God's Transition Teams
God’s Transition Teams
By Ron Wood
When I was first hired at Verizon Wireless they used a technique to orient me into the business. They put my class under the care of a Transition Team. That team’s job was very specific: they were to prepare us with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in our new environment. Much of my success can be attributed to the job they did of training me. They gave me the tools to succeed and I put those tools to work.
In today’s complex world, any business recruiting and training people for a new job might use a transition period. This stage is embarrassing for new-hires as they make mistakes and feel lost. Trainers handling new recruits during this transition period have to be patient. They also must thoroughly know the company’s business, its products, and especially, its core Values and Vision. These “2-V’s” underscore everything else.
Ideally, the greatest enterprise on planet earth, the billion-member Body of Christ (aka the Church) will utilize skilled teams to transition people out of their old way of thinking into the new values and vision of Christ’s kingdom. Using a business analogy The HR department screening, recruiting and hiring new recruits could be evangelists or local pastors but the Transition Team ought to be veteran apostles and prophets. They alone have the wisdom, insight, calling, and gifting to transition people out of their old worldview, identify their gifts, and deploy them into their work in the kingdom of God.
Traveling Teams
In the New Testament these traveling teams of apostles and prophets had the huge task of converting people from paganism and idolatry to faith in God or, in the case of Jews, lifting them out of religious traditions. When their task was completed local pastors, teachers, and evangelists could take over the care of the flock. Biblical history showed us these teams succeeded admirably. Today something seems to be missing in the church. We have congregations full of people but empty of ministry. If these transition teams remain missing, or if they don’t do their job properly, then the corporate culture of the modern church will deteriorate further and we will fail at our vital mission.
Who are these Transition Teams? How do we recognize them and relate to them?
Let me flash back to a few years ago. In a hotel room in Ft. Worth, Texas, while ministering at a large Christian family camp I awoke one morning to hear a voice speaking to me from beside my bed. I saw no one but I distinctly heard these words: “I want you to re-write your personal mission statement. Every where you go I want you to bear witness to three things- Jesus Christ is the Chief Cornerstone of the Church; The Scriptures are the Word the Holy Spirit confirms with signs and wonders; and The Restoration of contemporary Apostles and Prophets.”
Since that event several years ago I’ve been on a journey of discovery. It has required experiencing hardship for the Lord’s sake and also involved seeing the best of people and the worst of people as they tried and frequently failed to walk out the implications of changes in their paradigm regarding the ministry. Although I’ve spent most of my career as a pastor of various churches I’ve been known as a prophet with an apostolic anointing. I can’t explain it but I know it’s true. Prophets are forerunners of change. They stir us and they point to the path. Apostles are the pioneers who blaze the trail and take us there.
Much has been said about on-going changes in the Body of Christ. We can’t ignore the release of radical new ideas emerging from the Scriptures which are causing us to re-think the infrastructure of the church. Rapid changes have made us feel like the word “transition” is almost worn out. Change feels uncomfortable to all of us. All change at first seems like heresy or revolt. But it may be a reformation, not rebellion (ie.-Luther’s courageous stand). At some point we have to decide what we believe, take a stand for it, and start walking our talk.
I appreciate the Bible teachers who have wrestled with some of these major issues and have given us new terminology to discuss them. One such Bible scholar is Dr. Peter Wagner, formerly of Fuller Theological Seminary where, along with Dr. John Wimber, he specialized in missions and church growth. Dr. Wagner coined the phrase “The Second Apostolic Reformation.” I like this descriptive term and believe it to be accurate.
Are We There Yet?
As an avid student of church history in Bible College I developed a sense of the progressive restoration of the church through the ages. The Lord’s revelation of His ways and the rekindling of His gifts have taken centuries to progress to this point. We still can’t say that we’ve arrived at the glory and power of the church in Acts but we’re a lot further along than we were decades ago. Many of the great truths of the Bible are now common: justification by faith, the new birth, the priesthood of believers, sanctification, Holy Spirit baptism, spiritual gifts, expelling evil spirits, intercessory prayer, and spiritual warfare. These are kingdom pearls worth paying for.
But there is more ahead! Yet to be fully discussed or implemented are the profound adjustments to our thinking and our ways which are occurring from one phase of the restoration, that is, the reappearance of apostles and prophets today in the Body of Christ. More than anything else, this particular move of God is making us reconsider our basic assumptions regarding how we do church. Up until this point, almost all of the waves of renewal were personal and could nicely fit into our old wineskins. Not so with this aspect of God’s kingdom, the two foundation gifts, apostles and prophets.
