RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOKS
Supernatural: The wonderful name of Jesus by
E. W Kenyon & The Holy Spirit
and His Gifts by Kenneth E. Hagin
The Ministry Gifts: The Ministry Gifts by Kenneth
E. Hagin & He gave Gifts
unto men is by Kenneth E. Hagin
Evangelism & Mission: Biblical Foundations &
Contemporary Strategies of
Missions by Gailyn Van Rheenen
Healing Video: How to heal the sick by Charles
& Frances Hunter
CM 101 – SUPERNATURAL SERIES
CLASS 1 – THE COMPONENTS OF
SUPERNATURAL LIVING
Objective: To instruct on the plan, purpose
and tools of God for supernatural living
Outline:
􀂾 Introduction
􀂾 The
name of Jesus
􀂾 The
Gifts of the Spirit
􀂾 Vital
Truths on Spiritual Gifts
􀂾 The
ministry of Angels
􀂾 Visions
and Revelations
􀂾 Supernatural
Vs Spectacular
Introduction
The word Supernatural means above and beyond the
natural. It speaks of a world that is superior to this natural world that
everybody is accustomed to. God lives in this supernatural world. He operates
and conducts things according to the laws of the supernatural. The supernatural
world is basically a world of the spirit. John 4:24 declares that God is
a spirit. God is a spirit that lives by the laws of the supernatural. The
spirit realm is superior to the senses and it is the realm of God.
Man is a spirit being in the class of God according
to Genesis 1:26. He was created so that he
can be the associate and companion of deity. God
gave him authority over all the laws of nature and every living thing was
subject to him. He had absolute authority over everything on earth.
He was in the natural world but lived a supernatural
life.
However, as soon as sin entered, man’s connection
with God was cut off. The supply of life was cut and he became spiritually
dead. His spirit received the nature of Satan and he became subject to his
senses. Hence he descended from the supernatural to the natural. The
Supernatural is living by the spirit while the natural is living by the senses.
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross provided the way out of the misery
of being subject to the laws of nature for man. The death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ gives man the opportunity to climb back into the realm of supernatural.
The new creation, which is the product of the sacrifice of Jesus, is redeemed
from the curse so that he can live a
supernatural life.
There are two sides to the realm of the
supernatural. Until Satan rebelled against God in heaven this was not so. But
when the Devil rebelled with the one third of angels now regarded as demons
another level of the supernatural realm emerged.
Ezekiel 28:16,17
By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with
violence, and
thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of
God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones
of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted
thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will
lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
This is known as negative supernatural. It is a dark
world. Every unregenerate spirit without
Christ is subject to this kind of supernatural. All
the forces of hell including powers,
principalities and spiritual wickedness in high
places operate from this realm.
Ephesians 6:12 -
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places.
The good news is that you don’t have to be subject
to the negative supernatural. The blood of
Jesus has liberated you from the influence of this
darkness and empowered you to live
supernaturally like Jesus did while He was on earth.
The name of Jesus
Mark 16:17 And
these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out
devils; they
shall speak with new tongues;
John 14:13,14
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be
glorified in the
Son.
John 16:23,24
And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Whatsoever ye
shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked
nothing in my
name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full
The name of Jesus is a major part of the
supernatural lifestyle of a new creation. Through the
name we have access into the supernatural life that
a Christian has been called into. All the
power and all the authority that Jesus has is
invested in His name. When a believer stands before God in the name of Jesus
God sees Him the same way He sees Jesus. Jesus is not on earth physically but
He is with us in power and in the authority of His name.
How did Jesus get such a powerful name?
1. By Inheritance
Jesus received an excellent name because He is a son
of God. So He inherited a great name by the virtue of the fact that He has a
great father.
Hebrews 1:4 -
Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a
more excellent name than they.
2. By Conquest
Jesus received a powerful name because of what He
accomplished. He conquered death and hell in His sacrificial death and in
return God gave Him a great name that is loaded with authority.
Ephesians
1:19-22 - And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who
believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in
Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in
the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and
dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in
that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be
the head over all things to the church,
3. By Bestowal
The name of Jesus was bestowed on Him as a form of
honor. God did not just honor Jesus with a great name when He was raised from
the dead but also made Him to sit with Him at His right hand far above
principalities, powers and spiritual wickedness.
Philippians
2:9-11 - Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which
is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things
in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.
There are two major use of the name of Jesus in the
New Testament.
a) The name of Jesus is used to access the throne of
God in prayer. This is connected to the
fact that new creations are the righteousness
of God in Christ Jesus. So when you pray in
Jesus name it is like Jesus talking to the Father. John
16:23,24.
b) The name of Jesus is also used to take authority
over the forces of hell. This is different
from talking to the father in prayer. Rather, it is
about making demands based on your right as a child of God over the works of
darkness. It is literally giving commands to Satan and the host of hell. The
Devil must obey when such commands are given because according to the
scriptures he has been defeated already.
Colossians
2:14,15 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which
was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And
having spoiled
principalities
and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
The Gifts of the Spirit
The Gifts of the Spirit are supernatural tools
specially endowed on individual believers for the purpose of ministry. The
gifts of the Spirit should not be confused with vocational gifts which are
simply natural abilities and talents. Unlike vocational gifts which are
permanently resident in an individual, the gifts of the Spirit are expressed in
an individual by the leading of the Spirit.
Simply put, individuals call the shot where
vocational gifts are concerned but God calls the shot where spiritual gifts are
concerned. Vocational gifts are your gifts whereas Gifts of the Spirit are the
manifestations of the Holy Spirit. A good example of vocational gift is a
musical talent.
Natural abilities and talents can be anointed by the
Holy Spirit. Romans 12:8 talks about the gift of leadership which is not
in any way related to the Gifts of the Spirit - he that ruleth, with
diligence. Often times, people are endowed
with vocational gifts, ministry gifts and gifts of the Spirit to fulfill their
purpose. These different kinds of gifts work together to bring out the fullness
of God’s purpose, however we need to identify each one of them to avoid
confusion.
Vocational Gifts are natural abilities, skills and
talents that are placed in individuals by God for the fulfillment of their
God-given purpose. These gifts can be put to use at any given time
without a direct prompting from God. Individuals are
completely in charge of them. They
function in your life whether you are saved or not.
Ministry Gifts are supernatural leadership gifts
specially endowed on individuals in the body of Christ for the purpose of
believer’s development into maturity. There are five of them: Apostles, Prophets,
Teachers, Pastors and Evangelists. These are also called ministry offices.
Gifts of the Spirit or Spiritual
gifts are the
manifestations of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life
given to profit individual Christians and the Church
as a whole. Unlike vocational gifts, the
believers at will cannot activate these. The Holy
Spirit, as a result of His sovereign will, initiates them in the life of
believers. These gifts are not activated purely by faith but on the other hand,
the exercise of faith through prayers plays a role in activating them, by
creating an atmosphere in which the Holy Spirit can act.
There are nine of them and these are: Divers of
tongues, Interpretation of tongues, Prophecy,
Words of knowledge, Words of wisdom, Discerning of
spirits, Gifts of healing, Working of
miracles and Gift of special faith.
1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning
spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
The Word gift in I Corinthians 12:1 is an
italicized insertion by the translators of the King James’ version of the
Bible. The original Greek renders it, ‘now concerning spirituals …’. These
refer to things of and pertaining to the Holy Spirit in general and not only to
the gifts of the Spirit. So what is referred to as the Gifts of the Spirit or
Spiritual gifts can also be referred to as spirituals”.
A good knowledge of these spirituals is needful so
that saints can intelligently cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and flow with Him
to obtain the best that God desires for His children.
The Gifts of the Spirit in an
overview
The Gifts of the Spirit can be broken down into three
major categories based on their functions.
These categories are
Utterance Gifts: These are gifts which when in
manifestation say something.
Under utterance gifts we have Divers of tongues,
Interpretation of tongues and Prophecy.
Revelation Gifts: These are gifts which when in
manifestation reveal something.
Under revelation gifts we have Words of knowledge,
Words of wisdom and Discerning of spirits.
Power Gifts: These are gifts which when in
manifestation do something.
Under power gifts we have Gifts of healing, Working
of miracles and Gift of special faith.
The Utterance Gifts
The gift of prophecy which is inspired utterances in
a known tongue for the purpose of
edification, comfort and exhortation - 1 Corinthians
14:3. Prophesying is different from
foretelling or revealing the past.
Diverse kinds of tongues speaks of a message given
in tongue and it is different from the
ordinary tongues meant for prayer.
Interpretation of tongues speaks of a divine ability
to show forth the meaning of a message
spoken by the gift of diverse kind of tongues.
The combination of diverse kind of tongues and
interpretation is equivalent to prophecy.
Utterance gifts or vocal gifts say something and
young believers can operate them so far as they are yielded to the Holy Spirit.
The Revelation Gifts
The Word of Wisdom which is a knowledge of the
future, a supernatural revelation concerning the plans and purposes of God.
The Word of Knowledge is a small part of God’s
storehouse of knowledge, which is ‘flashed’
into the mind of the Christian by the Holy Spirit.
It is a supernatural revelation by the Holy
Ghost concerning people, places, things or events in
the present or the past.
Discerning of Spirits is a special manifestation
that gives the ability to perceive the realm of the spirit i.e. see, hear or
smell into the realm of the spirit.
The Power Gifts
Power Gifts: These are the spiritual gifts which
when ministered by the Spirit of God
accomplishes or do something. They are: gift of
special faith, gifts of healings and the working of miracles.
The gift of faith is a supernatural endowment by the
by the Spirit whereby that which is uttered or desired by man or spoken by God
shall eventually come to pass. The human or divine miracle, utterance or
miracle, assurance, curse or blessing, creation or destruction, removal or
alteration will ultimately come to pass when it has been spoken by this gift.
It works over a period of time and it is the force behind sustained miracles.
The Gifts of Healings is a supernatural
manifestation from one person to another that causes
diseases to be healed without the use of natural
means. It is specific and often operates with the word of knowledge.
The Working of Miracles or the working of powers
enables miracles to be performed.
Miracles are supernatural interventions in the
ordinary course of nature, a temporary suspension of the accustomed order, an
interruption in the system of nature, as we know it is operated by the force of
the Spirit.
Vital truths on Spiritual Gifts
1. They are activated by faith
2. They function as the Holy
Spirit leads
3. They are at work for the
profiting (building) of believers
4. God expects believers to
consciously yield themselves to Him for the manifestations.
5. They produce quick results.
Accelerated process of the miraculous.
6. They must bring glory to God
and not to individuals
7. They should not be
merchandised in anyway
8. Believers should not live by
them but by faith. They are not faith substitutes.
9. God expects believers to
desire and anticipate its manifestations in their midst.
10. A high level of consecration
and sensitivity to God is required for its constant manifestation.
11. They are great tools of
ministry to help saints and draw unbelievers to Jesus Christ
12. Their operations is increased
through knowledge and constant use
13. Compassion and love for
people play great roles in their manifestation
14. The manifestation of
spiritual gifts does not depict spiritual maturity
15. You don’t have to be called
into ministry office to walk in these manifestations.
The ministry of Angels
Hebrews 1:14 Are they not all
ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be
heirs of salvation?
Angels are spirit beings that have been given the
assignment to minister to the saints of God. All through the Bible there are
several accounts on the ministry of Angels covering both the Old and New
Testaments. In the Acts of Apostles the ministry of Angels was very prominent
especially where supernatural deliverance is concerned. However, there is a
need to mention that not all the Angels originally created by God are doing
good today. In fact, one third of the Angels fell with Satan when they rebelled
against the most High God.
