Posts Tagged ‘pharaoh in the church’
Ten reasons people are leaving the local church to start attending house churches
House church advocates want pastors to know exactly why they left the institutional church.
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Most presume my book Covens in the Church addresses witchcraft, curses and attacks against the church. They are correct, but they misunderstand just what type of witchcraft I’m dealing with until they read the book—and are shocked.
I deal with (among other things) those in the church who are spiritualizing their manipulation, control and rebellion by abandoning the local church, rejecting authority and church government and launching home churches without blessing or qualification. When birthed out of a heart that resists authority, home churches are little more than coven meetings. I have been a bold advocate for what many call the institutional church while shining the light of scrutiny on the exodus to house churches.
It’s important for all who read to understand I’m a staunch supporter of local church pastors and any movement that attempts to circumvent biblical government must be exposed and renounced.
I also want it to be clear that I actually do agree with many house church advocates on many points. They have legitimate disagreements with the way the local church is functioning today, and their issues have been largely ignored by pastors and those who are in leadership. Their evacuation out of the institutional church and into house churches may be the wrong move for some of the right reasons. There are serious issues to deal with, and pastors, it’s time to wake up and lead the church into the new wine skin.
The institutional church is at great risk of irrelevancy and extinction. However, I’m not convinced house churches are the best move if they develop at the expense or exclusion of the local church.
WHY ARE SO MANY REJECTING THE LOCAL CHURCH IN FAVOR OF HOUSE CHURCHES?
I asked a question on Facebook earlier today:
What are some reasons people are choosing home churches over the institutional church?
It didn’t take long for comments to start flooding in. It’s obvious to me that the anti-institutional church sentiment is unapologetic and passionate. The reasons they shared demand some analysis.
I should make it clear that there are most definitely house church movements, when rightly aligned in the government of the city church, that are biblically appropriate and full of fire and power. I’m not anti-house church. I’m anti-rebellion.
Before I get into the reasons people are leaving the church in favor of home churches, I wanted to share a reply that I just received from someone who read my Facebook post. It comes from a pastor’s wife. She gave me permission to publish it. As we continue through this local church/house church debate, let’s keep in mind just how precious God considers his pastors and leaders to be, and how many are laying down their lives for what God has called them to:
As a third generation pastor, who has seen both my parents and grandparents pour themselves out for the local church, selflessly giving and loving the body of Christ it saddens me to see so many abandon what so many paid such a steep price for in faithful service to the Lord. I get it. No church is perfect. Be it a home church or an “institutional“ church. Let me tell you though, it is not easy being a pastor in this day and age. Everyone has instant access to the greatest and best preachers and teachers out there via social media. I know for myself and my husband we are revivalists. We desire a move of God, and give space and place for the Lord to do what He desires. I see many people post online how they’d love to find churches that do that but then in real life we have people come in, decide it’s too steep a price, and go to an easy believeism church or someplace they can be hit and miss with no accountability. The reality is that for the presence and the glory of God to invade an atmosphere it’s because someone has paid a price for it. In intercession, fasting, years, faithfulness.
Just to be honest, as a pastors wife, sometimes reading these kinds of posts adds to the feeling of discouragement. ~Debra McBride
Here are ten reasons people are leaving the local church in favor of house churches:
ONE
They desire genuine community.
It’s true that people can get lost in a larger church, especially if they are gathering people together just an hour or two a week. The Sunday service typically doesn’t provide opportunity for people to authentically connect and develop relationships.
Those who are yearning for deeper friendships can feel their frustration grow every week as they shuffle into a row and sit through a programmed service, only to shuffle right back out and into the parking lot.
I agree that godly relationships are valuable, though I believe people’s frustration can be misplaced. I affirm the desire for relationships can be overwhelming, and loneliness can eat away at us if we don’t handle it rightly. However, the purpose of the church, the Ekklesia, is not mostly to make friends. It’s to gather together as Believers under apostolic leadership and vision to pray and prepare for Kingdom advance.
Relationships will never be developed on a Sunday morning. There’s no way. They aren’t supposed to. And, pastors, please abandon all attempts at trying to fit them in. The three-minute window you give people to walk around and greet one another is a sad and unnecessary attempt at nurturing togetherness. The right approach is to admit the Sunday services are meant for prayer, worship and apostolic instruction. The fellowship can happen at other times and in other places. Any attempt at fellowship on a Sunday morning is misguided.
For those disappointed because the pastor won’t connect closely with you, I have some news for you. Your pastor isn't supposed to be your best friend. He's probably not going to be your friend at all. He may rarely connect with you personally. It may never happen.
His job is to pray, study the Word and facilitate an atmosphere of intercession and equipping. His relational energy will be reserved for just a few, just as Jesus modeled. Those who are prone to rejection, or those who presume the church is supposed to be ultra-relational, will suffer in such environments.
I don’t know when it became the church’s job to become matchmaker, developing circles of friends and facilitating the relationship building process. If people want to hang out, let them connect in the prayer rooms and on the mission field and then head out for coffee or initiate a Bible study on their own time. It doesn’t have to be organized, and it shouldn’t distract from the greater mission.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with the local church hosting small groups. They can be enriching and very good. The problem is when the living room instead of the prayer room becomes the glue that holds the church together. Relationships are actually critically important, but they can’t be the premier goal. The church has a much greater purpose. There’s a world to change. There’s revival to pursue. If people trusted that process, they would develop life-long friendships from the fox hole of ministry. The first church was birthed just like that.
1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. Acts 2:1 (ESV)
TWO
They are tired of unnecessary hype, productions and programs.
Every few weeks it seems there’s a new project or ministry focus that is instituted just to prove the church is getting bigger and better, is alive and moving forward. People can see right through these attempts and, quite frankly, are tired of investing so much money, time and energy for such a small return. They have had enough of the “bigger is better” mindset and simply want to give themselves to simple, organic church life.
The stage productions, expensive programs, lights, smoke and Hollywood style video presentations might look good, but the house church crowd is rejecting them wholesale. The vision the pastor might have for such a ministry isn’t shared by them.
I’ll be the first to argue that we need to shut pretty much everything down and simply gather together to pray. Filling the calendar with ministries, groups, programs and other endeavors without clear vision and buy in from the people is simply not attractive or, in most cases, effective.
Pastors, it’s time to get back to the basics. It’s true that those who have been conditioned by media and today’s culture might reject the basics, but we aren’t here to pander to culture. We are here to shake the nations.
So, does this mean the pyrotechnics, media and high production value are inherently evil? Absolutely not. Those who are abandoning churches simply because a church has implemented such tactics need to re-evaluate their heart. It’s not okay to abandon ship just because you don’t appreciate this style of ministry, but I can’t deny that’s it’s your right to be troubled if the theatrics veer the ministry off it’s proper course.
I’ve often said that I despise hype and exaggeration. When we employ such psychological methods to project our efforts beyond where they actually are, we limit God to our own imagination. We get overly excited about what we can produce instead of allowing God to blow our minds!
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV)
THREE
They want to be released to minister according to their giftings.
This argument is common. People are discouraged because they cannot function according to the gifting God has placed within them. They are chomping at the bit to be activated. They were created for a purpose, yet, so often in the local church, they are not released to move in their ministry.
As one who has planted and given senior leadership to churches for years, I’ll be the first to come to the defense of local church pastors. Just because you have a gift and calling does not mean you are ready to function in it in the church. There are a lot of broken, immature, untrained, prideful or simply weird people out there who should not be given a place in public ministry—until they have been made ready.