Two Critical Issues
In this short article I won’t try to justify these two offices or deal with their function in the church. That has been written about and taught about in other places both by myself and others. Instead I want to address two issues that are emerging based on the present reality that God is sending these vital ministries among us. Two practical issues for today are: How do we receive them? How do we do financially support them? To put it another way, the two questions before us are: How do we connect? What do we do with tithes and offerings?
Understand, whenever God says something to the church, He already knows the way to walk it out. It isn’t wise to invent some new method and then think that we’re smarter than God! The Lord gave us a pattern in Jesus and He expects us to follow it. This same pattern was repeated by the early apostles. That pattern is in the Scriptures if we will take the time to remove the glasses of tradition and see with new eyes.
For example the modern notion of church in today’s language usually refers to a building on a certain street corner with a label on it: Baptist, Methodist, Assembly of God, etc. In the New Testament Greek language, this was not so. Instead, the word church (ecclesia) has to do with an assembly (Acts 19:41). It always referred to the people, not to the place they met. In secular usage it meant an assembly of citizens in a city called out to corporately decide a matter. It had governmental implications. In the kingdom of God, this is still true today (Mt 16:18; & Mt 18:19-20). The Church is an assembly of called out ones, the living Body of Christ, united under Christ’s headship (Eph 1:22-23). The church is not a building. A church is always the people.
The Church is a Living Body
After the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in AD 70, Christ’s followers met mostly in homes. The Church transitioned from being Jewish and having priests to being a multi-ethnic kingdom of priests with every believer exercising authority under Christ. The Lord deposited within each believing community people who had differing gifts of grace. These gifts were for healing, delivering and edifying one another (1 Cor 12-14), serving and blessing others in the community (Rom 12:1-13), and reproducing Christ’s ministry in others (Eph 4:11-16). There wasn’t a hierarchy of priests over laymen, or of males over females, or an elite leadership over common believers. They all stood on level ground. They all had varieties of gifts of grace that made them distinct. There was no room for pride due to position or authority.
We are all the same at the foot of the cross. This does not mean that everyone is equal in ability. By God’s choice and endowment, certain ones are given special abilities by grace in order to fulfill unique job descriptions.
Let me pause here and explain a fundamental difference in ministries. There are two differing roles which leaders can occupy in serving the Body of Christ. Those two vital positions are either local or trans-local. Local means non-mobile; that is stationary. They don’t move around a lot. Their sphere of influence is within their own house and not much beyond it. “Local ministries” refers to local elders. Usually local elders have secular jobs, earn a living, are tied to the land, and don’t always need to draw a salary from the church. This is especially true for house church leaders.
Trans-local refers to mobile ministries. These ministries are larger than any single house. Perhaps they touch several houses, or impact a whole city or region or nation. They are set apart for the work (Acts 13:2) and not tied down to a single area. They are free to travel as the Lord directs. In fact, their work requires that they be supported by the church so they can be mobile. They may stay awhile to do their work but should remain un-entangled. Otherwise, they would be unfaithful to their employers every time they relocated for the work of the ministry. They need to be devoted to the Word of God rather than to other legitimate but worldly pursuits. This job description more aptly fits apostles and prophets, not local pastors. Pastors by the nature of their work are strongly connected to their flock in a certain area and thus usually stay close to home. Many good pastors today are bi-vocational and still very successful in their ministry.
The Ephesus Church as a Pattern
When the apostle Paul was passing by Ephesus where previously he had finished the work of planting a network of house churches, he called for the elders of the church in the city to come meet with him. This is fascinating insight into church growth! This happened in Acts 20:17. They knew who they were and they responded to his call. This shows us that house church leaders should not be independent, but should network with a spiritual father (or his team). When these elders gathered, Paul gave them final instructions for carrying out their pastoral ministry (see Acts 20:20). These were all laymen, not religious professionals, not seminary graduates, not men with clerical collars who stood behind pulpits, but ordinary people with real jobs and real families who happened to be serving portions of the Body of Christ who were meeting in their homes.
Who were these local elders in the city? They were, in a word, pastors. They were men and women chosen by the Holy Spirit to shepherd portions of the Lord’s flock.