Fallen Angels
Revelations 12:9 And the great
dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and
Satan, which deceiveth the whole
world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were castout with him.
These angels now known as demons are reserved in
everlasting chains under darkness while
awaiting the judgment of God.
(Isaiah 14:12 KJV) How art thou fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art
thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the
nations!
2 Peter 2:4 - For if God spared
not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and
delivered them into chains of
darkness, to be reserved unto judgment
The above scripture talks about how God dealt with
angels that sinned.
(Isaiah 14:13-17 KJV) For thou
hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt
my throne above the stars of God:
I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Yet thou shalt be brought down to
hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon
thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to
tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and
destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?
(Ezekiel 28:12-15 KJV) Son of
man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith
the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou
hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the
sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the
sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy
tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast
created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou
wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst
of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou
wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 show us how
the angels were cast down from heaven when they
joined forces with the devil to rebel against God.
They got into trouble because they chose to
exercise their will. Man is the only creature that
has the right to choose. Angels on the other
hand are created to obey and not choose. Man can
choose because he was created in the
class of God with the ability to exercise his will.
Angels were often referred to as “sons of God” in
the Old Testament. Examples are Genesis
6:1-4; Job 1:6; Job 2:1; Job 38:7. According to
Genesis 6, giants are products of the relationship of
“sons of God” aka angels that left their estate and
daughters of men. The details are left out in the
Bible. However, we have enough information to deduce
that giants – men of great stature were
produced as a result of copulation between fallen
angels of extraordinary stature and women of
normal human stature.
It is important for you to realize that though
angels are heavenly beings they are not
superior to men in any way. They are basically
messengers of the Lord who are commissioned to
worship the Lord and do service to men.
Hebrews 1:4,5
Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a
more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any
time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to
him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
The writer of the book of Hebrews clearly
established the fact that Jesus is superior to angels.
God even gave Him a more excellent name to confirm
that. If Jesus is superior to angels that
means you are too. You are the body of Christ! God
does not expect you to worship angels but rather put them to work in your life
by loosing them to enforce your salvation rights.
Angels are very involved in the protection of the
covenant saints of God. According to Psalm 91
they bear up the saints in their hands to make sure
they are not affected by any evil.
(Psalms 91:10-12
KJV) There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh
thy dwelling.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear
thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
(2 Kings 6:15-17
KJV) And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone
forth, behold,
an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant
said unto him,
Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they
that be with us
are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD,
I pray thee,
open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young
man; and he saw:
and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round
about Elisha.
We need a revelation of the protective ministry of
Angels. You don’t need to see Angels physically,
you only need to see them with the eye of your
spirit through revelation. Seeing Angels with the eyes
of your spirit is what imparts your heart with faith
for the manifestations of Angels in your life.
Angels are also involved in other manifestations
that involve the salvation (sotheria in Greek) of the
saints of God. Such include the benefits of wealth,
favor and supernatural guidance.
As powerful as the ministry of angels are, you can
only experience it through the operation
of your faith. This involves developing a strong
image of the ministry of angels from the
scriptures, confessing the word of God on it and
expecting the manifestation in your life.
(Psalms 103:20,21 KJV) Bless the
LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his
commandments, hearkening unto the
voice of his word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts;
ye ministers of his, that do his
pleasure.
Scriptural Facts
about Angels
1. Angels are heavenly spiritual beings that were
created long before men. Hebrews 2:5
2. Angels are messengers of God. They run errands
for the Most High. Hebrews 1:14
3. Angels are creatures of great stature built
specially for their mission. Acts 12: 6-11
4. One third of Angels known as “Fallen Angels” took
side with Satan against God.
Subsequently they were cast down from heaven by God.
2 Peter 2:4
5. Fallen Angels are responsible for Giants
mentioned in the Old Testament through their
relationship with daughters of men. Genesis 6:2
6. Angels are not to be worshipped by men. The
worship of angels is an ungodly demonic
practise. Colossians 2:18
7. Angels have the ability to take the form of men.
There are records of men that entertained
angels, unaware of their identity. Hebrews 13:2
8. Scriptures is full of examples of God giving
divine guidance through the ministry of
Angels. Matthew 2:13, Acts 27:20-25
9. Satan in a bid to deceive is capable of
disguising as the angel of light. 2 Corinthians
11:14
10. Angels are inferior to Jesus Christ. They belong
to a lower class of creatures. Hebrews
1:4-8
11. The new creations, saints of God are going to be
responsible for the judgment of Angels.
1 Corinthians 6:3
12. You don’t need to see Angels with your physical
eyes but rather with the eyes of your
spirit. 2 Corinthians 5:7
13. Angels cannot preach the good news of salvation.
However they are responsible for the
delivery of salvation benefits in the lives of the
heirs of salvation. Romans 10:14,15
14. Faith and prayer are required to activate the
ministry of Angels. Acts 12:5-7
15. You have a responsibility to boldly declare your
salvation promises in order to put your
angels to work. Angels are voice activated. Psalm
103:20, 21.
Supernatural Visions
(2 Corinthians 12:1 KJV) It is
not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and
revelations of the Lord.
The Bible is full of records of people that had
supernatural encounters that involved seeing into
the realm of the spirit. It should be noted that God
would rather communicate to His children on
a consistent basis using less dramatic means such as
inward witness or still small voice of human
spirit.
However, God uses the medium of Supernatural vision
to communicate to His children when it
involves an important message to make a strong
lasting impression. Another important factor to
be
considered is the ministry office of the recipient. Ministry Gifts that stand
in the prophetic
office have more supernatural visitations along this
line more than the rest of the ministry gifts.
There are three types of Supernatural Vision. They
are spiritual vision, trance and open vision.
Spiritual Vision
This is a type of vision in which a person has a
vision in his spirit, or sees something in his spirit.
This is the lowest type of vision.
Paul’s supernatural experience on the road to
Damascus is a classic example of spiritual vision.
Acts 9:3-5 And
as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round
about him a
light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him,
Saul, Saul, why
persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am
Jesus whom thou
persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
Paul did not see the Lord Jesus with his physical
eyes. In fact the account says he was blind for a
season. However, he saw the Lord with the eyes of
his spirit.
Trance
This type of vision involves momentarily suspension
of the physical senses. This is the second
highest type of vision. During trance, the subject
is not aware of his environment. He is not
unconscious but he is more aware of the spirit realm
than the physical. A classic example is
Peter’s experience at the housetop in the tenth
chapter of the book of Acts.
(Acts 10:10-17
KJV) And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they
made ready, he
fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending
unto him, as it
had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
Wherein were all
manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping
things, and
fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
But Peter said,
Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
And the voice
spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not
thou common.
This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
Now while Peter
doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean,
behold, the men
which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and
stood before the
gate,
Open Vision
This type of vision involves seeing into the realm
of the spirit with physical eyes. The senses are
not suspended but rather granted the ability to see
into the spirit realm. When this happens all
of the physical capabilities are intact and one is
able to see the spirit world as if it is physical.
Paul, the Apostle had an experience along this line
in the course of his ministry.
(2 Corinthians
12:1-5 KJV) It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to
visions and
revelations of
the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago,(whether in the body,
I
cannot tell; or
whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to
the
third heaven.
And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell:
God
knoweth;) How
that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is
not
lawful for a man
to utter. Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in
mine
infirmities.
I personally believe the man being described above
is Apostle Paul.
Warning: The purpose of these teaching is
not to make you desire supernatural visions but to
educate you about the spirituals so that you will
not be ignorant. 1 Corinthians 12:1
Now
concerning
spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
Don’t desire to see vision. You have the Word of God
to live by. All the supernatural experience
you need is already in the Word.
Supernatural Vs Spectacular
Isaiah 8:18 Behold, I and the
children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and
for wonders in Israel from the
LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.
God has called every saint to a lifestyle of the
supernatural. Supernatural is simply over and
above the natural. Supernatural can be just simple
or spectacular. Spectacular is very dramatic
in nature. It blows the mind and draws great
attention because of the drama involved.
There is no where in the scripture that the Bible
tells us to seek the spectacular. In fact, seeking
the spectacular can get you to the other side of the
supernatural – negative supernatural. Some
people have yielded to demonic spirit because of
their hunger for the spectacular. The Bible
actually says the devil can transform himself into
an angel of light.
(2 Corinthians 11:14 KJV) And no
marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel
of light.
The focus should always be supernatural and not
spectacular. Supernatural always bring results.
Whether the process is dramatic or not should be
left to God. An example of this is supernatural
deliverance in what should have been a car wreck.
Simple Supernatural result could be that just
before a car hits another car, it suddenly stopped
supernaturally.
Spectacular result: An angel showed up, carried the
car and dropped it at the other side.
Both incidences involved the ministry of Angels but
in the case of simple supernatural, there
was no vision of an angel while the spectacular one
involved an open vision. The end result is the
most important. So don’t put your attention on the
spectacular experience. Focusing on the
spectacular will take your attention from the spirit
to the senses which opens the door for the enemy
(Satan) to come in. Bear in mind that the Devil is
the god of this world and he might be able to
manipulate things in the physical (spectacular) but
he cannot duplicate a real supernatural result.
(2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV) In whom
the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them
which believe not, lest the light
of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,
should shine unto them.
CLASS 2 - Applications of
Supernatural
Objective: To help you see the operation and
impart of negative supernatural forces in human
life
Outline
􀂾 Demonology
􀂾 The
Devil or the flesh
􀂾 Different
levels of demonic activity
􀂾 The
right perspective to deliverance
􀂾 Generation
Curses
Demonology
Definition: Demonology is the study of operations
and activities of demons. Satan has not
always been the archenemy of God. He was created to
be beautiful originally. God actually
referred to him as anointed cherub in Ezekiel
28:14. He was an archangel known as Lucifer who
led worship and praise of God. He had such a
beautiful voice. He literally covered God’s throne
with praise. He also produced great music with
uncommon grace. (Ezekiel 28:13 KJV) Thou hast
been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone
was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the
diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the
sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold:
the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was
prepared in thee in the day that thou wast
created.
Satan’s Names
We can know the nature and character of Satan by
looking at the names that were used in
describing him in the scriptures.
1. Lucifer – this is Satan’s angelic name. He lost
this name after he rebelled against heaven.
(Isaiah 14:12 KJV) How art thou
fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how
art thou cut down to the ground,
which didst weaken the nations!
He then became Satan which means the following: an
opponent, the archenemy of good, adversary.
I Peter 5:8 reveals that he is an adversary of man. 1
Peter 5:8 KJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because
your adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
2. The accuser of the brethren.
(Revelation 12:10 KJV) And I
heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation,
and strength, and the kingdom of
our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of
our brethren is cast down, which
accused them before our God day and night.
Job 2:2-5 shows us how he brought accusation against
Job. He has not changed in his
operations. He is still very much accusing the
covenant children of God.
(Job 2:2-5 KJV) And the LORD said
unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan
answered the LORD, and said, From
going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up
and down in it. And the LORD said
unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that
there is none like him in the
earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and
escheweth evil? and still he
holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against
12
him, to destroy him without
cause. And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin,
yea, all that a man hath will he
give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch
his bone and his flesh, and he
will curse thee to thy face.
3. Satan is called the devil
Revelations 12:9 makes reference to him as the
devil. This is from the Greek word –
diabolos, which means “a false accuser, slanderer.
Revelation 12:9
KJV) And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the
Devil, and
Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his
angels were cast
out with him.
