Fivefold Ministry Concepts

By Dennis "Eagle Spirit" Bracy - Copyright 2002
   

The Church is supposed to be an Organism rather than an organization. Meaning that it functions much in the same way that a living body functions. The body feels things, suspects things, knows things, ignores things. It must eat and drink to live and grow. It must experience pain before it knows healing. It must experience defeat before understanding the overcoming aspect of victory. It must experience failure before even seeing a need for wisdom.

The body has many different parts which serve many different functions in order to help sustain the body. I believe that not only are many different people to outfit these functions but also many different functions by which each is served. The functions are called by many different giftings and anointings. Biblically; I believe the five which are most vital to seeing the next stage of worldwide church growth coming into focus is that of the organism stepping up from out under the organization. The Apostolic, Prophetic, Evangelistic, Pastoral, and Teacher Offices are scripturally pointed out as the Five needed to perform the living body of Christ rather than the mannequin state that the world often sees the body as. Probably, the hardest thing for the present day church to conceive about this is the fact that we first have to admit that, we were wrong. We've been doing this thing wrong. We've strayed from God's truth and have caused His words to become the basis for our organizations called church.

It's even understandably easy to do as man especially American man, tends to create things to consume the quite times when the Lord would speak to us. We truly do not understand the concept of "waiting" on the Lord. Of course there is the active mindset of waiting where we are actively serving even as a "waiter" serves us at a restaurant. However, we are out of balance and one sided because there is the other side of waiting; the quit, we will only move after You, speak to us Lord. Can you imagine how awkward we would view the silence if even fifty people were sitting silent in a church building refusing to do anything unless God directs? No preaching, and no pressure to preach? No "song service" and no pressure for one. No teaching and no problem.

But, there is a problem. The problem is that God stands outside of His own church calling out to come inside. Waiting, the perfect Gentlemen. Do you think for even a second that I don't know that I've just offended many of my own brothers and sisters by that statement? I'm sure that many of you would say to me, the fact alone that I've offended my brothers and sisters should be a sign to me that I'm way off base. Really? Then examine your own heart and motives alongside God's words. I'm sure before you even actually read this line that most of you have already determined that you don't have a motive issue. Truly, some of you don't. But, how do we get there and what does it look like? Some would even say, "I agree, and we've tried this whole five fold thing before and it just isn't working."

The reason that it mostly has not come into true function is because after you grasp the true concept, most people try to take that concept inside of the organization rather that stepping out of the organization and into the organism.

First, It's mind over matter. We need to make up our minds to let the organization that has bound up and enslaved the Saints of God, die and then step into His words about the living organism which teaches how and allows the Saints of God to fly cause nothing else matters. The reason nothing else matters is because His words says clearly that our Savior will be returning for a bride not a mannequin.

Second, the way this is going to take place is when the common ground of basic truths are met and put ahead of our separate ideologies on doctrinal issues that have no relationship to basic salvation. Example, there are many scholars who can "prove" in scripture that Jesus will return before the Tribulation. There are also those that can prove in scripture that Jesus is coming back about midway the tribulation, and finally those who can use God's word to prove that obviously Christ will not return until after the tribulation. Guess what church, it does not matter so much who is right on this issue simply because the common and only important reality is that He is coming back. We must be ready whenever that takes place.

We must begin to understand that our salvation is not based on any of us having a perfect doctrine but rather based on our belief and acceptance in the truths about Jesus, the Christ of God. It's ok that we have different little groups and ministries, and beliefs, and churches. It's not ok that we can not seem to stop passing false judgment on each other and learn to love each other as Christ loved us. This must happen before Jesus returns for us, He said so. But, we must stop waiting around for Him to come into our man created ideas and churches and step into His reality of truth.

Third. What is the truth? Truth is, this thing ain't gonna look familiar. Also, the first time we begin to see it start happening most of us will probably spend some serious time wrestling with the Holy Spirit about it because the religious spirit we've been under is going to have serious issues with it because it just ain't the same old song and dance anymore.

From the human eye it's gonna appear unorganized and out of order. Gods idea of order and organization is not like ours. He will not conform to our "truths" We must conform to His. Certainly it is vital that I say that I do indeed love the church and that I am not passing wrong judgment on any of us. Rather, I and many others are speaking out in His timing what His word has told us all along. We must learn to adjust to the God that He has always been because certainly He has not changed. I furthermore believe that God in His mercy has used, honored, and yes even blessed the organization. But, His Spirit is calling out to us, now. Now, is the time my bride to step into your full calling to become the beautiful and living being that you truly are.

