holy Spirit. His plan was most certainly to set up His kingdom, but not His physical kingdom headquartered in Jerusalem, at least not yet. He chose to first set up His spiritual kingdom… His bride… His church. He chose to first rule with His mercy, grace, truth, and love… spiritually dwelling in the hearts and minds of born-again individuals. His spiritual kingdom would allow for the doors of eternal life to be open to any and all who would simply choose to come to Him. And His disciples were chosen to be the first to share His glorious invitation in Jerusalem, all of Judea, Samaria, and then the outermost parts of the earth! (Acts 1:8)

Oh what a time! Any yet, perhaps a bit more confusion came when Jesus rose to Heaven after His time on earth. Jesus’ final earthly commands were written down in Acts 1:4-8.

“And, being assembled together with them, [Jesus]commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, said He, you have heard of Me. For John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of Him, saying, Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in His own power. But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” Acts 1:4-8.

And then His ascension…

“And when [Jesus] had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward Heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, You men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into Heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into Heaven” Acts 1:9-11. Things were still probably more than a little uncertain until that wonderful day at Pentecost.

THE CHURCH

Only after the Holy Spirit fell upon the apostles did their understanding truly become enlightened. Only after receiving the power of the Holy Spirit did they really begin to remember what Jesus had spoken, and perhaps for the first time they really began to understand the Kingdom Jesus had really been talking about. And think of all the Old Testament verses that were coming to life! The Church was born and built on the truth of God’s Word, the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit, all to the glory of the Father!!!

This was truly an amazing and unprecedented time! In one day, about 3,000 souls were saved and added to the Church. However, there was something else happening, something under the apostle’s radar… at least for a little while. Satan is not one to sit in self-pity. Just as God continued revealing His plan of salvation and sanctification, Satan also continued his plan of distraction, deception, and death. After Jesus’s resurrection, perhaps he had to change a few plays in his playbook, but it most likely didn’t take long for Satan to adjust to this new direction being revealed.

Just as God began to unveil His Church, Satan got right to work on continuing his false system, one that would pick up right where he left off. His false church would be filled with many of the systems and patterns already being performed in the man-made Jewish traditions that were really additions to God’s Word and God’s way. Satan’s false church would be filled with patterns and rituals that could be measured, seen, smelled, and tasted. His church would be filled with rules and regulations that would cause men to focus on themselves rather than God. His church would be filled with sacramental systems
that promised salvation, but in the end, would serve as traps to keep men from the truth. And sadly, many men would love to have it so. (See Jeremiah 5:30-31.)

SYSTEMS

The remainder of this article will pivot from the great news of God’s full, free, and finished work on the cross, Jesus’s victorious resurrection and amazing ascension to a few of the most prominent and steadfast man-made and man-centered systems found in organizations holding the title of church or ministry. This will by no means be exhaustive, nor will the remainder of this article serve to examine specific false doctrines. The goal here will be to give readers a broad overview that can hopefully provide a framework to help believers examine, expose, and encourage local fellowships. This article is also not intended to replace the leading of the Holy Spirit. It is every Christian’s privilege and purpose to first and foremost go to God’s Word in humility and prayer when seeking His direction.

When examining the general, man-made systems which have a great potential to keep us from growing in Christ, there are three basic areas worth keeping in mind: Structure, Doctrine, and Jesus. Much can be said on each of these. May this article be only the beginning, not the end of the examination.

STRUCTURE

This one is often the most difficult to discern from the outside looking in. If you are simply attending a local church but not deeply involved in serving, you may never really be able to see the infrastructure of how the church really operates. Structure here is focused on how each local church allows their pastor and leadership to function. Here are some questions worth asking… Can you approach your pastor? Can you talk with him? Is he open to biblical correction and accountability? Is he available for prayer? In larger churches, the “lead” pastor is typically too busy to sit down and speak with those who are part of their local body. If this is the case, are there other pastors who are available to minister to the people? If a church is too big for the “head” pastor to personally connect with all of the congregation, then one must ask if he is at least open to remaining biblically accountable. If someone hears something unbiblical or at least questionable, could that person approach the pastor in love to talk with him? If not, then there may very well be a structural issue.

Many times, churches tend to have teaching pastors who insulate and isolate themselves from the congregation. They are more like local celebrities that are rolled out on Saturday nights or Sunday mornings, and then they quickly retreat. There can also be strong pressure for staff to unquestionably conform to the “main” pastor’s views and directions. Understandably, a pastor certainly wants people who are similarly minded; however, no teacher/leader should want mindless yes-men surrounding him. If this is happening, then there is something seriously wrong with the structure of that local church. And regardless of the quality of each week’s teachings, if the structure is man-centered, the health of that fellowship will suffer. When searching the New Testament, namely Timothy and Titus, it is clear that the Lord has given certain roles to help the local church function orderly and biblically. We are told of the credentials needed for elders and deacons. And we are certainly told to rightly divide God’s Word. However, it’s interesting to note that very little is given in the New Testament regarding the actual structure of the local church. God does not tell us what day or time to meet. He does not tell us the order of a service or how big each congregation must be. We are not told whether to have music with or without instruments. Why is God silent, or at least quiet in so much of the church structure?

