AGAPE LESSON 10
THE DIAGNOSIS OF THE CHURCH
(today)
Put together by Bongie Kuzwayo
We are looking at the church across the board. The church out there thrives on regurgitated (spiritual food). Somebody received from the Lord, meditated and shared with whoever they can reach. That is not wrong – don’t hear what I did not say. But ask yourself a question, “If I know myself to be a child of God, and God is our Father, when do I go to Him to receive a fresh revelation so I can influence those within my sphere? In the natural, do I need to be represented by someone to talk to my father on my behalf? Is that normal?” What am I saying? Let us use spiritual lens to see where we are. Just in case we have lost the right route, so we go back on track?
In the Old Testament:
[1Samuel 9v9) Formally in Israel when a man went to inquire of God, he spoke thus, “Come, let us go to the seer”, for he who is now called prophet was formally called seer.
[2Kings3v11] But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of God here, that we may inquire of the Lord by him?”
Folk in the Old Testament were not Spirit-filled like you and I. The onus is on us to engage the Holy Spirit so He can lead us to all truth.
Jesus speaking to His disciples, said, [John16v12—15] I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. (13) However, when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. (14) He will glorify Me, for He will take what is Mine and declare it to you. (15) All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore, I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
If we fail to engage the Holy Spirit, why was He given to us? He readily works with a yielded vessel. He will not force Himself on you. You have to create a habitat for Him to help, teach and lead you. David would ask God direct questions and get answers instantly. He was anointed by Samuel with a horn of oil. The Spirit of the Lord rested upon him from that day (1Samuel 16v13). David pre-figured the New Testament church, the royal priesthood (1Peter2v9). We can do the same. We have a promise: [Matthew28v20) – – – – -; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
The law and the ceremonial rituals were ordained by God, and were relevant for the season before Christ came. When He came, He preached the message of the kingdom of God. His ministry met with a lot of resistance from the Scribes and the Pharisees of His day. He was not received as the Messiah they were waiting for. To many in Israel, the Messiah is yet to come. They are still locked in the old paradigm. His ministry met with outright rejection.
[John1v11–12] He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. (12) But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.
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Traditions handed down by the fathers, were ordained by God and were relevant for the season. The church took the traditions as is, and never bothered to know what God is saying for our season. They keep adding new traditions upon the old. I am talking about those good ideas which are not God ideas.
Today’s church is busy with programs that keep them very busy doing nothing. Entertainment and buzz-words like, “devil is a liar “and quoting Scriptures out of context, is the order of the day. While praying and having a conversation with the Father, they will give Him their back and start talking to the devil binding him. They do not understand the sacredness of the blood of Jesus; will apply it on inanimate objects thinking they are doing spiritual warfare.
There is no equipping of the saints.
[Ephesians 4v11—16] And He Himself gave some to be Apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, (12) for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, (13) till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; (14) that we should no longer be children, tossed to and for, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, (15) but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—(16) from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every joint does its share, causing growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
The church is spiritually starving in the midst of plenty. Most of what you get from the podiums today is the “letter.”
[2Corinthians 3v5—6] Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, (6) who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
The letter is the word without the Spirit/polluted water.
Water is a constant picture of the word of God.
Spirit-filled word is fresh manna/revelation:
(1) Proceeding word [Matthew4v4] But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
(2) Life-giving word [John6v63] “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are Spirit, and they are life”.
(3) A river [Psalm46v4] There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most-High.
(4) New word [Isaiah 42v9]
(5) What the Spirit is saying to the churches [Revelation2v7]
The woman who had a flow of blood pictures today’s church very well.
[Mark5v25—34] Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, (26) and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had, and was no better, but rather grew worse. (27) When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. (28) For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” (29) Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the
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affliction. (30) And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” (31) But His disciples said to Him, ‘You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, “Who touched Me?” (32) And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. (33) But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. (34) And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
• Woman = in Scripture is a picture of a church.
[Ephesians 5v25—27] Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, (26) that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of the water by the word, (27) that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
• Blood = LIFE is in the blood.
[Leviticus17v13—14] Whatever man of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who hunts and catches any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust; (14) for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life. Therefore, I said to the children of Israel, “You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is in its blood. Whoever eats of it shall be cut off.”
• Twelve years = signifies governmental perfection. It is found as a multiple of all that has to do with rule. (Sickness is ruling the church today. She is losing life by day). The sun which rules the day, and the moon and stars which govern the night, do so by their passage through the twelve signs of the Zodiac.
[Luke8v41—42] And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house, (42) for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.
• Suffered many things = all the gimmicks you find in the church today; entertainment, empty messages of prosperity and blessings, special healing and deliverance meetings. Jesus never called any healing and deliverance meeting; He only healed them when He was moved by the Spirit.
[Matthew 14v14] And when Jesus went out, He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them and healed their sick. [Matthew20v29—34] Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. (30) And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” (31) Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” (32) So, Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (33) They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” (34) So, Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.
• Many physicians = I leave this one for you to figure out. You call them, “Men of the hour.”
• Jesus = the word of God.
[John1v1—2] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God.
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• Grew worse = she continued losing life and received no remedy for her malady. The church is weak and is getting worse by day.
• Power gone out = life-giving anointing.
[John6v63] It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are Spirit, and they are life.
• This woman lived in isolation. She was forbidden by the law of Moses. This is why she was fearing and trembling to own up and come forward. By law she would be stoned to death. Many men of God out there, work in isolation. Their pride forbids them to work together with other ministers. They are busy trying to build their own empires. Only Jesus is the One building His church.
[Matthew16v18) And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Today’s church is no different from the world out there.
By God’s design, every believer is in full-time ministry. The equipping of the saints is so that we do the work of ministry. Right there where you are in the market-place, you are to make a difference as salt of the earth. Let your light so shine that people may see your good work and praise the Lord. Doing the Father’s business has got nothing to do with the pulpit. Jesus went about doing good and healing all sicknesses. He was available even in deserted places, without a pulpit.
[Ephesians4v7] But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
According to the measure of Christ’s gift – meaning that Christ gave us grace according to the measure of your calling. The measure of the grace of an apostle is not the same measure as the grace of a teacher. The greater the responsibility, the greater the measure of grace.
What is meant by grace = it is the very substance that God is made of. I am not going to elaborate on that. We will leave that for another day under a different topic.
[2Corinthians6v1] We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
You are a custodian/a steward/a dispenser and an administrator of the grace given to you. The grace in you is for the benefit of those around you. You were equipped for service in the kingdom. Do not take it for granted. At His second coming, He will be coming for a vigilant and triumphant church; a church without spot or wrinkle.