“Let’s take the next level to Jesus”
1st Corinthians 2 : 9 – 16
This scripture is talking about how there are things in God which can only be revealed by the spirit of God to the spiritual minded individual. A carnal mind is enmity against God and is unable to understand the things God has for those that love Him. It is clearly understandable by this passage of scripture that there is a distinction in the levels. A level is categorized as a position, rank, height, or depth, the stages that must be obtained in order to be at a particular point.
The carnal minded individual can be considered at one level while the spiritually minded individual can be considered at another level. We sometimes sing the song that says come on let’s go higher, come on let’s go higher in the Lord. Come on let’s go deeper, come on let’s go deeper in the Lord, stating the fact that there are indeed different levels in God that we can obtain.
We are living in a time when among preachers it is fashionable, popular, and emotionally stimulating to preach about going to another level. The reason this type of message is so greatly preached today is because of the promise of prosperity and popularity that comes at a higher level in God. The central theme seems to be if you want to be prosperous then just go to another level in God. Get a higher praise on and God will pour you out a blessing so great that you will not be able to receive it all. If you want to grow than you need to go to another level. However we must be careful to understand the difference between growth and swell. Growth means to increase in size by a natural process, to cultivate, to develop and reach maturity. Swell means to become puffed up. Growth is done by going through the process; to swell is something that is caused by an infection. Many people have become swollen thinking that they have gone to another level, when in fact the have been infected with pride, greed, and self worth, becoming lovers of themselves more than lovers of God.
Understand there are promises that God has promised to give to the church, there are promises that God has promised to give to a nation and there are promises that God has promised to give to each an every individual, but these promises are conditional and unless the conditions are met, unless you go through the process you will never receive the promise. Yet in still this emotionally stimulated message is preached with vigor.
We find so-called children of God flocking to hear the popularity message. Preachers are preaching the name it claim it, grab it and you can have it message telling people that all you have to do is go to another level. Saints are bombarding these places to hear these messages looking for a quick fix to a problem or some kind of get rich quick fantasy, WHY.
For the Bible says that the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lust shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. The mind-set of many people today is that if I can get to this level that prosperity and popularity will rain down on me. If I can meet this person, then they will introduce me to that person, then I can meet Bishop well-known and if they will allow me to preach at that meeting then I will have made it and my ministry then can flourish, why, because I’m going to another level. Since this is pleasing to the carnal minded man and is therefore emotionally stimulating preachers are preaching about going to another level.
We find now that churches are saying come and go to another level with us. They have incorporated into the agenda a second service which they now call a “Praise and Worship Service” and they say this is how we are going to another level. However, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but a song or a service does not constitute going to another level. Understand that if you come to church and sit there like a bump on a log and then when the praise team says clap your hands and say hallelujah and you do that, does not mean that you have gone to another level, you have only played a spiritual game of Simon says.
We can go from one point to another and that is going to another level, but what is failed to be mentioned is the process you had to go through to get to that level. Understand the important thing is the process of getting to that level then being at that level, because if you don’t understand and learn from the process then you can’t appreciate or operate properly at that level. Realize that the important thing is the process of getting to that level rather than being at that level, because if you don’t learn from the process the you can’t appreciate or function properly at that level.
Understand that at different levels true there is an amount of popularity and prosperity that comes, but what people fail to understand is that there is a greater amount of responsibility that comes and before you get the popularity and prosperity you must prove you can handle the responsibility 1st. In other words you must go through the process.
A process is something that is marked by gradual change that leads to a particular result. Everyone wants to go to another level, but no-one wants to go through the process in order to go to the next level. No doubt we have all seen, especially on cartoons, when someone is in a hot-air balloon and that balloon is headed right into a mountain or something and in order for that balloon to clear or rise above that mountain there is a process that must first happen. They must get rid of the excess weight in order to go to another level in the atmosphere and clear the mountain. The Bible says in Hebrews 12:1 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witness, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” The phrase “lay-aside” means to take off, to let go of, or to put down. It is all a process that must be done in order to go to another level.
Going to another level requires that we lay aside churchiness and become kingdom minded people of God.
What are you talking about preacher? People want to go to another level, but they are being weighed down with being church folk instead of becoming kingdom folk.
Church folk- come to church when they feel like it.
Church folk – get mad at the pastor and say I won’t pay my tithes.
Church folk – find fault in everybody but themselves and keep jumping from church to church, talking about I got all I can get from that church and I going to go over here in order to go to another level, but you will never get to another level by being churchy, because you are to unstable in all of your ways and have not become rooted and grounded in the Word of the Lord.Kingdom folk – come to church even when they don’t feel like it, it’s called bringing the flesh under subjection.
Kingdom folk – understand that if they don’t sometimes take chastisement that they are a bastard and will not rob God. They don’t get mad at the pastor and not pay tithes, because they realize that the tithes are Gods and are operating on a different level.
Kingdom folk – will be steadfast and unmovable, rooted and grounded in the Word and Work of the Lord.
Kingdom folk – understand the process.
Let’s take it to the next level requires going through the process.
The process to go to another level is 3 fold, in other words there are 3 steps that must be accomplished in order for the 4th thing to happen. You can’t get to the number 4 until you have the number 3. You can’t get to the 4th grade until you complete the 3rd grade. You see there is a process that has to happen.
If I want to go from downstairs to upstairs there are 3 things that must happen. 1st I must make the decision I want to go upstairs. I must begin in my mind for it’s a mind thing. 2nd I must get up off of my seat. I gotta get out of that place that I’m in. I gotta get out of my comfort zone, out of my current situation. That’s what God told Abram get thee out away from thy kindred, get out of your comfort zone. 3rd I must climb the stairs, the stairs are the process in order for the 4th thing to happen and that is me being upstairs on another level.