The word devil is closely associated with evil. Evil
means the following: adversity, affliction,
distress, grief, harm, mischief, sorrow, trouble,
wretched, displease, vanity, unjust, slander,
hurtful, vicious, and lewd. The devil is all these
things and moré.
4. Satan is called the dragon.
(Revelation 12:3 KJV) And there
appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great
red dragon, having seven heads
and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
A dragon represents destruction.
5. Satan is called the serpent
(Genesis 3:1
KJV) Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the
LORD God had
made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of
every tree of
the garden?
A snake implies sneaky, subtle and beguiling. Satan
basically waits until a person is
vulnerable and then he goes all out to devour just
like a snake
6. Satan is called the prince of the
power of the air.
A prince literally means the heir to the throne. It
speaks of an exalted position. Satan has
authority over the power of the air. Apostle Paul in
his epistle to the church at Ephesus
talked about spiritual wickedness in high places.
Satan’s authority is found in the
atmosphere closest to the earth.
(Ephesians 2:2 KJV) Wherein in
time past ye walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children
of disobedience:
7. Satan is called the god of this world.
Satan became the god of this world after the first
Adam lost his authority over this planet.
When Adam was deceived his authority was transferred
to the devil. The devil then became
the god of this world system. However, a believer is
not supposed to be under the world
system.
2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world
hath blinded the minds of them which
believe not, lest the light of
the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should
shine unto them.
8. Satan is called Beelzebub. Beelzebub means “god
of flies” He is the god of filth and lord
of the dunghill. Sin is filthy and the devil is lord
over it.
There are other expressions all over the bible that
describe the personality of the devil.
These include the temper ( Matthew 4:3), the spirit
of rebellion (Ephesians 2:2), the thief
(John 10:10), the deceiver (Revelations 12:9).
The Devil or the flesh
A lot of people confuse the works of the flesh with
the attack of the Devil. In fact, the devil is
often accused by Christians for things he is not
directly involved with.
13
(James 4:1-3 KJV) From whence
come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of
your lusts that war in your
members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot
obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye
have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask
amiss, that ye may consume it
upon your lusts.
The word ‘lust’ is also translated pleasures.
Pleasures of the flesh are not demons or evil
spirits. Though a Christian has a recreated spirit,
his body still wants to fulfill the lust of the
flesh just as it did before he got saved. It is the
responsibility of a Christian to renew his
mind with the word of God and present his body as a
living sacrifice (Romans 12:1,2).
A good example is overeating. Overeating is not
necessarily a demonic operation.
It is simply a lust of the flesh. It is as a result
of lack of the development of the fruit of the
spirit where temperance (self control) is concerned.
Although the devil can sometimes get
involved.
(Galatians 5:24 KJV) And they
that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections
and lusts.
God expects every believer to crucify his flesh by
putting it under the control of his recreated
spirit. This is not a pleasurable experience. It
hurts to deny the flesh. It is an ongoing process that
begins with a decision to live a quality Christian
life that will glorify God. This is necessary in order
to inherit all the promises of God. It is dangerous
to allow your flesh to go in the direction that
pleases it. It leads to death - Romans 8:6 For to
be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually
minded is life and peace. Death here implies separation
from the life of God. Manifestations of death
includes sicknesses, poverty and lack. Unforgiveness
is a work of the flesh that every believer should
resist. It stops the flow of God’s power and reduces
the potential of a believer. There are two words
the Bible uses to teach us how to deal with the
flesh: crucify and mortify. None of these words is
pleasant.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified
with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in
the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me,
and gave himself for me.
Romans 8:13 For if ye live after
the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify
the deeds of the body, ye shall
live.
Bear in mind that the reward of a crucified flesh
outweighs its cost.
Different levels of demonic
activity
It is the believer’s responsibility to know the
devices of the enemy. The devil is committed to
making attempts at gaining access into peoples’
lives through their mind and body. The degree of
influence the devil has in a life is determined by
how yielded the individual is to him. (Romans
6:16 KJV) Know ye not, that to
whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye
are to whom ye obey; whether of
sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
The things we permit in our lives can bring the
involvement of the devil or shut him out. There
are three levels of demonic attack that are often
used interchangeably by believers. These are
oppression, obsession and possession. However, they
have varying degrees of demonic
influence.
Oppression
Oppression is a form of demonic attack that is
focused on the body and soul. People including
Spirit-filled believers can be influenced in the
bodies or souls if they fail to exercise their God
given authority. Oppression is characterized with
bodily or mental affliction. Oppression can be
in form of sicknesses and diseases. Fear and mood
swing are good examples of oppression. In
oppression, the attack of the enemy can be from
within or without. There are varying degrees of
oppression. In other words, a person can be more
oppressed at certain times as a result of
increased exposure to demonic attack. There are
cases of physical infirmity that are demonic in
nature as a result of oppression. Until the devil
involved is dealt with, the healing power of God
cannot be experienced.
(Mark 9:25 KJV)
When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the
foul spirit,
saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him,
and enter no
more into him.
In the above scripture Jesus had to drive out the
demonic spirit behind the health condition of
dumbness and deafness before healing could be
administered. This is a scriptural example of
demonic oppression. This does not mean that every
sickness is a form of demonic oppression. There
are also instances when demons influence peoples
mind. This is known as mental oppression.
Someone with such problem finds it challenging to
control his thoughts.
Obsession
Obsession is a demonic attack that involves demons
taking over the thought process. A person is said
to be obsessed when demonic spirits have gained much
ground to the point of total control of his
mind. Obsession is a step higher than oppression.
While in oppression the person is still in control,
obsession involves loss of control. In many cases
the attack of the enemy starts out as oppression and
if nothing is done to arrest the situation it can be
upgraded to obsession. Obsession is possible in both
non Christians and Christians.
(James 4:7 KJV)
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from
you.
Obsession is experienced by Christians when they
fail to resist the enemy- the devil. Don’t allow the
devil to gain ground in your life. You are supposed
to resist him using the word of God. There is no
way a believer that spends time in the word can be
obsessed by the devil. In summary obsession is
about the affliction of the enemy that emanates from
the mind that is not subject to the word of God.
There are several cases of rebellion that are simply
obsession of the enemy. There are also cases of
people that are obsessed in their thinking with
worry and fear. A person obsessed with fear is
grounded by the enemy continually. Examples of this
are people tormented by the spirit of fear where
going out in the dark is concerned. Don’t accept
such. It is not in any one’s personality. Let God
deliver you by his Word and the anointing. Obsession
is evil. Resist it.
Possession
Possession is the highest level of demonic activity
in a human life. A person is said to be possessed
in a situation where his spirit is inhabited by
demons. It is impossible for a child of God to be
possessed. Before a Christian can be possessed he
will have to severe his relationship with God or
even commit sin unto death which means total
rejection of the lordship of Jesus. Sin unto death
according to Hebrews 6:4,5 can only be committed by
a matured believer that has is deeply rooted in
the Word and Spirit of God.
(Matthew 8:28,29 KJV) And when he
was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes,
there met him two possessed with
devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man
might pass by that way. And,
behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus,
thou Son of God? art thou come
hither to torment us before the time?
In the above scriptures Jesus encountered a mad man
that was possessed of the Devil. This man was
ruled by the devil from within his spirit. He had no
control of his life. His body, soul and spirit were
subject to the devil. However, after Jesus had
ministered to him he became a totally different
individual.
(Mark 5:19,20 KJV) Howbeit Jesus
suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and
tell them how great things the
Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. And he
departed, and began to publish in
Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men
did marvel.
This man started proclaiming the good news of Jesus
after he was delivered. He changed from
within. A person can be oppressed or obsessed in his
body or soul (mentally or emotionally). With
possession, things are different. Total possession
means giving over spirit, soul and body to an evil
spirit. To possess means to own. So a possessed
individual is owned by the devil. That is why a
Christian cannot be possessed by the devil. A
believer is owned by God. The blood of Jesus has been
paid as a ransom for his redemption.
(1Corinthians 6:20 KJV) For ye
are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in
your spirit, which are God's.
Oppression and obsession implies being afflicted or
influenced by the devil while possession
means being under the power or total control of a
demon or demons.
The right perspective to
deliverance
There is a scriptural injunction where the casting
out of devils is concerned. Jesus actually told
his disciples that one of the signs of a believer
will be the casting out of devils.
(Mark 16:17 KJV) And these signs
shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out
devils.
This was actually the very first sign that Jesus
talked about. So, God expects us to cast out or
drive out devils. This speaks of forcefully ejecting
devils. Jesus gave you the authority you
need to accomplish the task.
(Matthew 28:18 KJV) And Jesus
came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me
in heaven and in earth.
(Luke 10:19 KJV) Behold, I give
unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and
over all the power of the enemy:
and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
God does not expect you to fight or struggle with
demons. You are called to drive them out
by faith. God has invested in you the authority to
accomplish the task. Don’t be afraid of demons.
You are raised with Jesus and seated with Him in a
position of authority. Dare to use your authority.
Jesus already defeated the devil and all the demons
of hell. You are here on earth to enforce the
victory that Jesus obtained.
Another important thing that must be looked at is
what people call deliverance ministry.
Deliverance is a major part of our redemption in
Christ Jesus. However, deliverance should not be
limited to freedom from demons. Our deliverance
includes freedom for fear, poverty, sicknesses and
any other work of the enemy. It is very scriptural
to cast out devils in the name of Jesus but this does
not mean that we should now build our ministries
around chasing devils. One of the problems of the
so called deliverance ministers is that their
practices are based on their experience and other peoples’
experience. The word of God ought to be the only
yardstick for ministry. A minister can be specially
anointed to cast out devils but the emphasis should
always be the preaching and teaching of the word
of God that brings deliverance at all time.
(Psalms 107:20
KJV) He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their
destructions.
Excesses and
errors in Deliverance Ministry
1. A believer needs
to undergo repeated deliverance sessions before he can be free.
2. Demons are
directly involved in every disease and sickness situation.
3. Physical
demonstration must always accompany the casting out of demons.
4. In order to cast
out demons you must be an experienced deliverance minister.
5. There must be
some kind of ministration of the spirit before people can be delivered
from evil spirit.
6. It is okay to
engage in conversation with demons by allowing the devils to speak
through the person
undergoing deliverance.
7. Every believer
must go through regular check up to prevent demonic activity in their
lives.
Generational Curses
A generational curse can be defined as an uncleansed
iniquity that increase in strength from one
generation to the next, affecting the members of that
family and all who come into relationship
with that family.
Examples of generation curses are marital problems,
barrenness, lack of favor, uncontrolled
temper, heart problem. The list goes on forever. It
could be anything that Jesus already redeemed
you from.
The origin of generational curse is the sin of the
first man. When Adam committed the high
reason he brought a curse upon the entirety of
mankind. Before then man was living in the
presence of God and under the influence of his
blessing.
(Genesis 1:28 KJV) And God
blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and
replenish the earth, and subdue
it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of
the air, and over every living
thing that moveth upon the earth.
To be blessed implies to have an empowerment for
prosperity, excellence and success. Man was
extremely successful in the Garden of Eden because
he had the strong backing of the
empowerment or the blessing working in his life.
Everything changed when sin came into his
life. Sin brought death (separation from God) which
brought a curse on mankind. The curse is
the opposite of the blessing. To be cursed means to
have the empowerment to fail and be
defeated. A cursed man is at the wrong place at the
wrong time experiencing a chain of
unfortunate events.
