The opinion of people is very valuable to many companies. As soon as you buy a product or service or contact a company, your opinion is asked. This way, the company can measure the customers’ satisfaction rate and if the customer has any suggestions for improvement or other wishes, the company can make adjustments and improvements. Many companies no longer set the trend but are led by the opinion of people. This used to be different. In the old days, a company saw the need of the people and had enough creativity and knowledge to develop a product or service in which the company believed in. The company wasn’t led by the opinion of people but persuaded the people of the need for their product or service in their lives. But because of the increase in new businesses and competition and the power of social media, many companies have changed their marketing strategy and are led by the opinion of people. Because the opinion of people counts and is valuable. But does this also apply to the church?
Jesus is the Head of the Church
Who (Jesosy) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the Head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence (1 Col 1:15-18)
Due to a decline in church attendance in the past decades, many churches have changed their course over the years. Many churches have been influenced by the world and have left the way of the Word. They entered the way of the world and have adopted and applied the strategies and methods of the world into the church to draw more people and to keep the people satisfied.
na izany aza, they have forgotten one important thing! The church is not a worldly institution, that is governed by man and operates from the flesh with means of human skills, methods, and technics. But the church is a spiritual institution on earth, which is appointed by God and governed by Jesus Christ and operates from the Spirit.
ny church is founded on Jesus Christ; He is the Head of the Church and He is connected through the Holy Spirit to the Church; the assembly of born again believers.
Jesus knows exactly what the Church needs and those, who are teraka indray in Him and belong to Him, shall listen to His voice and say and do what He has commanded them to say and do. But this doesn’t always happen.
Most leaders are too busy and don’t have time to spend with Jesus and to listen to Him.
There are many church leaders, who preach from the pulpit, but don’t know Jesus personally and experientially and don’t have a personal relationship with Him.
This is mainly because most church leaders are appointed in a church because they have studied theology and earned their Ph.D. They have proven to the world that they possess all the needed theological wisdom and knowledge to lead a church. They trust in their own knowledge, wisdom, ability, and skills and build their sermons from their theological knowledge, wisdom, and methods and therefore they don’t need Jesus.
They don’t look if the church leader is teraka indray and has become famoronana vaovao in Jesus Christ and walk after the Spirit in the will of God and His Word and preach His truth.
Ary noho izany, there are many church leaders, who are still the old creation and carnally minded and teach the believers from their own opinions and philosophies, which are based upon worldly knowledge, wisdom, and experience.
Ny mpino, who hear their sermons, fill their minds with the words and opinion of their pastor, that derive from a carnal mind. They form the same opinion as their pastor and follow the words and the opinion of their pastor in their lives. As a result, many believers are deviated from the truth of God and have become worldly-minded and live like the world.
Some have stopped attending church because they didn’t find what they were looking for. Others stay in the church as a religious habit or to ease their mind because they think that by attending a church they are saved.
They stay the fahariana taloha and are spiritually starving because instead of their spirit, their flesh is being fed. Therefore many get stuck in their old lives, with all their problems and don’t become the new creation, that the Word speaks about and don’t spiritually mature.
The church is built upon the opinion of people
Many churches have gone their own way and don’t walk on the path of God. Therefore many churches don’t operate from the Head; Jesoa Kristy. They don’t listen to Jesus to find out what happens in the church and what the believers of the church need. Instead, they listen to the will and the opinion of people, to find out what they need and what they want.
They respond to their will and organize their church services and events so that it pleases the flesh. The believers love to fellowship and want to spend a lot of time to worship and praise and want short prayers and short uplifting sermons.
Many church leaders listen and respond to the desire and opinion of believers because that way they think they please the people and keep them in the church and attract more people to the church. This strategy is proven to be effective in the world. Ary noho izany, they think that it will be effective in the church as well.
The candlestick of the church
But once again, they forget one important thing: Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone and Builder of the Church. As long as the Church stays in Him and stay obedient and loyal to His Word and listen to Jesus, the Church shall be the light that shines in the darkness and Jesus Himself shall add the people to His body.
But because the majority of churches don’t rely upon God, but rely on their own opinion, fahalalana, wisdom, ability, and skills and have made the believers the center of the church, Jesus has withdrawn Himself and has removed the candlestick from many churches.
The way of the world diametrically opposes the way of God
For the Lord gives wisdom: out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding (Prov 2:6)
The way of the world is not the way of God and diametrically opposes the way of God. The way of the world operates from the flesh and the way of God operates from the Spirit. na izany aza, you must be born again to walk on the way of God.
As long as a person is not born again and belongs to the darkness, the person shall do the works of darkness; the works of the world and adopt and apply the methods and strategies of the world in the church. Therefore many churches have become one with the world and are seated in darkness. They are no longer the light of the world (Vakio koa: the darkness extinguishes the light)
But as long as Jesus has not returned, there is always a way of repentance and salvation. Therefore it’s important that the churches manetry tena themselves and ask forgiveness for all the carnal worldly wisdom, fahalalana, foolishness and sin, that they have allowed into the church and remove them.
The light in the darkness
Matokia an'i Jehovah amin'ny fonao rehetra; ary aza miankina amin'ny fahalalanao. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones (Prov 3:5-8)
It is needed that the churches Mibebaha to God and ask Jesus to become the Head of the church again and be led by the Word and the Holy Spirit. Because without Jesus and the Holy Spirit the church is spiritually dead.
When the church repents and makes Jesus Head of the church, which means that the church will preach what Jesus; the Word says and walk in His will and keep their own opinion, wisdom, knowledge and skills and the opinion and desires of believers away, then Jesus shall put back the candlestick and the church shall shine again in the darkness of this world.
Then those, who are walking in darkness and are desperately seeking for help shall find the light.
But as long as the church follows her own path and relies on her carnal worldly wisdom, fahalalana, and skills, the church shall remain seated in darkness and those, who are seeking for help, shall not go to the church and shall not find Jesus, but shall enter occult ways and be lost. And the one, who is held responsible is the church.
A reflexion of Jesus Christ
The church should be a reflexion of Jesus Christ on earth and should speak and walk like Him in the will of God, just like Jesus was the reflexion of God and spoke the words of His Father and walked in His will and served people and gave them what they needed (2 Co 4:4, Col 3:10)
The world wants to know your opinion and asks your opinion, but God doesn’t ask your opinion. He wants His opinion to become your opinion, by the renewing of your mind with the Word of God (Vakio koa: not my opinion, but Your opinion).
Only when the church is seated in Christ and operates from the will of God and the will of Jesus by the Holy Spirit, the church shall be able to help the people and give them what they need, which is total redemption of the old carnal man, and a new life in the spirit through Jesus Christ and eternal life.
‘Aoka ho fanasin’ny tany’
