“THE QUEST” (E-BOOK BE THE CHURCH)

“THE QUEST”

(KERESAHAN YANG MENGAWALI PERJALANAN PENCARIAN)


Suatu kali saya berbincang dengan seorang rekan pelayan Tuhan dan penanam gereja senior dari negeri Paman Sam, Clifford H James, penulis buku The BluePrint. Di tengah perbincangan itu ia menanyakan satu hal pada saya,”Dave menurutmu saat Tuhan datang kembali dan mengangkat gerejaNya, siapakah yang akan Ia angkat, kita atau gedungnya?”

Saya menjawab tentunya,”Tentu kita sebagai gerejaNya dan bukan gedung gereja.”

Cliff kemudian bertanya lagi,”Kalau begitu kita harus fokus membangun gedung ibadah atau umat Tuhan?”

“Umat Tuhan tentunya!” jawab saya mantap.

Tetapi setelah saya memberikan jawaban tersebut, saya merasa tertempelak.

Sebab selama menggembalakan, urusan mengontrak gedung ibadah dan kantor gereja menjadi beban tersendiri. Keuangan dari persembahan jemaat larinya pada pemeliharaan gedung, administrasi kantor, membayar semua tagihan, membayar gaji full-timer dan persembahan kasih bagi part-timer, dstnya. Hanya tertinggal dana sedikit untuk diakonia atau membantu anggota jemaat yang berkesusahan malah sering pula kas defisit hingga tak dapat membantu jemaat yang tengah dalam kemalangan. Saat itu saya hanya dapat berkata,”Maaf, saat ini kas gereja sedang defisit dan kami hanya dapat membantu di dalam doa.” Sungguh ironis dan ini merupakan jawaban klasik.

Hingga akhirnya gereja yang kami rintis bersinergi dengan sebuah gereja dari negeri tetangga. Kesulitan finansial kini mulai dapat diatasi tetapi pergerakan arah gereja mulai dikendalikan oleh pihak donatur. Kenaturalan dan kekeluargaan yang selama ini ditekankan berubah total. Sebab pihak donatur menghendaki kami mencapai target jiwa baru yang harus dimenangkan tiap bulannya, mereka meminta bukti dengan adanya jumlah baptisan baru, pos PI baru, lebih banyak jemaat yang mau diutus menjangkau suku terabaikan dan lahirnya pemimpin-pemimpin baru. Semuanya itu baik dan melecut kami untuk bekerja keras bagi pekerjaan Tuhan. Tetapi pada akhirnya kami merasa keletihan dan stress bila target tidak tercapai. Saya pun sebagai gembala sidang saat itu ikut merasa tertekan sebab itu berarti saya harus memberhentikan staf gereja yang “kurang produktif” menghasilkan jiwa dan merekrut staf baru. Biasanya saya kehilangan staf tersebut, ia merasa terluka dan tidak mau ada bersama kami lagi. Sebagai “ayah rohani” tidak tega tetapi tuntutan donatur seperti itu, dan saya juga tidak dapat berbuat apa-apa sebab mereka yang menggaji staf gereja termasuk saya. Meskipun saya berusaha menguatkan mereka untuk tetap setia melayani Tuhan, kebanyakan pindah dan melayani di tempat lain atau memilih jalur pekerjaan sekuler atau hanya menjadi ibu rumahtangga.

Secara berkala tim-tim misi jangka pendek dari jejaring gereja asing tersebut (pihak donatur) itu datang, mereka melihat hasil yang kami kerjakan. Seringkali pujian datang ketika mereka melihat hasil pelayanan gereja kami, 60% jiwa yang menjadi anggota jemaat kami saat itu berasal dari “kepercayaan lain”. Tetapi sebenarnya kami “tengah hancur” (burn out) secara kerohanian. Kami mengalami keletihan demi mencapai target yang telah ditetapkan oleh pihak donatur. Tanpa sadar prioritas hidup kami berubah, prioritas pertama dan utama bukan lagi melayani Tuhan tetapi “pekerjaan Tuhan”. Pekerjaan Tuhan menjadi ilah atau berhala baru dalam kehidupan kami. Saat kami kehilangan hubungan dengan Tuhan, keangkuhan masuk dan merasa bila pelayanan dapat berkembang maju itu karena “saya” hingga akhirnya Iblis yang mengadu domba kami. Perpecahan timbul sebab relasi dengan Kristus terputus, dan ego mulai muncul.

Ketika orang-orang melihat pihak asing datang dan membantu kami baik secara finansial maupun tenaga. Banyak orang berdatangan dan mengajukan diri untuk terlibat pelayanan bersama kami untuk alasan yang salah.
Ketulusan keluarga kami dalam pelayanan pun dicemari oknum-oknum yang mau mengkudeta diri saya dari posisi kepemimpinan. Belum kisruh diantara staf yang mulai saling meninggikan diri, membanggakan gelar pendidikan, jabatan dan karakternya berubah setelah ditahbiskan menjadi pendeta oleh sinode gereja.
Entah sudah berapa kali saya menghadapi kasus pencemaran nama baik, penggelapan uang gereja oleh staf, penyalahgunaan wewenang dan masih banyak hal lagi.

Gereja yang tadinya hangat, penuh atmosfir kekeluargaan, kasih sayang dan kepedulian satu dengan yang lainnya berubah 180 derajat. Ada apa ini? Apa yang tengah terjadi di tengah kami? Mengapa orang yang tadinya baik menjadi buruk kembali sikapnya?

Wah, hal-hal ini tidak pernah diajarkan baik di Sekolah Alkitab maupun Theologia. Tidak ada satu pun orang yang pernah menceritakan hal ini dapat terjadi dalam gereja Tuhan.

Tuhan Yesus berfirman dalam Matius 11:29-30, “Pikullah kuk yang Kupasang dan belajarlah pada-Ku, karena Aku lemah lembut dan rendah hati dan jiwamu akan mendapat ketenangan. Sebab kuk yang Kupasang itu enak dan beban-Ku pun ringan."
Lalu mengapa kuk (beban) yang ada di pundak saya rasanya begitu berat dan sama sekali tidak enak? Jangan-jangan saya tengah memikul kuk yang lain dan bukan kuk yang datang dari Tuhan Yesus.

Sejak hari itu, saya memulai sebuah perjalanan pencarian akan makna gereja yang sebenarnya.

HATI SAYA RESAH KALA MELIHAT........

Para Pelayan Tuhan

Para hamba Tuhan berebutan mencari pengakuan melalui buah pelayanan (terutama dari atas mimbar). Banyak sekali orang yang mengukur keberhasilannya dari bagaimana tanggapan jemaat atas khotbah atau pengajarannya, apakah mendapatkan pujian atau tidak? Bagaimana respon jemaat atas khotbah tersebut melalui berapa banyak yang menanggapi “altar call”, berapa banyak yang hadir saat kita berkhotbah, berapa banyak yang “dilawat atau dijamah” Tuhan dan lalu membandingkannya dengan kolega kita.

Memiliki gelar pendidikan itu baik-baik saja, tetapi bila hal tersebut menjadi berhala sangatlah membahayakan. Beberapa rekan mengikuti pendidikan setinggi-tingginya dengan tujuan mempertajam dan mengenal Tuhan dengan lebih baik, itu sangat baik. Tetapi ada pula yang hanya sekedar mengejar gelar pendidikan agar memiliki jabatan yang lebih baik. Bahkan ada pula yang rela membeli “gelar” dari Sekolah Tinggi Theologia tertentu yang menjual gelar kesarjanaan tanpa perlu mengikuti pendidikan itu sendiri atau membeli gelar “Doctor Honorer Causa” dengan harga tertentu. Saya sendiri pun pernah paling tidak tiga kali ditawari untuk mendapatkan gelar bahkan lebih mengejutkan lagi saat orang yang menawarkan gelar tersebut mengatakan bila saya bisa mendapatkan lima pendeta yang mau membeli gelar maka saya dapat gelar gratis. “Ya, ampun…sangat menyedihkan.”

Saat ukuran besar gedung ibadah, jumlah anggota gereja, jumlah persembahan dan perpuluhan menjadi salah satu patok ukuran keberhasilan seorang gembala sidang. “Gereja” yang sudah memiliki IMB, jumlah jemaatnya sudah lebih dari 1000 dan memiliki persembahan-perpuluhan mencapai ratusan juta perbulan bahkan miliar sebagai tanda gereja yang disertai dan diberkati Tuhan sedang gereja yang tidak punya tempat ibadah, anggotanya sedikit dan persembahannya sedikit seolah hidup di bawah kutuk dan harus belajar pada “big brothers” bagaimana dapat menjadi sukses seperti mereka.

Ada banyak pelayan Tuhan ditahbiskan karena memang memiliki panggilan tertentu dalam kehidupannya tetapi ada juga yang menghendaki jabatan gereja sebagai suatu kebanggaan pribadi dan ingin memiliki kuasa atas orang lain. Ada juga yang rendah diri dan beranggapan bahwa dengan memiliki gelar kependetaan, ia menjadi “seseorang”. Ia merasa di dunia sekuler bukan siapa-siapa, jadi ia coba menjadi “seseorang” di dunia rohani. .......”pride” alias kesombongan rohani.