(Genesis 3:17-19 KJV) And unto
Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice
of thy wife, and hast eaten of
the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not
eat of it: cursed is the ground for
thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy
life; Thorns also and thistles
shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the
field; In the sweat of thy face
shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out
of it wast thou taken: for dust
thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Every manifestation of a curse can be traced to an
unconfessed sin. Sin will always produce
a curse. (Proverbs 28:13 KJV) He that covereth
his sins shall not prosper: but whoso
confesseth and forsaketh them
shall have mercy.
You are Redeemed
(Galatians 3:13 KJV) Christ hath
redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a
curse for us: for it is written,
Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.
The sacrifice of Jesus provides the solution for the
sin of the first Adam. Now you and I can
live a life free of any kind of curse including
generational curses. However, there is a need to
consciously stand on your redemptive right to fully
walk in the freedom that you have in
Christ Jesus.
(Colossians 2:14 KJV) Blotting
out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us,
which was contrary to us, and
took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.
Jesus reversed every curse that could come upon your
life when he resurrected from the dead. In
order to appropriate what Jesus obtained for you,
you must have an organized line of action. You
start by identifying weaknesses or pattern of defeat
that is consistent in your extended family. Then
consciously search from the scriptures for God’s
word that reveal that you are free from such
weaknesses. Meditate and confess these scriptures
until you are well established in them.
The word of God is your surest way of receiving
deliverance from generational curses. It is also
important to make sure you are submitted in a local
assembly that has an anointed ministry gift.
There is a place of the anointing in receiving
deliverance from generational curse. This is the bottom
line. You are redeemed, however you have a
responsibility to identify the problem and tackle it by
the word of God and the anointing. Isaiah 10:27 talks
about the anointing that is capable of
destroying the yokes of the enemy. Generational
curses are yokes.
(Isaiah 10:27
KJV) And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken
away from off
thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be
destroyed
because of the anointing.
Attitudes and
Generational curses
(Proverbs 26:2
KJV) As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless
shall not come.
At the root of every generational curse there is a
cause. A lot of times generational curses find
expression in believers’ life through wrong
attitudes. Attitudes such as rebellion, strife and
disobedience can bring curses of your fathers into
your life. The blessing works by obedience
and curses depend on your lack of obedience.
Insensitivity to the direction of God on your life
will turn on the switch of curses. Your covenant
with God provides a covering over your life that
stops you from having all the evil manifestations
the generations before you have become
exposed to through ungodly practices. Any thing that
jeopardizes your covering will lead you
back to the curses that Jesus redeemed you from. Let
us look at it this way, curses are blessing
blockers. They stop the flow of God in your life and
expose your life to great danger.
This is a list of attitudes that you should watch
out for in order to avoid generational curses from
attaching itself to your life
1. Lack of submission to authority
2. Disobedience to instructions in the Word
3. Insensitivity to the direction of God
4. Unteachable spirit
5. Unwillingness to forgive others of their
wrongdoings
6. Strife, animosity and malice
7. Lack of integrity
8. Unrenewed mind - a mind that is not aligned to
the word of God
Let us justify the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Let every generational curse stop with you.
You have an opportunity to start a new lineage for
your children and children’s children. Stay
in the word of God until you receive the revelation
that will bring divine revolution to your life
and the generation that will come after you.
Disconnect from every generational curse and turn
on the generational blessing of Abraham that is on
you through Christ Jesus.
(Deuteronomy
29:29 KJV) The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those
things which are
revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all
the words of
this law.
(Proverbs 13:22
KJV) A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and
the wealth of
the sinner is laid up for the just.
(Galatians 3:14
KJV) That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through
Jesus Christ;
that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Quiz
*Provide scriptural references
while answering these questions.
1. How did Jesus receive such a powerful name?
2. What is the difference between the ministry of a
prophet in the Old Testament and New
Testament?
3. (James 4:1 KJV) From whence come wars and
fightings among you? come they not
hence, even of your lusts that
war in your members? Explain
4. What is the connection between spiritual gifts
and ministry gifts?
5. Explain the different kinds of vision.
6. What are the errors and excesses of deliverance
ministry?
7. Distinguish between the supernatural and the
spectacular.
8. What is the relevance of the ministry of angels
in the New Testament?
9. What are the different levels of demonic activity
in human life?
10. What do you understand by generation curses?
19
CM
102 – THE MINISTRY GIFTS
CLASS
1‐
The Gifts and Callings of God
Objective:
To instruct on the place, purpose and
relevance of the ministry gifts in the Body of Christ
Outline:
􀂾 Introduction
􀂾 The Divine
Call
􀂾 Supernatural
Equipment
􀂾 Faithfulness
to the Call
􀂾 The
Ministry of Helps
􀂾 The
Ministry of Giving
􀂾 The
Ministry of Exhortation
Introduction
(Ephesians
4:7‐11
KJV) But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the
gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he
ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now
that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower
parts of the earth?
He
that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he
might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and
some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
After the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, the Old Testaments saints that were
in Abraham bosom in Paradise while awaiting the consummation of God’s plan of
redemption were led out of captivity. Jesus did not only lead them out of hell
but also ascended with them into the third heaven (the abode of God). Apart
from leading the Old Testament saints into God’s presence of God, Jesus did something
remarkable according to the revelation of Apostle Paul – He
gave gifts unto men.
These gifts
are called ministry gifts. In order words, He called certain men in this present dispensation
to occupy special offices where the leadership of the Church is concerned.
These offices are known as Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Evangelist and Teacher.
People called into these offices are specially anointed to perform supernatural
tasks in the body of Christ on earth. Ministry gifts are primarily for the
purpose of service.
People
called into these offices are called to serve the body of Christ in different
capacities. Whether or not you are called into any of these offices is
predetermined by God. Being called into any of these offices does not make you
a better child of God than other believers. Rather, it simply means you have been
given a responsibility to serve other people in the body. People in ministry
offices do not have a special audience with God or more qualified for the
manifestation of the promises of God. Whatever anointing they have is to serve
other people. They still have to live by faith where their personal lives concerned
just like the rest of the members of the body of Christ.
Below is a
brief description of the five‐fold ministry offices:
1. Apostle
– It literarily means the sent one. People in this office have a clear
commission and a strong ministry of signs and wonders. The office seems to
embrace almost every type of ministry.
2. Prophet
– The ministry is basically inspirational. It involves a constant manifestation
of revelatory gifts and utterance gifts.
3.
Evangelist – An evangelist has a strong passion to win souls by the preaching
of the gospel with signs
and wonders.
4. Pastor –
He is anointed of God to feed, guide and tend the flock in the local assembly.
5. Teacher
– A teacher is supernaturally enabled to have insight to the word of God and
teach it in a way
that it can
be understood by members of the body of Christ.
According
to Ephesians 4:12, the
primary purpose of the ministry gifts is to mature the saints of God
through
their gifts so that they will be in a position to do the work of the ministry.
The
Divine Call
(Hebrews
5:4 KJV) And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of
God, as was
Aaron.
The call of
God into five‐fold ministry office is something that we cannot afford to take
lightly. The
Message
translation of the Bible actually puts Hebrews 5:4 this way: No one elects himself to this
honored
position. He's called to it by God, as Aaron was.
You can’t
talk yourself into a ministry office. It is either you are called into it or
not. What you do or how you live has nothing to do with it. People called into
ministry offices are specially wired for it. Your love or zeal for God is not
enough to make you a ministry office material. You must be called of God to occupy
the office. (1 Corinthians 12:28 KJV) And God hath set
some in the church, first apostles, secondarily
prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps,
governments, diversities of tongues.
God is the
one that set people into ministry offices. If you allow men or a Church to set
you in an office that God has not called you into, you will have yourself to
blame. Faithfulness is a great attribute but it
takes more
than being faithful to be a ministry gift You must be set. Before God can send
you on a
mission He
must have set you. A sent man is a set man.
It is wrong
to promote or ordain people into ministry offices when it is not clear they
have been set by God for this purpose. Wait for a clear divine call before
allowing people to put a title in front of your name. People in ministry
offices are anointed to remove peculiar burdens and destroy yokes in people’s life.
When you put a man that has not been set by God in an office, it is like
sending somebody on an errand without the necessary equipment.
This can be
very frustrating. Prayer can’t change the mind of God about this. It is
predetermined by
heaven.
Your spouse and your children are not you. Just because you are one in marriage
with someone does not mean you should put a title of a ministry office in front
of his or her name. The call into ministry office is sacred. We should endeavor
to keep it this way.
Don’t try
to go into the ministry without a calling from God to do so. Until you are
persuaded in your
spirit
about a ministry gift, don’t allow any man to put you in the office.
Furthermore, if you are really called there will be a measure of grace at work
in your life that will convince you and people around you that God has set you
into the office.
Supernatural
Equipment
People that
are called into ministry offices are specially equipped by God with
supernatural ability to
accomplish
the assignment given to them. Every ministry gift is anointed to function by
supernatural or spiritual gifts. These gifts are necessary for these people to
stand in their offices.
Education
is good but it takes more than education to function effectively in ministry.
Attending a Bible school or school of theology is not a substitute for
spiritual gifts if you are called into ministry office. You can call yourself
anything but the proof is in the spiritual gifts that are at work in your
ministry.
Apostle
Paul talked about the signs of the ministry of an apostle in his epistle to the
Church at Corinth –
(2
Corinthians 12:12 KJV) Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in
all patience, in signs,
and
wonders, and mighty deeds. This does not mean
that a layman (not called into ministry office)
cannot walk
in spiritual gifts.
However, a
ministry gift is likely to walk in a greater measure of the anointing where
these gifts are
concerned.
An example is the simple gift of prophecy which can be at work in any
believer’s life but this is different from a prophetic utterance that is
experienced when a prophet is standing in his office.
Faithfulness
to the Call
Faithfulness
speaks of the attribute that makes a man to apply himself to a course
consistently with
diligence.
This is essential in order to fulfil any ministry. In fact, a lot of ministers
are ordinary in ministry in spite of the call of God upon their lives because
they fail to apply themselves where the call of God is concerned. Just because
you are called of God does not make you a great minister. Ministries don’t just
happen any more than marriages just happen.
(2 Timothy 2:2 KJV) And the things that thou hast heard of me
among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able
to teach others also. Apostle
Paul in his epistle to Timothy
actually exalted faithfulness above
ability. Your effectiveness in ministry is determined by your faithfulness
to the call of God. God expects everyone called into ministry office to develop
faithfulness in
the following areas:
1. Study of
the Word
(2
Timothy 2:15 KJV) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be
ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth. Every
minister must be committed to the study of the word
in order to
be effective. The expression of your anointing is controlled by your Word bank.
Fill yourself
with the
Word.
2.
Character Development
(Psalm
15:4 KJV) In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that
fear the LORD.
He
that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
(1
Peter 3:15 KJV) But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always
to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in
you with meekness and fear:
A minister
of the gospel should be a person of integrity who is honest and sincere. More
is required of people who are separated unto an office. Such people should be
setting a good example.
3.
Separation from worldly things
(2
Corinthians 6:17 KJV) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,
saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you
(1
Corinthians 9:27 KJV) But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection:
lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a
castaway.
A minister
is expected to crucify his flesh daily and separate himself unto spiritual
things so that his
anointing
can stay fresh at all times. A minister should make sure he deals with lust
problem especially in the areas of money and sex.
4.
Obedience to divine direction
(Acts
26:19 KJV) Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly
vision:
(1
Samuel 16:1 KJV) And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for
Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn
with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the
Bethlehemite:
for I have provided me a king among his sons.
Your
obedience to God’s direction will determine your success rate in ministry.