There is significant process involved in the ministry development incubator. If you aren’t willing to submit to authority and give yourself to the process, and allow significant time to pass as you die daily and gradually grow stronger, your ministry cannot be validated.
Many people are launching house churches because their ministry was not confirmed in the local church. This is where a lot of immature people are launching premature ministries. Their authorities have determined they are not ready, but they turn aside from that counsel and move out in childish rebellion—all in the name of spiritual freedom.
That being said, pastors, you must do a better job at equipping the saints. While there are many pastors and church leadership teams that excel at this, most don’t.
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children… Ephesians 4:11-14 (ESV)
FOUR
The church only goes as deep as the majority will allow.
The house church crowd is typically a spiritually hungry one. We can’t deny that most local churches simply don’t go deeper than the majority will allow. I’m not talking about seeker sensitive churches, I’m referring to Spirit-filled churches that promote exuberant worship and devotion to Jesus.
There are many churches like this that will just go so deep. There’s a limit. They know if they get as passionate and as supernaturally infused as the zealots in their midst, the majority will leave.
Pastors, you must wake up! Let the pretenders leave! It’s time to bring the fire, the shock and the awe back into the church! How can you fault people who desire to leave because they want to experience Jesus more than you do?
For those who are hungry for the deep, I won’t pull any punches. This alone is not a reason to leave a church and to start your own. You can go as deep in God as you want regardless of how far your church goes. I challenge you to burn hot, pray without ceasing, stimulate dreams and visions and raise the temperature of every atmosphere you walk into.
Will God eventually move you on to another church or to build a new ministry yourself? He most certainly may. Just make sure you handle the move with integrity and honor. If your current church is apathetic, you can be sure God will bring resolution one way or another without your intervention.
15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. Revelation 3:15-16 (ESV)
FIVE
Being guilted into serving more, giving more and building the church.
House church people generally are more interested in Kingdom activity than the local church. They are more passionate about God’s expression among a people in a region than a local ministry. They are tired of building a single man’s kingdom by giving and serving and enhancing that local church instead of investing in the advance of the Kingdom of God.
Again, as one who has been involved in the church for decades, I understand. There’s so much pressure today to grow big ministries, to be successful and to keep everybody active and on task. Leaders want people to take ownership. In our American culture we are individualistic and laser focused on whatever project we deem most beneficial to us. The problem? There is much more that needs our focus than a single local church.
I believe it’s healthy and important for people to have a home church while also engaging at a high level in other local churches, ministries and Kingdom activities. When I was giving leadership to churches, I would strongly encourage people to frequent other ministries in addition to our own. Investing in the city church is more important than the local church.
I started this message by mentioning my book Covens in the Church. That book as directed at those who wrongly abandon assignments for the sake of pursuing their own spiritual endeavors. This point requires I highlight the follow up book titled, Pharaoh in the Church. This book was written to pastors who are so focused on building their own ministry that the people are wrongly used, expected to continually serve, give and sacrifice for that never ending project.
In the words of Brian Ming, “God forgive us for building kingdoms of man on doctrines of demons in your name.”
Pastors, right or wrong, this is another reason people are leaving your church for the more efficient, simple and authentic house church.
SIX
The power of God isn’t there.
I’ll admit that I’ve been to some small group meetings that are electric! The Holy Spirit was blowing through that living room or office space like a wind and a fire! When you gather people who are all likeminded and hungry for Jesus, you can’t help but to see God respond.
I’ve been to local church meetings like this too, but they are rare. How often do you leave an institutional church remarking about how powerfully and supernaturally the Holy Spirit moved? Some of you reading this are truly blessed, and you’d respond by saying, “Nearly every Sunday!” Most would have to honestly admit that it’s extremely uncommon or nonexistent.
Understand, I’m not talking about a great worship experience or an encouraging message. I mean, when is the last time the supernatural presence of God flooded the place to such an extreme that people were trembling, crying, and laying out all over the place? This should be the norm for the church. Pastors, until you can steward this call and facilitate a white-hot atmosphere of Holy Spirit power, it will be easy for people to be disappointed in your church.
1 As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. 2 And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD’s house. 3 When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” 2 Chronicles 7:1-3 (ESV)
SEVEN
Services are predictable, overly structured and polished.
People who are hungry for authentic encounter with Jesus are done with perfectly orchestrated worship sets and precisely ordered services. House churches offer an opportunity to ditch the set lists and eliminate the clocks in favor of spontaneous, unpredictable and untimed worship, prayer and teaching along with a fervent pursuit of an ever increasing tangible presence of the Holy Spirit.
Instead of the spit and shine, they long for the messy, unpredictable, uncontrollable move of God that simply won’t allow for manmade organization.
How often are the people in the pews crying out for the pastors to get out of the way and to let the Holy Spirit move? It’s time we admit that our messages really aren’t that great, and our worship sets aren’t that special. Let’s move aside, hit our knees and let the Holy Spirit run our services! I’ll tell you this, when it happens, people won’t be frustrated and disappointed, fleeing the church, they’ll be flooding out from wherever they are to the place where the fire is burning!
The truth is it can be easier to fan the flames of revival in a small house church than in a local church simply because local churches aren’t typically focused on the remnant. They want the bigger crowds and are willing to compromise to ensure the people stay connected. Those in house churches aren’t focused on numbers or on drawing the seeker. They simply want God. Period. They have no order of service. They pray. They cry out. They minister to God and to each other.
While I acknowledge this reality, my belief is that we need to see such a remnant focus in the local church! I believe apostolic hubs, houses of prayer and house churches have emerged because local churches have abdicated their responsibilities to be centers of prayer and Kingdom advance. They have become fully local to the detriment of the city vision. Prayer has taken a back seat because most resist such a devotion.
I love houses of prayer, apostolic hubs, para-church ministries and even healthy, rightly aligned house churches. I also love the local church and am campaigning for it to break out of the old, tired and predictable in favor of a Holy Spirit who cannot be controlled.
13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ …Matthew 21:13 (ESV)
EIGHT
Pastors who are functioning out of ability, creativity or charisma instead of anointing.
Stage shows seem to be overtaking much of the church today. Instead of contending for hours in the prayer rooms, pastors are often functioning from their creativity and charisma. The anointing simply isn’t intense. They haven’t been branded by the fire that can only be found at the altars.
How rare it is to see the man or woman of God trembling behind the pulpit after emerging from an encounter with almighty God in the prayer room.
Leonard Ravenhill said, “Pastors who don’t pray two hours a day aren’t worth a dime a dozen.”
People can see right through pastors who are operating out of gifting instead of anointing. It’s leaves a very bad taste in their spirits. They want to be led by people who are continually encountering Jesus, people who aren’t so confident in their giftings that they simply put together “creative” programs, conferences, sermon series and whatever else they can orchestrate.
That being said, house church friends, I challenge you to re-read the appeal from Debra at the beginning of this article. Have enough compassion for God’s leaders that you don’t rise up in pride, determined to be more spiritually driven then they are. In fact, I bet most house church people are no more spiritually devoted than most local church pastors.
17 pray without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV)
NINE
A lack of focus on the greater church.
House church folks don’t like to be limited in their church experience. They don’t value, and actually devalue, the demand many pastors have to commit fully and only to their specific local church. It stinks of personal kingdom building instead of truly being Kingdom minded.
As I said above, we need to encourage people to invest in a variety of churches and ministries in our region. In fact, pastors should be very active in supporting other churches and ministries. Lead the people in your church to conferences, prayer events, special church meetings, revival services and strategic Kingdom happenings in the region.