They had been trained by Paul but they were now on their own yet still accountable. This shows the principle of apostolic release. Whenever an apostle (think, spiritual father or mother) fails to release his sons (or daughters) into their sphere, he is like a farmer standing on top of his seed. The ground can’t produce while his weight is still pressing down. Failure to hand-off from one generation to the next is a major reason for a slow harvest. This can be due to a spirit of control, or to pride, or to wrong thinking about how church functions or how leaders develop. Regardless, it needs to be cured or we will keep undermining our own success.
A Title May Be Real or Phony
A word of warning about ministry titles: Titles may become substitutes for genuine character, gifts, or achievements- artificial badges of unearned honor. Paul wasn’t afraid to call himself an apostle. Eventually he had the signs, the sons, and the seals (and scars) to prove who he was. Immature or ambitious people tend to forget their gifts are by grace and are for the benefit of the church. Deceived, they think their popularity entitles them to privileges. They begin to accept adulation and start to wear a ministry mask. Paul said we as believers are not to tolerate this misuse of power (2 Cor 11:20)!
False fathers use their followers to grow their own ministry while true leaders will spend and be spent to see their sons sent out and succeed (2 Cor 12:14-15). Never follow someone who uses their office or title to enlarge their sphere at your expense. To quote my brother Don (author of Fatherpower), “False fathers reduce their sons to keep them; true fathers enlarge their sons to release them.” Preening peacocks or pompous jackasses make poor servant-leaders and eventually show their true nature. That was the story of Saul and David. In fact, the more anyone increases in grace, revelation, and glory in their union with Jesus Christ the Head of the Church, the less they use authority on people and the more they use it against spiritual powers.
Back to the major questions: How do we link up with apostles or prophets? How do we honor God with our tithes and offerings in a non-institutional way?
In the current religious culture we think that we ought to meet on Sunday to worship and to hear preaching. This is good, but it isn’t the biblical picture. The Bible shows the pattern for New Testament gatherings as being a simple meeting, mostly in small groups, with ministry open to anyone who had a gift or insight to share. That’s quite different from the order of service of most churches today. A quick study of Acts 2:42-47 shows the pattern of church activity that transformed a whole city. How did they do it? They met in homes- houses of prayer scattered all over the city. They did easy, natural things that were fun and social and satisfying. It was naturally appealing to lost people. Miracles happened in homes!
Every Member Has a Ministry
Another study of the operation of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12-14 shows that the Holy Spirit wants to use every believer, not just the clergymen behind the pulpit (1 Cor 12:7, 11; 1 Cor 14:26). Only in the context of informal small groups in homes is this kind of liberty with order truly possible. It is natural church, organic, not organized to the point of artificiality or sterility.
Yet leadership is necessary and is established by the Lord. In this same context, notice the apostle Paul makes a distinction in gifts and some would say, in rank among ministries. He says in 1 Cor 12:28 that God has set in the church “first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles…” This is the only place in the New Testament where an order of importance or degree of authority is presented. A similar thought is introduced in Ephesians 2:20 where Paul states that the church is built on the foundation of apostles and prophets (not on pastors or teachers), with Jesus as the Cornerstone, the carefully placed foundation stone to which everything else has to line up. So there is the idea of more importance being given to two mobile ministries in the church, apostles and prophets. They are foundational to all that God does in the Body of Christ in all ages.
Modern Christians think that to serve God we need to affiliate with a certain group that meets in a certain building that has a certain historic denominational creed. That used to be the case and for many believers it is still acceptable and good. We “joined the church.” In the new order of renewal, more spontaneity and originality is allowed. We don’t relate to the church per se, we relate to the ministry which oversees it. We are joined to the church by new birth, already part of the Body of Christ. We find ourselves easily meeting together for prayer and instruction in one another’s homes or rented halls. We can network with an apostle or his team and become part of their developing sphere. The church is in transition! The day will come when it will be more important to know what spiritual father adopted you than what denominational mother birthed you. Theses new relationships are personal and practical, not institutional. There is mutual edification and teaming up for tasks. It is not a passive classroom model.
Money Matters- to God!
