The Church In The Mind Of God Series

“The Church in the Mind of God”

by

District Elder M. L. Maughmer, Jr.

Opening: “The Church in the Mind of God” This topic speaks greatly within itself. It is the church in the mind of God, not in the mind of man. It is not the church in the mind of some political organization that is trying to please the sinful nature of mankind by destroying every good and moral fiber of godliness. It is the church in the mind of God. Isaiah 55:8 says “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord”. 1st Corinthians 2:9-10 says “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” Therefore, since God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and the deep things of God are only revealed to us through the spirit, then the thoughts man has are incorrect concerning the church if they are not the thoughts of God.

God has a purpose for the church it is the eternal purpose of God, which He purposed in Christ Jesus Eph.3:11. Anything other than this eternal purpose of God is not what God had in mind for His church regardless if you go through 40 days of this or 40 days of that trying to develop and drive the church by a purpose other than the eternal purpose of God. Understand that everything is driven by purpose, but if that purpose does not line up with principle than it is the wrong thing.

****When the Church doesn’t understand its purpose it will try to do what only God can do. WHY because if it doesn’t understand its purpose it can not be in its proper position; therefore, becomes ineffective in what it is trying to do because it is operating out of what God had in mind in the beginning.****

PURPOSE: is an object or result aimed at, intention. To be able to reach that purpose there is a process that must take place.

PROCESS: A process is a natural phenomenon marked by gradual changes that lead toward a particular result, a natural continuing activity or function, a series of actions or operations conducting to an end, a continuous operation or treatment.

The Church goes through a process in order to fulfill God’s eternal purpose and this process is called METAMORPHOSES.

METAMORPHOSES: is a change of physical form, structure, or substance especially by supernatural means, a striking alteration in appearance, character, or circumstances, a marked and more or less abrupt developmental change in the form or structure of something.

The process of the metamorphoses of the church is 3 fold:

1.) The Church in the mind of God – (Embryotic State)

2.) The Church in the world – (Maturing Phase)

3.) The Church in Glory (Destiny) – “The Final Metamorphoses”

Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end”. This expected end is Destiny. Destiny is reached when the church fulfills God’s purpose, not mans idea of categorized purpose.

Matthew 16:18 says “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Notice two words in this passage of scripture. 1) my is an adjective and means pertaining to oneself. 2.) Church it is singular, yet today we have many different churches (denominations) we have Apostolic, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic, Church of God, then there are those that are called Non-Denominational and the truly sad thing is that they all are saying something different. How can this be the church in the mind of God?

John 17:11& 21 says “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” These verses stress UNITY. One of the aspects of the church in the mind of God was a unified church, not a church neither divided by denominationalism nor perpetuated by the rudiments of this world. A church that is unified in the eternal purpose of God. The word Catholic Church literally means Church Universal, one church. We understand that down through history man has corrupted the “Catholic Church” with traditions, vain philosophies, and the rudiments of men; however, the concept of a unified church is what God had in mind for the church Jesus built.