House churches can easily become equally unhealthy when they become inward focused and disconnected from the greater city church. In fact, many, many house churches regularly fall into this trap.
Out of one side of their mouth they confess to being “Kingdom focused” while on the contrary they never visit and lock arms with other local churches, ministries or functions in the region.
46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes… Acts 2:46 (ESV)
TEN
They are plain bored with the old wine skin.
Church as we know it is done. This is the driving message behind my book The Coming Church. I’ve preached about this, written about this and led movements with this in mind. The old wine skin must give way to the new. The house church, for many, seems to be a logical step out of the old and into the new.
The reality is that the new wine skin looks nothing like anything we see in local or house churches.
However, one key component that many house church enthusiasts may not be too excited about in the new wine skin is: authority. The government of God will be firmly established and the five-fold ministry will be foundational. No longer can people just do as they please presuming that God is their only authority. We will function within Kingdom government, and we must acknowledge the various leaders in the region.
22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.” Mark 2:22 (ESV)
HOUSE CHURCH OR LOCAL CHURCH?
Both. Neither. Actually it’s the city church we should be advancing. Local churches are important as larger groups of people lock in to contend for revival and advance the Kingdom. Smaller churches that are more keenly focused will exist in homes along side the rest of the church of the city. Apostles, prophets and other leaders will serve with sobriety and boldness.
The key is having pure motives, honoring all and being faithful to the calling and the process God has given you to steward whether it’s in a local church, house church, apostolic hub, house of prayer or other community of faith.
We all want revival, or, rather, we all think we want revival. We crave God’s presence. We want the fire. But, let’s all be challenged. When the fire comes, will we honestly allow it to consume us? Will we stay devoted, humble and surrendered? Or will we rise up in pride, dissatisfied with the way things are unfolding and move out in rebellion to start an alternate, individualistic, isolated, coven in the church?
Pharaoh in the Church: Pastors must stop using people to build kingdoms of man
People are leaving churches in record fashion. Pastors, it’s time to look within for the reason.
Taken from John’s book Pharaoh in the Church, the follow up to Covens in the Church. (Covens in the Church is a message about the body’s responsibility to submit to authority and Pharaoh in the Church is a message calling leaders to stop using people to build their own kingdoms.)
Radical Trust
God is looking for leaders who are humble, broken and driven by the fear of the Lord not the fear of looking like failures to their peers. We must be a people who trust God fully.
It’s sad how much competition between churches there is today—as each pastor is working hard to keep “their people” and build their kingdoms.
This must end! As a senior leader I had an open hands policy. I never owned the sheep and I made that known. I told other pastors and leaders that they were free to come to my church and, without guilt or fear, recruit anybody they chose to leave my church to join theirs. They could ask my best leaders, most amazing musicians and most committed intercessors to leave me to join them. If they agreed, I’d bless my friends as they entered into their new assignments.
It was important for me to kill the competition spirit, that spirit of Pharaoh, quickly—and that comes as we trust God and his church building process.
A Shocking Shift in the Church
Its days are numbered. I don’t know what that number is, but it isn’t large. In fact, the beginnings of change are here. You can feel the temperature fluctuating as the days are suddenly growing shorter. We’re in a transitional season that will ultimately result in the rebirthing and reintroduction of a long forgotten biblical structure–the Church.
As I thoroughly investigated in the sister book, Covens in the Church, the change is not, as many believe, an exodus from relationship with Christian leaders. It is, however, most certainly an exodus. In fact, it’s an exodus that will either invigorate or irritate leaders across our nation.
You see, there is a God-ordained and God-initiated revolution taking form. It is quite simple to understand that resistance to God’s process is always a tragic mistake and that embracing God’s process always guarantees success (God never fails). Revolution, by definition, is drastic and momentous change. It’s shocking and it’s shaking. It will rock every one of us as the process unfolds before us, but those who will trust God’s wisdom will survive–and even thrive as humble, faithful and tested men and women of almighty God.
I WAS DONE BEFORE I WAS DONE
One of the most important moments of my life, without any exaggeration in the least, occurred as God was calling me into the wilderness of encounter. I planted Revolution Church in Manitou Springs, Colorado, and though it was a challenge, we were watching with amazement as the church developed and grew in one of the nation’s darkest cities. You see, it has been reported that since the mid-1980’s, around 15 churches have been planted in Manitou Springs–and all ended up failing before hitting the two year mark.
I received a life mission from God in the early 1990’s, and that mission was to see a city taken for God. Pure revival at the city level was the mandate. I was extremely zealous in my adherence to God’s instructions, and I worked hard to see Revolution Church grow in strength, anointing and in number.
We were a few years beyond the ominous two year mark, and things were going well. I was in prayer at the church one day, and God said something that made no sense whatsoever. He said, “John, you’re done.”
What? How could this be? I wasn’t even close to being done. There were years of progress ahead of me. The city wasn’t even close to being taken and developed into a “model of revival for the nations” as another confirmed prophecy communicated.
“You’re done.” My brain was irritated, but my spirit was burning. I knew the second I received that message from God that I was done.
The next day, as I was emotionally undone and intellectually attempting to figure out what all of this meant, I went to a scheduled meeting with someone I had recently met. She brought a friend with her, who quite strangely remained silent for the first thirty minutes or so that we were together.
But then, she spoke. “John, I apologize for not participating in the conversation up until now, but God has been talking to me about you.”
She had my attention.
“John, God says to you that he is pleased with you, and with what you have built. He sees the foundation and the walls, and he is well pleased. However, John, the Father also says, ‘you are done.’”
Tears were instantly filling up in my eyes, and seconds later flowing down my cheeks. God was talking to me. He had my attention. I was shaken.
Over the next three weeks, eight or nine different people, most of whom I had never met, gave the exact same word. “John, you’re done.”
The word was expanded and confirmed time and again: “John, you’re done. You’re called apostolically to the cities of the Earth. This is very much about Manitou Springs and the vision there, and it’s also about so much more.”
Some time went by, and I did as well as I could in responding to God. Practically speaking, I honestly didn’t know exactly what to do, so I awaited further instruction. It came one day at the same altar where God revealed to me that I was ‘done’.
“John, you are to pray. I’ve called you to minister to me as a house of prayer for all nations.”
I understood then what the call was–the church was to rediscover its identity as a house of prayer. I’ve always been a zealous man of prayer, yet I know that the call was not only for me, but for the body, for those who would respond, to minister to God night and day in Manitou Springs.
My conversation with God, as I sat there alone in a dark room at the altar, went like this:
“God, I know I am to embrace and lead toward radical change. I know this body is to be a team of fiery, determined and tested people who pray on site continually. But, Lord, if I do this, the church is sure to lose people.” God offered no response. I sat there in silence as the implications of such a drastic change were bombarding my mind. My fear was evident as I continued my discussion.
“And, God, if I do this, I’m certain we’ll lose money.” Again, no response. Surely this was an acceptable concern. If we did something like this we’d experience such a severe loss of finances through the offerings that we’d most certainly fail to responsibly pay the church’s bills. Yet, God was silent.
As I sat there feeling both alone and very much in the company of Someone who was looking right into my heart, I finally said, “And, God, if I do this, I’ll lose my reputation.”
You see, I am a visionary leader. People had bought into the vision and had settled into the church in its current form. If I did this, I’d open the door for accusation, ridicule, mocking, disappointment and betrayal. I knew it would come, and it would be very hard.
“…if I do this, I’ll lose my reputation.” This time God responded with a message that changed my outlook on life forever. He said, “Good. My Son was a man of no reputation. Why should you be?”
