The Overcomers and the Emerging Church

I want to use the example of the cocoon that holds the butterfly. The cocoon is just a lifeless shell that holds that which is about to emerge. There is a tremendous process that is taking place out of sight within the cocoon but the cocoon is not what is happening. Our great anticipation is in seeing the butterfly emerge into full view. I believe that what we are seeing now is the cocoon in the process of bringing forth birth. Once the butterfly emerges the cocoon is laid aside. God must be doing something deep within this emerging church that is not apparent yet.

This is the picture that I am presenting of “the emerging church”. Some will say that the church emerged 2000 years ago and it is now the butterfly that God always wanted. The fact is that the “church” must emerge in every generation if it is going to fulfill God’s plan for that generation. We can’t live today in the glory of the early church or in the church of the reformation or the Pentecostal church or the Charismatic church. Each of those groups emerged in their generation but today the church must in like manner emerge and fulfill the plan of God for this generation. They were the overcomers in their day but we must be the overcomers in our day!

The church in every generation is “the church in transition”. It is not what it was when it began but it is still not what it must become to complete the plan of God. I call this “the evolution of the functioning church”. The non-functioning church is just the cocoon that is without life and therefore without further purpose. A kind of “woman” in REV 12 that brings forth the overcomers and goes into the wilderness. All this indicates that there is a process that the church experiences in each generation that will change the church from the status-quo into God’s design for that present time. When one era comes to a close another era is birthed. The death of one era results in the birth of the next.

MK 4:26 And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; [27] and goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts up and grows__how, he himself does not know. [28] "The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. [29] "But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

The point I am making is that nothing “in God’ can remain the same very long. It either grows or it dies. God’s process is (1) 1st seed (2) sprout (3) blade (4) grain (5) full mature grain (6) crop is ripe (7) harvest The Blade or grass stage cannot go on forever and seed without blade produces no harvest. If the seed doesn’t grow through it’s various stages it will rot in the ground. In one parable the “SEED” is the word of the Kingdom. In another the “SEED” is the sons of the Kingdom.

MAT 13:37] And He answered and said, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, [38] and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; [39] and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. [40] "Therefore just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. [41] "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, [42] and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [43] "Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear When the seed is properly planted in good soil, the one who planted it can rest in the full confidence that the seed will sprout and bring forth a harvest. Some 30 fold, some 60 and some 100 fold. Mar 4:27] and goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts up and grows__how, he himself does not know. Man certainly can’t cause the seed to sprout or grow so he is limited in his effectiveness and must trust God to cause the growth. 1COR 3:6] I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. [7] So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.

What is it that the Lord will reap? Mature sons of the Kingdom! If we have truly sowed the seed ( THE WORD OF THE KINGDOM) we can rest, except for watering it at the proper time, and God will reap mature sons of the Kingdom! What is reaped is directly related to what was sowed. GAL 6:7] Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. We should be certain that the “seed” we are sowing is truly “the Word of the Kingdom of God” and not some tares that look good but produce nothing eternal!

Since we have been faithful to sow the seed of the Kingdom, our faith is focused upon God who will bring about “THE HARVEST” in this assembly. This “HARVEST” is what I am calling “the emerging church”. THE OVERCOMERS! Is this revival? NO! What ever is dead needs reviving or resurrection or resuscitation but what we are seeing here is not dead. It is living and it is emerging to fulfill God’s destiny for this generation. We are not what we used to be but we are not yet what we will be when we emerge from this cocoon in the next restoration. We are approaching a new day, with new leaders, that have a new and fuller anointing and these new leaders must develop a new vision that is relevant for our day. We have the mechanical part that is the cocoon, now we need the spiritual fulfillment part.

JOS 1:1 Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' servant, saying, [2] "Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. [3] "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. [4] "From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittite, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun, will be your territory. [5] "No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. [6] "Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. [7] "Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. [8] "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. [9] "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Israel is emerging out of a life of wandering in the wilderness. Their leaders of the past 40 years are now dead. Miriam and Aaron are dead as well as all those who were over 20 years when they had come to Kadesh-Barnea. God appoints a new leader but who knows how he will lead them? The former leader spoke with God face to face and he had been faithful for these 40 years. Who knows what these younger leaders will do? Those giants are still living among the Hittites and the enemy is living in walled cities. The enemies are experienced fighters and will battle from a position of strength. Besides this the Jordan River is at flood time and out of it’s banks. They also knew that the Manna would cease after they crossed into the land. How are they going to receive their provision? Israel was certainly “a people in transition” and they were emerging into a whole new experience! One era has passed and another era is directly ahead of them. What should they do, go back to Egypt? NO! God already has HIS plan for Israel and they simply need to follow that plan. Israel is at last going to enter into THE PROMISED LAND, a land of their own. Everything is becoming new and quite different from wilderness living.