It is this writer’s opinion that there are at least two, maybe three reasons God has refrained from giving us a set format or system. First, refraining for a particular set structure allows for variety because there are a variety of believers. Some perhaps enjoy more music, while others are blessed with less music. Also, different cultures tend to have slightly different styles to their church services. Even in creation, God has given us so much variety, and it only seems reasonable that local churches ought also to enjoy the variety within the local body of believers. The second reason has to do with man’s propensity to worship the work of his hands. If we had a set structure or system specifically spelled out by God, sadly, many would likely begin worshipping the structure more than God. There is perhaps a third reason. Having little spelled out in Scripture regarding the local church’s set structure should cause every believer to diligently and thoughtfully search the Scriptures and the Lord’s will in prayer on these matters. This sincere searching is honoring to the Lord and should help us grow closer to Jesus in the process.

Regardless of the structure set in place, one thing is sure, we all must focus on having godly elders, pastors, teachers, deacons, and leaders who walk humbly before God and are approachable and accountable to their fellowship. There must NEVER be an attitude of producing mindless followers. And those part of a local fellowship must be careful never to fall for the temptation to elevate a man. That is NOT Biblical Christianity. That is a cultish mentality.

Regardless of a local church’s teachings, if that church is run with a heavy top down, pastor-ruled structure where it’s more important to have sheep following the church leaders, then that local church is clearly in an unbiblical place. Some local fellowships have chosen to have a plurality of elders teaching. Other churches have chosen to have a lead pastor who teaches and shepherds as the under-shepherd of the flock of God. Regardless of how a local fellowship chooses to structure itself, it must have checks and balances put in place to prevent the propagation of pride. This is an absolute necessity in order to guard against the devil’s schemes.

DOCTRINE

Even if the local church has a great structure, one which humbly allows for accountability and transparency, it will do no one any good if what’s allowed to flow through the congregation is false doctrine. Having an emphasis on sound, biblical doctrine and love… a genuine love for God’s Word is an absolute must! God’s Word must NEVER be neglected… NEVER! There is almost an endless supply of false doctrine in today’s post-modern, self-centered Christianity. While it is important to understand the specifics and dangers of particular doctrines, there are two main issues that most false doctrines deal with- Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. These seem to be the two main areas found at the center of every false teaching. And arguably, corrupting the truth of God’s Kingdom inevitably leads to the corruption of the King. So, we certainly could conclude that the most essential focus of attack is on the very character of Jesus Christ Himself. This only makes sense since He alone is our Creator, Savior, Sanctifier, Just Judge, and Coming King. He is God!

Remember two of the parables Jesus told…

Luke 19:11-15- “And as they heard these things, [Jesus] added and spoke a parable, because He was near to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.”

Luke 20:13-14 -“Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him. But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.”

Here is a little rhyme that recently came to mind…

Man, in his own efforts, can’t go up,
God, in His great love, came down,
Man lifted up Jesus to steal His crown.

If the teaching at a local fellowship is not emphasizing the weekly teaching of God’s Word, then something is not right. Are people growing in their knowledge of God’s Word and the love of Christ? Does there seem to be a distain for sound, biblical doctrine? Is the teaching focused more on psychological or ethical philosophies rather than teaching people to learn God’s Word from Genesis to Revelation?

There are four major dangers within many unhealthy congregations regarding doctrine. First, a focus on experience more than expositional teaching of God’s Word. Second, there is often an allegorizing of the Bible. Too often, teachers seeking to distort the truth will resort to turning God’s Words into allegories. That is to say, they don’t allow Scripture to be read or taught in context. Rather, they pull it out of its intended meaning and attempt to make it mean whatever fancies their pet philosophies. This pattern originated with Satan when he spoke to Eve in the garden. “Did God really say???” (Genesis 3:1). Augustine was a master at allegorizing God’s Word. Many very popular and successful teachers of today employ this method, especially those found in the Faith Movement and New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). Teachers like Steven Furtick are masters at manipulating God’s Word, making the words sound mystical, when in actuality, these teachers are simply manipulating the hearers to follow them instead of God.

The third area of danger is often thought of as the counter to the first two. And its claim is often biblical, yet when its teachings are carefully examined, they are much more philosophical than biblical. Dogmas will often replace doctrine. Tradition is often the replacement for truth. These churches can be difficult to navigate because people who leave experiential churches lacking the careful teaching of God’s Word can often get duped by bold orators who sound biblical, yet in actuality, are simply philosophers of tradition and dogmas founded upon early “church” writers. These teachers may speak with boldness and charisma, yet their words often lead men further from the eternal freedom found in Jesus. Those in reformed and Calvinistic churches certainly would employ these systems.