I was broken in my humanness but spared the force of God as I hit my knees and prepared for the greatest shaking of my life.
Pharaoh in the Church
You may be wondering just exactly what the Pharaoh in the Church is. The spirit of Pharaoh that must be uprooted is revealed in a powerful line from a worship song by Brian Ming:
“Forgive us for building man’s kingdoms on doctrines of demons in Your name.”
There it is. Due to a great lack of understanding and trust of God and his process, it has become acceptable to use people to build religious systems. Pastors have often unwittingly taken on the mantle of Pharaoh as they advance their vision to develop their kingdom instead of leading the body into the burning presence of God in the wilderness of encounter. Again, much of what happens has benefited people. In fact, the development of excellent programs and ministries have both benefited people (to a degree) and built man’s kingdom. They have even, to a degree, built God’s Kingdom. It’s not always all bad or all good. There is some mixture. But, the call to minister to God in the desert will require a degree of trust that is rare today. We’ll discuss this further, but for now understand this: we must drop our bricks, rediscover our identity and follow God’s ordained leadership into the wilderness of encounter.
There is both a spirit of bondage and a spirit of Pharaoh upon the Church. In Egypt, the Hebrews’ very identity was based on their ability to produce–to make bricks and build the kingdom. Similarly, the Church has become comfortable in learning how to make bricks; our identity is founded on how we can fit in the body, how we are received and what we can produce. This focus is self-serving, and it can easily cause us to resist the call of God to change. This change will greatly affect both the body and the leadership–but, it is at its core a trust and obedience issue. Does the body trust God’s wisdom in placing us under our authority? Does the leader trust God’s call to release and lead the people into a place of encounter?
This is a call of release from making the bricks that are used in building the kingdoms of man. It’s an issue of trust as we see the body released into a place of intercession and ministry in the fire of God’s presence. It’s a great transition from a human system into a system of God that will lead us into the wilderness of encounter. Churches must at their very core be prayer fueled, encounter driven ministries unto God.
The goal should be for people to tremble and collapse under the weight of the glory of God as they walk up to the church building! In 2 Chronicles 7 they couldn’t even enter the building! They all hit the pavement as the glory of God consumed the place. That should be our church growth strategy today! It’s time to discover the fire and glory again.
We must understand that it’s time to stop trying to become expert brick makers and start following the voice of the Lord! There is no need for bricks where God is leading the Church!
The Church must become responsive to the prophetic voice of God to put down the bricks and to move out! There are tents to be set up, directions to be received, rivers to be crossed and cities to be taken! In order for this to happen, we first must move from our current position and step into the great unknown. God has mighty plans to blow our minds, and we have to trust that he’s very good at leading us into that brand new place.
The current system that is being threatened with reformation from Heaven is one that survives by using. Pastors and leaders must take notice. We must repent. We have marketed and sold our church experiences. We have been mindful of man ahead of God. The day has come where instead of convincing our communities that we have the best children’s ministry and the most progressive worship and the nicest sanctuary and the best way to connect with others we will actually announce the severity of the call!
When people join our churches, they must find themselves in the wilderness of encounter from day one! The bar will be raised high, the cost is everything they have, holiness is non-negotiable and an extreme lifestyle of prayer IS the experience! When the fire of intercession burns the flesh of those who wander into our meetings, you will witness a deep and dramatic conversion of desperate souls.
And, yes, it’s true, many won’t come. The tithes might be low. Pastors’ reputations will be at risk. Pride will take a mighty blow. Buildings may not be built. People will complain. You see, in Egypt it’s all about the desire of Pharaoh to build a kingdom. In the wilderness, control over the people is surrendered, and the only acceptable plan is to lead them into God’s presence. Pastors, we must let the people go–and lead them into the tent of meeting where God Himself burns night and day.
As I write this, tears are trying to form in my eyes. I’m quite undone. A violent groan is in my spirit. The call of the Lord is:
“NOW, NOW, NOW! The remnant, the hungry, the broken- step into position, stand up with a great burning within, a wellspring of tears pouring out, with your cross crushing your back… stand up and prepare to march. NOW, NOW, NOW! Change, change, change! I am coming! I am moving! I am moving! NOW, NOW, NOW!”
I feel we must be willing to risk losing everything for the sake of reformation. Recalling again that life altering moment at a dark, lonely altar at Revolution Church, I said, “God, if we do this, I’ll lose my reputation.” As a dreamer, leader and visionary, I had an all encompassing passion to fulfill my mission. People would certainly presume that I had missed God if I shifted gears so severely. They’d think I was confused. I was dropping the ball. But, of course, Jesus was of no reputation. It’s not about who we are; it’s about Who we represent.
Are we willing to risk everything for the sake of offensive, shaking, cross-centered revival that puts an end to much of what we have held dear? Will we move our churches into a place that may result in great personal loss? Will we be willing to lose our retirement, our health insurance, our salaries and our comforts? Friend, momentous change is coming. It’s a reformation. It’s a revolution.
The Egyptian System
The spirit of Pharaoh will use every tactic to keep the current structure in place and will resist the release of people and resources even if it means it will move the people closer to God.
Let me shout this with clarity–we must repent for, either intentionally or subconsciously, considering the growth of the Church ahead of the call to lead people into God’s presence!
We need to soberly understand that God is removing leaders who lead with the spirit of Pharaoh and is raising up those who declare without apology the current directive of the Lord.
Church, pastors, leaders, this is where we are now–God has come down to see what has been built, just as he did with the Tower of Babel, and he’s about to act.
Let me make a very important point–I am not saying that the old structure is fully and comprehensively evil–no way. Just as Moses himself lived in the Egyptian system and started to lead God’s people by defending them from the abuse of the slave drivers, there are leaders now who know nothing but the current church system and have a great heart for God’s people.
However, if we refuse to release the current structure, and the people of the Lord for what is next on God’s agenda, our evil intentions will be riled up and exposed. We must be humble, broken, alert and responsive. We must resign our positions and opinions daily and refuse to hold on to anything too tightly.
Exodus 5:2 And Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.”
This spirit of Pharaoh has gripped the Church.This is evidenced in the alignment with Pharaoh’s statement–I don’t receive the word of transition. I don’t acknowledge that God is saying anything. I will not release my project of building what I’ve been working on for years.
As in other transitional periods throughout biblical history, the word of change resulted in hardened hearts instead of obedience. The current structure as we know it must be left entirely, and those who have anything to lose in that process will be tempted to fight the change.
Exodus 5:3 So they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.”
God is raising up prophetic men and women, messengers to sound the alarm, to call the Church into reformation. The declaration is clear–let the people go!
Note that the call is not simply to step outside the gates of the kingdom, but rather to travel a day’s journey. It’s a call far away from the current structure.
Exodus 5:4 Then the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your labor.”
Pharaoh became irritated at the first threat of the structure being disrupted. Allow me to boldly ask you to examine your own heart. A spirit of Pharaoh in a leader can often be evidenced through a resistance to the call of God for change. Pharaoh’s very identity was wrapped up in the development of Egypt. Any thought of risk to that identity was not even an option.
For those who align with this spirit, the prophetic call to change will be rejected, then mocked and then become a cause of great irritation.
Exodus 5:5-11 And Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are many now, and you make them rest from their labor!” So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.” And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh: ‘I will not give you straw. Go, get yourselves straw where you can find it; yet none of your work will be reduced.’ “
The tension will certainly be extreme as the prophetic mandate for reformation hits a spirit that’s intent on staying the course of his kingdom-building plans.
