What The Jesus Freaks Got Right by David Alan Black.

http://www.daveblackonline.com/what_the_jesus_freaks_got_right.htm



restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations



What the Jesus Freaks Got Right

David Alan Black

I’m still waiting for it – the church marquee that says:

Senior Pastor: Jesus Christ

I could not think of anything greater than to be part of a fellowship of believers where Jesus Himself is intentionally given charge to lead His church, where all bow before Him whether pastor or deacon or so-called layperson. Paul insists that Christ must receive the preeminence in all things (Col. 1:18). Toward Him all must move.

Last week in our theology class I surveyed the main Scriptures having to do with authority in the church. I feel there are so many things in our churches that are inconsistent with Paul’s pronouncement that Christ is first and that everything must enhance His preeminence. How is it, I asked, that no one can name the “pastor” of any New Testament church? The answer is precisely because their first priority was Christ. The leadership they had was a “fellowship of leadership” (Michael Green) – a group of co-equal, non-hierarchical leaders who sought to steer their flocks’ energies into loving God, loving others, and loving the world.

It is essential that Jesus Christ be dynamically first in the life of our churches. When He is at the center – leading, empowering, directing, rearranging – our churches will no longer be pastor- or program-centered. To let a man or a method become too important is not only carnal, it’s idolatrous. It is an affront to Jesus Christ, who is the church’s only Senior Pastor.

I can remember my Jesus Freak days in Hawaii. Despite all of our eccentricities, I loved the fact that we were always talking about Jesus. First came Christ – not an institution. Then came one another – in Christ. Then came the world – for whom Christ died. These three commitments were not the result of seminary training. No, we were a bunch of establishment misfits. But the lordship of Christ was taken with total seriousness. We read verses like Col. 1:18 and were blown away – Jesus Christ at the center, in front, at the top, and beneath everything. Away with ecclesiastical traditions! Out with Madison Avenue approaches to church leadership! We scoffed at pastors who thought of themselves as modern-day Luthers or Calvins, blindly following some silly new book on leadership that 5 years later would be discarded. (I told you we were eccentric!)

I’m not saying that we were always right. We weren’t. Our theology was muddled in many areas. But we did love Jesus. We sought to serve and obey and enjoy the One who alone was worthy of our focus and worship and attention and obedience. Our church life revolved around Him – not a pastor or a pulpit or a program or a personality.

Friends, making Jesus number 1 is what it’s all about. Isn’t it about time we got back to the Bible’s way of moving people toward Christ rather than ourselves?

Senior Pastor: Jesus Christ

I’m still waiting….

October 25, 2009

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Jimmy H

This is exactly what I needed to read tonight! :-) Praise Jesus! Thank you Brother Jimmy.

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Jim

I think what David Black is talking about ties into brother Greg's 95 theses and whether it is even possible for the established Evangelical church to address its many problems. The present establishment is so entrenched in the senior pastor, proffessional clergy model, that it is impossible to see it reform itself in any meaningful way. There seems to be another reformation, revolution in the air with the current dead weight of religious institutions acting as an anchor to a movement(genuine Christianity) that is forever fluid.

Genuine Christianity does indeed have Christ as the head and the Holy Spirit forever leading and guiding ever step of the way, constantly giving directions as to how to move forward. Deacons and elders, full of the Holy Spirit enabling the body to grow and move in tune with what the Spirit wants to do to glorify Jesus is not only Biblical, but absolutely vital for the Church to make any significant impact on the unchurhed masses. The sooner the one man Catholic model of running church's is done away with the better..........Frank

I think there appears to be a growing awareness among the christians about getting back to a biblical model for church and church structure. For that I am truely pleased.

When I came to Christ nearly 30 years ago it was through a house fellowship type church that had no obvious leadership structure and the meetings were entirely body ministry, with each member (from one day old christians to the mature) being able to share the word of the Lord and worship equally. Of course I can look back and see there was much wrong in doctrine and practise, but like the post below says, our focus was JESUS. He was the head. As new born babes in Christ we fellowshiped daily from house to house talking about the things of God and praying together.

What we need is a return to this vibrant body functioning (priesthood of all believers) and plurality of Elders giving oversight, BUT with sound doctrinal and teaching of God's word. How do we get there? I guess we need to recognise those who the Lord raises up with teaching and shepherding ministries and humble ourselves under the Lord's hand, allowing Him to correct us and teach us through His ordained means.

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Dave

Amen. I've noticed for some time now in the Lord that in your standard church, Jesus Christ is only the theoretical and theological head of the church. Practically speaking, however, He is not welcomed as such. Everybody everywhere acknowledges the headship of Jesus Christ in the church. But few have this as a reality. It's mostly just a dead reality.

The one man system largely developed subsequent decades after the first century as the church attempted to find a means by which it could defend against heresy. Eventually it grew to the point where the one man in Rome had final say in all things. And to some degree, it was a system that worked. Many great doctrines of the faith were faithfully defended, and some heresies absolutely stamped out as a result of this. But, the devil has shown in history that he is capable of infecting such men with heresy themselves, and capable of recycling old heresy in new generations.