It was certainly true that Moses was dead but God was certainly not dead. One generation passes on and a new generation is birthed but the same God continues forward with His plan. However, the next generation must exercise faith, courage, perseverance, faithfulness, and not fear or be dismayed by the task ahead. They can’t live on Moses’ glory or his faith. Just putting a veil over their face because Moses did will accomplish nothing. (This is the error of the traditionalists).The new leaders will have to develop their own relationship with God.

The congregation also must exercise faith and courage. Their faith must be focused upon God and not upon the natural ability of the new leaders. Moses was an experienced leader who had led them for 40 years. He was God’s prophet and God’s spokesman and the one who heard from God. God spoke to him face to face but who knows how the new leaders will lead them. It may be much safer to just return to Egypt OR try to make peace with the Canaanites. Maybe all of Israel could take their inheritance east of Jordan where the hardship and battles are not so great and the enemies are not so strong. Also God told them that when they entered the land and reaped a harvest the manna would stop. In THE LAND they are going to have to sow and reap and labor. Something they weren’t faced with for 40 years. This was a whole new era with completely new challenges and problems. They surely had never been this way before. Moses is dead but the plan of God must go on!

For this reason God found it necessary to encourage Joshua with 7 positive statements and promises. This was still another confirmation of the promises made earlier to Moses. DEUT 31:3 ] "It is the LORD your God who will cross ahead of you; He will destroy these nations before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you, just as the LORD has spoken. [4] "And the LORD will do to them just as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when He destroyed them. [5] "And the LORD will deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandments which I have commanded you

DT 31:9 So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. [10] Then Moses commanded them, saying, "At the end of every seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths, [11] when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing. [12] "Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, in order that they may hear and learn and fear the LORD your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law.

DUET 34:9 Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. * God does not make promises that He does not make the provision so man can fulfill them. God knows that man is only dust and unless God puts something into man He will not be able to get anything out of man. For this reason each of our new leaders must pray, ask and expect to be filled with the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.

The first decision that Joshua had to make was about the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh. They had chosen to take their inheritance on the east side of Jordan River. God had given them their inheritance in Canaan but they insisted on the land on the wrong side of Jordan because they thought this land was good for their families and their flocks. Israel had already driven the Moabites and the Ammonites out of that land so it was already secure. When they insisted on this land Moses gave them their inheritance outside Canaan.

This is the way God does things and is an insight into God’s character. Even though God is sovereign He has given man free will and lets man choose how far he will follow and obey God. This is not just because of earth but because of God’s eternal purpose and His demand that those who inherit the New Jerusalem and who rule with Him must be tried, tested and revealed as mature sons and as overcomers. If you insist on taking your inheritance outside the Kingdom, God will permit it and also bless you with what you want! Of course there is also your responsibility to the people of God to fight and help them gain their full inheritance. This zeal is all but lost in the church today!

JOS 1:12 And to the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to the half_tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, [13] "Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, `The LORD your God gives you rest, and will give you this land.' [14] "Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but you shall cross before your brothers in battle array, all your valiant warriors, and shall help them, [15] until the LORD gives your brothers rest, as He gives you, and they also possess the land which the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to your own land, and possess that which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.

God’s requirement is this; Even if you want to take your inheritance outside the Kingdom, you must also fight for the Kingdom ground for others who only want their inheritance within the Kingdom! If you are going to be required to fight anyway why not take the inheritance that God gives rather than the inheritance that Moses gives.

If we examine a map of Canaan and the land east we will see why it is never a good idea to take your inheritance outside the Kingdom! The tribe of Gad was surrounded by the Moabites, the tribe of Reuben was bordered by the tribe of Ammon and the half tribe of Manasseh was bordered by the Hittites. These tribes of Israel were the first to encounter the enemy during an attack because they were first in the line of defense.

All the previous eras have come to a close. The last very visible era was the Charismatic movement that faded away in 1985. We are standing at a very exciting time because this generation has the opportunity to be pioneers in the next move of God. This may be the generation that will be remembered as those who sought God for Himself and not for what He gave! Now it is our turn to be strong and very courageous and to not fear or be dismayed because we have not been this way before. This is not just one more option as we can clearly see in Rev. 21.

REV 21:7] "He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. [8] "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

REV 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

What then is the application for us? All kinds of fears attack new leaders of each generation. There is the fear of disappointing the church. The fear of failure. The fear of the lack of ability or lack of time to faithfully serve the people. There is the fear of burn out and being overwhelmed by the burdens of problems. There is the fear of a lack of provision and not enough money to meet the bills. There is always the fear that people will take advantage of you or deceive you. There is surely the fear of leaving your comfort zone and the status-quo and the fear of responsibility. There is the constant fear of confrontation and the need to discipline the unruly or the ignorant. The fear of neglecting your family to try to help some other family. There is no limit to possible fears. The fear of just wandering in the wilderness for another generation!