This may be another good spot to bring some clarity to the point I’m trying to convey. I believe that the spirit of Pharaoh is something that every leader must contend with. I am by no means saying that the leaders I am writing this message to are evil, as we know Pharaoh was. This issue can affect the most amazing, zealous and surrendered servant-leaders in the Kingdom of God. The reality is that, in our Western, American culture, the pressure to succeed in the minds of men is extreme. Pastor’s salaries, reputations, security, retirement, stability in their own families and so many other factors are a part of this wide-reaching drama. All of that and much more is at risk. I understand that embracing an Egyptian building blueprint has loads of benefits and it may be the hardest thing you’ve ever done if and when you break this model of ministry off of your church.
In the story we see that Pharaoh is greatly irritated, and his response is to highlight his control over his people and his kingdom. Not only will he not relent, he proves that he is in charge and increases the demands on the Israelites.
Exodus 5:12-14 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. And the taskmasters forced them to hurry, saying, “Fulfill your work, your daily quota, as when there was straw.” Also the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as before?”
As the hope for freedom draws near, the enemy, Pharaoh, raises his head and strikes. More production with less resources is demanded, and the result is a mandate that can’t be obeyed. Unholy judgment comes and increases the fear and bondage of the people.
Pressure From Both Sides
Okay, are you ready? Can the pressure possibly get any greater? By now we realize the move from Egypt to the wilderness of encounter is going to be possibly the most difficult thing we’ve ever done. The fear and anger and tension is already quite extreme at this point of the story, but it’s about to be increased. Now both Pharaoh and the Hebrews resist!
Exodus 5:20-21 (Then, as they came out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who stood there to meet them. And they said to them, “Let the LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
The complaints against Moses were flying! Why? Suddenly, this movement toward freedom resulted in life becoming worse, not better than it was before. Rather than being mission minded, they were focused on their own comfort level. It’s the epitome of self-centeredness! Instead of agreeing with the call for the masses to experience freedom, instead of having a heart for our children who have an opportunity to be free from Pharaoh’s curse, the selfish cry for personal preservation resounds.
Leaders, get ready. When the word for change comes, the cries will begin to sound!
“I want this and that. This is NOT what I signed up for! Let me tell you how things are supposed to be!”
Wiersbe Expository Outlines reveals: Believers who are out of fellowship with God bring grief to their leaders instead of help.
Prophetic leadership by its very nature will attempt to lead people into the invisible realm, into the unknown. In the face of certain resistance, we must pray for agreement as God gives us the directions for the journey into the unknown and challenging place of discovery.
Those leaders who take on the mantle of Moses and press against the spirit of Pharaoh, will not only have that spirit to deal with. They can also expect to be attacked by the very people they are called to lead to freedom!
You see, the Egyptian system is a place of bondage, but it’s also a place of safety and comfort–if you follow the rules. As the captives are being led from chains to the very presence of God, their discomfort will be more than most feel they can bear. Don’t be surprised if most members of your church choose to remain in an Egyptian system when you attempt to lead them into freedom. It will be all too easy for them to leave your church and find another that reminds them of the ‘good old days.’ Do you remember the cry of the Israelites after they made it to the wilderness? They complained and wanted to return to Egypt. Truly, this call out of Egypt is extreme and costly. The message of comfort and safety must be replaced with the Kingdom message of advance!
This issue is a key reason why most leaders refuse to move the people into the primary focus of fervent prayer and intimacy with God. People will leave. They will take their money with them, and reputations will be lost.
When a prophetic word is given, the one delivering it will usually feel very alone and opposed by all sides–by the enemy and by those he is leading into freedom.
Noah was alone, Elijah cried out after his greatest victory that he was alone, Jonah was rejected by those on the boat who were concerned for their own lives, John the Baptist was murdered, and on and on.
If we are going to partner with God and be a mouthpiece for his prophetic word to the current system and culture, we better be prepared to stand alone for a season.
1 Kings 19:9-10 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”
Yet, we are not alone.
1 Kings 19:18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
A Brick
So much of this story surrounds what seems to be a trivial object–a brick. As I shared previously, Pharaoh’s identity was in the expansion of his kingdom, a kingdom built with bricks. Further, the Israelite’s identities were based on the bricks themselves. That’s what they did. If they made a good brick, life was good, if they made a bad brick, life was bad. They were as good as the bricks they made with their hands.
In the confrontation with Pharaoh, Moses was declaring that there was no need for bricks where God was taking the Israelites. Yet, because the Israelite’s security and livelihood were tied to the bricks, they couldn’t see beyond that. The idea of a life void of the very thing that gave them their security and identity was too much to bear. The Egyptian system is very good at giving leaders and the people a measure of security, identity and community. However, it’s a significantly flawed system; a self-serving system.
God, through Moses, was working overtime to communicate that they didn’t need bricks to build a tent! Not only were they being called to drop their bricks, the very thing they were building was about to change! What an amazing opportunity to move from building a kingdom for Pharaoh to building the tent that would house the very presence of the Living God!
Additionally, they didn’t need bricks to make an offering– God won’t accept a brick as an offering! In fact, in Isaiah he rebuked them for making a sacrifice on top of brick!
Isaiah 65:2-3 I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in a way that is not good, According to their own thoughts; A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face; Who sacrifice in gardens, And burn incense on altars of brick;
God’s plan was to remove their bricks and replace them with gold to take into the wilderness! The plunder of Egypt was theirs if they would only drop their bricks!
Exodus 12:35-36 Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.
As in any transitional period, there will be a time of insecurity and struggle as both personal and corporate identity is threatened.
“I’ve made bricks my whole life. I make a great brick. I am helping build something greater than myself. I’m taking classes on how to make better bricks much faster. My leaders like me. I don’t like change. Why are you making my life harder?”
This reformation requires a complete paradigm shift. It’s a brand new wineskin for a brand new season of revolution. As we release our control over the people God placed under our care, we simultaneously put to death that spirit of Pharaoh and take on the prophetic and apostolic mantle of Moses.
As we do this, oh my! Are you ready for what is coming? God’s chosen people, you and me and the people we are leading into the wilderness of encounter, will finally drop the heavy, dusty bricks of yesterday and take on the precious metals of God’s Kingdom! It’s time to drop the bricks! It’s time to move out into a mysterious and fresh place full of wonder and promise.
The Power of a Declaration
I’ll again highlight the connection between my previous book, Covens in the Church, and this one, Pharaoh in the Church.
What is the body’s right response to challenge within their local church? For one, it’s to honor their commitment and refuse to flee. At the moment of conflict, the inescapable reality that we are called to lovingly submit to authorities in our lives can’t simply be ignored or invalidated. However, the cry of the people from their caves of oppression is to be free, to encounter God. Their cry is tearing at God’s heart. They are sure to have their cries heard, and you are the Gideon, the Moses, with the call of the Lord to lead them into life.
In the midst of this chaos and crisis, the wrong response of the body would be to leave, to vacate their assignment to serve, and to look elsewhere for what they desire. Church hopping and church shopping is not an option at this point.
Additionally, God won’t simply force change in the current Church structure without our participation. Consider this truth–God so honors the authorities (good and evil) that he put into position that he will not violate himself by taking lightly the call for people under their leadership to honor them–even at terrible times of crisis. So, we can’t just move to another church. There’s process. We need to humbly pray and serve and hold up the arms of our leaders. However, leaders beware. God won’t casually sit back and allow an Egyptian system to keep his Beloved in slavery. Using people to build kingdoms of man instead of leading them into the glory realm of God’s presence will bring increasingly severe and convincing judgment.
