REBELS IN GOD’S HOUSE
Every minister of the word; Apostle, Prophet, Teacher, Evangelist and Pastor has been called to nurture and a mentor a group of believers and equip them to go out and do same.
In order to accomplish this great task, we all need to have a local church where we belong. This is very important because the Lord feeds us through the local church. That is our root. We should always remember that no plant can grow without a deep root in the soil to feed it.
Now, we can all testify that the internet, especially Facebook has become another great means of spreading the gospel, but what we do on Facebook is only an extension of what we have where the Lord has planted us; that is our local church where we have the opportunity of interacting with our brothers and sisters in flesh and blood.
It is in our local churches that our characters are shaped by the Lord through those he has given to us as leaders and also through fellow believers.
It is in our local assembly that people know who we really are and can deal with us based on what they know about us. We can pretend that we saints on Facebook when we are demons in real life. Who will know that? That is why many unsuspecting believers on the internet are constantly being duped by wolves in sheep’s clothing who pretend to be Christians.
Truthbetold, it will take serious discernment to know who is real and who is not on the internet. That is because we are dealing with total strangers who all claim to be saints of God. But because many of us are not true, they refuse to submit to authorities. This makes it difficult to rebuke people and help them become better people. It is all because we do not know each other like we do in real life.
But, it is a different case in our local assembly where we all know who is who to a large extent. It is there that the Lord rebukes us when we are wrong through church authority whom we respect and are accountable to.
I have noticed that many people are not willing to accept rebuke on the internet. They think that no one has any right to tell them what to do. That is because people do not see the need to submit to someone, especially people they do not know. Interestingly, the same people want people to submit to them.
I have also noticed that Facebook has given a wild range of authority to many to misbehave in the name of the Lord. They can do as they like and get away with it. That is because they are their own masters. They owe no one any apology. On Facebook, people who have no say in their local churches, that is if they even have one have become great men of God over night. This is very common with those who claim that they are five fold ministers, especially those who parade themselves as Prophets of God. Yet, with all this wild behaviour, we still call what we do here on Facebook, church. It looks to me like we are running a church of disobedience here. Very sad!
Truthbetold; being a minister does not mean that we are on our own and above rebuke. If what we have on Facebook is truly the church of Christ, then everything we do must reflect the life of Christ. People will not be so full of themselves and act as if they are God.
Truthbetold, the reason many so-called Christians come on Facebook and insult people as they like is because they are not under any authority in a local church where things are done properly. If they were accountable to a local church authority, they will learn to behave well, even here on Facebook.
We must always understand that God is one and is everywhere. If we are submissive to a local church authority, we will equally submit to authorities on Facebook once we are convinced that the leaders there are led by the spirit of the Lord. God is not an author of confusion.
The fact that we have many Facebook followers does not mean that we are no longer subject to authorities. If we belong to a group on Facebook, we must respect the authorities there. You do not go to someone’s house and not obey set-rules in that house. Only rebels do that. Unfortunately, many people claim that they are Christians and ministers, yet, they refuse to obey the leaders of the group they belong to here on Facebook. That is wrong. And it is all because such people do not submit to a local church authority.
Interestingly, they want people to see them as great ministers of God and submit to them here on Facebook. How can you be a rebel to authorities and expect others to submit to you? That is not possible as we can only reap what we have shown in this life.
I have realized that my message reach more people on Facebook than in real life. This is because my real life congregation is still very small. So, Facebook creates a wider space for me to spread the word of God. I am grateful to the leaders of the various groups that I use their platform to minister to people and I know that to continue using their platforms, I must respect the authorities there and not be rebellious.
However, I do not value my Facebook ministry more than the church I pastor locally. That is where my core mandate to raise disciples for Christ is. It is where I am accountable to authorities to keep me in check. I also extend my respect to all the group’s authority I belong to. I respect the admins of the group the same way I respect my local church authority. But the local church is where I have people who keep me constantly on my toes to avoid going wayward. Never think that you can never fall. It is foolish to think that one is too strong to stand for ever. If you do not have people to rebuke you anytime you miss it, you are as good as fallen. It won’t be long before Satan will devour you. This is why we must submit to authorities always. The local church is a good place for that.
Again, the local church is where I monitor the progress of those under me and give counsel and assignments when necessary. That is how to equip the saints for the work. This cannot be done easily on Facebook where people do not know you and are so full of themselves.
Those are some of the reasons we need to humble ourselves and be subject to authorities in the local church. That attitude will keep us in check anywhere we find ourselves, including Facebook where ministry is growing like wild fire.
I would advice that we take advantage of the chance Facebook has offered us to minister to one another. But we must never ignore the need to belong to, and be accountable to a local church assembly. This will keep us humble all the time. You never can tell who comes your way through the internet and turn things around for you for good. Let us learn to respect people and submit to authorities. God bless you.