Ada pula orang melayani di gereja sebab sulit dapat pekerjaan sekuler hingga mereka melihat kependetaan sebagai “another job opportunity” (lahan pekerjaan alternatif). Ada lagi yang lebih parah sebab melihat gereja sebagai “perusahaan rohani” yang bebas pajak. Banyak pengusaha beralih profesi menjadi pendeta akibat alasan tersebut (tidak semua pengusaha yang jadi pendeta tetapi ada oknum-oknum tertentu yang seperti itu). Orang melayani karena berapa besar upah yg didapatkan. Ada beberapa orang percaya yang meninggalkan pekerjaan sebelumnya dan menjadi pendeta karena tergiur melihat kehidupan beberapa “pendeta selebritis” yang memiliki pendapatan tinggi, hidup dalam kemewahan dan memiliki pengikut yang banyak.

Para pelayan Tuhan berebutan ingin menjadi “pemimpin” karena ambisi pribadi dan memiliki pengaruh pada pengikutnya, menimbulkan perpecahan, menimbulkan politik dan “partai-partai” dalam gereja. Banyak mega church (gereja berjumlah sangat besar), pecah akibat adanya “pembelotan” atau “pemberontakan” terhadap kebijakan “senior pastor” (gembala sidang).

Para pelayan Tuhan mengkorupsi uang gereja atau pelayanan. Baru-baru ini Dinas Pajak di Amerika Serikat memeriksa beberapa pelayan Tuhan terkenal di negeri tersebut sebab menggunakan uang pelayanan untuk kepentingan pribadi dengan membeli rumah mewah, lukisan mahal, perabotan rumah tangga berharga selangit dan lain-lainnya. Uang yang disumbangkan untuk memperlebar Kerajaan Tuhan ternyata dipergunakan untuk memperkaya diri.

Ada pula pelayan Tuhan yang tidak peduli sama sekali terhadap kesulitan rekan pelayan Tuhan lainnya. Bukan membantu saudaranya yang lemah, mereka menyatakan bahwa rekan pelayan Tuhan tersebut hidup dalam dosa dan kutuk. Ada sebuah kesaksian yang saya sendiri saksikan dan alami.
Suatu kali saya melayani beberapa orang pendeta dari daerah yang baru saja mengikuti Kongres Sinode dan lalu kehabisan dana untuk kembali ke pulau dari mana mereka berasal. Letak gereja kami berdekatan dengan pelabuhan Tanjung Perak Surabaya hingga banyak pendeta dari denominasi dimana saya melayani saat itu, biasanya mampir untuk menginap di pastori gereja yang sederhana untuk menantikan keberangkatan kapal ke daerah asal mereka. Karena mereka kehabisan dana, mereka meminta saya untuk mengantarkan mereka ke salah satu gereja besar dari denominasi yang sama untuk meminta bantuan.
Sesampai disana saya membawa mereka bertemu dengan gembala sidang setempat tetapi beliau tidak mau diganggu dan meminta saya untuk membawa rekan-rekan ini ke ruang diakonia. Sesampai di ruangan tersebut, ketua diakonia memberikan “ceramah” bagaimana hidup diberkati, hidup dengan karunia iman dan terlepas dari kutuk kemiskinan selama hampir 45 menit….setelah itu ia menyampaikan bahwa kas gereja mereka pun sedang kosong sebab sudah banyak membantu jemaat….sambil ia memainkan cincin bermata berlian di jarinya (saat ia berbicara mata saya tertuju pada beberapa cincin emas dijarinya yang nampak “bling bling”).
Lalu ia meminta para pendeta desa ini untuk pergi ke ruang doa untuk berdoa pada Tuhan agar Ia membuka jalan dan memberikan dana untuk pembelian tiket kapal. Sementara itu saya masih tetap ada di ruang diakonia, sang pimpinan meminta salah satu stafnya untuk mencek harga tiket kapal kelas ekonomi menuju daerah tujuan para pendeta itu. Kulihat staf yang lain mengambil sejumlah uang yang segera dimasukkan ke dalam beberapa amplop terpisah. Ketua diakonia itu lalu berbicara pada saya,”Mas, kita perlu berhikmat bila hendak menolong orang lain, agar mereka tidak memiliki mentalitas peminta-minta. Nanti setiap ke Jawa mereka selalu mampir dan minta pada kita.” Saya hanya tersenyum saja mendengar perkataan beliau.
Saya melihat rekan-rekan pendeta dari desa ini dengan polos dan tulus berdoa pada Tuhan, setelah kurang lebih dua jam berlalu....staf diakonia datang dan memanggil mereka. Mereka kembali ke ruang diakonia, disambut oleh ketua diakonia yang tersenyum lebar dan berkata,”Puji Tuhan, Ia baru saja buka jalan dan ini dana yang Anda sekalian perlukan untuk biaya pulang.” Mereka bersukacita sebab kini mereka dapat pulang, saya pun gembira, kini mereka dapat kembali bertemu keluarga dan jemaat mereka. Tapi saya sedih sekali melihat skenario kejadian itu.

Di lain pihak ada pula yang hanya mempedulikan rekan-rekan sesama organisasi gerejanya, di luar organisasinya bukan tubuh Kristus katanya..duh celaka sekali. Kadang tanpa sadar kita tercemar oleh nila-nilai sekuler, gereja diibaratkan perusahaan. Kondisi gereja kita saat ini dapat digambarkan seperti perusahaan, selama kita bagian dari sebuah “perusahaan besar” maka kita akan mendapatkan santunan dan bantuan tetapi bila kita dari “perusahaan lain” maka kita tak akan mendapat santunan apalagi bantuan. Bila perusahaan lain tersebut mau mendapatkan bantuan maka yang diperlukan adalah ia harus merger dengan perusahaan besar tersebut. Maka dapat dipastikan setelah merger perusahaan tersebut telah menjadi bagian dalam “perusahaan besar” maka akan dapat bantuan dan santunan yang dibutuhkan dan harapkan.

Belum lagi ada oknum yang hanya mau melayani di gereja dengan jumlah jemaat tertentu, bila kurang dari targetnya dia tidak mau melayani di sana, kecuali “persembahan kasih”nya besar. Suatu kali di masa awal pelayanan saya kala itu Bapak Gembala meminta saya untuk mengundang seorang pembicara tamu untuk mengisi jadwal khotbah. Setelah beberapa saat berbincang dengan pengkhotbah tersebut, beliau pun lalu bertanya berapa kali ibadah yang akan beliau isi dan jumlah jemaat gereja kami berapa orang. Setelah mendengar bahwa gereja kami mengadakan 4 kali ibadah hari Minggu dan jemaat ada sekitar 2500 orang totalnya maka beliau memberikan komentar,”Hmm…bagus…bagus, kalau begitu cocok dengan kriteria saya.” Saya saat itu sempat terheran dengan sikap senior saya tersebut. “Mau melayani kok tanya jumlah jemaat dan berapa kali ibadah mengisi khotbahnya.” Rupanya banyak juga pelayan Tuhan yang kalkulasi dapat berapa “persembahan kasihnya”.
Dalam kisah lain, seorang sahabat saya di Jakarta beberapa waktu lalu menjadi bagian dari suatu panitia yang mengundang seorang pengkhotbah dan penulis buku terkenal berskala internasional, yang biasa mengadakan acara KKR dan seminar besar-besaran. Acara yang digadang-gadang sebagai acara akbar itu sebenarnya berjalan dengan sukses namun tidak mendatangkan jumlah massa yang diharapkan oleh “sang pembicara” hingga beliau ini merasa kecewa terhadap kinerja panitia tersebut. Beliau meminta bila ada yang mengundang ke Indonesia, agar tim panitianya orang pilihan baru dan bukan kepanitiaan yang sebelumnya.

Oknum lain memberikan ketentuan bagi tiap orang yang mengundang harus memberikan DP terlebih dulu, bila batal maka DP pun hangus. Ketika saya bertanya pada senior saya mengapa, ia melakukan hal tersebut, ia menyatakan bahwa,” Kita sebagai pelayan Tuhan pun harus profesional dalam bekerja termasuk dalam masalah pembayaran fee….dulu setahu saya namanya persembahan kasih…sekarang jadi fee ya? Saya sampai heran dasar ayat yang digunakan untuk tindakan ini apa ya?

Ada pula yang meminta salah satu syarat bila mengundangnya harus di hotel terbaik di tempat tersebut dan tidak mau di rumah jemaat atau pastori, alasannya agar lebih tenang mempersiapkan firman Tuhan.