Many many today appeal to such a system still as a practical necessity. "Otherwise, you'll have chaos." We should deal kindly and gently with such brothers. Many of them mean well, and love the Lord. But ultimately they must see that their insecurities in these things ultimately boil down to is a lack of trust and faith in the Lord to be the Lord He is supposed to be. It's a lack of faith in the Lord to be the practical head of His church.

I'm excited about the clear moving of the Holy Spirit in regard to these things. It is evident there is a great movement growing, not only in the Americas, but in the rest of the world. This is especially true in China. I believe the relic of the institutional church is on its way out the door, and that the Lord will probably bring about some pretty dramatic things in this world, perhaps within my own lifetime, to bring an end to much of this system as we know it. Even Rome is presently on the brink of disaster. If it's mostly hispanic followers did not have such a high birth rate, Rome could be very broke very soon, and almost unable to function. Even now it is on the brink of financial disaster.

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Jimmy H

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Travis

loved your post/testimony Jimmy.....its funny that you should bring up Jesus Freaks; I became acqauinted with those who follow Jesus, at 15 when I stumbled into a Jesus Freak house, an old Victorian house, crumbling, an intentional community, beautiful people, I really loved them, loved being there, etc.....

anyway, on the night of Oct22/23 God blessed me ...in a dream, with the TITLE, and the actual plot of a book of Christian fiction, it would actually be a SERIES of books, unabashedly Christian, about 8 young seminary graduates who make intentional Jesus community in a big old house, and no, it no "Shack", its not "Po-mo", its not "emerging" Emergent, nothing "off" about this work, just what eight young followers of Jesus go through living Life Together, and God is blessing this work, I am cooking! Words flow, He's helping me do stuff like going backwards and forwards in plot, one chapter is in first person, the next is in third person, He's in my heart, helping me get rid of lines with the admonition, "Don't be boring neil", etc etc . The 8 people (there might be more ...or less, in future books) are all based on brothers and sisters I know in the Lord who I love and know dearly and deeply. I'm telling ya'll, God willing, even Walter would like it.

I don't write this to boast or brag, but to tell you, I felt that your post was a confirmation to me, to continue on this path of work. I had always resisted writing Christian fiction, dont mistake me, everything I wrote, including the last play was to Glorify God, but I was loathe to be ghetto-ized in the "Christian fiction" camp, not so with this, I write it all in the prayer that if it gets published, it will edify, encourage and make glad the heart of those who follow Messiah, oh what a blessing that would be....so I guess the real purpose of my response is , my brother, and any others who read this, please pray my pen and keyboard be annointed, for His Glory...please.....and remember, it aint "emerging" to 'drive' to 'purposes' or 'shacks".......nor will there be any empty clothes "left behind", just simple stories about humble people. Glory!!!

in Jesus love, neil

The one man system of how we do church does not date back to the emrging Catholic church as one may assume. While that is definately the model that was continued after the reformtion, it actually dates back to what was known as the "Mystery Religions." This was long before Christ and , very basicly, all the power was held by " a priest." Only he had the knowledge and of course this knowledge translated into power and wealth. One can see some gnosticism in it, where only the priest had certain knowledge which made his distinct from the crowd of lesser mortals. Obvioulsy, what became the Catholic church , took this model and only the priest could turn the bread and the wine into the body and blood of Jesus thus giving them enormous power and influence over the broad masses. While most Protestant "Pastors," would deny that they have a smiliar position, in actuality that is what they do have. If anyone wants to read "Two Baylons," in can be found here online http://www.biblebelievers.com/babylon/

Its quite a heavy read but if you persevere you will understand exactly where this one man system comes from and it is certainly not from God.

There is definatley a growing feeling of discontentment from many quarters of the globe as far as this ungodly one man system is concerned. The priesthood has been starved and sidelined from performing their gifts and duties within the established church and what we now have, generaly speaking, is a specatator sport, where the audience is entertained which is why personality is so important in today's "pulpit." If the same man is going to teach week after week then he better bring something new and fresh to keep the audience's attention.

I definately believe that a new movement is coming, probably the last great movement. It will be more dramatic than the reformation in that it will do away with the established system of church altogether. If there is a gathering of 200, then perhaps there will be 20 people with the gift of teaching. And of course there will be evangelists and pastors , prophets and apostles. This will only be a work of the Holy Spirit because if men try to do this in their own strength, then their pride and ego and flesh will demand recognition and it would break down pretty quickly. Only broken men who have a burning desire to see the name of Jesus elevated over the lintels of the church and who are consumed with the notion of God being glorified at all costs will be able to birth such a movement. And of course that in and of itself is a work of God alone. It is coming brothers and sisters, and God will bring it to pass for the sake of having a witness on the earth in these the last days...........Frank

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Jimmy H

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Jimmy H