Obedience is the key to the anointing. Saul, the first king of Israel lost his
throne because of his disobedience. Partial obedience is not enough. It amounts
to disobedience.
5. Fasting
and Prayer
(Acts
13:2 KJV) As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said,
Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
(Matthew 17:21 KJV) Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
A life
given to prayer and fasting will maintain the required fellowship that it takes
to walk in the
anointing
for the assignment. Fasted prayer is a major key to walking in the miraculous power
of God. It is needful especially for ministry gifts that involve constant
manifestation of power gifts e.g. Apostles
and
Evangelists.
The
Ministry of Helps
(1
Corinthians 12:28 KJV) And God hath set some in the church, first apostles,
secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of
healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Right in
the middle of the ministry gift list above is listed, the ministry of helps.
The ministry of helps is not regarded as one of the five‐fold ministry offices
but this does not make it a less important office in anyway. People called into
this office have the equipment of divine grace and power to bring help or relief
in the work of the ministry. A lot of times people called into this office are
equipped to minister to the weak and needy.
These
people are great in rendering necessary assistance to people in five‐fold
ministry office. They are called to support. In Acts chapter 6, seven men were
separated into the ministry of helps so that the disciples can focus on the
Word and prayer. Men separated into this office are also called deacons. The word deacon is used in
Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3:8‐13. The deacon’s ministry in the early days
of the Church was connected to having charge of the alms and ministering to the
poor, the needy and the sick.
(Romans
12:8b KJV) He that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Another
important aspect of the ministry of helps is music. Music in the Church should
not just focus on talent. People that are specially anointed by God for music
should be placed in this ministry. Such
people know
what to play or sing by the anointing.
(2
Kings 3:15 KJV) But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the
minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.
Prophet
Elisha called for a minstrel because he needed the involvement of this ministry
to function
effectively
in his office. Likewise five‐fold ministry gifts need people like this to do
what they are called to do.
(1
Samuel 16:23 KJV) And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon
Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed,
and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
David as a
teenager also functioned as an anointed minstrel helping King Saul out, to keep
the influence of the evil spirit away from him. There are cases of people that
started out in the ministry of helps and later discovered that they are also
called into fivefold ministry office. An example is Phillip who was originally
separated as a deacon –
(Acts
6:5 KJV) And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a
man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and
Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
Later he was
called Phillip the evangelist ‐ (Acts 21:8 KJV) And the next day we that
were of Paul's departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house
of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.
Phillip was
obviously called into both the office of an evangelist and the ministry of
helps.
The
Ministry of Giving
(Romans
12:9 KJV) Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave
to that which is good.
As
important as the five‐fold ministry offices are, they will be limited in
expression without people called and anointed into the ministry of giving.
People called into this ministry have what is called a special grace of giving.
Giving as a lifestyle is what every believer is called to. However, people that
operate in this ministry have an added endowment of grace to finance the
preaching of the gospel.
Romans
10:15a ‐ And how shall they preach, except they be sent?
The sending
forth of a minister will not be complete without the people called of God to
supply the
finances
for the vision.
The
Ministry of Exhortation
(Romans
12:8 KJV) Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it
with simplicity; he
that
ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Exhortation
is regarded as a natural and essential part of almost every other ministry. The
primary
purpose of
an exhorter is to bring encouragement either by way of comfort or by stirring
up believers.
People
often confuse the five‐fold ministry office of an evangelist with the ministry
of an exhorter. An evangelist is primarily sent to bring the unsaved to the
saving knowledge of Christ. He is supernaturally equipped with power gifts to
achieve this. An exhorter on the other hand brings comfort and encouragement to
the body of Christ. He simply stirs up people.
CLASS
2 – The Five‐fold Ministry Offices
Objective:
To instruct on the operations and
dynamics of the fivefold ministry offices in the Body of Christ
Outline:
􀂾 The purpose
of the five‐fold ministry gifts
􀂾 The office
of an Apostle
􀂾 The office
of a Prophet
􀂾 The office
of an Evangelist
􀂾 The office
of a Pastor
􀂾 The office
of a Teacher
􀂾 Variety and
Balance
THE
PURPOSE OF THE FIVE‐FOLD MINISTRY GIFTS
It is very
imperative that the purpose of the five‐fold ministry offices is well
understood. This is the only way to avoid the abuse of these great gifts.
(Ephesians
4:12 KJV) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for
the edifying of the body of Christ:
According
to Ephesians 4:12, these gifts
are for the maturing of the saints so that believers will be
equipped
for the work of the ministry and ultimately build the body of Christ. People
called into these offices are not supposed to intimidate other members of
Christ or manipulate them in any way. Rather, they are called to service using
their gifts to nurture the saints of God into a measure of the stature of God‐
(Ephesians
4:13 KJV) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ:
(1
Peter 5:1‐3 KJV) The elders which are among you I exhort, who am
also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker
of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you,
taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy
lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but
being ensamples to the flock.
Apostle
Peter in his epistle admonished the elders which also mean pastors to oversee
God’s people
effectively
not by using control or manipulative strategies but by being good examples to
the flock. The body of Christ needs all the five ministry gifts functioning
before the full stature that God desires for us can be achieved.
In addition, these gifts must work together
and connect just like the different parts of the body before the body of Christ
can be whole. So many Christian organizations and denominations have not been
able to walk in the fullness of God because they only recognize part but not
all the five‐fold ministries.
(Ephesians
2:20 KJV) And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus
Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
The Church
is founded on the foundation of Apostles and prophets, however it will take the
ministries of evangelists, prophets and teachers for the fullness of God to be
in manifestation.
THE
OFFICE OF AN APOSTLE
(1Corinthians
12:28 KJV) And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily
prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps,
governments, diversities of tongues.
Ephesians
4:11a ‐
And he gave some, apostles;
The
ministry of an Apostle is regarded as the leading ministry gift. However, this
does not make other ministry gifts less important. An Apostle literally means a
sent one.
It is from
the Greek word “Apostolos.” The ministry of an Apostle involves pioneering a
new work which entails a clearly defined mission from the Lord. An Apostle
finds himself combining the functions of other ministry gifts. The miracle
ministry of an Apostle is very exceptional. He is anointed specially for the
ministry of signs and wonders. The Bible speaks of the signs of an Apostle:
(2Corinthians
12:12 KJV)Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience,
in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
Most of the
times people called into apostolic ministry are called to establish churches in
different
places. In
fact, a lot of people that are referred to as Pastors today are not really pure
pastors. A lot of them have apostolic call. The Bible also talks about the
fruit of an apostolic ministry:
(1Corinthians
9:1, 2 KJV) Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ
our Lord? Are not ye my work in the Lord? If I be not an apostle unto others,
yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.
Genuine New
Testament Apostles do not need to go around churches announcing that they are
Apostles.
Their works speak clearly for them. The impact of their commission communicates
the
authenticity
of their call. You don’t need to be addressed by the title but rather let the
fruit of your
ministry do
the speaking.
Names and
titles can become a major distraction. It is better to put your attention on
adequate
preparation
that will help you develop an effective ministry. An apostle is first and
foremost a preacher or a teacher of the word or both. It is worthy of note that
more than often people called into this ministry have a deep experience with
the Lord.
For example
Apostle Paul had such an unusual experience with the Lord. Starting with the
way He was converted and also the way the Lord Jesus Christ taught Him the deep
truths of the New Testament as revealed in His epistles. He literally learned
the gospel by revelation.
(Galatians
1:11, 12 KJV) But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached
of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught
it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
An example
of an Apostle in the past century is Smith Wigglesworth who was regarded as an
Apostle of faith. Lester Sumrall is another great example of an Apostle that
lived in the twentieth century. People that are referred to as missionaries are
really Apostles by calling a lot of times.
There are
four classes of Apostles
1. Jesus,
the Chief Apostle – Jesus is the only
one in this class. Hebrews 3:1 calls Him the Apostle and the High Priest of our
confession. He was the “Sent One” to make atonement for the sins of the whole world.
No other apostle will ever have that calling.
2. Apostles
of the Lamb – These are the twelve apostles who were
eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, burial and resurrection (Acts
1:21,22). Their purpose is to witness and give testimony of the life and
ministry of Jesus. (Rev 21:14 KJV) And the wall of the city
had twelve foundations, and in them the names
of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
3. New
Testament Apostles – These are the
foundational apostles apart from the Apostles of the Lamb that were sent of God
to pioneer the move of God in the early Church.
Apostle
Paul is in this class. The list also includes Barnabas (Acts 14:14), James, the
Lord’s brother
(Galatians
1:19), Apollos (I Corinthians 4:4‐9), Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25) etc.
These Apostles are
often
referred to as “messengers” in the New Testament epistles.
4. Apostles
of today – All the Apostles that have been called
into the body of Christ after the era of the early church fall into this
category. They are called to found and establish individual local churches throughout
the world, to go into new territories and to proclaim a major message.
There are
at least four attributes common to every one called to an apostolic ministry
1. He or
she is a preacher or teacher of the Word or both.
2. Strong
manifestations of the gifts of the spirit especially power gifts.
3. Deep
personal experience with the Lord
4. Ability
to provide adequate spiritual leadership
THE
OFFICE OF A PROPHET
The
ministry gift of a prophet is the only one among the five‐fold ministry gift
that was also in
manifestation
in the Old Testament. However, the operations of a prophet in the Old Testament
is very different from that of the New Testament. Under the Old Testament, the
people depended on their prophets where for divine direction is concerned.
Operations are different in the New Testament.
Believers
are directly led by the Spirit of God – Romans 8:14,
16. A prophet in the New Testament only confirmed
the leading of the Spirit of God and he generally sensitizes the people of God
to follow the will of God. A prophet is primarily a preacher or a teacher of
the Word or both. He does not just go around foretelling the future. He
preaches or/and teaches the word of God.
However, he
is anointed to walk in a great measure of consistency where the revelatory
gifts of the
Spirit are
concerned. These gifts are known as word of knowledge, word of wisdom and
discerning of
spirits. He
is also anointed to walk in the gift of prophecy. Just because somebody
prophesies does not make him a prophet. A prophet uses prophecy as a vehicle to
express the revelatory gifts of the spirit that are at work in his life.
The
three revelatory gifts:
1. Word of
Wisdom: Supernatural revelation by the Holy Spirit concerning the divine
purpose in the
mind and
will of God. It speaks of the future.
2. Word of
knowledge: Supernatural revelation by the Holy Spirit of facts in the mind of
God concerning
people, places
or things. It speaks of the present or past.
3.
Discerning of spirits: Supernatural insight into the realm of spirits. It
involves seeing into and hearing from the spirit realm. The manifestation of
these revelatory gifts and prophecy in a believer’s life does not make him a
prophet.
There is a
high degree of consistency that is experienced in the ministry of a prophet.
Above this you
must have a
distinct call to the office of a prophet to be a prophet. Apart from the
manifestations of
revelatory
gifts of the Spirit, a prophet has visions and revelations. There are three
types of revelations and three types of visions. The highest type of revelation
and the lowest type of vision are similar.
1.
Spiritual Vision: This type of vision involves seeing with the eyes of the
spirit into the realm of the
spirit (not
physical eyes). It is the lowest type of vision.
2. Trance:
In this type of vision, the physical senses are suspended while seeing into the
spirit realm. This
does not
mean the person becomes unconscious but he is just more aware of the realm of
the spirit
than the
physical. It is the second highest type of vision.
3. Open
Vision: In this type of vision, the physical senses are not suspended at all.