The number 3 in the Bible speaks of solidity it is the symbol of fullness. Next to the number 7 it is the most mentioned number in the Bible. It denotes Divine testimony. The number 3 represents fullness. Fullness is not lacking in any essentials it is being at the highest or greatest degree. It is the completeness of the process. 3 is the fullness of His power, 3 represents the 3 manifestations of God. That’s the concept of “Trinity” 3. In order to go to another level we must understand the importance and the power of 3.
Someone may say, but I’m Jesus only and I don’t believe in the Trinity, but you better, because it’s the fullness. Fullness: Father, Son, & Holy Ghost Fullness, Death, Burial, & Resurrection Fullness Body, Soul, & Spirit Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent Faith, Goodness, Mercy, Tabernacle, Temple, Pentecost, Outer court, inner court, Holy of Holies 30, 60, 100 fold, fruit, more fruit, much fruit, Peter, James, & John Fullness. There were 3 temptations that Satan tempted Jesus with after He fasted 40 days, there were 3 crosses on Calvary, 3 men and 3 deaths, 1 died in sin, 1 died to sin, and the 1 died for sin. It was on the 3rd day of creation that everything was different; the waters under the firmament gathered together, dry land appeared the earth brought forth grass, the herbs yielded seed and the fruit tree its fruit WHEN on the 3rd day. There’s something about the power of 3.
Understand that we do not believe in 3 distinct people, but we do believe in 3 manifestations. The word manifestation means to make known to man. According to physiology there are 3 levels of the mind called the Id, the Ego, and the Super Ego, these 3 parts make up the fullness of your mind-set for it is the fullness of you which is will, intellect and emotions. It is here that you must begin in order to go to another level. The Bible says be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. The mind is the starting point in order to go to another level. The 1st thing that we must do in order to get to another level is to change our way of thinking. The Bible says “Remember not the former things”; we must get out of the traditions and rudiments of man and get into the Word of God. So many times we get caught up in well that’s what mom and them used to do, but if we are going to go to another level we must make up in our minds that whatever it takes Lord I’m willing to do.
My mind goes back to the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus even though he was God in the flesh had to bring His flesh under subjection & the way He had to do this was to change His mind-set. At 1st He said Father let this cup pass by me, but then He said not my will but thy will be done. He had to change His way of thinking. He knew in order for Him to be able to say all power in heaven and earth is in my hands that He had to go another level; He had to go through hell, the process 1st. So many times we think going to another level is going up, but sometimes going to another level means going down, but it takes going down, but it takes spiritual mindedness in order to understand that.
Many people want to go to the next level, but they don’t want to go through the process, that’s why we have a lot of churches full of folk doing a lot of shouting but have no power and the reason for that is because they have not gone through the process. Jesus knew that He was going to have to die, but He also knew the power of 3, the fullness of the process, that’s why He was able to say “destroy this temple and in 3 days I’ll build it back up again”. He knew that He was going to another level and in order to get to that level He was going to have to die. Baby if you want to get to the next level you are going to have to die.
In other words we must die out to the former way of things. What are you talking about preacher?
My mind goes to the scripture in John that says “Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” If you remember the power of 3 it was fruit, more fruit, much fruit, so it’s the fullness.
Understand that before that seed of corn can be beneficial to you it must go through a process. It has to die out of that condition it is in, in order to go through the process. It has to change, it can’t remember the former things or else it will not get to another level and become beneficial to you.
It must go into the ground and die. This represents to us the changing of our minds, dieing out of the former way of thinking.
Once the seed is planted into the ground, this is the 1st step of the process; it begins to sprout what we call roots. These roots begin to spread out and dig deeper and deeper into the ground. As these roots grow and continue to get deeper and deeper into the ground they begin to grab hold of others roots, fail not to assemble yourselves together) they begin to wrap around stones and rocks in the ground, they are becoming rooted and grounded, that’s why the Bible says let the wheat and tare grow together and when I come I’ll do the separating because the roots have joined together and if you pull it up you’ll damage the roots.
Once they have become rooted and grounded they go to the 2nd level of the process and begin pushing and pressing their way through the dirt, the stones, the muck, and the mire. Paul said I press toward the mark for thee high calling in Jesus Christ. Understand this is the 2nd part of the process, we got to press. There are 5 letters in the word press, P.R.E.S.S. So many times we like to say I was tired but I came to church any way therefore I pressed my way out. NOT. The word press involves a process, just like the seed pressing its way through the muck and clay, we got to P.R.E.S.S.
It’s part of the process though my friends turn their back upon me I got to P-pray more, though my family forsakes me I got to R- read His word more, though they devil tries to stop me I got to E- exalt His name more, though hard times and discouragement come I got to S- sing His praises more, though sometimes I feel as though I’m going to loose my mind I got to S- shout Hallelujah more, why I’m going to another level and it’s all part of the process. I must do this just like the seed of corn until finally it has made it up through the hard times and become a stalk, but it’s not done yet.
While it is a stalk rain must fall into its life causing it to get deeper and deeper grounded, which causes it to grow until it reaches that 3rd level of change. The 3rd level of change is when the stalk gets corn upon it. Once the corn cob is upon the stalk then that seed which was planted is now beneficial to you why because it made it through the process and now it at another level.
In order for us to go to another we must realize that we have in us a seed, a treasure that God has placed in this earthen vessel that must benefit the world, (RESPONSIBILITY).
We are the only Jesus this world will ever see and we need to go to another level to be beneficial to the world and it’s going to take going through the process.
Let’s take the next level to Jesus requires going through the process, are you willing to go through the process.
Elder Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
Boanerge Ministries
“The Qohelet”