In the same manner we might handle finances in a fresh way. In the old order we gave tithes (the first ten per cent of our increase) or offerings (gifts beyond the tithe) to the church treasury. It was counted, put in a bank account, and used to pay the mortgage and the church staff. We related to the building or to the group and supported the church program. In the new order our tithes still show honor to God (Prov 3:9-10) and should be removed from our house to avoid a curse and to receive a blessing (Mal 3:8-12). This Biblical principle is unchanging. Jesus still receives tithes (Heb 7:8). The idea is sowing and reaping, spiritually and naturally (Gal 6:6). Everyone has something to give. No one comes to the Lord empty-handed. Jesus is worthy of praise, honor, and riches.
Tithes are a special category, holy unto the Lord (Lev 27:28-30). Additionally, tithes are devoted; that is they are designated for supporting workers, those who forfeit careers to be servants of the Word. If that’s so, then how do we give offerings for their support?
Tradition says we wait for a bag to pass in front of us while a song is sung or perhaps we drop a check in a box by the door as we exit. It is all very polite and anonymous. But what if we’re in a house church? Why not hand your offering to an apostle or a prophet? Or mail it. Or send it electronically. Or collect it and then give it when your teacher arrives, as Paul did. If our relationships are personal, why not let our giving be personal as well? In the new order, we team up by giving and receiving and thus we relate to the Five-Fold leaders, not to the building or to the organization. It is perfectly alright to use non-profit corporations for tax purposes but it is not necessary for the Lord.
Paul showed us in the New Testament that several churches in different cities partnered with him again and again to support his ministry (Phil 4:10-19). Since most of the early converts were Jewish, it is logical to assume they were using tithes to support Paul. It is also quite clear from the Scriptures that the grace of God was manifested in the New Testament by abundant giving beyond the minimum of the tithe (see 2 Cor 9:6-15 & Acts 2:45). Giving and receiving were vital aspects of God’s order in both old and new covenants. Paul reminded Timothy that workers in the field were just as worthy of support as builders in the house (2 Tim 2:6-7). The idea is that laborers are never to be defrauded of what they deserve for their work (Prov 3:27, Mal 3:5).
These many verses add up to HUGE sections of Bible devoted to supporting Jesus’ workers. Jesus said in Luke 10:7, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” We say, “He’s worth his salt.” At one time in history, salt was a form of wage. We get the word “salary” from it. We recognize someone’s worth when we give them an honorable wage or an honorarium. Christ said that a blessing of peace (well-being, prosperity, & favor) would rest on the house of anyone who helped sponsor the laborers He sent. Beyond wages, the Lord wants us to respect and esteem those who represent the Lord and do His work, especially anyone laboring in the Word (Rom 12:8-10, 1 Tim 5:17-18).
Honoring the Past; Embrace Present Truth
In addressing both these critical issues (church structures, apostolic relationships, and supporting non-local ministry teams) we should always be careful to “build fences” to avoid inadvertently promoting bad things. So let me say that I know many excellent traditional pastors with wonderful congregations who live from their ministry and who are doing the will of God. I know also that any doctrine, even a good one, can be pushed too far until it becomes, if not an error, at least a deviation or a wrong emphasis. For example, I don’t believe the New Testament divine order for the saints is “believe, be baptized, and tithe.” In some churches that celebrate giving, you’d think those were the fundamentals of the faith! Idolatry due to greed can infect anyone. The best antidote for greed is generosity by honoring God, giving to help the poor, and supporting worthy ministries. In our walk with God, we all will eventually come to a place where financial obedience is a major fork in the road if we are to continue further in doing God’s will.
What is the bottom line to these practical questions? It starts with relationships! Get to know the workers the Lord is raising up in your area, especially those with apostolic or prophetic grace. Partner with them by prayer and by giving. Spend time with them hearing what the Spirit is saying. Gather with other believers who are like minded and start to pray for God’s kingdom to come to your family, your church, and your city. Even if two or three assemble in Jesus’ name, become a temple of the Spirit!
Small gatherings can be impromptu or planned but they should be orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. Meet informally in homes or rented halls; edify one another; pray for laborers for your city; network with local apostles or prophets by honoring and receiving them. The Lord wants an apostolic team in every city! Freely contribute from your income with these apostles or prophets as you have the ability, systematically, in faith and love. Help empower God’s Transition Teams! Support people whom the Lord is preparing and setting apart so they can be available to equip new leaders, able to travel to new assignments, and be fully devoted to the ministry of the Word.
© 2005 God’s Transition Teams by Ron Wood
More material available at www.touchedbygrace.org
We are touched by grace to touch the world!