God’s Judgment
For those of you whose theological perspective causes you to struggle with the concept of the judgment of God in the New Covenant, allow me to explain what judgment really is.
If we hold to an accurate definition of judgment there’s no way we’d ever think of living a single day without it. Judgment is simply making wrong things right. For example, when God heals a sick person, he’s declaring judgment on disease. We are crying out for judgment on a murderous system of abortion in America. That wrong must be righted.
If a church is Egyptian in structure, or if there are imperfections in the system, it’s okay to agree with a process of judgment. We want wrong church structures to be made right. The risk, fear and trembling come when we resist God’s often difficult, yet loving process of calibration.
However, hear me very clearly and be warned. The biblical principle for judgment is that whatever we embrace for others will visit us first. If we declare judgment on a religious system that’s oppressing us, prepare to have religious attitudes in our own lives addressed.
1 Peter 4:17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
If we are praying for wrong things to be made right in our churches, we must be ready to receive the force of God’s correction in our lives first. Humility, love and determination to serve throughout the process are mandatory.
The Wild Process Toward Freedom
Now, with all of that being said, let’s look at the wild process that God took Pharaoh through. The Hebrews wanted to be free, and God wanted them to be free. They cried out, and God brought a prophet, Moses, to deliver them. It’s a done deal; they are moving into the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land.
Exodus 2:23-25 Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.
However, since God won’t violate his own principle of established authority, he had to compel his delegate Pharaoh to agree with his plans and to make a governmental declaration that only Pharaoh himself could deliver–the people of God may go!
Exodus 8:1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.
We’ve heard this passage of scripture countless times, yet have you ever stopped to consider just what’s being said? We’re in the middle of this huge drama where some of the most bizarre signs and wonders ever recorded are taking place. By now in the story we have already had confrontations, staffs turning to serpents and a bold messenger of God risking his life by irritating the most powerful person in Egypt.
I’ll ask the question again–why in the world was all of this necessary? Why didn’t God simply snap his fingers and translate all of the Israelites into the wilderness (or directly to the Promised Land for that matter)?
Let’s look at one portion of the above passage again:
… Let My people go,
Is that not interesting? God didn’t say, “I’m taking my people, see ya!” He is making a demand on Pharaoh to let His people go.
Pharaoh had God’s rightful possession in his control. Because of Pharaoh’s governmental position, a position that God created and honored, he had to be the one to release the Israelites.
Romans 13:1-2 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
So, if God asked the Israelites to rebel against Pharaoh, clearly a very evil authority indeed, it would actually result in judgment landing upon them!
Exodus 8:21-22 Or else, if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the land.
So, instead of receiving judgment for prematurely leaving Egypt and rebelling against Pharaoh, God protected them from the judgment that hit the rest of the nation. A miracle occurred.
Leaders, please understand how devastating this entire process can be. If we refuse, as Pharaoh did, to release people from their brick-making duties, the pressure will increase. But even more tragic, those who are craving to move into God’s presence will not have that opportunity without enduring quite an ordeal. Or, if we cause people to abdicate their responsibilities of staying through the process of transition to leave for another church, the results can be devastating for all parties involved–sometimes for years or decades.
Okay, let’s really dig in and look at the process that was necessary, since God was honoring his established authority, Pharaoh.
Exodus 7:19-21 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, that they may become blood. And there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in buckets of wood and pitchers of stone.’ “ And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the LORD commanded. So he lifted up the rod and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants. And all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river. So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
So, the pressuring continues. However, while Pharaoh was certainly impacted, he was not yet ready to relent–not even close.
Exodus 7:22-23 Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. Neither was his heart moved by this.
His concern was clearly not for any of the people of Egypt. All he cared about was the advancement of the great Egypt building project.
Exodus 7:24 So all the Egyptians dug all around the river for water to drink, because they could not drink the water of the river.
Pharaoh returned to the safety and comfort of his house while the people under his charge went without water. Many in the church today might complain (which is a sin) about a leader that doesn’t nourish the body. While their analysis may be correct, their gossip and complaining is very incorrect. As leaders, we have to know that a malnourished people will become desperate. They will seek refreshing and water, and it’s our job to lead them to it. Of course, Pharaoh couldn’t care less.
Exodus 8:1-2 And the LORD spoke to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your territory with frogs.
Again, God’s cry is for his people to be free so they can be with him. So, pressure again increases.
Exodus 8:8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Entreat the LORD that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD.”
Well, isn’t that interesting? It looks like God has won! God’s leader, Pharaoh, seemed to come into agreement with the plan of the ages. However, notice that there is no official decree here. Let’s read on:
Exodus 8:9-10 And Moses said to Pharaoh, “Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only.” So he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God.
Oops. Pharaoh wasn’t as determined as it appeared. Even in the midst of great trial, he decided to delay obedience to God’s directive to let the people go until the next day. This slight hesitation gave ample room for the enemy to haunt Pharaoh and to cause his heart to change. Delayed obedience is disobedience.
Exodus 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the LORD had said.
Next we have the plague of lice which didn’t work. Maybe some flies would get the point across?
Exodus 8:25-32 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God in the land.” And Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we would be sacrificing the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God. If we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, then will they not stone us? We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He will command us.” And Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Intercede for me.” Then Moses said, “Indeed I am going out from you, and I will entreat the LORD, that the swarms of flies may depart tomorrow from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. But let Pharaoh not deal deceitfully anymore in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.” So Moses went out from Pharaoh and entreated the LORD. And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained. But Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go.
Here we have Pharaoh starting to bend. He even asked for prayer! However, he placed conditions on the release of the Hebrews. This is a very important point that we have to consider. When God is calling us to transition, it truly is a call to the extreme. There will be a lot of temptation to compromise and to avoid as much static and risk as possible. When we take this approach, we are giving way to the enemy. We’re providing an opportunity for the enemy to counsel us in our place of wavering commitment to change.
Pharaoh agreed to let the Israelites go, but just a short distance,. That way, when they were done, things could return to normal. The bricks would be made again and the kingdom would be built again.
Understand, this movement is not a slight adjustment or a momentary redirect. This is massive reformation and the old will be left behind to fade away. The coming church will look nothing like the current.
Next God takes out the cattle of the Egyptians while saving the cattle of the Israelites. Pharaoh’s heart remained hard.
Would the spread of nasty boils throughout Egypt work? Nope. Pharaoh almost gave in again when the hail or the locusts came, but, once again, his heart hardened.
When the darkness came, we again see Pharaoh relent–to a degree.
Exodus 10:24-27 Then Pharaoh called to Moses and said, “Go, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be kept back. Let your little ones also go with you.” But Moses said, “You must also give us sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. Our livestock also shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind. For we must take some of them to serve the LORD our God, and even we do not know with what we must serve the LORD until we arrive there.” But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.
God’s call was for everyone and everything. This was not a conditional request. It’s all or nothing. Churches that attempt to keep one foot in Egypt while allowing another in the wilderness will end up with a hard heart. It just can’t work. We see this happen often when pastors provide a certain level of liberty for the resident intercessors to call the people to prayer–in a small room on a day, any day, other than Sunday. It’s a compromise that results in the main purpose of the Church, prayer for the nations, being relegated to an extracurricular activity. The prayer rooms will remain empty until the prayer meetings become the main meetings. The Church is a place of night and day prayer and ministry to God. Building the kingdom of man and the Kingdom of God side by side just can’t work.
Psalm 127:1 …Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.
The Necessary Declaration
Now, the point of this message is before us:
Exodus 12:29-33 And it came to pass at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead. Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the LORD as you have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.” And the Egyptians urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.”