The fourth area of concern is sacramentalism. This is the teaching that performing certain works in addition to believing in Jesus’s work on the cross must be obeyed in order to be fully forgiven by God. Simply put, these churches would teach that it’s Jesus plus our works. These would include Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism, Church of Christ, etc. The concern here is the doctrine of sacramentalism itself being unbiblical. These churches lean heavily both on man-made traditions and sacramentalism. They would say there are other works ordained by God, the Bible, and church tradition that are necessary for
salvation. Often, water baptism is said to be necessary for salvation. The Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches also teach forms of partial forgiveness found in the eucharist/communion elements called transubstantiation or consubstantiation. This fourth area deals with dogmas and doctrines that are purely salvific in nature. Therefore, if someone is part of a local church teaching that a person MUST do something more than simply believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved, he is part of church outside of true, biblical Christianity. If a person considers himself to be born again because of his belief alone in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, then these man-made churches and their self-centered salvation systems must be avoided.

JESUS CHRIST

There is so much to be said in this section. Christ is the Head of the Church. He is our Husband, and we are His bride. The local church must never lose sight of their true Husband. No man can ever replace Jesus, not even a mighty man of God. We are people, so we tend to become enamored with people, and Christians are no different. May we never lose sight of Jesus Christ! He is the reason for everything. Is Psalm 40:7, writing about Jesus, it says, “Lo, in the volume of the book it is written of me.” The entire Bible points to Him. Each part of our church service should point us closer to Jesus. The music should not point to the musicians. The lights and events should never be the focus. We are not to grow in love with some experiential and emotional false Jesus, but we should adore the true and living God revealed to us by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures!

In Matthew 24, Jesus warned the disciples that there would be many false Christs trying to draw away many. Systems are a very easy way to get our eyes off the Savior. I have told my students many times that I can easily set up systems in the classroom that can prevent them from thinking. What if a teacher introduces several new systematic procedures to the classroom? First, every ten minutes, students must stand and clap their hands five times. Every seven minutes, the boys must jump three times, and the girls must all switch desks. And on and on it goes until the teacher incorporates so many rules that the students have no time to really think. This is the danger and goal of many systems set in place throughout the centuries. They are not designed to allow for real growth in the Lord. They are developed to keep people chained up and weighted down, focusing on the temporary, and forgetting the amazing and eternal blessings available to them in Christ Jesus.

No man can ever… ever replace Jesus. No opportunity within a fellowship, no friendship, no activities, no music, no teaching can ever replace the love we should have for Jesus. And the only way to love Jesus is to understand and know Him more. This does not start with attending a local church once or twice a week for maybe one to two hours each time. It is essential that we walk and talk with Jesus each and every day, reading His Word to know Him more. Then we should gather together, not forsaking the assembling together as is the manner of some, so we can come together to express our deep, deep adoration to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

God makes it so simple, and yet the enemy of our souls has purposely desired to make it so complicated and confusing. Consider 2 Corinthians 11:2-4, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you might well bear with him.”

What were the apostles spending much of their time refuting? Supposed converts to Christianity were going everywhere, spreading their “good news” of God’s grace, but were mixing the truth with their false systems, systems riddled with ridiculous rules and regulations all designed to replace the relationship we are to find in Christ alone. Oh, the terrible danger of false systems. They directly oppose the truth. They distort the real Jesus and replace Him with an unholy, devilish substitute. Let us never stray from the simplicity that’s in Christ!

Jesus is the Light of the World, the Good Shepherd, the Door, The Vine, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Jesus alone is the Bread of Life. He is the Word of God and the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world! He is the only begotten of the Father. He is Wonderful, Counselor, Almighty God, and the Prince of Peace. Of His kingdom, there will be no end. And although the spiritual kingdom is still growing, He will soon return for His bride and then return with His bride to put His feet upon the Mount of Olives. The Jewish people will look upon the One whom they pierced and mourn as one who mourns for his only son. Then and only then will He finally and physically rule and reign from Jerusalem! Every knee will eventually bow and every tongue confess the truth about Jesus!

But why wait? Why not draw closer to the true Jesus today? May we never allow our confusion to cloud our way, but rather allow the Light and Love of Jesus Christ to shine bright, bringing true and everlasting understanding so we can grow much fruit for our good and God’s glory, both now and forever! May we seek God’s true and eternal kingdom, desperately desiring the rightful King to both sit on the throne of men’s hearts and someday soon, His physical throne in Jerusalem!

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” 1 Timothy 2:5-6.

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? She said unto Him, Yea, Lord: I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world” John 11:25-27.

“And I saw Heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True… And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 19:11,16