Ezekiel 37: 15-20 & 26-28
Psalms 133: 1-3
2 Peter 1:1
During some college classes a few years ago we had to study some of the nation's most prolific serial killers. We were taught that the serial killer has three steps to complete his plan.
1. Separation
2. Isolation
3. Desolation
A serial killer is not satisfied to Simply get their victim on the aisle at Walmart where no one else is. They must separate them to begin their plan. But the completion of their plan is dependent upon complete isolation. A serial killer must maintain full control of their victim to accomplish their sordid goal. The end of their plan is to utter desolation.
It's interesting to note that in the previous portions of this chapter we're using for a text in Ezekiel, the enemy who brought destruction to this Army was not satisfied with their death alone. They had been completely torn apart not only from their own bodies, but also the entire Army had been scattered. Our enemy isn't content to stop us, or even to kill us. He is satisfied only when he has wrought utter and total destruction to the individuals as well as the group.
2 Timothy gives us insight into the last day with startling clarity:
[1]This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. [2] For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, [3] Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, [4] Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; [5] Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
(Notice unthankful always immediately preceeds unholy)
It is interesting to note that the first thing in his list of Prophecy as men who are lovers of their own selves. Never has there been a time in the history of the modern church when men have become more self-centered than the hour in which we live. We are told of men who would-be false accusers or slanderers, incontinent or have no self-control, be fierce, despisers of the good, Traitors to each other, heady, haughty which means highminded, and the list goes on. Make no mistake we are unquestionably living in the time that was prophesied here.
One of the most Grievous and woeful things about this prophecy is it was not only to those in political power, those in the job Force, or others in the world. It applied also to those within the church. Perhaps the saddest of all is the fact that it is seemingly invaded the pulpit.
Ministerial arrogance and gross conceit has become the status quo across our land. Humility seems to be commodity lost to the church. Brotherly love seems to be yesterday's treasure. Never have I seen a Time when ministers find it so hard to not only love one another but to promote one another. Brotherly Love isn't optional to the Christian. It is Paramount to receiving the Crown of Life. A Christian leader who is too big to apologize is one who is too small to be accepted in God's Eternal Kingdom. Being a minister was never intended by God as a butcher's profession, nor as a slave driver, nor as a dictator. We are told to be in samples to the flock. We are instructed in scripture to be servants to the people. We should be a mirror image of Christ. The relationship between ministers and the church should be a mirror image of the relationship between Christ and his disciples. When this fails to be the Hallmark Ministry we will ultimately fail to see the same accomplishments that Christ saw. We must remember that we are called to mirror Christ as Christ mirrored his father.
An elder Minister Gave me Priceless advice as a young preacher. I was instructed that the path to spiritual promotion was not climbing over the corpses of men that I had slain in my journey to the top. ( I do not count myself to have attained the top. I am least among the brethren) he said if you build a staircase from the corpses of those you eliminate; as they rot and Decay you will eventually sink back to the same level that you started from. The only difference will be, you will be surrounded by stink and infected other vermin and the carry-oncarrion that aidethat Aid and decomposition. In order for the ministry to be a success, we must push the one who is ahead of us and pull up on the one who is behind us. If we are constantly biting and devouring one another, eventually we will consume ourselves.
It seems we have found ourselves in a time when it's easier to build a church by getting close to the other pastors church members until we can eventually Swoon them away into our own flocks. Revivals have become a thing of the past. Not because God saw fit to change his plan for the church but because it's too much trouble to prepare our hearts for a move of God. We spend more time fighting each other and finding fault and propelling the juiciest story of the hour then we do weeping and crying over Souls and kindling the fires of Pentecost. I called to your remembrance the prophecy of Isaiah, where the carpenter encouraged the Goldsmith and he that smote the anvil the one who smooth with a hammer. We must return and recover before we revive Our movement and our world. We need to get back to the basics of Brotherly Love.
The plan of the devil for destruction is much the same as the plan of the serial killer.
1. Frustrate
2. Fracture
3. Fragment
If he can accomplish the goal of getting you frustrated with your fellows utter destruction is not far behind. He will eventually move from frustration to fracturing you. It'll just be a small division at first. But it will not stop until it has grown to complete fragmentation.
The devil hates the unity of the church. He hates the unity of the home. He hates the unity of the ministry.
Psalms 133: 1-3
No man liveth unto himself and no man dieth unto himself. We need each other. It is God's design that we depend on one another for strength, encouragement, and even constructive criticism. One of God's qualifications for being a bishop was to love hospitality. If our ministers cannot walk and love with his fellow ministers how can we expect unity in church laity. Some of our preachers have become so sour and grouchy that they have no business continuing and Leadership. I cannot imagine Christ snapping people, flying off the handle and rages, starting rumors, pouting over political promotions, and the suchlike.
The devil's plan of Destruction mirrors the serial killers plan. When will we wake up and realize that we have a serial killer loose in the church. God has a plan that includes fortification and consolidation. God wants us to be made one as a church. Have we forgotten the words of Our Lord? His prayer was that we would be one as he and the father are one. Imagine the accomplishments possible if the church, the ministry, and our homes were as knit together as the Triune godhead. The possibilities are Unlimited.
The lost, the backsliders, the hurting, the broken, those in desperation and depression, the sick, the spiritually dead, the lukewarm, the weak handed, the struggling, the starving, the destitute, the new convert, the president of the United States and all the wat to the town dog catcher are dependent on us having a restoration and Revival of unity In the church. It needs to start in the ministry and spread to the laity.
The text in Ezekiel instructs us that those two separate sticks would be fused into one in the hand of God. If you think you are self-sufficient , grab one stick and build yourself a fire. You may flashing burn but you will burn out quickly. Take two sticks and bind them together as one and not only will your fire burn brighter, it will burn longer, and hotter. The tighter knit together we are the longer we can last, the brighter our light will be in the world, and the hotter the fire will be to burn out sin. I want my stick joined with that of my brother. We need Pentecostal power for a perilous hour. The more wood we can add to the fire, the brighter the light of the church will shine.
God let us recognize the synopsis of the serial killer. Let us not fall prey to his plan of Separation, isolation and desolation. Let us allow God to give us spiritual consolidation. Let's spoil the devil's plan of Destruction. His plan to frustrate, fracture, and fragment must be foiled by the fortification of the church.
1782 a young man named James Fawcett, who was 16 years old and a recent convert George Whitefield) penned the words to the hymn "blessed be the tie that binds".
Perhaps it should be the song that is played on the deck of the flagship for the church.
