EVER CREATED a "MONSTER"?
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
-by Terry Somerville.
Have you ever noticed how you can follow the Lord, and lovingly
create a ministry organization to better do the work, then one
day the "creature" develops a life of its own, gets off the table and
begins to terrorize those who created it? It happens because of
fallen human nature and the power of the world systems we used.
Igor put a criminals brain in the creature instead of the one you
expected! Here is how to know if you've created a monster!
1. A Monster Is Created From Dead Body Parts.
If you are building an organization, and it means wounding
members of the body of Christ, it's a sure sign that a monster is
being created. Whatever God does comes forth as a manifestation
of His love in His church and results in peaceful fruit in the Body Of Christ.
"For wherever jealousy and rivalry exist, there is disorder and every
kind of evil. However, the wisdom that comes from above is first of
all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, willing to yield, full of
compassion and good fruits, and without a trace of partiality or
hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is grown from the seed
of peace planted by peacemakers." - James 3:16-18
2. A Monster Is "Stitched" Together
Man's organizations usually label people, and artificially stitch
them together often in roles not suited for them. One classic
monster is the force fit of the "pastor led" congregation. Why is
the least mentioned ministry in the bible made the standard, and
the most mentioned ministry (apostle) ignored? How hard it has
been for evangelists, prophets, and apostles to fit into "pastoring".
Contrariwise, the Church Jesus is building is perfectly fit together
by God. When He leads we see it carried out on earth.
"God has appointed in the church first of all apostles, second
prophets, third teachers....." - 1 Cor.12:2
3. A Monster Develops a Life Of It's Own
All monsters will eventually wake up, break the straps and gets
off the table. This is true of our mild mannered organizations also.
Something shocks it to life, and the restraints are gone. It
develops a mind of its own. A tide of issues, and events that have
nothing to do with the original purpose for the organization
descend on the creators. Some welcome it, and thrive in the
energy. For others it scary. Your input seems to make no
difference, the creature only makes unintelligent noises. Your
instinct is to direct it, but the truth is the creature has it's own life now!
But in the Body of Christ life always flows from the head, that is,
from Christ. It is not created or organized, but received. The true
church is born because of His life. It never was ours to create.
"...grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every
ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working
properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.."
Ephesians 4:15, 16
4. A Monster Demands That You Feed It
When a monster wakes up it soon begins to consume your
resources. The primary purpose shifts to perpetuate it's own
existence. The same is true of our human organizations. The
original purpose may have been wonderful, but must eventually
take a back seat to maintaining the organization itself. You now
feed the monster.
Check out the steroidal church organization. We serve "the vision"
rather than Christ. Far more is spent on the typical church building
and salaries than on the church mission. This monster doesn't
care what it was originally made for, only that it be housed and fed.
The monster is the mission.
In Jesus' Church things are different. He is the source of life. He is
the one who died and rose again for her. He will build His church.
It is not an institution, but the people.
".. I will build my church, and the forces of hell will not overpower it."
(Matthew 16:18)
5. A Monster Goes Out Of Control
You know you have a monster when you run around "putting out
the fires" that it starts. In monster-territory, control becomes a big
issue. Your beloved laboratory is destroyed. The peace is gone.
Joy and hope gives way to painful fights over who is in the driver's
seat. It seems that man's organizations can sometimes bring the
worst out in anyone. If it's a monster, someone MUST take control.
In His church there is only one driver on the bus, Jesus Christ, and
we are to love and serve one another. If there are fights to drive the
bus there is only one conclusion. The bus must be man's creation,
and out of control.
"For from him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom
be glory for ever. Amen." (Romans 11:36)
6. A Monster Is Only Loved By Little Children and The Blind.
The strange part about monsters is the most unlikely people will
fall in love with them. Generally the poor, misunderstood monster
is calmed down. After all, he's just looking for someone to love him.
The same is true when our Christian institutions become monsters.
They are best served by the innocent or the blind. Just talk
sweetly and go along with things and everything seems to run
smoothly. Heaven help those who notice the hands, feet and head
are stitched onto what looks like a corpse!
7. A Monster is Eventually Killed By The Angry Mob.
Ultimately, all institutions outlive their usefulness and come to an
ignoble end. If it's a monster, it will be killed. For church
organizations that become monsters, the end is often at the hands
of an angry mob determined to finish the "reign of terror." When
this happens, you know they have killed a monster.
The genuine church that Jesus started cannot be stopped. He
lives for ever!
He is also the head of the body, which is the church. He is the
beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself might
have first place in everything. (Colossians 1:18)
Epilogue - Repeated Until Christ Returns.
Even though the villagers rise up and kill the monster, the
strangest thing will take place. Like some "B" horror movie, the
survivors will start building another monster from the parts!
SOURCE: http://www.totalchange.org