In the
physical world when arrhythmias occur there are various methods to treat and in
many cases patients can lead normal lives.
The first thing a local Church, and individual members of this church
must do, is to evaluate whether this is in fact a problem.
Are there
periods of obvious devotion to Christ, followed by seasons of barrenness? Is there a hunger and thirst after God, a desire
to seek his will and his heart for the nations, the lost, His bride, His
church? If not, what needs to be changed
or given up? What new things need to be
included into the daily life of the church and its individuals?
In the
medical world the fitting of a pacemaker is one of the remedies for arrhythmia so
putting a pacemaker into the life of the church doesn’t sound too absurd. Actually God himself has already fitted the pace maker almost 2000 years ago –
The Holy Spirit and we are to walk in step with Him. “Since we live by the Spirit let us keep in
step with the Spirit” Gals 5:25
Paul writes
as though this is the most logical thing to do, so what has happened to the
church that it is in such a desperate need of a pace maker, if we already have
one fitted? Many local expression of the
Body of Christ have switched off, locked out, ignored or purposely worked
against the Holy Spirit. God’s desire is
that the Holy Spirit will act as his representative on earth. He is to be listened to and obeyed. If the church is to regain the functions of a
normal heart, beating in time with the heartbeat of God the difference would be
noticed as would the benefits.
How do we
walk in step with the Spirit? Listen, search God’s word, obey him, examine your
heart, confess whatever he shows you to confess, submit to him, and let him
transform you by the renewal of your mind, so that you can know his will.
“Therefore I
urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and
holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And
do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and
acceptable and perfect” Romans
12:1 – 2
When a
church’s heart beat beats in step with the Master- his agenda would be
uppermost in the lives of church members, where everyone is fully submitted to
him, where hungry souls long for the pure spiritual food and their diet is
balanced and constant. The need for
“shots in the arm” or “a quick adrenalin rush” no longer bring about the
arrhythmia affect, but the church will have a strong, steady, balanced
heartbeat which will affect the whole body of Christ. Those previously strong and oblivious of the
needs of others will turn to care for and encourage those who are weak and have
struggled.
“…..
Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors
and teachers, to equip his people for works of
service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in
the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining
to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be
infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching
and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in
every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every
supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its
work.” Ephesians 4:11 – 16
Christ never
intended for us to live in isolation.
Every church member, every local church is part of His body, His
Universal church, of which he is the head and it is only when we all work
together that Christ’s body can come to maturity, and his Pace Maker is free to
work in and through everyone of us his children so that we are all in step with
the spirit, and our hearts beat in unison with God’s.
O Lord, have mercy upon us, that this may not be true of us.
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