However, like Joshua we (each one) need to (1) trust God (2) Learn the word of God (3) Not let fear control us (4) be strong and very courageous (5) not tremble or be dismayed and (6) trust in the promises of God. Why? Because God is with us and He will not leave us or forsake us. Jesus said “ And lo I am with you even unto the end of the age”. As He was with those who came before us so He will be with us. Even if all the former men of God are dead, God is not dead!

If we could visualize a giant chain that is stretched from the foundation of the world up to the present time, we would see thousands of links joined together. Each link represents those of a generation who fulfilled the plan and purpose of God for their generation. This would include each of the Old Testament saints who were faithful to their calling. Other links would represent the faithful of the early church as well as the faithful of the reformation church. Also the faithful of the Anabaptists and those who were faithful to establish the truth of the inspiration of scripture. They suffered very much to establish these simple truths. Also the faithful of Azuza Street awakening in 1905 and the restoration of the Pentecostal movement. There were so many faithful servants of God who paid a price to establish the truths connected with the Charismatic movement. We may honor those of the past but that time is gone and we have come to our link in the chain of God’s eternal purpose. Each link represents the unfolding of God’s plan and His eternal purpose. In order to participate in God’s plan each had to believe and act upon the promises of God.

The exact same thing is true of our generation! We must not be a weak link in God’s chain so we must be faithful to fulfill the plan and purpose of God for this time period. We also have to be strong and very courageous and not fear or tremble or try to take the easy way out by letting some one else take the responsibility of fulfilling God’s plan for our generation. That is the coward’s way! The completion of one link must result in the birth of the next link. This is all part of “Overcoming”.

In church history we see that a few in each generation made the transition but many, many didn’t, simply because they were afraid. Multitudes just were comfortable with the status-quo and didn’t want to take the responsibility necessary to change with the unfolding of God’s plan. As we look back now all this is evident but at that time it was not so visible and the direction was not so clear. Those who sought change had to proceed by faith that God was leading them. Many of those who refused to change persecuted those who did change. Many who refused to change were just plain cowards. Most will not know they failed God until judgement day!

The focus of our faith must be upon the “PROMISES of God” if we are to be faithful in our generation. God’s plan unfolds according to His PROMISES. If we understand the promises of God we will understand the plan of God because it is the promises of God that defines the plan of God. If our primary goal is to inherit the promises of God we must set our faith on those promises like Abraham. God told Abraham that he would be the father of many nations when he didn’t even have one son. Abraham held to that promise and by faith Isaac was born.

Rom 4:13] For the promise to Abraham OR to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. [14] For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; [15] for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there violation. [16] For this reason it is by faith, that it might be in accordance with grace, in order that the promise may be certain to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

The promise to Abraham that he would be heir (or inherit) the world has not yet, after all these years, been fulfilled. However, it will be fulfilled through us who are the heirs of Abraham by faith. The PROMISE was to Abraham OR to his descendants. God does not count the descendants by natural birth but by those who exercise and live by faith. Not descendants of the flesh but descendants who exercise faith. The spiritual genealogy of Abraham is tracked from generation to generation through those who are of faith. These are “the stars of heaven”. His natural genealogy are those who are as “the sand of the seashore”. HEB 11:11] By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised; [12] therefore, also, there was born of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE.

HEB 11:32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, [33] who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, [34] quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

Whether they actually inherited the promises during their lifetime is irrelevant if they directed their life by faith in those promises. HEB 11:13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. [14] For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. [15] And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. [16] But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

GAL 3:15 Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man's covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. [16] Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. [17] What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. [18] For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise. [19] Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed should come to whom the promise had been made. [20] Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one. [21] Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. [22] But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

HEB 6:13 For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, [14] saying, "I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU, AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU." [15] And thus, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. [16] For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. [17] In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, [18] in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, [20] where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

While there are many other scriptures that present this truth these will be sufficient to show that God’s plan unfolds according to His promises. However, what does that mean to us? We are the heirs of all the promises made to Abraham and to Jesus Christ if we proceed by faith. Also we see that all the provision necessary to inherit the PROMISES are inherent within the PROMISES. I am capitalizing the PROMISES to show it means God’s PROMISES that He made with an oath and has become part of the New Covenant.

2PET 1:[2] Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; [3] seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. [4] For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Each one of us should have as our goal “to become partakers of the divine nature”. If we study this chapter it is clear that is not automatic just because we are believers. This comes as we believe and act upon the precious and magnificent PROMISES of God. If we ignore or neglect this objective we have missed the very purpose that God has saved us. Without all the following qualities ( from verse 5 to 11) we will certainly not inherit the Kingdom or arrive at our high calling. The goal of the Christian life is to participate in the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If we fall short of that we have run in vain.