Ada pula pemimpin Kristiani dengan mentalitas suhu Shaolin yang tidak mau memuridkan jemaat karena takut bisa disaingi. Tuhan memberikan tugas pada kita untuk memuridkan bangsa-bangsa tetapi di sisi lain ada banyak pelayan Tuhan, yang takut jemaat menjadi lebih pintar dari dirinya dan tidak membutuhkan dirinya. Ada pelayan Tuhan yang senang bila jemaat bergantung pada dirinya dan bukannya bertumbuh dewasa dan bertumbuh dalam Tuhan. Bila pun ia mengajar, ia tidak mengajarkan semua yang ia ketahui. Persis suhu Shaolin yang memiliki 10 jurus maut, dan ia hanya mengajarkan 9 jurus saja agar muridnya tidak bisa mengalahkan dia bila memberontak.



HATI SAYA RESAH KALA MELIHAT........

Jemaat Tuhan

Orang-orang hanya suka mendengar khotbah tetapi tidak mau dimuridkan. Mereka memiliki pendeta favorit bila pendeta tersebut ada di kotanya atau negaranya, mereka ibarat “para groupies” (fans berat sebuah grup band/penyanyi tertentu). Kemana dan dimana pun ia berada akan dikejar dan menghadiri setiap pertemuan mereka. Mereka senang berdekatan dengan “pendeta favorit”nya, mendengarkan apa yang disampaikan, mereka dipuaskan secara intelejensi, sayangnya kebanyakan hanya sampai disitu. Mereka senang mendengar “hal-hal baru dari Tuhan” tetapi tidak mau melakukannya.

Orang-orang hanya melihat “pergi ke gereja” sebagai sebuah aktivitas keagamaan belaka. Bahkan memiliki “kepribadian ganda” kehidupan saat di dalam ruang ibadah nampak suci sekali dengan kosa kata yang tertata rapih dan mulia tetapi saat sudah keluar lingkungan “gereja”, sikap dan perbendaharaan katanya berubah menjadi “kebun binatang”. Ada guyonan kalau di dalam gereja dipimpin Roh Kudus, di luar gereja dipimpin roh kuda, tertib di lingkungan gereja tetapi di luar area menjadi liar.

Orang-orang taat “beragama” tetapi tidak memiliki hubungan intim dengan Tuhan. Hampir setiap hari muncul dalam ibadah atau program yang disusun oleh pihak gereja tetapi hanya sekedar aktif saja tanpa memiliki hubungan secara pribadi dengan Tuhan. Mereka berpikir dengan kesetiaan mengikuti ibadah dan aktif maka berkat dan janji Tuhan secara otomatis terjadi dalam hidupnya. Mereka tidak mau mentaati Tuhan dan egois, mereka mau mentaati firman Tuhan yang kira-kira mudah tetapi yang dirasakan berat mereka tidak mau melakukan atau mentaatinya. Tuhan hanya seolah sebagai agen asuransi “Escape from Hell” agar tidak “terbakar kekal di neraka” bagi mereka. Pokoknya sudah terima Tuhan Yesus pasti selamat, itu yang ada dalam benak mereka, dan mereka kembali ke dalam tabiat hidup mereka yang lama. Tuhan bukan Jinny on the bottle (jin dalam botol) yang harus menuruti setiap permintaan kita. IA juga bukan pesuruh atau satpam, saat kita berdoa agar IA menjaga aset usaha, rumah atau kendaraan kita.

Orang-orang kurang peduli terhadap sesama manusia, jangankan terhadap orang yang belum percaya, terhadap “saudara seiman”nya saja banyak sekali yang kurang peduli. Meski kita menyanyikan lagu indah bertema bahwa kita ini saudara seiman – keluarga Allah sambil bergandengan tangan dan tersenyum pada orang di sebelah kita tetapi tanpa tindakan nyata hal itu hanyalah kepalsuan yang memuakkan di mata Tuhan. Kalau kita tidak peduli terhadap saudara seiman dalam komunitas atau “gereja” yang setiap Minggu kita bertemu, bagaimana kita dapat mempedulikan mereka yang belum mengenal Tuhan? Kita tidak menjadi terang dan garam, sebagaimana yang Tuhan kehendaki. Rata-rata jemaat kini hanya menjadi penonton dalam gereja, jika mereka merasa terusik dengan mudah mereka pindah….mungkin bosan dengan khotbah pendetanya yang itu-itu saja..atau jenuh sebab lagu pujiannya tidak mengikuti Top 40 The Best Worship Song (40 lagu terbaik terpopuler)…atau di gereja lain sedang ada aktivitas baru yang menarik.

Ada pula yang berpindah gereja bila ada bantuan diakonia yang jauh lebih menarik dari gerejanya yang terdahulu. Bahkan saya pernah menemukan ada anggota jemaat yang memiliki list jadwal pembagian sembako dari berbagai organisasi gereja dan persekutuan, ia tahu gereja mana yang memberikan beasiswa bagi orang kurang mampu, memberikan pekerjaan bagi menganggur, dstnya…ia menyatakan hidupnya tergantung pada “gereja Tuhan”, sebab itu ia “maha hadir” dalam tiap kegiatan gereja dan persekutuan yang dapat menguntungkan atau menghidupinya.

Bila gereja mengajarkan tentang misi dan pengutusan, tidak ada yang mau diutus. Bila pun ada, kebanyakan mau diutus ke kota besar atau negara-negara yang mapan. Itu yang sering saya saksikan setiap kali diadakan tantangan untuk menyerahkan hidup melayani mereka yang terhilang dan belum mengenal Tuhan. Jadi jangan bicarakan tentang suku terabaikan atau terpencil atau negara-negara di jendela 10/40. Sepertinya kini tipis antara pengutusan misi dengan pergi wisata atau antara menjadi misionaris dan wisatawan saat ini. Ketika yang memberi diri untuk diutus memilih untuk pergi ke Los Angeles, Hollywood, Washington, Hawaii, Wina, Amsterdam, Bonn, Tokyo, Seoul, dan kota-kota metropolitan dunia lainnya.

Jemaat tidak mau berkorban, Tuhan Yesus berkorban bagi kita…..kita mengaku sebagai anakNya tetapi DNA-Nya tidak tampak. Bila kita anakNya maka secara natural kita juga rela berkorban bagi Dia. Jangan berkorban nyawa sebagai martir, harta benda atau uang saja kita masih hitung-hitungan dengan Tuhan. Bila pun berkorban itu dengan “motivasi investasi”, berharap Tuhan melipatgandakan apa yang telah ia berikan bagi pekerjaan Tuhan. Bila yang diharapkan tidak terwujud maka mereka akan segera mengeluarkan data berapa banyak yang telah mereka investasikan dalam Kerajaan Allah.

Jemaat kompromi dengan dosa, mereka lebih suka menjadi penonton dan pendengar firman Tuhan tetapi enggan menjadi pelaku kebenaran. Mereka lebih suka menjadi orang Kristen cek-list. Apakah Kristen cek-list? Kristen cek-list adalah mereka yang mengukur kekristenannya dari keaktifannya menghadiri ibadah hari Minggu dan aktivitas program gereja lainnya, pemberian persembahan & perpuluhan, doa “agamawi” setiap pagi disertai pembacaan Alkitab dan bilamana hal itu sudah dikerjakan maka mereka sudah merasa menjadi seorang Kristen yang saleh dan taat. Mereka mengaku,”I’m a good Christian”. (Saya seorang Kristen yang baik).

Jemaat tidak mau menjadi murid Kristus dengan memikul salib setiap hari, bila dalam tingkatan ini saja mereka enggan apalagi untuk memikul tanggungjawab memuridkan orang lain? Ini salah siapa?


Sedih hati saya melihat ini semua terjadi dalam gereja Tuhan yang mayoritas suam-suam di Indonesia atau bahkan dunia….entahlah. Sedih melihat tingkah laku rekan sejawat saya selaku pendeta bukannya menjadi teladan hidup malah menjadi sandungan. Sedih pula melihat jemaat yang hidup egois dan tak peduli Tuhan, sesama saudara seiman apalagi mereka yang belum mengenal Tuhan Yesus.

Apakah ini gereja, mempelai Kristus? Sudah siapkah kita menyambut kedatanganNya? Jangan sampai kala IA datang kita belum siap. Saat IA datang kita masih mengenakan rol rambut, masker wajah berwarna hijau dan daster yang sudah satu bulan belum ganti..super jorok dan sama sekali tidak siap untuk acara prosesi pernikahan dengan Anak Domba Allah. Jadi bersiaplah!!!!!

Then Insult of Grace and the Debtor's Mentality

Then Insult of Grace and the Debtor's Mentality

by George Davis Michael Clark

Why does man find it so difficult to receive the unmerited forgiveness of God? Why does he prefer religious law-keeping over grace? It seems grace is the supreme insult to everything that we inherited from Adam, what is biblically called "the flesh."

From beginning to end, grace upon grace, Christianity is the greatest insult of all because it leaves man and the best he has to offer standing outside, hat-in-hand. True Christian faith denies place to man's carnal desire to prove his own worth and earn his own way. It offends his pride and independence that insist on being indebted to no one and controlling everyone. The insult of grace is twofold: it is free and can only be given to the unworthy (insulting man's ambition to earn his redemption), and it must remain free, only received on an ongoing basis by the weak and needy (insulting man's ambition to perfect himself).