The person actually
possesses
all his physical capabilities, yet he sees into and hears in the realm of the
spirit. It is the
highest
type of vision.
The office
of a prophet is often equipped with the supernatural ministry of laying of
hands. This is a
special
ministry of impartation through which the anointing is communicated to achieve
a definite
purpose.
(Deut 34:9 KJV) And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the
spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of
Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.
(1Timothy 4:14 KJV) Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which
was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
Another
special ministry that is often associated with the ministry of a prophet is the
healing ministry.
This can be
through the vehicle of ministry of laying on of hands or by the gifts of
healing. Sometimes the prophet does operate in the place of a foreteller. This
is the gift of the word of wisdom in operation.
(Acts
11:28 KJV) And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the
Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came
to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
(Acts
21:10, 11 KJV) And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a
certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's
girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost,
So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall
deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
People
called into the ministry of a prophet have to be careful not to give heed to
familiar spirit. Don’t ever try to speak when God is not speaking. You are not
a performer, but a vehicle through which the Holy Spirit manifests. A prophet
must learn to put the word of God in the first place above the gifts of the
Spirit. Remember, a prophet is first and foremost a teacher/ preacher of the
Word.
You don’t
have to prophesy or foretell every time. It is as the Spirit leads. There is
also a manifestation of the anointing of a prophet through inspirational
preaching and teaching by revelation. A prophet has a responsibility to
maintain a close fellowship with the Lord so that He will always be in a
position to pick up the voice and direction of the Spirit when God desires to
speak or reveal something to him.
THE
OFFICE OF AN EVANGELIST
The word
“evangelist” is: One who brings the evangel (the good news); a messenger of
good tidings. An evangelist is anointed to bring the message of salvation in
its simplest form and yet with a strong
conviction
that leads to conversion of souls. He is a preacher of the redeeming grace of
God.
Philip, who
was originally one of the seven deacons that were set apart for the ministry of
helps in Acts chapter 6 was later referred to as an evangelist in Acts 21:8.
The eighth chapter of the book of Acts clearly shows the signs of an evangelist
in the ministry of Philip.
(Acts 8:5‐8
KJV) Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto
them. And the
people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing
and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud
voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with
palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city.
(Acts 8:35 KJV) Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the
same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
One notable
characteristic of evangelists is that they always preach Christ. Another
important element in the ministry of an evangelist is the miraculous.
Evangelists have supernatural equipments which includes “miracles” and “gifts
of healings.”
(Acts
8:6 KJV) And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which
Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
They need
this supernatural equipment because they deal with supernaturally dead people
who will not believe unless they see something spectacular ‐ (John
4:48 KJV) Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
God uses
the signs and wonders in the ministry of evangelists to advertise the message
of the cross. It takes such divine power to draw a crowd. Miracles and healings
arrest and compel people’s attention.
However, it
is the believing and confessing of the Word that get them saved.
(Acts 8:12 KJV) But when they believed Philip preaching the
things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were
baptized, both men and women.
One of the
reasons why a lot of believers are not grounded today is because they stop at
the ministry of an evangelist. There is a need for other ministry gifts such as
teachers and pastors to come into play after the evangelist has preached new
birth and conversion before believers can be matured in Christ.
In the
early Church after the ministry of Philip, the evangelist in Samaria, other
ministry gifts were sent there to confirm the saints that were newly converted.
(Acts
8:14 KJV) Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had
received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
Believers
will never learn the operations of the kingdom of God if they are only exposed
to evangelists. It takes the knowledge of the Word through the ministries of
other ministry gifts to equip the saints so that they can do the work of the
ministry.
THE
OFFICE OF A PASTOR
The Greek
word translated “pastor” literally means shepherd”. There are many references
to the
pastoral
office in the New Testament with the use of terminologies such as elders and
bishops.
(John
10:11 KJV) I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the
sheep.
Jesus is
the greatest example of a true pastor and shepherd. He cared so much for the
sheep that he laid down His life for them. There are several references to the
pastoral ministry of Jesus in the New
Testament.
(1Peter
2:25 KJV) For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd
and Bishop of your souls. (1Peter 5:4 KJV) And when the chief Shepherd shall
appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
(Hebrews
13:20 KJV) Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord
Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting
covenant
The primary
assignment of the pastor is to have oversight of the flock. It requires the
anointing of the Holy Spirit to achieve this. A pastor is anointed to tend,
feed and guide the flock. The most outstanding characteristic of a pastor is a
shepherd’s heart that genuinely cares for the flock.
(Acts
20:28 KJV) Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over
which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which
he hath purchased with his own blood.
The Greek
word translated Overseer here is episkopos. This word is also translated as
bishop in 1
Timothy
3:1. (1Timothy 3:1 KJV) This is a true saying,
If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. It is wrong to put the board of deacons over a local assembly. This
practice will compromise the
anointing of a local assembly because it is a form of disorder.
1
Timothy 3:2, 3 lists the qualities
that must be present in a pastor: blameless, husband of one wife, vigilant,
sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality apt to teach, not given to wine,
not greedy of filthy lucre.
The office
of a pastor is a noble one that requires a great deal of integrity and strong
character. So if you feel God is calling you to a pastoral ministry, you must
be committed to building your character.
It is the
duty of the flock to support the pastor. However, the pastor is not to serve
for filthy lucre. His motive must be to serve God and to put the people first.
(1Timothy
5:17 KJV) Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour,
especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
(1Timothy
5:17 KJV) Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour,
especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
(Romans
15:27 KJV) It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the
Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also
to minister unto them in carnal things.
(1Corinthians
9:11 KJV) If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we
shall reap your carnal things?
(1Peter
5:2 KJV) Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight
thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready
mind;
THE
OFFICE OF A TEACHER
The
ministry gift of a teacher is a supernatural endowment that enables ministers
to teach the word of God so clearly that it can be understood by members of the
body of Christ. Ministers that are called solely to this office often travel
around teaching members of the body of Christ in different local assemblies. An
example of New Testament teacher is Barnabas
(Acts
11:26 KJV) And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came
to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and
taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
This
ministry gift should not be confused with “Sunday School teachers”. People
called into this office are full time ministry gifts with a divine gift to
impart the knowledge of the Word. So many times we see pastors that are also
called into the ministry office of a teacher. An example of this is Pastor K.C
Price and Pastor Creflo Dollar Jr. It is also worthy of note that there is
always an emphasis concerning the messages of a teacher. E.g Pastor K.C Price
focuses on Faith while Pastor Creflo Dollar Jr. is anointed to teach on
finances. There are also cases of Prophets and Teachers e.g Rev. Kenneth E.
Hagin who was an apostle of faith. His materials (books and tapes) on faith
have made a tremendous impart on Christianity worldwide where the subject of
faith is concerned over the last sixty years. A teacher is not a teacher by virtue
of natural ability or a natural inclination to teach. Natural ability may
provide a background but it is majorly about an anointing to communicate the
word of God. Paul described the teaching ministry as watering.
(1Corinthians
3:6, 7 KJV) I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then
neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that
giveth the increase. (Acts 18:27, 28 KJV) And when he was disposed to pass into
Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when
he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:
For
he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures
that Jesus was Christ.
A true
teacher of the gospel will never teach doctrinal error which will split the
Body of Christ. He will not cause division by what he teaches.
VARIETY
AND BALANCE
(Ephesians
4:11 KJV) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
(Romans
12:4‐8
KJV) For as we have many members in one body, and
all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in
Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing
according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy
according to the proportion of faith;Or ministry, let us wait on our
ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;Or he that exhorteth, on
exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth,
with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Ephesians
4:11 lists the fivefold ministry gifts while Romans 12:4‐8 contain a list of
supportive ministries.
The fullest
measure of the breadth of ministry Christ gave to the Church in ministry gifts
will be as a
result of
collaborative effort of the fivefold and supportive ministries. Both of them
must learn to work hand in hand for the full purpose of God to be accomplished.
Competition among the fivefold ministry gift is a major distraction that the
body of Christ cannot afford now. We simply need one another. We are not called
to compete against one another but to complement one another. Pastors,
prophets, evangelists and teachers need apostles to take new territories for
Jesus so that the kingdom of God could expand on earth.
Pastors
need evangelists to win the souls and the evangelist needs pastors to care for
the converted
souls.
Prophet are needed to demonstrate the power of God. And without the teachers of
the word the body of Christ will be full of babes that are ignorant of the
truth. It is all about mutual respects. None of these gifts is less than the
rest. They are all equally needed. And of course without the supportive ministries
such as ministry of helps, giving and exhortation the five‐fold ministries will
be distracted from what they should be focusing on. It is time for each
ministry to magnify its office and yet realize that there is no part of the
body that is insignificant.
(Romans
11:13 KJV) For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the
Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
(1Corinthians
12:14‐25
KJV) For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, because I
am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if
the ear shall say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it
therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the
hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God
set the
members
every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one
member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body.
And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the
head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the
body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body,
which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant
honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely
parts have no need: but God hath
tempered
the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have
the same care one for another.
Quiz
*Provide scriptural references
while answering these questions.
1. What do you understand by the term ‘five-fold
ministry gifts’?
2. What are the different categories of spiritual
gifts?
3. (Romans 11:29 KJV) For the gifts and
calling of God are without repentance. Explain
4. Give a brief description of any three of the
five-fold ministry gifts.
5. Discuss the prevalent gifts that characterize the
office of a prophet.
6. What are the different kinds of supernatural
vision?
7. What are the different areas where faithfulness
is required in ministry?
8. What is the relevance of the ministry of helps in
the body of Christ?
9. Discuss with scriptural references, the office of
an Evangelist.
10. What do you understand by balance and variety
within the ministry gifts?
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KINGSWORD MINISTERIAL ACADEMY
BASIC MINISTERIAL STUDIES
CERTIFICATE IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
PROGRAM
CM 103 - EVANGELISM & MISSION
CLASS 1- Evangelism
Objective: To instruct on the importance of
the great commission and how to practically share
the Christian faith to the unsaved.
Outline:
􀂾 The
Great Commission
􀂾 Power
Evangelism
􀂾 Community
Evangelism
􀂾 Contemporary
Evangelism
􀂾 Practical
keys to effective evangelism
THE GREAT COMMISION
The last words of a dying man are usually the most
important things to him. The last
thing that Jesus authorized his followers to do
before He returned to the father was; “Go
into all the world and preach the gospel to every
creature”- Mark 16:15.
This is Christ’s instruction for each of His
followers, this is the great opportunity that He
offers believers, this is every Christian’s
privilege, purpose and ministry.
When God’s love overflowed to the point that He gave
His only begotten son for our
redemption, it was for the whole world, so that
whosoever believes in him will not perish
but will have everlasting life (John 3:16). The Lord
Jesus left us no privilege greater than to
announce the gospel to every creature. This is the
mission to which the first century Christians
devoted themselves. They understood their calling.
They continued the same ministry that Christ
began. They knew that He was living in them, doing
the same things that He did before He was
crucified.
(Mark 16:20 KJV) And they went
forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and
confirming the word with signs
following. Amen.
We are commanded to live and breathe for this one
purpose. To share the gospel with the
greatest possible number of people, by every means
at our disposal. We are to “go” in
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every possible way. We will not only use our voices
as Christ speaks through us but we
will also use the channels of mass media, print
media, website and every form of gospel
dissemination that we can employ.
(Mark 16:15 KJV) And he said unto
them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the
gospel to every creature.
Jesus said, preach the gospel to every creature. To
reach them, we must go to them –
wherever they are. Christians do not need a special
call to do what Christ has authorized
them to do. They only need to see the world as
Christ sees it and to accept the fact that
they are His chosen ambassadors or representatives
in any nation or community where
they may choose to establish themselves.