It happened. Pharaoh finally released them. It was his choice and he chose to agree with God’s desire for his people. The risk of further loss was too great, and Pharaoh went from one who violently opposed God’s plans to one who then relented to a degree, yet placed conditions on the release of the Israelites, to one who wanted them gone–and fast. God’s pressure was sufficient. Throughout the entire process, the Israelites did not rebel. They stayed and submitted, and God protected them throughout. Now, as they were leaving, the freedom they were experiencing was indescribable. After the declaration by Pharaoh, the authority transferred from him to Moses. Pharaoh would attempt to chase after the people he no longer had any authority over, but now, due to his decree to transfer leadership to Moses, God then had full governmental cause to refuse his advance. Moses was now in charge. This is why the concept of seeking blessing from pastors prior to moving from one church to another is so important. We must transfer the authority and responsibility to serve and lead those God placed in our care to another.
Exodus 12:35-36 Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.
Their new journey had begun, and God gave them everything they would need to bring an offering into the wilderness of encounter. Can you imagine how it must have felt to leave the heavy, dusty bricks in the sand while carrying gold and silver?
As this message closes, I want to drive home the point one more time. Since the body cannot rebel against authority and improper church systems, it’s up to the leaders to relent and make the governmental declaration that, yes, God’s people can go. The Egyptian system of old is done and we’re apostolically moving into a place of intercession, life and freedom.
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Video: It has to stop! Competition, accusation and jealousy between churches
God forgive us for building kingdoms of man on doctrines of demons in your name. ~Brian Ming
IT HAS TO STOP!
Watch this short, raw video on the issue of competitiveness, accusation and jealousy in the church. It has to STOP!
When Amy and I first moved to Detroit and launched Revival Church we sent out 200 copies of my book Pharaoh in the Church to pastors in the Detroit region. The book is written to leaders and those who are called to lead the people of God into encounter.
In that book I deal directly with the issue of personal kingdom building & how it can be a threat to the advance of God’s Kingdom in a region.
Not shockingly, but sadly we only heard from one pastor. One.
When a new Kingdom building church arrives on the scene, the pastors of the region should celebrate their arrival!
PEOPLE, MONEY & REPUTATION
Too much energy is invested into keeping people, protecting our financial situation and enhancing our reputations as leaders—energy that can not be used for its intended purpose of going hard after revival in a region and leading people into encounter.
If we are serious about the city church exploding in life and power, we must be willing to lose people, lose financial security (salaries, benefits) and lose our reputation. Jesus was of no reputation, why should we be?
How can you deal with this issue? Have a healthy ministry policy!
HEALTHY MINISTRY POLICIES
- PEOPLE: Have a policy that any pastor, leader or other person can come into your church at any time, with no fear or guilt, and openly recruit anybody, even your staff, to leave your church and join theirs. The fear of losing people and the resulting spirit of competition will disappear.
- MONEY: Give regularly to other churches and pray for them to be blessed in a greater measure financially than your own. Giving always causes fear of financial loss to subside. Additionally, never hold back leading in a biblical direction with full unction of the Holy Spirit if key givers may get leave. Preach them out and trust God!
- REPUTATION: Die. Surrender. Go low. Be humble. Allow people to ridicule you, accuse you, attack you and discredit your ministry. This happens when you preach truth. If you are of no reputation, then when you lose people, money, influence or anything else, your ego won’t drive you whatsoever.
DISQUALIFIED
Gossip.
Here’s a definition: Any conversation about an absent third party that wouldn’t meet the approval of that person.
Gossip is biblically forbidden communication.
When I, as a church leader, hear anybody gossip about a former pastor they are immediately disqualified from consideration for leadership in my church.
Why? I can’t afford to give place to a demonic anointing in my church.
This is how important it is to honor other pastors, churches and leaders—and everybody else in the body of Christ!
What do you do if you hear someone gossiping about a leader?
I am personally blessed when someone displays their honor, love and faithfulness when they won’t receive gossip about me. But, it’s not about me…it’s about the health of the church and the church of the city we are called to run with. It really is a big deal.
PROPHETIC VOICES
Why is it a big deal? Many reasons. One that will become very clear as the end of the age develops is that the church is going to be shifted violently to calibrate with God’s end-time plans.
The announcement of the shift will come through people. Prophets. Apostles. Those chosen by God to move into a region and reveal with boldness what is changing.
These people will be a serious threat to the status quo, and if pastors rely on the status quo to keep people in position, their salaries stable and their reputation under their control, they will resist these prophets of God with ferocity.
This is why we need to develop a culture of celebration, humility and honor for other leaders, new churches and people who are in the body of Christ in a region.
If we don’t, crosses may remain on the steeples while Ichabod is posted above the doors of resisting, self-centered pastors flowing in the spirit of Pharaoh as they remain focused on building their own kingdoms.
FINAL THOUGHTS
God led Amy and my family to Detroit to see revival land. God is bringing many others here as well. Many others have been laboring here for years and have been prepared for what’s coming. Let’s do all we can to unite and take advantage of the amazing convergence in this critical end-time season!
My newly revised books now only $2.99 on Kindle
You can now instantly download three books for less than the old price for one!
First: The miracles continued at Revival Church on Sunday! We are in the midst of a heavy revival atmosphere right now. Check it out:
Hey John! Incredible testimony from last night! And we didn't even pray for this guy to receive healing. We just imparted to him and prayed for the fire!
Just a praise report…David a friend I brought yesterday had a football injury on his right knee, while you and your parents were praying for him, he said heat came on his right knee and GOD healed him. By the end of the night he was “jumping higher than before” in the freedom!
ORDER AND INSTANTLY DOWNLOAD FOR $2.99!
My heart is to get these books into the hands of every single person I can, and I believe dropping the price from $9.99 to $2.99 should do it!
You can now order 20 Elements of Revival, Pharaoh in the Church and my latest revision that’s not even out in print yet, Revelation Driven Prayer.
I just taught on 20 Elements of Revival at theLab Internship this past Saturday, and it was powerful. This is a must have teaching, and this book will do much to help you calibrate your life with God’s supernatural model.
Here are some testimonies from people who have read it:
20 Elements of Revival- I just finished your book, 20 Elements of Revival. Wow! This is it. If the Church/House of Prayer at large could get this into their hands and read it before they opened the doors we could actually change the world! I’ve been talking to our leadership team- this book is #1 for all of our Core Leadership. It should be in the hands of every leader in the Body. – Luann
20 Elements of Revival- I just finished reading 20 Elements of Revival. Everyone should read this book! I wish I had the cash for a case of this book. Seriously! I keep thinking of more people who NEED a copy of it! It’s very, very, very rare for me to feel this way about a book other than the Bible.-Kathi
Just finished reading the two books you gave me…and I am buzzing in the Holy Spirit! My wife and I had an hour conversation about the depth of their implications. You have nailed it my friend. I have met few people who have put all this together….and I am in awe and grateful. I want all our leadership team to especially read 20 Elements of Revival. –Tim
Revelation Driven Prayer- “John Burton’s book on prayer hits the mark. It is the type of book that you can read and reread and be encouraged anew each time in your prayer walk with our Lord. We have to hear from God in a myriad of areas of our lives. That happens as we spend time with our Lord in prayer. Be Blessed and share this book with others that we all might have a deeper revelation of what our obedience will accomplish for the kingdom and for ourselves.”- Barbara
Impacting Detroit area pastors
I will be sending my new book Pharaoh in the Church to as many Detroit area pastors as I can! The vision for a prayer-fueled city is on the move!