Grace cannot be earned. It is free and available only to the undeserving, and disappears the moment it is treated like a commodity. Paul wrote, "Now if it is in grace, it is no longer out of works, else the grace is coming to be no longer grace. Now, if it is out of works, it is no longer grace, else the work is no longer work" (Romans 11:6, The Concordant Literal Version).

In order to receive God's grace you must first admit that there is nothing in you that can merit it. You have to know this. You must come to that place where you can honestly admit, "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwells no good thing" (Romans 7:18). You must cease from your dead works, and cast yourself fully on the mercy of God and the merit of Christ. Jesus came to those who knew they were sinners, whose attitude was depicted in the publican's prayer, "God be merciful to me, a sinner." He was sent to show God's mercy to the outcasts of society. Sinners, outcasts and even the despised Samaritans received Him with joy. Grace is God giving us not what we have truly earned (the penalty of our sins), but what we could never earn (forgiveness and a new heart). You must receive it on the basis of Christ's sacrificial work alone. It is found by "him that works not, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly" whose "faith is counted for righteousness" (Romans 4:5). To the smugly righteous Pharisees, He said, "Truly I tell you, tax collectors and prostitutes will get into God's kingdom ahead of you" (Matthew 21:31). Yes, even hookers will enter the kingdom of heaven before the self-righteous. They must both enter on the same basis as undeserving sinners, humble before God.

Jesus didn't come to justify the godly, but the ungodly. He didn't come to the hale and hearty but to the sick. "It is our sickness, not our health, that fits us for the physician, and casts us upon his skill," wrote Horatius Bonar. "In all false religion, the worshiper rests his hope of divine favor upon something in his own character, or life, or religious duties. The Pharisee did this when he came into the temple, 'thanking God that he was not as other men.'" (Horatius Bonar, God's Way Of Peace).

I (George) am as undeserving of God's grace today as I was back when I first bowed before Him, a wretched, hedonistic, narcissistic drug addict and asked for His mercy and grace. In the words of Newton's timeless hymn, "'Tis grace that brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home." Such is His amazing grace toward us. I was completely undeserving of what he gave me back then and I am completely undeserving of what He gives me now. The temptation today is not sex and drugs, but pride in personal achievement and maturity. This Leaven of the Pharisees is a far greater hindrance to the Christian walk than out-and-out hedonism ever was. It is a fundamental refusal to accept God's verdict on the flesh and is not met with grace, but with resistance. God eagerly forgives sinners, but pride is His enemy and is treated as such. ". . . wear the servile apron of humility with one another, for God is resisting the proud, yet is giving grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:5 CLV).

How many of us undeserving sinners have come to Christ and received His free and unmerited gift of righteousness, only to deny grace its place in our daily lives? If Satan cannot persuade us to reject Christ altogether, he tries a more covert kind of warfare, designed to render us powerless and ineffective. Most, if not all, of the letters of Paul were written to counter this dangerous attack. To our brothers and sisters in Galatia he wrote, "Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?" (Galatians 3:3).

The heart of this deception is the belief that after being redeemed by the sole merit of Christ's finished work, we must then sanctify ourselves. Though seemingly responsible, this denies the grace of Christ. Not only was our redemption purchased by Christ, but also our sanctification. When God places us in Christ, He makes Christ to be all things to us. Christ is made to be our "wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption." This is done in order that no flesh should glory in God's presence" (1 Corinthians 1:29-31). All glory belongs to the Lord. He has done it all and He has been made all things to us. Our part is to receive it all by faith. He is our Wisdom. Our human wisdom is foolishness to Him. He is our righteousness. All our own righteousness is as filthy rags. We cannot complete ourselves any more than we can save ourselves because He is both our Sanctification and our Redemption. He is all and in all. There is nothing left for us to do or earn.

Grace was earned and freely given by Christ Jesus. It is forever given upon that basis, grace upon grace. From beginning to end, it is all of grace. Through his grace we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins . . . so that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. God's call to us is to receive, not work. This is the foundational principle of faith. Faith receives. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them" (Ephesians 2:8-10 NASB). Man wants to boast, so he insists on working. He insists on earning his way. But when he tries to earn grace, he discredits Christ's work and devalues His gift.

Throughout the New Testament God's grace is associated with abundance, liberality and generosity. There is no exactness in it. It is not thrifty but extravagant. It gives far too much. The only correct response to it is gratitude. Grace demands only one thing of its recipients, that they walk in generosity toward others. Freely you have received, freely give. Grace demands that its riches be forwarded in every area of life, in receiving and giving and in forgiving and being forgiven.
Forwarding Law or Forwarding Grace

A lack of gratitude in the life of believers is a sure sign that they have begun to work for righteousness and now consider any blessing that comes as payment for their labor. Why would anyone be grateful for receiving what they have earned by their own hard work? If this work-ethic is not repented of, it soon permeates every relationship until grace is supplanted by pride, condemnation and judgment. Those who return to the law for their righteousness have a fierce tendency to bite and devour one another (Galatians 5: 14-15).

The author of Hebrews reminded his fellow Jewish Christians, who were tempted to go back to the law and Judaism, of the mercilessness of that system. "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses." The author goes on to explain that if they returned to the law after they had received the knowledge of the new and living way that Jesus had consecrated for them through the veil of his flesh, they would tread the Son of God under foot, count His blood an unholy thing and insult the Spirit of grace. (Hebrews 10: 20-29).

A lack of mercy indicates that we have returned to the law for our righteousness and are forwarding the demands of law to others. You cannot keep the law and walk in grace at the same time. Law-keeping nullifies the grace of God and the grace of God nullifies law-keeping. "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if justification were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose" (Galatians 2:21). "You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace" (Galatians 5:4).

Law and grace are exact opposites and cancel one another out. They are of different Covenants and of different natures. The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Law demands, grace gives. The law demanded righteous behavior from man as a condition for life, acceptance and blessing. Grace gives all these things to undeserving sinners.

In order to understand why man is so drawn to law-keeping, we must take note of the correlation between the law and the flesh. It is an interesting study to see how many times law and flesh are mentioned in the very same verse or context in the New Testament. It is far too many times to be coincidental. You cannot read and understand these passages without concluding that there is a special affinity between law and flesh. By divine design, the law targets the weakness of the flesh in very specific ways. The law demanded, but gave no help. The law was given to trick and expose the flesh by making impossible demands on it. Through the law, God required what He knew fleshly men were incapable of and what He knew they were most eager to attempt. Just as Adam and Eve were eager to cover themselves with fig leaves after they sinned, so man tries to be righteous by law keeping.

What good was the law then? The purpose of the law was to teach man that nothing good resides in his flesh (Romans 7:18). The law was not given to edify or build man up, but to cage him and reveal his true nature. The law demanded godly behavior from ungodly man. The law demanded selfless behavior from a humanity that had lost that innocence way back in Eden. It demanded that a fallen and delusional humanity take an honest look at itself and give up all hope of self-redemption, turn to Christ as the Last Adam, and be reborn as a new creature having a new nature.

Controlling the flesh with law is like trying to domesticate a tiger. If you are somewhat successful in putting the necessary outer restraints on him, his nature remains the same. If you remove his claws, teach him to jump through hoops and sit at the snap of a whip you still can't turn your back on him.

So it is when the flesh is leashed with law. The law tells man to be righteous by keeping its commandments, but the harder he tries the more apparent sin becomes and the more the law grinds him down. Since it is not his habit to give up too soon, he doubles his efforts. From there it is just a matter of time before his energy is spent, his resolve is dashed and he collapses under the weight of it all. From God's view the law has done its precious work. It has destroyed the illusion of man's righteousness. It has tricked him, assayed him and found him wanting. His early hopes of obeying the law and being counted holy through law-keeping are dashed. All that is left is the seeing and knowing his own inadequacies.

It is difficult for man to fully appreciate how redemptive this is. The law was never given as a remedy for sin and the flesh. It was given to increase the offense so that as sin abounds, grace would much more abound (Romans 5:20). Paul went so far as to say that "the power of sin is the law" (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). Sin was empowered (increased and intensified) by the Law. In what way does the increase of sin serve God's redemptive purpose?

Salvation begins with an honest and accurate assessment of your own condition. All efforts to cover sin by masking it in human philanthropy must be acknowledged as futile. You must see yourself as an undeserving sinner before you can receive the free gift of righteousness. The law was given to frustrate the self-righteous. So wrote Spurgeon: "The law is for the self-righteous, to humble their pride: the gospel is for the lost, to remove their despair" (Spurgeon - All of Grace).

You cannot receive the grace of God as long as you think there is any goodness in you or that you can do any good thing in the eyes of God. You cannot be counted righteous until you stop trying to be blameless through works and trust Him who justifies the ungodly. "But to him that works not, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Romans 4 5). The law leads man to the turning-point of giving up on works.