2PET 1:2] Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; [3] seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the of true knowledge Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. [4] For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

God’s divine power has already (past tense) granted to us everything necessary for us to live the Christian life (Zoe) and all that means! We already have been given everything pertaining to life and godliness. The assurance and knowledge of this truth comes to us within our exact, precise, true knowledge (epi-gnosis) of God. The more we know of God, the more we know of His plan and His provision. Otherwise these eternal facts are just treated as Christian cliches.

V4 “For by these” means all the above I.E. (1) By His grace and peace (2) By the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ (3) and by His divine power. By each of these He HAS granted to us “His precious and magnificent promises” that by participating in them we might become partakers in the Divine nature. Even though God is absolutely sovereign and even though God gives His unconditional PROMISES and then swears with an oath, unless each of us believes the PROMISES and act upon them by faith they will not become a reality in our lives and , even though eternal, will be empty for us personally. There is a great deception that if God promised then it will come to us automatically because we are believers.

The point I am making is that the plan of God unfolds to us as we participate in His PROMISES. Ignorance of His promises make us ignorant of His plan and therefore ignorant of His eternal purpose. This universal ignorance makes it difficult to preach anything beyond forgiveness of sins and the message of “Kingdom of God” is understood to be a Jehovah Witness doctrine that is false. Unless we clearly see the “demands of the Kingdom” we will see no need to add all these other qualities of Christian character to our lives. The PROMISE that if these qualities are ours (experientially) and are increasing in our lives, we will be permitted to participate in the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Those who are ignorant of God’s eternal plan will respond that they are “saved by faith and not by works”. However, the negative aspect of 2 Pet 1 is also true ( even though it is only implied) That is that those who don’t put these things into their life experientially will not inherit or enter the Kingdom. Forgiveness of sins does not guarantee us entrance into the eternal Kingdom of God.

2 PET 1:[5] Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; [6] and in your knowledge, self_control, and in your self_control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; [7] and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. [8] For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [9] For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short_sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. [10] Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; [11] for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you

The goal of putting all these things into our lives is to arrive at Christian LOVE, agape. Those who ignore these things are blind or short-sighted and have missed the reason they were forgiven of their sins. But it is these very qualities that will qualify us to participate in the eternal Kingdom. The Kingdom means His eternal government that proceeds from His throne.

The Greek says “Out of faith supply moral excellence”. It is not just adding one attribute to another but that the supply for the next quality comes out of the preceding quality. There will be no morality unless there is first FAITH. If we fail to participate in the FIRST we will be helpless to participate in the second. In other words we can’t skip over one attribute because it is inconvenient and go on to the next. It is clear that self-control or personal discipline is first essential before we can experience endurance. If we have no self-control we will not endure. The reason is that every test of endurance is also a test of self-control or personal discipline.

The lack of self-control will expose many areas of weakness in our lives. In the area of the emotions there will be manifested anger, jealousy, strife, etc. In the area of the spirit the lack of discipline in Bible study and prayer or faithfulness in Christian service to others. In the area of the body there will be evidence of uncontrolled lusts for various things. There may be fear, lack of courage, instability and even depression. The lack of self-discipline may be seen in pride and self-promotion and insisting upon our own way. Whatever areas of weakness we may have they will be exposed when we are tested and called upon to endure and just continue on even though we don’t understand and we don’t know why.

The tragic fact is that many Christians fail to overcome when confronted with the trial and testing of their self-control, endurance and perseverance. We either endure of we give up. For that reason we never advance beyond the basics to acquire the greater qualities of godliness, brotherly kindness and Christian love, agape. Then for that reason they are rejected from the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The fact is that God is not sentimental about those who are sloppy about their Christian life. Some actually believe and preach that we will be accepted into the Kingdom solely on the basis of what we believe about Jesus regardless of how defective our character.

JAS 1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. What happens to the one who does not persevere under trial and testing? Will he still receive the crown of life just because of something he believes about Jesus? No! The negative promise is also true. If you don’t overcome you will not inherit!

1COR 6:9] Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, [10] nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. This is true even if they believe something about Jesus. This also includes cowards and those who practice the works of the flesh. GAL 5:19] Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, [20] idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, [21] envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Why would Paul be warning the church about these things if there was no application to the church. If the church is automatically given the Kingdom on the basis of what they believe about Jesus, and not on the basis of character, this warning is without validity.

The question we are presenting is this; Will the church emerge in our generation into the purpose of God without putting all these Christian qualities into our life, experientially. Of course all believers will not be bothered about these things but there should be that select few , THE OVERCOMERS, that see the requirements of God and seek God to form those qualities in them. Faith, morality, knowledge of God, self-control and perseverance will surely be the foundation for the next awakening. Our new leaders must set their focus on these things and guide the church into these experiences. Ideally all leaders ARE overcomers! Under-comers will be a disappointment in the pulpit OR in the pew.