By Ron Wood
When I was first hired at Verizon Wireless they used a technique to orient me into the business. They put my class under the care of a Transition Team. That team’s job was very specific: they were to prepare us with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in our new environment. Much of my success can be attributed to the job they did of training me. They gave me the tools to succeed and I put those tools to work.
In today’s complex world, any business recruiting and training people for a new job might use a transition period. This stage is embarrassing for new-hires as they make mistakes and feel lost. Trainers handling new recruits during this transition period have to be patient. They also must thoroughly know the company’s business, its products, and especially, its core Values and Vision. These “2-V’s” underscore everything else.
Ideally, the greatest enterprise on planet earth, the billion-member Body of Christ (aka the Church) will utilize skilled teams to transition people out of their old way of thinking into the new values and vision of Christ’s kingdom. Using a business analogy The HR department screening, recruiting and hiring new recruits could be evangelists or local pastors but the Transition Team ought to be veteran apostles and prophets. They alone have the wisdom, insight, calling, and gifting to transition people out of their old worldview, identify their gifts, and deploy them into their work in the kingdom of God.
Traveling Teams
In the New Testament these traveling teams of apostles and prophets had the huge task of converting people from paganism and idolatry to faith in God or, in the case of Jews, lifting them out of religious traditions. When their task was completed local pastors, teachers, and evangelists could take over the care of the flock. Biblical history showed us these teams succeeded admirably. Today something seems to be missing in the church. We have congregations full of people but empty of ministry. If these transition teams remain missing, or if they don’t do their job properly, then the corporate culture of the modern church will deteriorate further and we will fail at our vital mission.
Who are these Transition Teams? How do we recognize them and relate to them?
Let me flash back to a few years ago. In a hotel room in Ft. Worth, Texas, while ministering at a large Christian family camp I awoke one morning to hear a voice speaking to me from beside my bed. I saw no one but I distinctly heard these words: “I want you to re-write your personal mission statement. Every where you go I want you to bear witness to three things- Jesus Christ is the Chief Cornerstone of the Church; The Scriptures are the Word the Holy Spirit confirms with signs and wonders; and The Restoration of contemporary Apostles and Prophets.”
Since that event several years ago I’ve been on a journey of discovery. It has required experiencing hardship for the Lord’s sake and also involved seeing the best of people and the worst of people as they tried and frequently failed to walk out the implications of changes in their paradigm regarding the ministry. Although I’ve spent most of my career as a pastor of various churches I’ve been known as a prophet with an apostolic anointing. I can’t explain it but I know it’s true. Prophets are forerunners of change. They stir us and they point to the path. Apostles are the pioneers who blaze the trail and take us there.
Much has been said about on-going changes in the Body of Christ. We can’t ignore the release of radical new ideas emerging from the Scriptures which are causing us to re-think the infrastructure of the church. Rapid changes have made us feel like the word “transition” is almost worn out. Change feels uncomfortable to all of us. All change at first seems like heresy or revolt. But it may be a reformation, not rebellion (ie.-Luther’s courageous stand). At some point we have to decide what we believe, take a stand for it, and start walking our talk.
I appreciate the Bible teachers who have wrestled with some of these major issues and have given us new terminology to discuss them. One such Bible scholar is Dr. Peter Wagner, formerly of Fuller Theological Seminary where, along with Dr. John Wimber, he specialized in missions and church growth. Dr. Wagner coined the phrase “The Second Apostolic Reformation.” I like this descriptive term and believe it to be accurate.
Are We There Yet?
As an avid student of church history in Bible College I developed a sense of the progressive restoration of the church through the ages. The Lord’s revelation of His ways and the rekindling of His gifts have taken centuries to progress to this point. We still can’t say that we’ve arrived at the glory and power of the church in Acts but we’re a lot further along than we were decades ago. Many of the great truths of the Bible are now common: justification by faith, the new birth, the priesthood of believers, sanctification, Holy Spirit baptism, spiritual gifts, expelling evil spirits, intercessory prayer, and spiritual warfare. These are kingdom pearls worth paying for.