CHECK OUT the flyer at the end of this message!
YOU can help us reach every single church in the region! The effort to locate and gather 1000 intercessors, plus locking arms with pastors and key leaders of the city, can be realized!
Shortly after casting the vision of sharing this burning message with every Detroit area pastor, $700 came in to launch the campaign! God moved fast!
This will result in approximately 250 pastors receiving the book. That leaves around 1100 more for us to reach. Each book should cost around $3 to print and mail—you can donate toward as many as you’d like at www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/donate. Please let us know that the donation is for the “BOOKS”.
ALSO—there’s a VERY EXCITING opportunity for us to develop a fiery, prayer infused television pilot that we’d pitch to a variety of Christian networks. The prophetic message of revival and revolution can get out to MILLIONS. If you’d like to participate, let me know. I’m working with someone who has big vision and abilities in this area. We looked at one possible venue that could be used to create the pilot. Imagine 30 minutes of our team contending for revival through prophetic intercession, teaching and worship—for the whole world to see! It will be hard core!!
Here’s a flyer that I’m including in the package for the pastors. Pray with me that it touches a lot of them deeply!!
Invite John Burton to bring a message of fire to your church or conference
“Last night your message was incredible! I was trembling the whole message and my spirit was coming alive!”~Ruth
Head on over to www.johnburton.net/booking and learn more about what John can bring to your church or conference. He’s a burning revivalist with a deep passion for the advance of the church.
He just finished his sixth book, Pharaoh in the Church, a burning message of reform and transformation in the wilderness of encounter. He is able to minister on that topic or on any number of others.
BIO
- Planted Revival Church in the Detroit region
- Directed one of the four major internships at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City
- Planted Revolution House of Prayer in Manitou Springs, Colorado
- Appeared on The Miracle Channel program, The Bridge
- Has written six books including 20 Elements of Revival
- Has led two city-wide prayer initiatives
- Is launching theLab internship in Detroit (www.revivallab.com)
- Have been active in ministry for 20 years
TESTIMONIES:
I listened to Sundays message again. I’m so messed up, tears, groans, trembling (can barely type) such an anointing…o God, give us your heart and let us take heed to the call to prayer. I see us on the verge of a deep valley (the glory) (the radical call) God is saying just take the step down and let go. Make the changes and you will see my glory manifest in Detroit! – Michele
So much fear and bondage has broken off my life. I am very grateful for John’s persistence in calling out destiny in people’s lives and the deliverance anointing that is on his life. I am grateful that he is not afraid to make clear the mandate for God’s people to raise the bar in their lives so they will be a people who are deeply in love with God and willing to follow Him wherever He leads. God is calling more to take the challenge and live the adventure! Don’t hesitate to respond! – Amy
God called you last night to rip open a revival in me, and it was REAL – building on the call and the BURNING I felt last Friday. Truly the Holy Spirit spoke into my life and burned through me – I was shaking from my feet up, like I was boiling. Your prophecies spoke to deep, deep rooted lies and hurts. I left wanting more -I woke up in the middle of the night still talking to God. I asked him to keep my revival going through my dreams so I would not have to let go of Him – and I dreamt all night of praising Him powerfully. There is such a strong desire in me for more intimate encounters with the Spirit. I ache – ACHE to hear his voice, and PRAISE JESUS I have HIM with me always! I will be back and I am ready to be part of God’s incredible work here in Detroit!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you for ushering us into that closeness with the Holy Spirit. His calls keep getting louder – and I want nothing more than to respond. -Katie Press Release : John Burton’s new book Pharaoh in the Church is now available!
Prepare for a dramatic escape into the Cloud of Glory
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: John Burton’s new book Pharaoh in the Church is now available
Grosse Pointe Park, MI – March 25, 2011 The follow-up to the controversial and life-impacting book Covens in the Church, Pharaoh in the Church is a call for church leaders to allow the congregation to drop the bricks they are using to build the kingdoms of man—and to lead them in the spirit of Moses into the wilderness of encounter.
This book is a burning message, an Exodus call that originated in at least a small way like the original Exodus call in a burning bush. Moses experienced the zeal of the deliverer to see His people free to encounter Him. The goal of this book is for you to discover the pounding heart of God in a way that, I believe, will result in a deep and resounding cry of agreement to embrace a radical revolution in the church.
John Burton has been in ministry since 1991 and has written six books including 20 Elements of Revival, Revelation Driven Prayer and Six Enemies of Fulfilled Destiny. He was recently featured on the Miracle Channel (www.miraclechannel.ca) as he discussed the thrill and importance of living a prophetic life.
John also planted Revolution Church in Manitou Springs, Colorado, directed an internship at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Missouri and gave leadership to a city-wide prayer initiative in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
ORDER NOW at https://www.createspace.com/3533475
ALSO, COMING SOON, THE REVISED VERSION OF 20 ELEMENTS OF REVIVAL
This is the most popular of John’s six books, and has received extremely high marks for it’s potential for dramatic impact on the church:
I just finished reading 20 Elements of Revival. Everyone should read this book! I wish I had the cash for a case of this book. Seriously! I keep thinking of more people who NEED a copy of it! It’s very, very, very rare for me to feel this way about a book other than the Bible.-Kathi Sharpe
I just finished your book, 20 Elements of Revival. Wow! This is it. If the Church/House of Prayer at large could get this into their hands and read it before they opened the doors we could actually change the world! I’ve been talking to our leadership team- this book is #1 for all of our Core Leadership. It should be in the hands of every leader in the Body. – Luann Zettle, International House of Prayer East Detroit
Just finished reading the two books you gave me…and I am buzzing in the Holy Spirit! My wife and I had an hour conversation about the depth of their implications. You have nailed it my friend. I have met few people who have put all this together….and I am in awe and grateful. I want all our leadership team to especially read 20 Elements of Revival. –Tim Johns
My next book is almost done : Pharaoh in the Church
The follow-up to Covens in the Church is almost ready to send to print
Covens in the Church is a book that has set a lot of people free, and my prayer is that Pharaoh in the Church will have the same effect.
The first book was targeted at the body as it presented the case for humility and submission to authority as it relates to mission advance.
Pharaoh in the Church is directed at pastors and leaders. It’s a call to relieve the body from making bricks and building the kingdoms of man and to take on the mantel of Moses. It’s time to lead the church into a time of reformation that very possibly may have greater impact than the reformation that launched under Martin Luther.
I’m also considering redesigning both book covers. I may, and I may not… what do you think? Take a look at both here: http://ow.ly/i/6eSI
Here’s a portion from the book:
CHAPTER ONE
A Shocking Shift in the Church
Its days are numbered. I don’t know what that number is, but it isn’t large. In fact, the beginnings of change are here. You can feel the temperature fluctuating as the days are suddenly growing shorter. We’re in a transitional season that will ultimately result in the rebirthing and reintroduction of a long forgotten biblical structure– the church.
This change, as I stated in the introduction and thoroughly investigated in the sister book Covens in the Church, is not, as many believe, an exodus from the relationship with Christian leaders, but it is most certainly an exodus. In fact, it’s an exodus that will either invigorate or irritate leaders across our nation.
You see, there is a God-ordained and God-initiated revolution taking form. It is quite simple to understand that resistance to God’s process is always a tragic mistake and that embracing God’s process always guarantees success (God never fails). Revolution, by definition, is drastic and momentous change. It’s shocking and it’s shaking. It will rock every one of us as the process unfolds before us, but those who will trust God’s wisdom will survive–and thrive as humble, faithful and tested men and women of almighty God.