As we have been patiently laying a foundation for understanding our purpose in these times, and how our own purpose for which we were created is restored, what the Lord said in John 15:1-2 should be a most sober warning to every believer:
"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch
that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.”
In this we see that the primary purpose to which we are called is to abide in Him and to bear fruit. It is so important we bear fruit that if we do not do this, we will be “taken away,” or as some translations put it, “cut off.” This is because bearing fruit is evidence that we are in fact abiding in Him.
One way it is proven that we really are His disciples is that we bear “much fruit” (see John 15:8). We must also keep in mind the only way we can bear true spiritual fruit is to abide in Him, which is why fellowship with Him must always remain the primary devotion of our life.
It is probable that at the present time the overwhelming majority of Christians have as the extent of their vision to be good and to try not to sin. To stay in this place they will “attend church” to get enough spiritual food and encouragement to keep going. Those with this mentality will never be the church as they were intended, and they are not even likely to remain faithful to the Lord in the times ahead. If our purpose in the Lord does not mean enough to us to seek it until we are walking in it and bearing fruit, then we are not really abiding in the vine anyway. Such branches will be cut off according to the Lord’s own words.
For this reason we will begin to see many who are not fully given to do the Lord’s will and bearing fruit, and they will begin to fall away. This is a way that the unfruitful branches are removed.
Taking the Kingdom
Authority is basic to the nature of the Lord. He is the King of kings, the Lord of lords. Therefore, those who are abiding in Him will likewise have authority. If we are growing up into Him, we will also be growing in spiritual authority.
The authority we have will only be to the degree the King lives within us. We must understand that there are degrees to which we are abiding in Him, and that He rules our life. We must also understand that the authority we have in Him is for serving, not dominating. Even so, it is the authority to control things. There is “good control” and “bad control” just as there is good and evil authority.
The Lord has given two kinds of authority in this age—civil authority and spiritual authority. These are separate and distinct, and must be kept that way. To the degree the civil authority tries to assume spiritual authority, there will be a perversion of authority and tyranny. To the degree those in spiritual authority try to assume civil authority, there will likewise be a perversion of authority and usually tragic consequences.
This does not mean each type of authority is not intended to have some influence with the other, but there are God ordained limits to this that must be maintained. If these boundaries are not maintained, there will be trouble to the degree they are violated. The church is called to be a prophet to the civil authorities, but it is not called to dictate policy. Likewise, the civil government does have some responsibility in protecting its citizens from any abuses, spiritual or otherwise, that violate civil law.
If we understand spiritual authority rightly, we can be the lowest laborer in a company but have spiritual authority over it. We can, through prayer, our life, and our witness, help create a fertile field for the Word of God to be sown and to bear much fruit. This is the purpose for which our authority has been given. If we are walking in our purpose, the fruit will be good, and it will be increasing.
The message of the church is not supposed to be the message of the church. By this I mean that the Lord did not send us to preach the church, but to preach the kingdom of God. When the church becomes what it is intended to be it will be the most compelling, wonderful, fulfilling society to be a part of on this earth, but it is still not the focus of our message. We are called to preach the kingdom, of which the church is but a part. The kingdom of God is the realm of authority where God rules. This is the basis of The Great Commission, as we read in Matthew 28:18-20:
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you
always, even to the end of the age."
For the church to fulfill its mandate there must be a radical change in our very concept of ministry and church life. Great changes are coming to the very definition of church, and they are needed. The church in its present state will not last long into this century. Christians who do not find and begin fulfilling their calling to ministry will not remain faithful in the times to which we have come. Those without this positive focus and direction will drift from the path of life.
These changes are coming from the returning to the original purpose for which we were created, and for which the church was created. Jesus Himself was the ultimate demonstration of this. He is what we are called to be. We are called to be like Him and to do the works He did. Until this is fulfilled we have not fulfilled our purpose, and we have not yet been fully restored.
Even so, of this we can be sure—there will be a church that becomes all that God created it to be—the perfect, spotless bride for His Son that is so glorious that the world will come to the brightness of her rising. Then the world itself will be reconciled, and restored.