The Church That Doesn't Move

On this journey that the Lord has been taking me on I've had the opportunity to visit many churches and for the most part I can honestly say that the majority of them are seriously stuck. It becomes ritualistic when you have the same thing going on week after week and let's face it. God cannot move when we refuse to grow. Hopefully today many will get past that and a transformation is ignited by these words the Lord has given me.
 
1 Corinthians 3:2 says, "I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able."

1 Corinthians 3:2 is a perfect example of the state of most churches and this isn't just in America but worldwide. You are receiving milk because that's all you can stand at this time. Now this isn't for everyone. This is for those that have been "saved" for many years, never miss a service, but never evolved into a true servant of God. A true servant doesn't live 2 different lives. You look the same in church as you do outside of church. You show love when no one is watching as well as when they are. You don't allow others bad behavior to move you out of your place of peace and love. You don't lie nor do you find joy at the expense of others. You give without thinking about your own needs or anything else except the love of giving. You seek to uplift others and not bring them down under the subjection or exploitation  of your authority. This is for all of us now and not just the leadership and it's a spirit that doesn't belong to God. 
You can't grow while under this spirit and you also open the door for other spirits to join in on the fun.

So a lot of times we want to blame leadership for this problem, but I'm telling you today that while leadership does share in this fault the real problem can be found in us and our lack of the desire to want to grow. We get used to the ritual and we're not looking for anything to change. In fact, we get upset when others desire more because when that happens an imbalance is created in the church and people become uncomfortable and angry.
These however, are just growing pains and I'll get to that later.
For the most part YOU have to desire more from God. Leaders cannot do that for you. Your Pastor can't move if you're not ready and most Pastors really want you to mature. They love to see that shine that says, "Yes they're getting it and I can give them more!" 
So while we want to blame our leaders for not feeding us meat, we have to look at ourselves first and see if we really are ready for it.
I say this so many times but I cannot say it enough. Self-evaluations is the key to growth. Look, acknowledge and then put into action steps that will make you look better not only on the inside but on the outside too. Jesus can't help us unless we can change and change only comes with building on your relationship with Holy Spirit. Speaking to and hearing what Holy Spirit is saying, and I mean really listening. (God gave this ability to all of us but so many never even try to access it.) He says, "But it is good for me to draw near to God." (Psalm 73:28) It's in the drawing that we pull Him in so He can begin that change from milk to meat.
The church that doesn't move can also have a problem with it's leadership also. I really don't like Pastor bashing in any form, but I need to inform you that not all Pastors are qualified to give you meat because they haven't received it themselves. They too can become stuck. Let's face it, we are all human beings and as a human being we are all subject to fault. In the past I've stated my own faults openingly and have overcame most of them. Being a leader does not make you impervious to error nor fault. It's the leader that thinks he doesn't err that you have to look out for. As leaders we must grow! We should be in a constant cycle of growth in order for those we pastor to be able to grow under our guidance. We have more to lose because of who we have been called to be. 
James 3:1 says, "My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation."
We have more to lose if we are not leading our people to maturity and leading them to maturity begins with a servant's heart. No one in the kingdom of God is above their brethren titled or not. We that lead are in need of humility more than our fellow man, but humble hearts must also contain all the other fruits of the Spirit.
Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. These are basic requirements for leadership and are the things that help you to make wise decisions concerning those you lead. They lead to discernment and so many leaders have no discernment which means the fruits of the spirit are lacking in them. Um hm, time for that self-evaluation. 
Yes, one of the hardest things to do is to lead and even harder to Pastor because when others look at the body they lead they see what the leader is lacking in. The body of Christ and its leaders are a reflection of each other. If the church isn't in constant motion, growing and maturing, more than likely neither is the leadership since it's the leaders that inspire its body to want more. To want to draw nearer to Christ and to desire the meat!
You have it in you to inspire your members to move forward and not be complacent with their present state.

Growing Pains of the Church in Motion:
Sometimes when a church is transitioning from standing still to motion it can cause a lot of friction. You will always have those that are not willing to grow (mature). They hate change because they erroneously believe that change has to do with them breaking their ritual or their position. Growth and position are related in the natural world, but in the supernatural world of the spirit you don't have to worry about position because you'll never be demoted in the kingdom of God for an increase of maturity. 
This is an alignment and unalignment state. Those not flowing with the head will need adjusting. By adjusting I'm not saying turn them away but some private sessions of ministering will be needed. They just need help breaking the cycle more than some. One of the hardest things to do is to change the way a person thinks but if you work on their spirit first the heart will follow since our minds aren't made to deliberately go against our hearts. These things are internal so they'll have to be changed internally. It's mandatory to handle these situations immediately. If not you will begin to see a falling away of the body because no one likes friction in the church.
It's important for you to stay through the growing pains, but there is a big difference in growing pains and a church desiring to grow while actually standing still. You must discern which you are so that you may take the appropriate actions. To stay in any state but motion can be death not only to a church but also to its people because it's very painful to stand still when your spirit is in the move position.
If you are experiencing problems in your church you must discern which position you are in so that you can take the appropriate actions needed to transition the body of Christ into a place of maturity.

I hope this bless and inspire you to don't give up on the church but instead to work as 1 body of Christ to build a strong church.

Evangelist Cheryl Davies
(www.fearnotministries.com)
#DontQuit #FoundInTheSpirit #Leadership #JesusIsLord #WhichChurchAreYou #SharingIsCaring

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