But there is more ahead! Yet to be fully discussed or implemented are the profound adjustments to our thinking and our ways which are occurring from one phase of the restoration, that is, the reappearance of apostles and prophets today in the Body of Christ. More than anything else, this particular move of God is making us reconsider our basic assumptions regarding how we do church. Up until this point, almost all of the waves of renewal were personal and could nicely fit into our old wineskins. Not so with this aspect of God’s kingdom, the two foundation gifts, apostles and prophets.
Two Critical Issues
In this short article I won’t try to justify these two offices or deal with their function in the church. That has been written about and taught about in other places both by myself and others. Instead I want to address two issues that are emerging based on the present reality that God is sending these vital ministries among us. Two practical issues for today are: How do we receive them? How do we do financially support them? To put it another way, the two questions before us are: How do we connect? What do we do with tithes and offerings?
Understand, whenever God says something to the church, He already knows the way to walk it out. It isn’t wise to invent some new method and then think that we’re smarter than God! The Lord gave us a pattern in Jesus and He expects us to follow it. This same pattern was repeated by the early apostles. That pattern is in the Scriptures if we will take the time to remove the glasses of tradition and see with new eyes.
For example the modern notion of church in today’s language usually refers to a building on a certain street corner with a label on it: Baptist, Methodist, Assembly of God, etc. In the New Testament Greek language, this was not so. Instead, the word church (ecclesia) has to do with an assembly (Acts 19:41). It always referred to the people, not to the place they met. In secular usage it meant an assembly of citizens in a city called out to corporately decide a matter. It had governmental implications. In the kingdom of God, this is still true today (Mt 16:18; & Mt 18:19-20). The Church is an assembly of called out ones, the living Body of Christ, united under Christ’s headship (Eph 1:22-23). The church is not a building. A church is always the people.
The Church is a Living Body
After the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in AD 70, Christ’s followers met mostly in homes. The Church transitioned from being Jewish and having priests to being a multi-ethnic kingdom of priests with every believer exercising authority under Christ. The Lord deposited within each believing community people who had differing gifts of grace. These gifts were for healing, delivering and edifying one another (1 Cor 12-14), serving and blessing others in the community (Rom 12:1-13), and reproducing Christ’s ministry in others (Eph 4:11-16). There wasn’t a hierarchy of priests over laymen, or of males over females, or an elite leadership over common believers. They all stood on level ground. They all had varieties of gifts of grace that made them distinct. There was no room for pride due to position or authority.
We are all the same at the foot of the cross. This does not mean that everyone is equal in ability. By God’s choice and endowment, certain ones are given special abilities by grace in order to fulfill unique job descriptions.
Let me pause here and explain a fundamental difference in ministries. There are two differing roles which leaders can occupy in serving the Body of Christ. Those two vital positions are either local or trans-local. Local means non-mobile; that is stationary. They don’t move around a lot. Their sphere of influence is within their own house and not much beyond it. “Local ministries” refers to local elders. Usually local elders have secular jobs, earn a living, are tied to the land, and don’t always need to draw a salary from the church. This is especially true for house church leaders.
Trans-local refers to mobile ministries. These ministries are larger than any single house. Perhaps they touch several houses, or impact a whole city or region or nation. They are set apart for the work (Acts 13:2) and not tied down to a single area. They are free to travel as the Lord directs. In fact, their work requires that they be supported by the church so they can be mobile. They may stay awhile to do their work but should remain un-entangled. Otherwise, they would be unfaithful to their employers every time they relocated for the work of the ministry. They need to be devoted to the Word of God rather than to other legitimate but worldly pursuits. This job description more aptly fits apostles and prophets, not local pastors. Pastors by the nature of their work are strongly connected to their flock in a certain area and thus usually stay close to home. Many good pastors today are bi-vocational and still very successful in their ministry.
The Ephesus Church as a Pattern
When the apostle Paul was passing by Ephesus where previously he had finished the work of planting a network of house churches, he called for the elders of the church in the city to come meet with him. This is fascinating insight into church growth! This happened in Acts 20:17. They knew who they were and they responded to his call. This shows us that house church leaders should not be independent, but should network with a spiritual father (or his team). When these elders gathered, Paul gave them final instructions for carrying out their pastoral ministry (see Acts 20:20). These were all laymen, not religious professionals, not seminary graduates, not men with clerical collars who stood behind pulpits, but ordinary people with real jobs and real families who happened to be serving portions of the Body of Christ who were meeting in their homes.
Who were these local elders in the city? They were, in a word, pastors. They were men and women chosen by the Holy Spirit to shepherd portions of the Lord’s flock.
