The Five–Fold Ministry Chart
As we look back to the days and weeks from September 11, 2001 we acknowledge that most of the entire world asked two questions:
1. Why did the attacks happen?
2. How could anyone cause so much pain to innocent people?
The following Sunday almost every church in America and worldwide was packed because people needed answers, hope and direction. The sad commentary is, as the news media informed us, that those same churches returned to their normal attendance within a one to four weeks following September 11, 2001.
The conclusion is that the multitudes did not find hope, direction or answers to their questions. We must ask ourselves why their questions were not answered and needs not met.
This purpose of this article is not to address the lack of response by the church in September 2001.
However, there is a more important question: what has happened to the Church? After asking the Lord, He made His answer very clear “the church is not the Church; the foundation He laid (as seen in the Book of Acts) has been compromised. Sickness is in the church when Jesus paid for it with His stripes. Poverty is rampant when Jesus became poor so that His Body would be made rich. The Body is under the pressure of curses when Jesus Redeemed us from the curse of the law. The spirit of death is in our vocabulary when Jesus gave us the Spirit of Life. All this and we have found words to even make our compromise sound like we are in God’s will.
In this article we illustrate His plan then give three deviations taken by the church world. Our intention is to:
1. To reveal His plan;
2. To show the errors common in the contemporary church either traditional or charismatic; and
3. Finally to offer His proposed solution.
The proposed solution does not give a detailed set of steps, plan or methodology about adjusting the church organization. The goal is to encourage you to seek the Lord individually and find out from Him what specific adjustments He wants you to take.
May you have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
As we look in the book of Acts and in other New Testament books we see that the Holy Spirit orchestrated the actions of the Church in the early years. Jesus is the Head of the Church.
· Acts 1:2 “the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:”
· Acts 21:11 “Thus saith the Holy Ghost,”
· Acts 4:8 “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them,”
· Acts 5:3 “But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost”
· Acts 8:19 “ Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost”.
· Acts 9:31 “… and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost…”
· Acts 13:2 “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
· Acts 13:4 “ and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,”
· Acts 20:28 “over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers”
· Acts 21:11 “Thus saith the Holy Ghost,”
· 1 Cor 2:13 “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”
· 2 Cor 13:14 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen”.
· Heb 3:7 “Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,”
· 1 John 5:7 “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
Chart A is a diagram of how God designed the New Testament church. The early church operated in Power of the Holy Spirit because they followed His direction. The Church worked as God had designed.
Five-Fold Ministry Diagram
Part 1
Eph 4:11 “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;”
Chart A - Theocracy
Equation: (1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 5) or (A + P + E + P + T = Jesus / the Church) |
Constants:
· Jesus = 5. Each gift = 1. The sum total of all the segments must equal the immediate upper whole.
· Eph 4:11 explain each of the 5 gifts to the church as equal in position and authority.
Conclusions: The 5 segments added together equal the Church.
· Using this formula, a structure could be built.
· Even distribution of weight (responsibility).
· This forms a solid foundation. (Matt 16:18)
· When the 5 agree the unity produces the full measure of the stature of Christ (Eph 4:13).
· The Holy Spirit is the One who distributes God’s will, teaches the Church and shows it things to come. (1Cor 12:11) (1 John 2:27)
· This foundation can be built upon. (2 Tim 2:19) (Luke 6:48)
· In this scenario the yoke is easy and the burden is light.
5-Fold Ministry Diagram
Part 2
Equation: (1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 4 = 8)… 8 = 5 8 does not equal 5. |
Constants:
· Jesus = 5. Each gift = 1. The sum total of all the segments must equal the immediate upper whole. For example, the total of the 4 segments equals the total value of the immediate upper whole.
Conclusions:
· The sum total of the 5 have now increased the value to 8 and has given itself a higher value than Jesus who is the Head of the Church.
· Building on this structure would produce faults. (Luke 6:49)
· The weight and responsibility is placed on the one single gift.
· This structure excludes the Holy Spirit from impartation to he other gifts. The single gift calls the shots.
· Very few churches even have the 4 remaining gifts in place. This further weakens the structure.
· This structure is the design of man not God.
· This scenario excludes the “lower” 4 from a fully vital ministry.
· The yoke is not easy and the burden is not light.
5-Fold Ministry Diagram
Conclusions:
· Jesus, the Head of the Church is almost completely excluded.
· Building on this structure produces faults. (Luke 6:49)
· The weight and responsibility is misplaced. Very few have an understanding of how they have been gifted.
· This structure excludes the Holy Spirit from impartation to the other gifts.
· Very few churches even have the four remaining gifts in place. This further weakens the structure.
· This structure is the design of man not God.
· This scenario allows a "majority rules" mentality; 51% "hear from God" while 49% do not.
· The yoke is not easy and the burden is not light.
The 5 – Fold Ministry
Part 3
Summary
God’s intention when He established the Church was for it to be a “Theocracy”. * We see this in operation in the early Church and read about it in the book of The Acts of the Apostles. Since that time, however, two other satanically deceptive systems have been introduced to the Church: “Democracy” ** and “Dictatorship”***
In God’s Theocracy as drawn in Chart A, We see the flow of direction and rule flowing from Him to the Body of Christ through the Holy Spirit.
In Chart B we see the dictatorship system in full operation. God’s desires are perceived by the one elevated gift. Dissemination is made through this gift and flows to the subjects below him/her.
In Chart C we see yet another system in operation democratic rule. This is the system commonly found in the church today. There are members elected to a board who rule by “majority rule” principle. One sees very little flow from God to His people.
In neither Chart B or C do we see any consistency with the Word of God especially related to the diagramed passage of Scripture Eph. 4:11.
· * Theocracy (Greek theokratia “government by a god”), constitution, or polity, of a country in which God is regarded as the sole sovereign and the laws of the realm are seen as divine commands.
· ** Democracy (Greek demos,”the people”; kratein, “to rule”), political system in which the people of a country rule through any form of government they choose to establish. In modern democracies, supreme authority is exercised for the most part by representatives elected by popular suffrage. The representatives may be supplanted by the electorate according to the legal procedures of recall and referendum, and they are, at least in principle, responsible to the electorate.
· *** Dictator, title of a magistrate in ancient Rome, appointed by the Senate in times of emergency, and ratified by the comitia curiata. The dictator held office usually for six months, and served as chief magistrate of the state, with limited power over life and death. Civil jurisdiction was retained by regular magistrates, who were subordinate to him, and his military jurisdiction was limited to Italian territory. According to the Roman orator, statesman, and philosopher Cicero, the office was originally created to cope with civil disturbances. In modern times those who have assumed sole power over the state have been called dictators;
Five–Fold Ministry
· The Apostles and Prophets are the foundation layers of the church.
Eph 2:20 “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;”
· It is the rock of revelation; God’s Revealed Word to you that the Church must be built upon.
Mat 16:17 “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”
Mat 16:18 “And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
· Appoint and ordain Elders.
Acts 14:23 “And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.”
· Repent! Tell the Lord, “I repent, I have been doing this thing incorrectly”
· Ask for His Revelation on the subject: “Lord, I need Your Revelation to understand my participation in Your Body in line with Your Word.”
· Spend time in His Presence. Allow Him to give you His Specific game plan.
· Do not try to devise your own plan and do not copy what the Lord gave someone else. To them it was ‘God idea’ but to you it will only be man’s idea. You must receive His Revelation.
Questions: email apostle@theholynation.org or prophet@theholynation.org