The Complete Christian

This study highlights the interference of ministers in raising God’s children.

Col.2:8-9 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. [9] For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. [10] And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Introduction:

• • Ministerial leadership in church must have a goal.  A simplified way of stating this goal might be to prepare Christians to become ‘complete in Christ’.  The plan of salvation (Acts 2:38), consecrations in prayer & fasting & witnessing, plus the determination to live a holy life acceptable unto God, is included in this reference ‘complete’.  Parents, teachers, & ministers cannot teach people everything but they can & are expected to provide the basics of life & survival in the world, encouraging a spiritual atmosphere which attracts the Spirit of God.   The purpose of this study is to point out that ministers can & have interfered with God & His work to make us complete.  We want to be aware of the causes to help us be the best God sent minister as possible.

In our Natural World:

• • Parents play an important role in teaching children properly (both in natural & spiritual things) to enable growth into a complete adult.  Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.  As a parent of five children, God taught me many years ago the necessity of preparing them to become dependent upon God and no one else, not even their mom or dad or pastor.  I learned to allow them their free will at an early age so that they could trust their parents’ teachings through their mistakes.  This helped to bring us closer together treating them with respect and ‘giving them a chance’ to do some things on their own, even as early as 7 or 8.  The time would come that they must be responsible for their own decisions and consequences living on their own.  It was my job to prepare them to be dependent upon Jesus – not on me or any minister – to become a complete adult.  A minister must compliment this method by not interfering with God.   Do not do the work of God – He does not need our help.  As ministers, we are called to do our own work – learn the difference.  Too many times men try to do God’s part causing much damage.

The Children of God:

• • All Christians are children of God and must grow into a complete spiritual person through the leading of their Father, Jesus. To be incomplete in important areas of our lives, people will experience many problems (ex. No patience, faith in man & not God, obey to please a man instead of God, dress to look good for man but in the heart…you get the point).  The purpose of spiritual experiences and teachings from the Bible is to lead us to a relationship with Christ that makes us complete.  God made us with an empty place inside that can only be satisfied by His Spirit.  Once we are filled with the Spirit of Christ (Rom.8:9 Spirit of God) we are complete.  Unfortunately, this is not permanent unless we maintain a victorious overcoming life and be renewed in the Holy Ghost often.  God provides for us to face trials & problems designed to make us stronger, learn wisdom, test us, and help us in making proper decisions.   Christians cannot be made complete without being allowed to follow the Spirit, make mistakes from which they learn, and serve God with their free will.   God wants it this way and we cannot interfere.
  • Complete means we have the faith God wants us to possess to enable us to overcome;  the perfect love that casts out fear;  the whole armour of God and know how to use the sword of the spirit – the word of God “for the spiritual age that we are at”..  There are some people hindering the process by being controlling.  Ministers who want the church to serve them, obey their personal convictions, ‘think’ that the minister comes before God – are dangerous ministers.  Hinder this spiritual path to completion and it will cause many problems in future conditions in life that will lead to lost souls.
  • Christians must have spiritual strength and spiritual endurance through dependence on Christ and not on anyone else.  Many are anemic, weak, nervous, & fearful towards ministers.  Our fear is supposed to be towards One & One alone – God.

The Role of the Minister:

• • A minister is the servant to the church; 1 Cor. 9:19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.  He should not expect the church to serve him.  A healthy, complete Christian will respect & cooperate with a real minister of God as unto the Lord because to be complete he is mature enough to understand.
  • The minister should be creating the right environment for Christians to be led of the Spirit not by man; Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
  • The minister espouses Christians to one husband – Christ and not to themselves.  2 Cor. 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
    • It has been going on too long that ministers are controlling the lives of people beyond their responsibilities as a servant of God.       1 Peter 5:3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.  As a lord over the church these ministers create an environment that causes many people to pray, praise, obey standards etc. to please a man, the minister and not God.  Ezekiel 34:4 …but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.  The enforcement of rules and standards has made ministers this way because carnal men ‘think’ that to rule over people only means ‘force them’.  They ‘think’ that the church ‘has to’ obey them and forget that, really, no one has to ‘obey or do’ anything.  God never violates the free will to serve Him.  We choose by our free will and love of Christ, to obey.

The Right Way (Prov.22:6 the way he should go):

• • There is a right way to be a leader & achieve the results God wants.  Ministers must learn to respect people & lead, not drive them. Wise men advised a new king and God wants us to learn from this scripture.  Follow these words as a minister to be God’s servant.  We obey, serve & submit to those who love, serve & speak right things to us:
  • 1Kings 12:7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever. To say it another way, treat them like one of your own children: 1 Cor. 4:15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.  The minister must act like a loving father according to God’s requirements, yet let God be in charge.  As a father, we prepare our children to ‘take on the world’ living holy & right as a Christian because we know they will leave home some day to raise their own family.  Christians in church are the children of God & must also be loved & trained to be prepared to go home, to work, to school, everywhere as a strong Christian.  Spiritual abuse is wide spread today because of ‘money’, losing tithes, fear of people leaving.  But God has been pulling back the covers over the past years to reveal this spiritual wickedness in high places – abusing ministers who fear giving God control, letting the Spirit take charge because they don’t want to lose control.  God must train His own children.  The minister is a servant of God – he is not God.  Let God rule His house.
  • 2 Cor. 4:5  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.  Don’t look for compliments, gifts, special attention.  In fact plan to take the lowest seat, serve others during fellowship.  It will be good for you.
  • When church starts, how much time is wasted by a minister talking & yakking about the ministry?  God does not want whining, weak, feeble, whimpering ministers who cannot stop talking about themselves; patting each other on the back, trying to convince people that the minister is their head.  God will not share any glory.  If they want respect – Earn it by doing the work God called them for.  They should preach Jesus & the doctrine to prepare a strong Christian & stop looking for more money, recognition, selfish proud attention.   All the doctrine can be taught (even tithing) a proper way that does not force anyone to obey against their will.  If they do not obey or give tithes – it is God’s responsibility, not the minister, to handle it.  Our role is to teach & preach & help people stay in church.  Man does not know the heart of other people.   Never drive them away.
  • Their role is to obey & submit to ‘God’ & His word through our preaching.  They are not required to submit & obey to a minister in everything the minister tells them.  There are examples of pastors who force some people to shovel their snow, pull weeds, do janitorial duties, etc. because of Heb.13:17.  Then the minister has the gall to tell people they are ‘rebellious’ because they won’t submit or obey in these carnal things.  These are ignorant men, unlearned, abusing the word of God & misrepresenting God.  1 Cor. 9:18-19  What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. [19] For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
  • But any infringement upon a free will by a minister is a violation against the 1st principle of salvation (God will not violate it) – man has a free will & God wants free will love & service.  (this is from a study ‘7 principles to Bible salvation’).
  • 1 Cor.11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.  There is no mention of the servant, the minister, in this list of the order of authority.  Learn your place

Conclusion:

• Incomplete Christians, those who lack the faith, love, endurance, consecrations, prayer life, strength needed to fight temptation, will be overcome by the enemy eventually.  When God trains them, they receive the best possible opportunity to be saved.  When a man interferes with God’s training program, only confusion & disaster will result.
• There are some who will criticize this teaching but I know that there are proper, true, complete ministers who have power with God without abusing people.  Christians cannot make excuses to be disrespectful & disobedient to the minister when it is a God sent minister.
• There are so many references to the abusive ministers, shepherds & pastors both Old & New Testaments.
• I hope this discussion helps to bring many other scriptures to our understanding to help us remain a true minister of God, humble, submissive to our Lord to assist the children in their goal to become ‘Complete Christians’.