The flesh prefers its own sacrifice for sins and devalues the cleansing blood of Christ. God bestows grace. Man wants to earn it. God gives repentance. Man prefers penance and restitution. Under grace we are not asked to undo or repair every evil thing we have ever done. We are asked to accept free and full payment for our sins provided by Another. We are asked to stop trying to be righteous on our own. We are asked to cease from these dead works and accept His free and unmerited gift.

If we do receive forgiveness and the free gift of righteousness, another temptation arises. Pride tempts us to balance the ledger by paying God back, and soon every act of obedience becomes a payment. Weare not calling for complete inactivity; God's grace is the most active force in the universe, but grace does not permit purely human activity. God's grace is the most powerful and sufficient when it meets with good old honest, non-delusional human weakness.

According to Peter, grace and peace are multiplied unto us through "the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord" and that "His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness. . ." to the end that we "may become partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:2-3). Peter went on to exhort us to add to our faith moral excellence and to moral excellence, knowledge, and to knowledge self-control, and to self-control, perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love. Many of these things are listed in Galatians 5 as fruits of the Spirit. Otherwise they are merely self-improvement. Norman Grubb aptly said, "self-improvement is both a sin and an impossibility." Self-control is not self-control. It is a fruit of the Spirit. Love does not originate in us any more than goodness does. It also is a fruit of the Spirit. Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit. All that we are and ever will be and all that we do and ever will do, are owing to God's grace. "But by the grace of God I am what I am," wrote Paul, "and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1 Corinthians 15:10).

Paul was who he was by the grace of God. He labored abundantly but least we think that this was something done in his own strength, we should note three little words, yet not I. "Yet not I, but the grace of God." Yet not I? Very similar words are found in Galatians 2:20. "I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. . ." Grace is the empowering, life changing force of Christ in us who is our new life Source.

How can we live and not live? How can we labor without laboring? Grace is defined in the answer to these questions. I live, yet not I . . . I labored, yet not I . . . He lives! He labors! This is grace in action, God working in us both the willingness and the ability to do His good pleasure. There is no room for pride because it is all by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To the Philippians Paul wrote, "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling." This seems to put the complete responsibility for working out salvation on the shoulders of the believer, but Paul went on to specify, "For it is God who is producing in you both the desire and the ability to do what pleases him" (Philippians 2:12 -13). Grace is God working in us and through us, and if He has His way with us, we will be anything but idle.

The fact remains that anything done apart from God working in and through us is nothing. Jesus said, "without me you can do nothing," so everything done without Him is exactly that, nothing. The best we can do in and of ourselves is nothing. When we forget that and return to the treadmill of the law, our grace is no longer grace and love's graciousness disappears as well. In their place is a stern and exacting taskmaster.

Many of us have experienced what happens to a fellowship of believers that embrace the work ethic of the law. It is not a pretty sight. I (George) have seen it many times and participated in it many times, feeling perfectly righteous all the while before I knew what it was. I have seen it destroy the love of believers and end in such ugliness and anger that the unsaved felt justified. God only knows how many times this debtor's mentality has hindered grace.
The Debtor's Mentality and the Debtor's Prison

Jesus uses a parable about a debtor's prison to teach about this. He described the operations of grace and law in Christian relationships and the blessings and consequences of both.

Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.' And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.' So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.' But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then summoning him, his lord said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?' And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart." (Matthew 18:21-35).

In this parable we learn that God forgives on request without restitution being required. We also learn something important about unforgiveness. The man's refusal to forward grace resulted in a series of divine consequences. Unforgiveness is a return to legalism. It is as exacting and demanding as the law. It keeps a precise ledger and balance to determine just how completely the debt is paid, right down to the last penny. It mercilessly holds others accountable for full payment. They will not be released until everything is made right and they will be tortured until they do.

Unforgiveness is the debtors-mentality, a merciless mindset that refuses to release others until they pay all that is due. It is the exact opposite of grace, which gives what is not due and eliminates all debt. When God forgives, He frees the forgiven from all obligation to repay. This is how we who have accepted Christ have been forgiven. Yet how often do we turn right around in our relationships with others and insist that they make everything right before we release them? As in the parable, we take them about the throat and say, "Pay me what you owe!" Nothing could be more contradictory to the example of Jesus. God didn't send Jesus into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17). He didn't come to browbeat sinners, but to set the captives free.

We have drifted so far away from Christ's example that one believer rightly observed, "We Christians seem to have a vested interest in the damnation of others." What did we lose that leaves us behaving in a manner so unlike our Lord? It all comes down to what we are forwarding. We have been forgiven a great debt! This should be reflected in our behavior. We should forward mercy and grace rather than law, condemnation and judgment. We should release others just as we have been released. What we forward to others we will get back, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.

Jesus exhorted His followers, "Be you therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." Then He went on to show how that is done.

"Judge not, and you shall not be judged: condemn not, and you shall not be condemned: forgive, and you shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your lap. For with the same measure that you measure it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:35-38)

In His mercy God does not give us what we deserve, and if we are to be merciful as he is merciful, we too will not judge and condemn. Through His grace God gives us what we don't deserve and if we are to be as our Father, we too will forgive and give. This is the testimony of grace Christians are called to demonstrate. "Be you therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful."

The same is true of giving. The giving that Jesus spoke of is clearly not the giving demanded by the law. Jesus was not talking about dutifully giving a tithe to maintain a temple or clergy system. He wants gracious giving that gives as freely as He does to those in need. In fact, this giving is called liberality ( Greek khar'-ece -- grace) in 1 Corinthians 16:3 and is called grace throughout the rest of the scriptures. "And when I come, whomsoever you shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality (grace) unto Jerusalem." God desires to give us this liberality, a free gift that is heaped up, running over, and so well shaken together that we can't contain it and so it overflows from us to others.

In giving to the poor at Jerusalem, the Corinthian believers weren't earning anything. They were forwarding the grace and liberality of God. It was not a demanded gift. It was, as the Amplified Bible says, "not as an extortion [wrung out of you] but as a generous and willing gift." It was considered sowing because it was given with God's gracious giving in mind. "[Remember] this: he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to someone] will also reap generously and with blessings (2 Corinthians 9:6 Amplified Bible).

Such giving can never be by compulsion. It cannot be demanded through legalistic browbeating. Any gift given out of coercion or duress is not liberality. Legalistic giving is a stingy and graceless giving that never willingly gives more than the law demands. The giving of the tenth becomes an excuse for not giving all. The giving of grace can only occur when each one has freedom to give (or not give) from the heart.

Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, "prompt to do it") giver [whose heart is in his giving]. (2 Corinthians 9:7 Amplified Bible)

We are free to give without fear of lack because "God is able to meet all our needs from His riches in glory." We give and He gives to us. We stop the flow and so does He. The river of life flows freely in His kingdom and we are called to drink of it freely. He is able to make all grace come to us in abundance. He will never allow those who give to the poor to go without because that giving is the testimony of His continued grace. He wants us to be conduits of His grace to those in need. James calls this "visiting the widows and orphans in their affliction." We are to be His hands, meeting them at their point of need. This is "pure religion that is undefiled before God..." (James 1:27).

Once, I (Michael) heard Father say, "Michael, you have been generous to the church where you stand to get something back, but now I want to show you a higher kind of giving, giving to those who cannot return to you in kind." At the church I gave to, I was able to use the copy machine and the conference room for ministry purposes, could get free counseling, the pastor was a good Bible teacher, and we freely took food from the church food bank at no cost. My wife was receiving a salary for being the church secretary as well, so the perks for our tithing were many. It was then that He sent me to Guatemala to work at an orphanage with poor children. Those kids loved Him and had nothing of this world to give back to me as I ministered to them, but they had abundant love for me and that was payment enough. It is one thing to give our worldly wealth to those who can give the same in return, but another to give to those who have nothing to give back to us. Jesus taught according to this same principle.

"When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your kinsmen or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just." (Luke 14:12-14 RSV)

Let's prayerfully read Paul's reminder to those who were freely forwarding this grace to the poor saints at Jerusalem.

"As it is written, He [the benevolent person] scatters abroad; He gives to the poor; His deeds of justice and goodness and kindness and benevolence will go on and endure forever! And [God] Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for] sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness [which manifests itself in active goodness, kindness, and charity]. Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way, so that you can be generous, and [your generosity as it is] administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God. For the service that the ministering of this fund renders does not only fully supply what is lacking to the saints (God's people), but it also overflows in many [cries of] thanksgiving to God. Because at [your] standing of the test of this ministry, they will glorify God for your loyalty and obedience to the Gospel of Christ which you confess, as well as for your generous-hearted liberality to them and to all [the other needy ones]. And they yearn for you while they pray for you, because of the surpassing measure of God's grace (His favor and mercy and spiritual blessing which is shown forth) in you. Now thanks be to God for His Gift, [precious] beyond telling [His indescribable, inexpressible, free Gift]!"