They had been trained by Paul but they were now on their own yet still accountable. This shows the principle of apostolic release. Whenever an apostle (think, spiritual father or mother) fails to release his sons (or daughters) into their sphere, he is like a farmer standing on top of his seed. The ground can’t produce while his weight is still pressing down. Failure to hand-off from one generation to the next is a major reason for a slow harvest. This can be due to a spirit of control, or to pride, or to wrong thinking about how church functions or how leaders develop. Regardless, it needs to be cured or we will keep undermining our own success.
A Title May Be Real or Phony
A word of warning about ministry titles: Titles may become substitutes for genuine character, gifts, or achievements- artificial badges of unearned honor. Paul wasn’t afraid to call himself an apostle. Eventually he had the signs, the sons, and the seals (and scars) to prove who he was. Immature or ambitious people tend to forget their gifts are by grace and are for the benefit of the church. Deceived, they think their popularity entitles them to privileges. They begin to accept adulation and start to wear a ministry mask. Paul said we as believers are not to tolerate this misuse of power (2 Cor 11:20)!
False fathers use their followers to grow their own ministry while true leaders will spend and be spent to see their sons sent out and succeed (2 Cor 12:14-15). Never follow someone who uses their office or title to enlarge their sphere at your expense. To quote my brother Don (author of Fatherpower), “False fathers reduce their sons to keep them; true fathers enlarge their sons to release them.” Preening peacocks or pompous jackasses make poor servant-leaders and eventually show their true nature. That was the story of Saul and David. In fact, the more anyone increases in grace, revelation, and glory in their union with Jesus Christ the Head of the Church, the less they use authority on people and the more they use it against spiritual powers.
Back to the major questions: How do we link up with apostles or prophets? How do we honor God with our tithes and offerings in a non-institutional way?
In the current religious culture we think that we ought to meet on Sunday to worship and to hear preaching. This is good, but it isn’t the biblical picture. The Bible shows the pattern for New Testament gatherings as being a simple meeting, mostly in small groups, with ministry open to anyone who had a gift or insight to share. That’s quite different from the order of service of most churches today. A quick study of Acts 2:42-47 shows the pattern of church activity that transformed a whole city. How did they do it? They met in homes- houses of prayer scattered all over the city. They did easy, natural things that were fun and social and satisfying. It was naturally appealing to lost people. Miracles happened in homes!
Every Member Has a Ministry
Another study of the operation of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12-14 shows that the Holy Spirit wants to use every believer, not just the clergymen behind the pulpit (1 Cor 12:7, 11; 1 Cor 14:26). Only in the context of informal small groups in homes is this kind of liberty with order truly possible. It is natural church, organic, not organized to the point of artificiality or sterility.
Yet leadership is necessary and is established by the Lord. In this same context, notice the apostle Paul makes a distinction in gifts and some would say, in rank among ministries. He says in 1 Cor 12:28 that God has set in the church “first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles…” This is the only place in the New Testament where an order of importance or degree of authority is presented. A similar thought is introduced in Ephesians 2:20 where Paul states that the church is built on the foundation of apostles and prophets (not on pastors or teachers), with Jesus as the Cornerstone, the carefully placed foundation stone to which everything else has to line up. So there is the idea of more importance being given to two mobile ministries in the church, apostles and prophets. They are foundational to all that God does in the Body of Christ in all ages.
Modern Christians think that to serve God we need to affiliate with a certain group that meets in a certain building that has a certain historic denominational creed. That used to be the case and for many believers it is still acceptable and good. We “joined the church.” In the new order of renewal, more spontaneity and originality is allowed. We don’t relate to the church per se, we relate to the ministry which oversees it. We are joined to the church by new birth, already part of the Body of Christ. We find ourselves easily meeting together for prayer and instruction in one another’s homes or rented halls. We can network with an apostle or his team and become part of their developing sphere. The church is in transition! The day will come when it will be more important to know what spiritual father adopted you than what denominational mother birthed you. Theses new relationships are personal and practical, not institutional. There is mutual edification and teaming up for tasks. It is not a passive classroom model.
Money Matters- to God!