It is important that I point out some of the rolls that I believe must come into play along this journey; Desire and Talent Vs. Anointing. Desire is certainly part of us as people. Couple that desire with some genuine God giving talent and you have something that truly can be used mightily in His kingdom. Truly this is even a necessary part of all of our callings. However, we often confuse those two things as anointing. Anointing is something much greater than desire with talent. Anointing is the hand of God directly blessing a certain aspect of someone with intent to use that aspect for very direct purposes. We've all heard that many are called but few are chosen. I believe that truly we have reached the era where this is especially true. I believe that the place in time where man will be able to go and continue using God's gifts and anointings for His own selfish gain is very short. Papa is in the House and He's calling out to all of His children come on back home. It's safe now. All of you singers, musicians, dancers, artist, and artisans it's safe to come home. All of you Intercessors who've become "good cause" activist. All you Prophets who've fallen into temptation and become psychics, and card readers, palmist and ball gazers, come home Daddy's in the House, it's safe to come home. All you Pastors who've become everything to everybody and become of little use to Father because the sheep pay your way, come home it's safe now. All you Teachers who've become baby sitters and all you Apostles who've become corporate executives come home, Daddy's home, It's safe now.

The Holy Spirit is roaming about to and fro seeking out those who will heed His call to become the New Wine which is poured across the earth in this last day. And I don't mean New as in a, "new thing of God" because He has not changed. I mean new as in, "stepping out of the organization and becoming the organism" is going to be new to us. I believe that very often the Worship Leaders have wondered where exactly they fit into this whole Five Fold ministry. I honestly believe after being exposed to all of the evidence that I have personally seen over about thirty years as a Singer/Musician, and somewhat seasoned Worship Leader, that we are the Evangelist. Certainly I mean this is the broad sense of the office function, we all can and should operate in evangelism throughout our lives and you can be anointed as an evangelist without being a singer or musician. This is something that has been witnessed to me personally as the Lord has revealed it to me over years. And, I am not the only one with this revelation but there are actually quite a few others who see this as well.

When I speak of a Five Fold, that does not mean necessarily five different people. I believe it is the five offices that must be in function and that often there will be more than one person in some of the offices and in seasons a person might very well be anointed to function in more than one office. I see that in the past the Moses style of leadership was employed in most of our present day organizations. However, when Jesus came and fulfilled the law He left us with a different picture of leadership. It has often been said that accountability can only point upwards and not across. Well this view is perfectly correct if at the top of your pyramid God alone is standing. But, in the Moses style and picture, it is Moses, a man, who is at the top and then God further beyond and above him. Yet, when Jesus was on earth, He left a better picture of leadership in the Apostles. They answered in accountability to each other, side to side and then together corporately answered directly up to Father in accountability. This puts God at the top of the structure while still leaving Him as an actual part of our pyramid not above and beyond it. Simultaneously, that picture reflects man now being his brothers keeper and repenting one to another for the healing of our sins. Now certainly we all directly will be accountable to God for our individual sins, but right now we are not talking of our individual walks, we are talking of leadership structure before a body of believers.

This can only work when the leadership individually puts down their own selfish ministry desires and picks up the servant leadership style whereby whatever the Lord speaks to the Leadership team through each one sharing the little piece/s of the puzzle that they get on something and corporately watch the will of Father become visible as the picture inside of the puzzle becomes more clear. As each piece adds clarity, He gives more and more and more pieces as the ones we already have are being properly put together. Once we realize that we hear Him in part and that our part is no greater than the part He gives another believer, then we begin to understand how this thing works. Further, we must stop guessing what the picture means or what we're supposed to do with it until He also gives instruction in the same manner. Again our tendency is that we are unwilling to wait on Him to do that because Americans won't wait for God to reveal unless He is willing to do it in their time frames set aside for "church"

I believe that what is being revealed about how this may look from the outside to some degree would be the picture of a great concerto. An orchestra if you will being directed by the Greatest Director of all. I see The Worship Leaders stepping out as God leads them to play while the dancers, and sketch artist and painters and sculptors also being lead by the Holy Spirit begin to draw, paint, sculpt, and dance before the Lord. I see that the worship actually doesn't stop but rather is the wave by which Intercession, Prophecy, and Teaching can be released through those whom have proven trustworthy as anointed leadership. How much more humility must we all have as we lower our own anointings and callings for someone else who is equally anointed in a different area to release the ministry of their office while continuing the flow of everything else. I see a picture where a Pastor is not someone who is expected to get up on Sunday Morning and preach a sermon but rather someone who's truest of offices may happen outside of the public gathering of the Saints for Worship. Safe and Intimate times where those truly anointed are ministering more on a one on one level with people about their daily walks and struggles, loving them, instructing them and encouraging them into righteousness as they go about the day to day task of being a Christian. The mothering, nurturing spirit, willing to change the dirty diapers of new believers while giving them milk and patience in there growing process and also giving the spiritual juniors and spiritual teenagers good meat to grow on with grace filled and patient discipline when needed. To you who will heed the call, be filled with His empowering presence, "more commonly known as Grace" and go forward in boldness without compromise.