By this we see how important giving is. It is a demonstration of Christ's grace. "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9). This giving is a demonstration of the gospel of grace and goes far beyond giving to friends.
Loving Our Enemies

You have heard that it has been said, You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you, and persecute you; That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:43-45 KJ200, emphasis added)

Do you have a hard time perceiving and enjoying God as your loving Father? When we start living out His love and kindness with His New Covenant heart within us, we will not only know Him as our Father in a real way, but others will know Him through His love flowing forth from us to friend and foe alike.

If we do not forward the mercy we have received from Him to others we will receive no mercy. Here again we see the debtor's mentality (unforgiveness) and the debtors prison. If we judge we will be judged. If we condemn we will be condemned. Someone said, "To live in unforgiveness and bitterness against another is like drinking poison, hoping the other person will die." Unforgiveness eats us up from the inside out and defiles all those around us as it draws others into it morass as we tell everyone who will listen what a bad person so-in-so is and what they have done.

It is in the empowering commands "forgive and give" that the grace of God is most evident and the "yet not I" is most needful. In them God shows a living demonstration of the gospel of grace.

Forgiving and giving are the only proper responses to the extravagant giving of God. When God forgives it seems excessive from a human point of view. He absorbs the entire debt. Forgiveness is bearing the penalty for someone else's sin. It means He absorbs the debt, bears the consequences for the loss, and lets the debtor go free.

As wonderful as this is, God's grace does far more. What did He do after He mercifully forgave us? He graced us with His riches! It is one thing to forgive someone a large debt but quite another to take out your wallet and give all your money. Jesus said,

And if any man will sue you at the law, and take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. And whosoever shall compel you to go a mile, go with him two. Give to him that asks you, and from him that would borrow of you turn not away. (Matthew 5:40-42 KJ2000)

Christ laid down His life for us while we were yet enemies of God. Jesus also requires us to present this good news while demonstrating His grace to those who hate us and seek to harm us.

We have all heard stories of heroic men and women who gave their lives for friends and loved ones, but I can think of only one Man who freely laid down His life for His enemies (Romans 5:7 - 10). Paul condensed this down to a single area of conflict. "Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good" (Romans 12:21). When we return the aggression of our enemies, we are conquered, because we have entered their place of expertise and strength. We are meeting them on their battleground. Man has never conquered on that ground. With all his armies that marched the world over and fleets of ships that dominated the seas, he has never once come close to conquering on that field. Wars were "won," but the peace was never won because the real enemy was not vanquished.

The words "overcome evil with good" describe an altogether different kind of victory. They concisely illustrate the strategy and victory of our Lord Jesus Christ who died for a captive world that hated Him and vanquished the one who tries to hold us captive. This is the only victory that can win the peace. "[God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross]" (Colossians 2:15, Amplified Bible). Jesus overcame evil with good. This example of the cross is intertwined with the gospel and cannot be separated. If the gospel is going to be heard, believed, and have its powerful effect, a living demonstration of the cross and a profound sharing in the sufferings of Christ must accompany it.

While travelling on foot the Indian Christian missionary Sadhu Sundar Singh came on reapers harvesting in a field. He began to preach the gospel to them. Upset that he preached about Christ the owner of the field hurled a stone and hit Sundar Singh just above the eye inflicting a bleeding wound. Sundar quietly went to a nearby stream, washed his wound and returned to the field. The reapers took note that he "did not cast a spell or even utter a word of cursing at the man who had caused him injury," which they fully expected him to do. Suddenly the field owner got a headache so severe that he couldn't continue working. Sundar Singh calmly took up his scythe and completed his work for him. At the end of the day Sundar Singh preach Christ to the entire village and from that day forward was given a warm welcome whenever he passed by. What did Sundar do here? He loved his enemy.

The mercy of God and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ are on display when God's children forgive and give (Romans 12:19 - 21). The gospel will be hindered until this becomes a reality in us.
The Standard of Conduct; the Gospel of Grace and the Word of The Cross

Watchman Nee wrote almost eighty years ago,

"Nothing has done greater damage to our Christian testimony than our trying to be right and demanding right of others. We become preoccupied with what is and what is not right. We ask ourselves, Have we been justly or unjustly treated? And we think thus to validate our actions. But this is not our standard. The whole question for us is one of cross-bearing. You ask me, 'Is it right for someone to strike my cheek?' I reply, 'Of course not! But the question is, do you only want to be right?' As Christians our standard of living can never be 'right or wrong,' but the cross. The principle of the cross is our principle of conduct. Praise God that he makes his sun to shine on the evil and the good. With him it is a question of his grace and not of right and wrong. But that is to be our standard also: "Forgive each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32). Right or wrong is the principle of the Gentiles and tax gathers. My life is to be governed by the principle of the cross and of the perfection of the Father: "Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect . . . We have nothing to stand for, nothing to ask or demand. We have only to give." (Watchman Nee - Sit, Walk, Stand).

How could Mr. Nee make such a statement? How could he say that trying to be right and demanding right of others has done greater damage to the Christian testimony than anything else?

The early believers had no New Testament but they had the gospel of grace in a measure and purity that we don't today. The preaching of the cross is the power of God to those who believe (1 Corinthians 1:18 ), and every appeal for right conduct was based on it. This is especially so in Paul's letters. To the Philippians he wrote, "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ. . ." (Philippians 1:27 - 29). Let your conduct be in keeping with the gospel of Christ. Paul wrote about forgiveness, ".bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do" (Colossians 3:13).

When Paul saw certain Jewish Christians treating their Gentile brothers and sisters like second class citizens, he reminded them that "they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel" (Galatians 2:14). He reminded the believers at Rome that "Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, 'The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on Me.'" Why did he redirect their attention to this foundational gospel truth? He did it to remind them of their need to be like-minded toward one another and walk according to Christ Jesus. "Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus. . . Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God" (Romans 15:3 - 7). Here again the gospel of grace is the touchstone of Christian conduct.

To husbands he wrote, "Husbands, love your wives. . ." By what standard are they to do this? ". . . just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her (Ephesians 5:24-25). This is conduct worthy of the gospel of grace. This is the gospel that touches every area of life. This is the gospel Paul called "the power of God." This is the gospel that makes marriage counselors obsolete. The gospel of grace affects and empowers correctness in every area of life, because it is confirmed by God himself with power.

What would it be like if all God's Children lived according to the gospel of Christ and released every person who has hurt them? What would it be like if the good of these words, "be releasing, and you shall be released," came to their complete fruition among us? What would it be like if we stopped counting the failings of others and forgave them as Christ has forgiven us? What would it be like if we stopped stereotyping them, freeze-framing them so they cannot get beyond previous offenses? What would it be like if we fired the accountant in our heads and gave as "irresponsibly" and "scandalously" as God does? These are questions we ask ourselves. We judge no one here, because in this we are the chief of sinners.

We are seeing through a glass darkly and we have been given enough grace to pray, "Father, please empower us to live according to Christ Jesus. Deliver us completely from the debtor's mentality that binds our brothers and sisters to debt and ourselves to exactness and greediness! Forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Empower us to release others and give to them as freely and extravagantly as you have forgiven us! We know we can't do this on our own, for yours is the power, kingdom and the glory. So we ask in Your name and for Your glory that You would give us the grace to liberate every one who has ever wronged us. Help us to set them free just as you have set us free! Empower us to do for our enemies what you have done for us. Empower us to love them! Help us set aside all prejudice and so-called patriotism that would make us curse and not love the Muslim people. Help us to completely turn from the eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth "crusade" mentality that tries to conquer evil with evil and has succeeded only in filling the world with hate. Deliver all your children from this untoward generation so we can once again turn the world up-side-down (right-side-up) with your love and grace. Amen!"

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“GEREJA DALAM BENAK SAYA DULU” (E-BOOK BE THE CHURCH)

“GEREJA DALAM BENAK SAYA DULU”


Keluarga besar saya termasuk keluarga yang taat beragama dan menghadiri ibadah gereja setiap Minggu, terlebih keluarga Oma Buyut saya adalah salah satu majelis terpandang di gereja yang sudah berdiri sejak zaman kolonial Belanda. Saya teringat ketika diajarkan bahwa gereja merupakan gedung tempat suci dimana kita menjumpai Tuhan. Gedung gereja kami sangatlah artistik dan kuno dengan perlengkapan alat musik orgel (semacam organ zaman dahulu menggunakan pipa-pipa). Tempat tersebut suci maka kita harus berpakaian yang sopan dan terbaik, kita harus beretika seperti bila kita menghadap Presiden, sebab Tuhan kita, Raja di atas segala raja. Kita tidak boleh ribut, harus duduk rapih dan diam apalagi saat firman Tuhan atau khotbah. Dimana saya diajarkan Tuhan sedang berbicara melalui hambaNya, yaitu Bapak atau Ibu Pendeta. Sebagai seorang anak kecil pada saat itu, terus terang saya tidak menikmati kegiatan ibadah umum tersebut. Saya merasakan tiga jam ibadah yang menyiksa, karena saya harus banyak diam dan duduk “membeku” kalau tidak mata Mama atau orang di sekeliling saya akan melotot seolah saya sudah melakukan dosa yang tak terampuni. Hal yang mungkin melegakan saya adalah saat Bapak Pendeta mengucapkan doa berkat penutup dan lalu bernyanyi,”Amien….Amien…Amien.” Wah, langsung dada saya plong dan berkata dalam hati,”Akhirnya selesai juga.” Rutinitas beribadah ke gereja setiap Minggu pagi pada saat itu merupakan rutinitas paling membosankan bagi diri saya tetapi saya diajarkan bahwa itulah hidup kekristenan dan tanda kesetiaan saya pada Tuhan Yesus.