(2 Corinthians 5:20 KJV) Now then
we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God
did beseech you by us: we pray
you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
He had asked whom shall I send and who will go for
us? (Isaiah 6:8), any believer concerned
about this question can answer with Isaiah “Here I
am send me (Isaiah 6:8). Every follower of
Christ has His authority to go and share the gospel
with as many people as he or she can reach.
The call has already been given. The opportunities
are plentiful. The need is urgent, success is
assured. As Christ’s ambassadors, the Christian
believer is authorized to take action as his
representative and needs no further calling.
Evangelism is the order of the day, the need of the
hour. If we do not preach, souls cannot be saved!
Romans 10:14,15.
POWER EVANGELISM
Jesus said “without signs and wonders you will
not believe”. John 4:48.
Power evangelism implies modes and styles of
evangelism that involves the demonstration of
God’s power to get the attention of unbelievers and
appeal to their physical senses so that they
can receive the gospel and be saved. Miracles will
attract unbelievers and get them interested in
hearing the message of the gospel.
Jesus made it clear that the purpose of the many
miracles that he performed was to help
men believe in him so they can be saved. (John
14:11).
Demonstration of God’s power is a recommended method
of advertising the gospel all
through the New Testament. Jesus said signs and
wonders would follow those that
believe (Mark 16:17). Power evangelism could occur
in various ways which could involve
healings, miracles, and demonstration of God’s
Spirit. A typical example of how Jesus got the
attention of unbelievers was at the city of Sychar
with the Samaritan woman.
Other examples:
Philip in Samaria
(Acts 8:6-8KJV) And the people
with one accord gave heed unto those things which
Philip spake, hearing and seeing
the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits,crying with loud
voice, came out of many that were
possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were
lame, were healed. And there was
great joy in that city.
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Peter and John at the gate of the
temple
(Acts 3:6-8 KJV) Then Peter said,
Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the
name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth
rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him
up: and immediately his feet and
ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and
walked, and entered with them
into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
Believers are to desire the gifts of the Holy Spirit
which are vital tools of advertising the
gospel (1 Corinthians 12:31). God is always
willing to demonstrate His power through
any believer who is willing. We are the body of
Christ and God longs to demonstrate his
power through us so that all men can believe and be
saved.
(1 Corinthians 2:4,5 KJV) And my
speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's
wisdom, but in demonstration of
the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the
wisdom of men, but in the power
of God.
The supernatural and the miraculous play a major
role in bringing people to the saving
knowledge of Christ.
COMMUNITY EVANGELISM
Jesus said “let your light so shine before men so
they can see your good works and
glorify your father in heaven.” As believers we need to realize
that it is not enough for us to be
“light” we must let our light shine before all men
so they can be attracted to Jesus and so they
can receive salvation. Jesus will not come down
physically to preach the gospel.
(Romans 10:6-8 KJV) But the
righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise,Say not in thine
heart, Who shall ascend into
heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall
descend into the deep? (that is,
to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word
is nigh thee, even in thy mouth,
and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach
We are the body of Christ and we must use every
avenue to reach the world with the gospel of
Christ. Community evangelism involves doing “good works”
as a way of attracting the unsaved
to Jesus. Such good works includes providing free
healthcare services, feeding the poor,
organizing children parties, cleaning or repairing
of roads, organizing sports festivals etc. We
must establish our presence in any community we find
ourselves. We must use every means to
make our presence and impact felt in our
communities.
(Matthew 25:35-40 KJV) For I was
an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me
drink: I was a stranger, and ye
took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I
was in prison, and ye came unto
me.Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we
thee an hungred, and fed thee? or
thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and
took thee in? or naked, and
clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto
thee? And the King shall answer
and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done
it unto one of the least of these
my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
39
CONTEMPORARY EVANGELISM
We are called to preach the gospel at all cost and
through every available means. The
gospel remains the same because Jesus is the same
yesterday, today and forever. However, our
method of evangelism may change from time to time to
accommodate cultural changes and
changes in the mindset of the people. Not only must
we evangelize in ways that must not turn
our target population off but we must evangelize in
ways that would appeal to their cultures and
ways of thinking and seeing things. We must be
contemporary in our method of evangelism to
reach as many cultures and as many people as
possible.
(1 Corinthians 9:19-22 KJV) For
though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto
all, that I might gain the more.
And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to
them that are under the law, as
under the law,that I might gain them that are under the law; To them
that are without law, as without
law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that
I might gain them that are
without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I
am made all things to all men,
that I might by all means save some.
Let us examine some contemporary evangelistic
methods that should get us started in our
goal to reach as many people as possible.
RELATIONSHIP EVANGELISM
Loneliness and a sense of detachment has become a
major disease in our modern
world. Lack of personal touch and contact has become
a major problem in our fast-paced
world. However, we need to develop significant
living and non-imposing relationship
with unbelievers. We need to establish our presence
in the lives of our potential converts
while interceding for them. The message of the
gospel can then be clearly and simply
communicated at opportune times.
THE INTELLECTUAL STYLE OF
EVANGELISM
Many people today have become increasingly
atavistic, thinking that there are
many “truth” but being highly skeptical about
anything claiming to be absolute “truth”.
Among the younger generations people tend to be more
experimental in their approach to
deciding to believe. They are often more pragmatic
and search out what seems to be
working in the lives of their friends and others
they respect. We must not back down and
agree to stop talking about why we believe what we
believe. The intellectual style involves
appealing to the reasoning of our targets. Our role
as intellectual style evangelists is to help
people understand what obtains in the spiritual
realm. In our services and our programs we must
have seasons dedicated to answering the questions of
the unsaved. We must not wave there
questions aside but do everything to explain the
truth based on God’s word.
CREATIVE ART EVANGELISM
This involves using creative art such as
choreography and drama to communicate our message to
the unsaved. Illustrated sermons can also be used in
painting our message to the world. Other
styles are contemporary styles, testimonial styles
and invitational styles.
40
PRACTICAL KEYS TO EFFECTIVE
EVANGELISM
1. Let the love of God compel you to share the
gospel to people that you come in
contact with.
(2 Corinthians 5:14,15 KJV) For
the love of Christ constraineth us; because we
thus judge, that if one died for
all, then were all dead: And that he died for all,
that they which live should not
henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him
which died for them, and rose
again.
2. Know the Word of God, especially the essential
scriptures about the gospel.
(2 Timothy 2:15 KJV) Study to
shew thyself approved unto God, a workman
that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.
3. Stay filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit
supplies the power to be an
effective witness.
(Acts 1:8 KJV) But ye shall
receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come
upon you: and ye shall be
witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto
the uttermost part of the earth.
4. Stay “prayed up”. Ask God daily to lead you to
people that need to hear the
gospel.
(1 Timothy 2:1-4 KJV) I exhort
therefore, that, first of all, supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and
giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings,
and for all that are in
authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in
all godliness and honesty. For
this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our
Saviour; Who will have all men to
be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of
the truth.
5. Don’t get caught up in temporal things but stay
ready to witness to people
about eternal matters.
(2 Peter 3:8 KJV) But, beloved,
be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is
with the Lord as a thousand
years, and a thousand years as one day.
6. Be always ready to give a defense of your faith
and declare the Lordship of
Jesus in your life.
(1 Peter 3:15 KJV) But sanctify
the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready
always to give an answer to every
man that asketh you a reason of the hope
that is in you with meekness and
fear.
7. Ensure that new converts are planted in a local
church so that discipleship can
be systematically and successfully achieved. Jesus
commissioned His followers to
not only go and preach the gospel, but also to go
and make disciples! Disciplined
believers – trained to follow Christ in all things.
(Hebrews 10:25 KJV) Not forsaking
the assembling of ourselves together, as the
manner of some is; but exhorting
one another: and so much the more, as ye see
the day approaching.
41
CLASS 2 - Mission
Objective:
To instruct on the importance, essentials and
relevance of missions, as regarding the assignment
of the Church towards the unreached.
Outline:
􀂾 The
foundation of mission
􀂾 Mission
& Culture
􀂾 Church
Planting
􀂾 Mission
Field
THE FOUNDATION OF MISSION
What is mission?
Missions involve taking the gospel to locations or
nations where the name of Christ is not
known. A missionary is a person who is sent to a
foreign location or country to preach and to
teach the gospel often involving the establishment
of churches. Such people have an apostolic
mandate to preach the gospel. An apostle means ‘the
sent one’. Believers need to understand that
we are all sent to the whole earth to preach the
gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). We are not
just sent to our native country, we are sent to
preach the gospel to every creature and in nations
far from our native countries (Matthew 28:19). Believers
who cannot go to other nations must
empower others financially and otherwise, so that
the gospel may be preached without hindrance
in every nation.
Let us examine a great missionary motto so as to
have a better understanding of the
importance of reaching the world. The motto is “the
supreme task of the church is the
evangelization of the world”. The supreme task of the church is
the evangelization of the world.
When God loved, He loved the world, when he gave His
son, He gave His son to the whole
world. When Jesus Christ died He died for the world.
God’s vision is a world vision- that is the
vision He wants us to have. So many of us are
localized in our outlook. We see only our own
community, our own village or town, and we never see
beyond. There are those who think of
their own church only and have no interest in what
others are doing. We must be interested in
what is going on in other cities, other nations and
other continents. One of the major conditions
that must be fulfilled before the second coming of
Jesus is that the gospel must be preached in all
nations before Jesus can return to earth.
(Matthew 24:14 KJV) And this
gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the
world for a witness unto all
nations; and then shall the end come.
If we put evangelism first, then we will give more
to missions than to anything thing else. Every
man, woman, boy, girl must be involved in missions.
The work is far too important to hand over
42
to one organization, it belongs to the whole Church
and when everyone catches the vision and
everyone does something, then our goal is reached.
The Source of Mission
There is a need to realize the mission is not
primarily man’s idea. In fact, mission is deeply
rooted in the nature of God. Ever since the first
family were sent out of the Garden of delight and
pleasure – Eden, God’s mission for the planet has
always been, reconciling man back to his
original estate. The covenant was established for
the singular purpose of bringing man into his
original place and purpose.
Exodus 3:7 And the LORD said:
"I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in
Egypt, and have heard their cry
because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows
In the book of Exodus we see God’s mission of
deliverance where Israel is concerned. God heard
the cries of affliction of His covenant people and
sent Moses on a mission to bring them out of
their bondage into a place of freedom. God’s
commitment to mission is written all over the
scriptures in both old and new testaments. Mission
is a product of the love of God. It is simply
God reaching out to humanity in his lost state to
establish reconnection and reconciliation.
Galatians 4:4,5 But when the
fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a
woman, born under the law, to
redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the
adoption as sons.
The message of the cross is mission at work.
God sent His only son to bring man out of darkness
into His marvelous light. The Bible shows us the
amount of work that God put into this ultimate
mission of man’s salvation. Prophesies were spoken
for hundreds of years where this great
mission was concerned. Until the fullness of time
when Jesus was sent into the world to bring
man out of his miseries.
The Power of Mission
Acts 1:8 - But you shall receive
power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be
witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and
in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
It is imperative that every believer understands the
place of the Holy spirit in mission. Often time
people show up in the mission field without the
understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit has been given the charge of the
present dispensation and without Him a believer
is very limited in His Christian work. Any form of
ministry work without the involvement and
guidance of the Holy Spirit is bound to end up in
futility.
