The eleven disciples of Jesus Christ met with Him on a mountain in Galilee after His resurrection, where He commissioned them to make disciples of all nations, teach, and baptize those who believe. He instructed them to teach the new disciples to observe everything He had commanded them and assured them that His presence would always be with them.
Matthew 28:19-20 – “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Similar messages are recorded in other Gospels: Mark 16:15-18, Luke 24:46-48, John 20:21, and Acts 1:8, where they were instructed as His witnesses to preach the gospel and baptize those who believe.
Mark 16:15-18 – “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

However, He instructed them to embark on the mission work only after they had received power from the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:8 – “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

The Church, being the disciples of Jesus Christ, is expected to go and make disciples from among the people of the world. By God’s design, new converts are those whom the Father has drawn to salvation, for Jesus said that no one can come to Him except the Father draws him, and He will raise him up on the last day.
John 6:44 – “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

These new converts are to join the Church after receiving basic training in the work of salvation, the cost of discipleship, and the elementary principles of the Kingdom of God.

The process of reaching out to people in the world is called Evangelism. During evangelism, the believer who preaches the gospel is expected to heal the sick, cast out demons, deliver the oppressed, and demonstrate the power of the Kingdom.
Mark 16:20 – “And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”

A mature believer is expected to follow up with new converts by introducing them to discipleship training before bringing them into full fellowship with the Church.

During His earthly ministry, Jesus engaged in public ministrations, performing healings, miracles, signs, and wonders, and demonstrating the power of the Kingdom. Likewise, He has empowered His ministers to do the same, following His pattern. Unfortunately, the devil has deceived many of them into remaining indoors and conducting ministrations only within the church walls instead of going out into the world, the public domain. This has obstructed the divine plan of Jesus to develop believers into spiritual maturity.

These ministers often organize numerous programs and activities within the Church to keep believers engaged. Subtly, such believers become so engrossed in activities that their devotional life, daily walk with God, meditation, and personal fellowship are neglected. As a result, their spiritual development is hindered, leading to stunted growth and immaturity. They become unable to discern right from wrong or understand their position in Christ. This condition places the Church under the influence of the devil and prevents her from manifesting the power of the Kingdom. Though such arrangements may appear good, they are inwardly a source of decay and corruption.

1. Church members attribute glory to their leaders instead of to Jesus Christ, who gives the power and grace to perform miracles, signs, and wonders.
2. Members begin to believe their leaders more than the Scriptures and the Lord Jesus. They obey their General Overseers more than the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.
3. Such leaders operate in a euphoria of power and usurp the roles of the Holy Spirit and Christ, tactically assuming headship of the Church and relegating the Lordship of Jesus.
4. These leaders exploit the vulnerability of members to amass wealth and live in opulence, forgetting that Jesus Christ lived humbly and resisted temptation in the wilderness.
5. They oppress members, cause them to idolize them, and make them subservient.
6. Some turn the Church into a haven for satisfying their sexual desires and committing other forms of immorality.
7. Some convert the Church into their private empire or family business, forgetting that it is the Church of Christ.
8. Instead of teaching and training believers for growth, they focus on worldly programs that add no eternal value.
9. Instead of separating from the world, the Church aligns with worldly desires and has become polluted and spiritually rotten.
   

1. Lay greater emphasis on teaching. Every believer must know the Scriptures, understand their identity as children of God, joint heirs with Christ, and recognize the authority they have over the devil, situations, and circumstances.
   Ignorance within the Church prevents believers from exercising authority over the enemy and the world.
   Jesus Himself taught His disciples the principles of the Kingdom in the Beatitudes.
   Matthew Chapters 5, 6, and 7 – contain teachings that lay the moral and spiritual foundation of Kingdom life. For effective teaching and learning, congregations should remain small, ideally between 200 and 250 members. Mega churches often hinder quality discipleship. Teaching should also be stratified according to spiritual maturity: Beginners’ group, Discipleship group, and Mature group. Everyone should learn at their own level to ensure growth without confusion or frustration.
2. Ministers in the fivefold ministry, elders, and those endowed with the gift of teaching should handle the Word with zeal. Others with spiritual gifts should function faithfully in their callings, jointly fulfilling their divine roles to:
   • Perfect the saints
   • Mature the saints
   • Prepare the saints for the work of ministry
   • Edify the Church
   • Unite the Church in faith
   • Conform the saints to the image of Christ
   • Impart full knowledge of Christ and God
   • Help believers outgrow spiritual infancy
   • Protect the saints from false teachers, prophets, pastors, and evangelists
   • Reveal the works of the devil and sin
   • Help believers enjoy the fullness of God’s blessings
3. Ministers should enable each believer to know their position in Christ and how to access the benefits of being children and citizens of God’s Kingdom. Some of these benefits include:
   • Victorious living over the devil and the world – John 16:33; Revelation 12:11; Mark 16:17; Luke 9:1-2
     “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
   • Living as overcomers – 1 John 4:4; 5:4-5
     “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
   • Victory over the power of the enemy – Isaiah 54:17; 41:11-13; Mark 16:17-18
     “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.”
   • Freedom from condemnation – Romans 8:1, 31-34, 37
     “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
   • Living as conquerors – Romans 8:37
     “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
   • Living in good health – 1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:5
     “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
   • Living as joint heirs with Christ – John 17:21
     “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us.”
4. Ministers from a parent church where a new assembly is planted should nurture the new church to maturity without lording over it.
5. When a church grows beyond 250 members, it should be encouraged to divide into smaller autonomous units for greater effectiveness.
6. Each local church should depend on directives from the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, rather than from a single “man of God” who may act as an imposter.
7. The Church must follow the pattern of Jesus Christ, who came physically to show us the way. She should not depend on human wisdom or technology to run her spiritual affairs.
8. New converts should be properly taught before being admitted into the fold and must undergo discipleship training.
9. New members from other churches should only be accepted with a letter of commendation. Their spiritual maturity must be evaluated to determine the appropriate group they should join.

May the Lord help His Church to cleanse herself and retrace her steps. Amen. To be continued in the subsequent posts…..

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