Saat saya kecil, Mama sering membawa saya ke toko buku Kristen, satu-satunya di kota Bandung saya rasa pada masa itu, Kalam Hidup. Di toko buku tersebut, saya membeli literatur buku cerita bergambar tentang Alkitab (yang sangat terbatas pada masa itu), saya paling menyukai tokoh Tuhan Yesus. Saya sangat mengagumi Tuhan saya, Yesus Kristus. Bagaimana Ia begitu mudah di dekati bahkan Ia menerima anak-anak kecil untuk duduk dipangkuanNya kala Ia tengah mengajar umat Tuhan. Timbul pertanyaan dalam benak saya, kalau Tuhan begitu mudah didekati mengapa sangat sulit untuk mendekati Pendeta? Bahkan saat Ia mengajar anak-anak ada di sekitarNya, apakah mereka juga harus duduk diam seperti saya saat berada di tempat ibadah atau mereka bertingkah sebagaimana anak-anak pada umumnya? Saya melihat bahwa anak-anak merasa aman dan nyaman untuk mendekati Tuhan Yesus sedang saya melihat anak-anak di gereja termasuk saya ketika itu, memiliki perasaan yang sebaliknya terhadap pendeta kami, melihat pendeta mengenakan jubah hitam besar dan wajahnya yang tegang, serius dan sedikit senyum membuat kami sebagai “kaum anak” merasa ikut tegang dan takut. Terkadang kami sudah mengulurkan tangan untuk bersalaman, Bapak pendeta tidak memberi salam pada kami sebab matanya tertuju pada Oom atau Tante yang ada di belakang kami, sedang kami begitu kecil dan terlewatkan. Hingga timbul persepsi dalam benak saya dulu bahwa sebagai anak kecil kami ini tidak berharga. Bila saya tanya pada Mama, mengapa Bapak Pendeta tidak mau menerima salam saya, Mama pun hanya diam seribu bahasa (mungkin Mama pun tak tahu cara untuk menerangkannya). Hingga akhirnya saya pun menjadi malas untuk bertanya dan beranggapan memang seperti itulah gereja.

Pada saat yang lain, anggota keluarga saya akan mengikuti sakramen baptisan (denominasi gereja kami mempercayai baptisan anak). Saya melihat anak-anak dari keluarga besar saya akan mengikuti baptisan, maka saya pun berbicara pada Mama bahwa saya pun ingin dibaptis. Tetapi Mama berkata,”Maaf Dave, kamu belum boleh dibaptis.” Dengan wajah penuh keheranan saya pun bertanya,”Kenapa ga boleh,Ma…itu si A dan si B kok boleh?” Mama menghela napasnya dan dengan nada yang berat menyampaikan,”Dave, karena Mama belum menikah dan diberkati oleh gereja maka kamu ga bisa dibaptis.” Hati saya sedih, terluka dan tertolak saat melihat saudara-saudara saya dibaptis pada pagi itu.
(Kesaksian: Mama saya sempat terkena bujuk rayu kekasihnya untuk melakukan “hal terlarang” dalam masa berpacaran hingga akhirnya mama saya hamil melahirkan diri saya di luar lembaga pernikahan dan pria tersebut lari dari tanggungjawabnya)
Hal tersebut memukul batin Dave kecil saat itu, saya merasa bahwa Tuhan dan gereja menolak diri saya sebab saya terlahir ke dunia ini bukan dari lembaga pernikahan yang sah dan sempurna. Saya merasa “anak yang cacat” di mata gereja dan Tuhan. Sayangnya Mama maupun pihak gereja tidak menyadari hal tersebut. Hingga timbul dalam benak Dave kecil saat itu, bila gereja atau Tuhan menolak saya untuk apa saya melibatkan diri dalam kegiatan atau ritual ibadah yang membosankan ini? Mulai saat itu saya membuat seribu satu alasan agar saya tak perlu pergi ke gereja. Kalau pun saya “dipaksa” ikut, saya banyak mangkir ke toilet…..dan ternyata banyak sekali Oom-Oom terkasih di sana menghisap rokok sambil mengobrol menantikan khotbah atau doa syafaat berakhir….mereka pun ternyata bosan berada di dalam. Bertambahlah kuat dalam benak saya persepsi bahwa gereja adalah tempat paling membosankan di muka bumi.

Pengalaman masa kecil membuat saya bertumbuh sebagai remaja yang memberontak dan terlibat dalam dunia hitam di jalanan. Hanya oleh kasih karunia Tuhan saja, Ia membawa saya kembali ke dalam pelukanNya.

Saat saya bertobat dalam salah satu acara Kebaktian Kebangunan Rohani di kota Bandung. Saya pun mengalami kesulitan saat sudah bertobat dan kembali ke pelukan Tuhan Yesus. Saya banyak mengalami banyak penolakan “hanya” akibat cara saya berpakaian kala beribadah. Orang sangat antipati sebab saya berambut gondrong, mengenakan anting, bercelana jeans belel dan mengenakan t-shirt warna hitam. Semua pandangan mata penuh curiga, seorang Tante yang duduk disebelah saya selama ibadah terus memegang tasnya dan menatap dengan penuh curiga. Bukan karena saya tidak mau “berpakaian sopan” hanya saja selama 12 tahun hidup sebagai anak geng di jalanan, saya tak punya celana kain ataupun kemeja. Namun saya pun tak memiliki ruang untuk memberikan penjelasan sebab tak ada seorang pun yang bertanya. Apakah Tuhan Yesus hanya menerima orang yang berpakaian rapih dan sopan? Apakah Tuhan tidak tahu masalah kami yang berasal “dari jalanan”? Kembali pertanyaan ini menggelayuti pemikiran saya. Hampir saja saya menyerah akibat penolakan pihak gereja pada saat itu, sampai saya berdoa dan Tuhan berbicara melalui hati nurani saya,”Dave, bila kau terus memandang manusia atau organisasi gereja maka kau akan kecewa. Sebab itu “hanya” fokus padaKU sebab AKU tak akan menolakmu.”

Sebagai orang awam saat itu saya berpandangan bahwa gereja merupakan tempat suci hanya bagi orang-orang yang “kudus” dan mengikuti budaya gereja tersebut (cara berpakaian, berbicara, bersikap selama ibadah), tidak ada tempat bagi orang yang “berbeda”, saya pun harus menjadi sempurna dengan mengikuti aturan-aturan yang telah ditetapkan entah itu alkitabiah atau hanya bagian dari tradisi pendiri organisasi tersebut. Mulai saat itulah saya pun mengikuti “budaya” setempat agar dapat diterima. Saya suka atau tidak diikuti saja “demi Tuhan Yesus”.

Apa yang diajarkan pada saya tentang gereja di Sekolah Alkitab

Saat saya mengikuti Sekolah Alkitab saya mendapatkan mata kuliah Pertumbuhan Gereja. Kami sebagai mahasiswa diajarkan bahwa setiap hamba Tuhan harus dapat merintis gereja sebab itu yang Tuhan Yesus kehendaki. Dosen kami (jebolan Sekolah Pertumbuhan Gereja dari Pendeta David Yonggi Cho di Korea Selatan) mengajarkan bahwa faktor penyebab pertumbuhan jemaat adalah faktor kelahiran (dalam jemat yang sudah eksis), lokasi atau tempat ibadah yang strategis dan penginjilan.

Lebih lanjut dosen saya mengajarkan mengenai betapa pentingnya sebuah gereja mempunyai visi. Ini merupakan hal pertama yang harus dimiliki oleh gereja yaitu visi. Ia menyatakan bahwa perkembangan sebuah jemaat ditentukan oleh Pendetanya. Gereja yang berkembang pesat menjadi mega church (gereja mega) memiliki pemimpin yang dinamis dan inovatif. Pemimpin gereja yang dinamis memiliki iman, visi dan rencana yang terfokus; pemimpin model ini akan dengan mudah mempengaruhi kehidupan seluruh jemaat dan perkembangan pelayanan yang digembalakan menuju pertumbuhan yang pesat.
Sebagai contoh beliau menggambarkan apa yang dilakukan oleh Pendeta Yonggi Cho, sebagai pemimpin beliau memaparkan sasaran-sasaran apa saja yang akan mereka capai setiap tahunnya. Umpamanya memperluas kompleks gereja, meningkatkan jumlah anggota, meningkatkan persekutuan sel keluarga, menggencarkan penginjilan dalam segala bentuk media melalui World Mission Crusade dan meningkatkan serta menguatkan iman setiap anggota jemaat melalui berbagai pelatihan pembinaan iman dalam gereja.

