Let’s try to analyze the New Testament notion «obedience» in order to get the real sense of it and to find a blessing. In our days many people try to replace their obedience to God with obedience to man, to pastor. The most precious thing for God is our obedience to His voice as the Bible teaches us (1Samuel 15:22,23). The best example of obedience to God is life and death of Jesus Christ. To be obedient to the will of God to death and the death on the Cross is the highest manifestation and the best example of devotion to God and obedience to Him. But let’s differentiate things: there is obedience to God and obedience to man. To understand it right we need to realize that God gave us a free will, and in the real fact the choice is always up to us. Our gratitude for everything Jesus did for us is expressed in our free obedience to the will of God.
But I want to share with you the experience I personally had in the church of God. Some people call it «control», other people call it «manipulation by the Word», but the sense is the same: one person takes control over the will of another person. The Church was created by God so that pastors and apostles could minister to other people (Eph.4:11-12). And the foundation of such an attitude must be love to God and people. They must be so blessed by this ministry that they should have a desire to devote their lives to the will of God without demanding any reward and without demanding devotion on the part of their followers. The principle on which the New Testament ministry is based is written in Mark 10:43-45. It means that I devote my life, my efforts, my prayer and my fasting, also my finances – in a word, all my life to the sheep of God (to the members of the Church). But even if after that people refuse to devote their lives to Jesus and don’t show any gratitude, the ministers don’t have any right to manipulate their will. Jesus devoted His life for His disciples before God (John 17:19). And even when the disciples started leaving Christ (John chapter 6) He didn’t destroy them or strike with leprosy (Mariam). God had chosen the ministers to care for His sheep, to set them an example, but not to turn them into obedient property. Unfortunately very much of the spiritual labour brings no result, but all the same – the choice is up to man. Life is life. Now let’s do away with some false obedience, which sometimes takes place in the Church of God. Firstly, any intimidation of any member of the church and also of a pastor by the fact that he (or she) is disobedient is not correct! This kind of disobedience is not a sin and it doesn’t lead to leprosy as some people teach. You must remember that you have a free will, given to you by God as a gift, and nobody has the right to bend it across the knee or subdue it. I myself was in delusion because I was told: «you have to follow the «vision» of your pastor, you must be obedient to this vision and so on. Pastor thought that church was given to him as a resource in order to realize his personal gift of a minister (evangelist). In fact it must be visa versa – it’s he who has to minister to me so that my gift might be revealed and bring fruit (Eph.4:11-12). It means that a pastor is the resource of God to reveal your gifts so that you could realize them and glorify God. Church programs and ministries must help me to grow and to put into practice my calling, but not just do good deeds in this world. Obedience must attract but not repulse people (through fear, but not that which comes from God) and to be a blessing, not a curse. The pledged flats of some Christians is the result of obedience to man, which became a curse. Church is not an organization with human regulations but the Body of Jesus Christ, which is guided by the Holy Spirit. The order is supported by God, not by the human wisdom, borrowed from the world. The presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church is connected with obedience of the pastor to the will of God. In my time the level of totalitarianism in the church could be defined by the quantity of sermons in which Aaron and Mariam were mentioned (leprosy). The more ministers use these images in their sermons, the bigger is the level of totalitarianism and human control in this church. People subjected to the will of other people are as free as galley slaves: having a dead faith, unable to be who they are, and not guided by the Holy Spirit. Also it’s necessary to get rid of the word from Malach 3:8-9 about donation. Such donations will never bring freedom to anyone, because they are forced from people by manipulations and through intimidation to get under a curse. How can it be the people who were redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ might be cursed? The artificial whip which is called «obedience» is unfortunately often used in the church because of the wrong foundation. The notion «annointed» is perverted and used incorrectly. In the New Testament the «anointed» is the one who is a servant and a slave to everyone Mark 10:43-45. The Old Testament – I minister to the anointed one (Elisha, Elijah); in the New Testament the one who is a servant and a slave to others has a double anointing. It’s not the smallest one who blesses the bigger one (I sow into the anointed one), but the smaller one is blessed by the bigger one (Hebrews 7:7). Even the blasphemy against the anointed one will be forgiven (Matthew 12:32) and will not irritate an apple of the God’s eye. Amen! Let’s realize one thing. If the sheep is pulled by the chain using the principle called «obedience», it can be choked to death. Jesus said: «My sheep follow Me». But if the sheep are driven by the stick called «obedience» then the ministers who are doing it are just slaughtermen. When a minister turns his eyes away from God and fixes them on the church, it means that it’s not already the Lord who guides this church, but the minister. Unfortunately quite often many people are happy to subdue their will to another person in order to avoid responsibility. But this is not correct. We have to direct people towards Christ. Somebody used to tell me: «God can’t reveal to you the things He hasn’t yet revealed to our pastor». Then I asked a question: are there three of us in my secret room? Isn’t it God who decides what to reveal and whom? I don’t underestimate the meaning of pastor’s revelations, but they have to direct people to Christ and people who come to church just need to synchronize the compass of their personal guidance by the Holy Spirit (the things which were revealed to them in their secret room) with what they hear in the church. Today the ministry of a pastor is often compared to the ministry of Moses (you must go up to the mountain in order to receive a word for the church from God). But according to the New Testament each member of the church has to go up to the mountain. And Moses himself is the prototype of Jesus Christ, but not one more mediator. All we have discussed here came as the result of the wrong attitude to the Word of God. The New Testament also suggests to us the new understanding of obedience. This understanding should encourage and motivate our wholesome thinking and refresh our memory (2 Peter 3:1). It shouldn’t repulse us, but should be a blessing to us, not just a stick. Amen!
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