The first thing that must be understood is where the
Holy Spirit is sending you to. You cannot
afford to show up on the mission field without being
“sent”. Just because you sense a need in a
43
place does not indicate you are being called to do
mission there. You need to get a clear direction
from God before you decide to go on mission to any
field.
Act 16:6 Now when they had gone
through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were
forbidden by the Holy Spirit to
preach the word in Asia.
Apostle Paul was forbidden by God to embark on a
mission trip to Asia in the above scripture.
God definitely had a different plan for the region.
It was obvious that Paul felt a need, however
this was not in God’s plan. It is a dangerous thing
to show up in a place without being sent.
Always make sure you ask the Holy Spirit before you
set out on a mission.
Act 16:9 And a vision appeared to
Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded
with him, saying, "Come over
to Macedonia and help us."
Is it not interesting to note that shortly after
Paul was forbidden to go to Asia, he had another
encounter with God where God gave him a clear
direction to embark on a mission to Macedonia.
You cannot afford to allow zeal to be your guide
where mission is concerned. You must be led
by the Spirit of God.
There are two categories of people in the different
mission fields of the world today: “the sent
and the went.” The sent are those whose assignment
was inspired and directed by the Holy Spirit
while the went are the ones that showed up because
of other reasons. If you believe that God will
have you to be on the mission field then take time
to find out where exactly He needs you to go.
Another important aspect of the power of mission is
the enabling power of the Spirit that
supplies the supernatural ingredient for mission. As
a missionary, you will need the power of the
Spirit in order to have an impactful ministry. There
are gifts of the Spirit that makes your mission
work attractive and appealing. In addition, you
might need the operation of certain gifts of the
spirit because of the peculiarity of your mission
field.
It is essential for a missionary or a missionary in
training to have a strong fellowship with the
Holy Spirit. Your relationship with the Holy Spirit
should be at a level that makes it natural to
make a withdrawal of His power for your mission.
Mission without the power of the Holy Spirit
will be stressful. In fact, it is simply toiling.
MISSION AND CULTURE
Culture is the sum of attitudes, customs, and
beliefs that distinguishes one group of people from
another. Cultures may be defined as different
perceptions of reality. Culture must be defined in
terms of diversity in order to avoid the error of
interpreting all realities of the world in terms of
one’s perception of reality. Culture is transmitted,
through language, material objects, ritual,
institutions, and art, from one generation to the
next. Missionaries cannot effectively
communicate the gospel across boundaries without
first understanding the nature of culture.
44
Until a missionary understands that every culture is
a different perception of reality his
effectiveness on the mission field is negatively
impacted. An understanding of cultural validity
helps the missionary to realize that all cultures
have strengths and weaknesses. Self evaluation
and personal identification will help a missionary
to overcome culture shock so that they will be
able to minister effectively in a cross-cultural
context.
Culture Shock
Culture Shock is experienced when people move from
one cultural context to another. It is a
form of disorientation that is precipitated by the
anxiety that results from losing all our familiar
signs and symbols of social intercourse. Although
Christian love is able to lead missionaries to
respect and interrelate with the people, Christian
love does not exempt missionaries from the
effects of culture shock. A good example in the way
people greet. While hand shaking and
hugging are freely practiced in some cultures they
are forbidden in other in some other cultures.
Cross- Culturalism
This refers to the learned skill of relating to
people of other cultures within the contexts of their
cultures. This is beyond just learning the culture
by reading books or watching documentaries.
You must be determined to go out into the community
with a ready mind to learn and practice
what you learn. Becoming cross-cultural requires
many hours of listening, speaking, observing,
asking, and experiencing – all within the local
cultural context.
Cross-culturalists perceive that cultures have both
strengths and weaknesses and take other
cultures as seriously as their own. They learn to
recognize cultural strengths and weaknesses,
empathizing with the people, rather than criticizing
their culture. Cross-cultural missionaries
model their cultural adaptation after that of
Christ.
1Corinthians 9:20 - and to the
Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are
under the law, as under the law,
that I might win those who are under the law.
Cross-cultural missionaries treat those of other
cultures as equals, just as they would those of
their culture. The last thing that you need on the
mission field is some kind of superiority feeling.
You cannot afford to look down on any culture or
cultural group. This is a spirit of division that
will compromise any mission work.
Ephesians 2:14 - for He Himself
is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the
middle wall of separation.
CHURCH PLANTING
Church Planting is a major aspect of mission work.
The people that have been impacted need to
be well disciple for mission work to be effective.
Christian maturity can only be achieved when
strong churches are in place.
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What is a Church?
A church is a group of born again believers in
Christ who meet regularly for biblical worship and
are led by shepherds who preach the Word and lead
the congregation toward the purpose of
glorifying God by fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commission
and Greatest Commandments.
-A church: This refers to the universal church (all
born again believers), but more commonly it
refers to a local church, which is our meaning. (1
Pet 2:9, 1Cor 1:2)
-is a group of born again believers: This distinguishes
the true church from groups and cults that
can wrongly label themselves a “church.”
-who meet regularly for biblical worship: Usually
this means meeting at least weekly to practice
such things as singing, prayer, the Ordinances,
exhorting and encouraging each other, giving and
other forms of worship, and exercising spiritual
gifts.
-are led by shepherds: These leaders are more
commonly called "elders" (PRESBUTEROS)
signifying leaders with mature spiritual experience.
In the New Testament, the term "elder," is
always plural except for two times when it refers to
the office of elder.
-who preach the Word and lead the congregation:
Usually there is one primary teaching and
leading shepherd/elder (1 Tim 5:17) and others who
are "able to teach" (1 Tim 3:2) but who
handle other ministry responsibilities and assist in
leadership (Hebrews 13:17, 1 Thessalonians
5:12-13).
-toward the purpose of glorifying God by fulfilling
Jesus’ Great Commission: Every believer and
every church should "go and make
disciples" (Matthew 28:19-20). Thus, the church’s objective
is to spread to all people the joy of knowing and
serving Christ.
-and Greatest Commandments: "‘Love the Lord
your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and
greatest commandment. And the second is like
it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’" (Matthew
22:37-39). That being so, every church should
seek to obey His Great Commandments.
Principles of Church Planting
Effective Church planting require strong prayer
foundation; a clear vision from God, dynamic
leadership, strategic planning and a practical
discipleship program.
There are 12 Biblical principles of Church Planting:
1. The Boss Principle
Christ is Lord of church planting, and He has a
vision for your new church.
2. The Power Principle
Prayer is the indispensable source of God’s power
and wisdom in each phase of church planting.
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3. The Nehemiah Principle
God’s vision must lead to prayerful planning, the
result of which should be a comprehensive task
list set out upon a timeline.
4. The Barnabas Principle
Every church planter needs a mentor. A mentor is
someone who has been where you want to go
and is willing to help you get there.
5. The Team Leader Principle
The church planting pastor is most effective as part
of a team on which he serves as the visionary
leader.
6. The Mission Principle
The central work of the new church will always be to
help people put their trust in Christ and
grow into maturity as His followers.
7. The Leadership Principle
Leadership development lies at the heart of the new
church’s mission and the most important
leadership quality to develop is spiritual maturity.
8. The Bridge Principle
Understanding (and communicating sensitively to) the
hearts and minds of people in the target
community is essential to reaching them effectively
with the Gospel.
9. The Magnet Principle
When God plants a church there should be widespread
community awareness and interest.
10. The Balance Principle
The church planter’s walk with God, family life and ministry
must be in Biblical balance.
11. The Multiplication Principle
Healthy churches will reproduce and daughter church
planting should be envisioned and planned
from the new church’s beginning.
12. The Joseph Principle
Attending to organizational and administrative
matters will protect and stabilize the new church.
MISSION FIELD
The world can be divided into three major slices.
World A comprises of people who have
never heard of the saving power of the blood of Jesus
and have no access to the gospel. Those of world A
are called unreached or unevangelized.
World B is made up of those who have
heard the message of the gospel but have rejected it.
These people are called evangelized non-Christians.
World C is composed of those who have
accepted the gospel and claim to be Christians.
The words unreached and unevangelized are given
special significance by unreached people’s
advocates. The unevangelized must be given an
opportunity to respond to the gospel. The
unreached, despite cultural, linguistic, political
barriers, must be reached with the Good news of
the kingdom. The unreached are estimated to be about
2 billion people. These people have never
heard of Jesus as savior, and are not within reach
of Christians of their own. There are, in fact,
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some 2000 people groups or nationalities in which
there is not yet a vital, indigineous church
movement.
The 10/40 Window
The “10/40 window” extends from ten to forty
degrees north of the equator and stretches from
North Africa through the Middle East to China and Japan.
Because this area is largely unreached
by Christian missions, it constitutes the “core
challenge” for world evangelization.
Almost all of the fifty-five most unevangelized
countries the world are in this sector of the
world. Although the three billion people living in
these fifty-five countries constitute 57 percent
of the world's population, only 18 percent of all
missionaries minister there. Besides being
unreached, peoples living in the 10/40 Window
exhibit a number of other characteristics.
All three major non-Christian religions-Islam,
Hinduism, and Buddhism-originated in the 10140
Window and have their greatest strength there. The
poorest of the poor live in this part of the
world. More than eight out of ten of the poorest
people of the world, those whose yearly income
is less than $500, live in the 10140 Window.
The majority of the unreached people live in the
poorest countries of the world, demonstrating a
correlation between poverty and being lost. The
gospel however has always been "good news to
the poor" (Luke4:18).
Finally, Satan has a significant stranglehold on
this area of the world. The people living in the
10/40 window have suffered not only hunger and a
lower quality of life compared with the rest
of humanity, but have also been kept from the
transforming, life giving, community changing
power of the gospel.
In this part of the world the
"gospel is veiled" because "the god of this age has blinded the
minds
of unbelievers, so that they
cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the
image of God" (2Cor. 4:3-4)
God's people must seek to break these strongholds of
Satan. They must reflect the ministry of
Christ by proclaiming "good news to the
poor" and "release [to] the oppressed" (Luke 418).
North India, described by many as "the most
spiritually dark place on earth," is an example of an
area of unreached peoples. While most missionaries
to India work among tribal and outcast
groups, the Hindu core of the nation (65 percent of
the population) and the Muslim minority (15
percent) are notably neglected.
Beyond the typical cross-cultural barrier of
language and culture, antagonistic religious, political,
and caste barriers hinder Christianity's entry into
and evangelization of North 1ndian cultures.
For example, the northern state of Himachal Pradesh,
the center of Hindu pilgrimages in the
Himalayas, has no sustained Christian presence. In
the adjoining state of Havana pioneering
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mission work occurring among large castes though the
church is less than one percent of the
population.
Generally the growth of the church among Hindi
people of northern India is “disturbingly slow”.
People from tribal groups and lower castes are more
receptive than those of middle and upper
castes.
Quiz
*Provide scriptural references
while answering these questions.
1. (Mark 16:15 KJV) And he said unto them, Go ye
into all the world, and preach the
gospel to every creature. Explain
2. What do you understand by the term ‘Power
Evangelism’?
3. (Mark 16:15 KJV) And he said unto them, Go ye
into all the world, and preach the
gospel to every creature. Explain
4. What is the connection between mission and
culture?
5. What is the relevance of community evangelism in
the New Testament Church?
6. Discuss the practical keys to effective
evangelism.
7. Define the term ‘New Testament Church’.
8. What is the relevance of the ministry of the Holy
Spirit in mission work?
9. What are the different biblical principles of
church planting?
10. What
do you understand by 10/40 window?
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