Arthur’s messages during our Restoring Leaders conference have really challenged me and lifted my thinking. He is possibly the single most powerful Bible teacher in our generation (yes, I know I have said something superlative there and I have considered my thoughts and words carefully).
Something he said several times was this: we have to take a stand. And that is so true. It’s all right claiming that we are a grace church, and that we are a church that take the New Covenant and the complete work of Christ seriously, but then when it comes to worship we sing “I’m so hungry, so desperate, I’m going to the enemy’s camp, I surrender all” when it’s nothing to do with “I” but with “HIM”. This Sunday I determined to only select songs that would be appropriate in heaven – that led to me rejecting a huge number of songs. Well over 80% of what is written today is about us, about begging God, and about “warring with the enemy”.
That is not the worship of heaven and it should not be the worship of the redeemed either.
Then we have the offering and we beg and plead for money and make prosperity something you have to “DO” to be prosperous, when prosperity is rooted in the redemptive work NOT IN OUR ACTIONS!
No – I am taking my stand. This Sunday. If I lose 1/2 the church, then that is what will happen, but Tree of Life Church is a New Testament Church. We are not going back to the law. I have already dealt with a lot of this in the series I did on Witchcraft in the Church, but I am going back to this ground and staking a claim. The foundation of our church is God’s grace as found in the complete redemptive work of Jesus.
No more do to be. No more heavy burdens. No more guilt, no more fear, no more shame. No more condemnation. No more law – law was our master until grace set us free.
That nagging, doubting, harsh voice inside you – IT’S NOT GOD! He loves you. He adores you. He only has thoughts to prosper you. He isn’t angry at you, and he isn’t mad at you, and He isn’t out to get you.
When people say it’s greasy grace: GOOD! We need to slide in, we couldn’t even walk in through the door of works, none of us could!
When people try and make you feel ashamed because you preach and believe grace and that the law is over, let them know: you are NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL!
I’ll let you know how it goes. I believe it will go awesome because God is initiating it, and God is in it. And our church are a bunch that just want to know His Word so they can know Him better.
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