In the same manner we might handle finances in a fresh way. In the old order we gave tithes (the first ten per cent of our increase) or offerings (gifts beyond the tithe) to the church treasury. It was counted, put in a bank account, and used to pay the mortgage and the church staff. We related to the building or to the group and supported the church program. In the new order our tithes still show honor to God (Prov 3:9-10) and should be removed from our house to avoid a curse and to receive a blessing (Mal 3:8-12). This Biblical principle is unchanging. Jesus still receives tithes (Heb 7:8). The idea is sowing and reaping, spiritually and naturally (Gal 6:6). Everyone has something to give. No one comes to the Lord empty-handed. Jesus is worthy of praise, honor, and riches.
Tithes are a special category, holy unto the Lord (Lev 27:28-30). Additionally, tithes are devoted; that is they are designated for supporting workers, those who forfeit careers to be servants of the Word. If that’s so, then how do we give offerings for their support?
Tradition says we wait for a bag to pass in front of us while a song is sung or perhaps we drop a check in a box by the door as we exit. It is all very polite and anonymous. But what if we’re in a house church? Why not hand your offering to an apostle or a prophet? Or mail it. Or send it electronically. Or collect it and then give it when your teacher arrives, as Paul did. If our relationships are personal, why not let our giving be personal as well? In the new order, we team up by giving and receiving and thus we relate to the Five-Fold leaders, not to the building or to the organization. It is perfectly alright to use non-profit corporations for tax purposes but it is not necessary for the Lord.
Paul showed us in the New Testament that several churches in different cities partnered with him again and again to support his ministry (Phil 4:10-19). Since most of the early converts were Jewish, it is logical to assume they were using tithes to support Paul. It is also quite clear from the Scriptures that the grace of God was manifested in the New Testament by abundant giving beyond the minimum of the tithe (see 2 Cor 9:6-15 & Acts 2:45). Giving and receiving were vital aspects of God’s order in both old and new covenants. Paul reminded Timothy that workers in the field were just as worthy of support as builders in the house (2 Tim 2:6-7). The idea is that laborers are never to be defrauded of what they deserve for their work (Prov 3:27, Mal 3:5).
These many verses add up to HUGE sections of Bible devoted to supporting Jesus’ workers. Jesus said in Luke 10:7, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” We say, “He’s worth his salt.” At one time in history, salt was a form of wage. We get the word “salary” from it. We recognize someone’s worth when we give them an honorable wage or an honorarium. Christ said that a blessing of peace (well-being, prosperity, & favor) would rest on the house of anyone who helped sponsor the laborers He sent. Beyond wages, the Lord wants us to respect and esteem those who represent the Lord and do His work, especially anyone laboring in the Word (Rom 12:8-10, 1 Tim 5:17-18).
Honoring the Past; Embrace Present Truth
In addressing both these critical issues (church structures, apostolic relationships, and supporting non-local ministry teams) we should always be careful to “build fences” to avoid inadvertently promoting bad things. So let me say that I know many excellent traditional pastors with wonderful congregations who live from their ministry and who are doing the will of God. I know also that any doctrine, even a good one, can be pushed too far until it becomes, if not an error, at least a deviation or a wrong emphasis. For example, I don’t believe the New Testament divine order for the saints is “believe, be baptized, and tithe.” In some churches that celebrate giving, you’d think those were the fundamentals of the faith! Idolatry due to greed can infect anyone. The best antidote for greed is generosity by honoring God, giving to help the poor, and supporting worthy ministries. In our walk with God, we all will eventually come to a place where financial obedience is a major fork in the road if we are to continue further in doing God’s will.
What is the bottom line to these practical questions? It starts with relationships! Get to know the workers the Lord is raising up in your area, especially those with apostolic or prophetic grace. Partner with them by prayer and by giving. Spend time with them hearing what the Spirit is saying. Gather with other believers who are like minded and start to pray for God’s kingdom to come to your family, your church, and your city. Even if two or three assemble in Jesus’ name, become a temple of the Spirit!
Small gatherings can be impromptu or planned but they should be orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. Meet informally in homes or rented halls; edify one another; pray for laborers for your city; network with local apostles or prophets by honoring and receiving them. The Lord wants an apostolic team in every city! Freely contribute from your income with these apostles or prophets as you have the ability, systematically, in faith and love. Help empower God’s Transition Teams! Support people whom the Lord is preparing and setting apart so they can be available to equip new leaders, able to travel to new assignments, and be fully devoted to the ministry of the Word.
© 2005 God’s Transition Teams by Ron Wood
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