Hal yang kedua beliau tekankan adalah kehidupan doa bahwa doa dapat mengubah segala keadaan. Penekanan bahwa setiap gereja harus memiliki ibadah doa semalam suntuk minimal sekali seminggu tetapi bila hendak berkembang pesat seperti gereja Yoido Full Gospel yang digembalakan Pdt Yonggi Cho maka ibadah doa semalam suntuk harus diadakan setiap hari. Setelah itu disusul ibadah doa pagi setiap hari, dari pukul 04.30 hingga 06.00. Kegiatan ini diikuti oleh jemaat Pdt Yonggi Cho dengan rajin, ibadah doa ini setiap harinya dihadiri oleh ribuan orang. Mereka juga memiliki bukit doa yang berada di luar kota Seoul yang dibuka bagi siapa saja selama 24 jam, yang mau datang untuk berdoa bagi kemajuan gereja Yoido Full Gospel dan kebutuhan lainnya.

Hal ketiga adalah perlunya gereja memiliki kelompok sel. Beliau mengajarkan bahwa salah satu kunci sukses pertumbuhan dan pertambahan jemaat pada gereja Yoido Full Gospel adalah sistem kelompok sel. Beliau menerangkan bahwa kelompok sel terdiri dari 8 hingga 15 Kepala Keluarga di suatu wilayah dan pada hari tertentu untuk berdoa, berbakti dan mempelajari firman Tuhan yang telah disampaikan oleh Gembala Sidang pada ibadah raya.
Dalam kelompok sel ini diadakan doa bagi mereka yang mempunyai masalah, penyakit dan mencari kepenuhan Roh Kudus. Sasaran setiap sel adalah melahirkan sel baru lagi setelah jumlah mereka yang berkumpul lebih dari 15 KK, maka kelompok sel itu harus membelah membentuk sel baru. Kaum awam dilibatkan dalam pelayanan ini diharapkan mereka menjadi anggota aktif dan tidak pasif.
Kami diajarkan tujuh hal yang perlu dihindari terjadi dalam kelompok sel, yaitu bahwa ketua sel harus seorang pria, ibadah kelompok sel tidak boleh dicampuradukkan dengan ucapan syukur/acara sejenis ini diadakan terpisah atau setelah ibadah sel, pemimpin yang tak berkualitas (sebab itu setiap ketua kelompok sel harus mengikuti kelas-kelas pelatihan, memiliki sertifikat dan didoakan di muka jemaat umum dalam ibadah raya), dilarang mengundang pengkhotbah tamu (sebab siapa tahu memiliki doktrin yang berbeda dengan gereja kita dan menyesatkan jemaat), dilarang saling pinjam meminjam entah barang apalagi uang antar jemaat, tempat ibadah atau rumah harus yang memadai, dan persembahan harus langsung disetor ke bendahara gereja agar tidak ada yang menggunakannya.
Kami juga diberikan petunjuk liturgi ibadah kelompok sel:
Doa
Pujian
Kesaksian
Persembahan pujian/pujian
Persembahan/kolekte
Firman Tuhan
Doa bagi masalah, penyakit dan kepenuhan Roh Kudus
Doa penutup
Sedang cara memulai sebuah kelompok sel adalah dengan mencari tempat yang besar dan cukup strategis (orang yang bersedia rumahnya digunakan), diumumkan melalui buletin gereja dan juga mimbar gereja pada ibadah raya, memilih dan menetapkan pemimpin, dimulai dari anggota keluarga sendiri dan menyusun target untuk mengundang 15 KK di luar jemaat organisasi gereja kita sampai target itu tercapai dan lalu membelah menjadi sel yang baru.

Hal keempat, gereja harus memiliki program missi. Gereja harus terlibat dalam missi dunia, mengirimkan tenaga misionaris menjangkau suku terabaikan di dalam negeri sendiri maupun negara-negara lain. Gereja yang terlibat missi pasti diberkati oleh Tuhan Yesus.

Hal kelima, seorang pendeta yang sukses harus memiliki staf yang memiliki loyalitas terhadap visi global gereja, kharisma dan kemampuan melayani secara profesional. Mereka harus dapat menjadi “pahlawan” bagi jemaat.

Hal keenam, gereja kita harus bergabung dengan sebuah sinode yang memiliki struktur organisasi yang baik. Jangan bergabung dengan sinode dengan struktur yang kaku dan mati sebab akan menghambat pertumbuhan jemaat.

Hal ketujuh, masalah khotbah haruslah yang up to date (terkini), menggugah iman, memberi motivasi dan menunjukkan rasa simpati serta beban kebutuhan hidup jemaat. Saat itu kami ditekankan untuk menyampaikan khotbah yang menekankan rahasia kehidupan; seperti bagaimana hidup sukses, rahasia hidup sehat & bahagia, jalan keluar dari segala masalah, bagaimana lepas dari jerat hutang, dan pergumulan hidup dan yang sejenisnya. Diharapkan ketika jemaat merasa kebutuhan hidupnya terjawab melalui khotbah kita maka mereka pun akan membawa orang lain masuk dalam jemaat kita. Hingga terjadi pertumbuhan dalam jemaat akibat khotbah kita yang tepat sasaran.

Di akhir mata kuliah ini, dosen saya juga memberikan 7 rahasia pertumbuhan dari gereja Crystal Cathedral yang digembalakan Pendeta Robert Schuller di Amerika Serikat:

Gereja harus berada-ada di tengah masyarakat.
Memiliki tempat parkir yang luas.
Mudah dicapai dan strategis lokasinya.
Kebaktiannya harus hidup, menarik dan mengena pada kebutuhan jemaat.
Pemikiran positif dan motivasi yang disampaikan melalui khotbah
Jangan takut berhutang untuk membangun gereja (gedung ibadah)
Pemasaran/propaganda gereja dengan memperkenalkan pelayanan gereja kita melalui masmedia dan program apa saja yang dikerjakan.

Sejak saat itu buku-buku mengenai cara penanaman gereja dari para pendeta mega church, rahasia kebangunan rohani dan cara menjadi pendeta sukses menjadi lalapan saya. Bahkan buku-buku bacaan rohani tersebut menjadi lebih penting daripada Alkitab itu sendiri tanpa saya menyadarinya. Bukannya mencari blue print dari Tuhan, saya mencari rumus kesuksesan gereja dari rekan-rekan pendeta….saya coba mengikuti blue print mereka.
Gereja dalam pandangan saya saat itu lebih pada sebuah tempat atau gedung yang harus terus menerus dirawat dan dibangun, memiliki program terpadu, harus menyampaikan khotbah pengajaran yang menjawab kebutuhan dan kedahagaan jemaat, dan membesarkan jumlah anggota. Ukuran keberhasilan saya saat itu adalah dari betapa megahnya gedung gereja yang kami dirikan, berapa banyak jumlah anggota jemaat kami, berapa banyak perpuluhan dan persembahan yang kami dapatkan, padatnya jadwal khotbah kita baik di dalam maupun luar jemaat, berapa banyak orang yang mengalami “lawatan Allah” (tumbang saat didoakan, menangis tersedu, dll), dapat mendirikan sekolah Alkitab sendiri dan mengutus misionaris menjangkau suku terabaikan. Semuanya ini menjadi target pelayanan penanaman gereja saya. Saya ingin punya nama besar dari gereja yang saya rintis di dalam nama Tuhan.

Friends Letter April 2010

Hello Friends
As most of you know, Kyrgyzstan has had a change of government after opposition protesters were shot at by troops and police using live ammunition. The opposition fought back and police are among the 100 dead and the many wounded. Due to wide spread destruction and looting, a poor country is much poorer and economic uncertainty has increased. The provisional government is in charge and things are now generally calm. Some report that the interim government leader, Rosa Otunbayeva is a follower of Jesus. I Timothy 2:1- 4 takes on a new urgency in such times!

One of the KG friends reports hearts open to Jesus as they visit families who have lost loved ones and as they visit those in hospital and seek to find the medicines that they need. Another friend and her team in the east of the country have begun relationships with three more houses of peace and baptized two more households.

The friends from Tajikistan report that they took four addicts into their house of peace who had decided to become followers of Jesus. "We prayed for them and they all came through deliverance without cold turkey effect. It is a miracle of the Lord. Jesus has also healed liver and breathing system." On a very sombre they also note that many addicts are dying of overdoses so that there is a lot of work to do.

A new follower of Jesus tells her story how she was visiting family when they began to talk to her about Jesus. She was frightened that they should pray to any one than Allah but their story of freedom caught her attention. She says that while listening "I felt immediately pain in my kidneys and fell down. The couple got scared of course. I was crooked with pain and meanwhile heard them praying. Isa Tenir, (Jesus help us), touching the painful place, and then the pain was gone. In the night, I had a dream that lots of mineral water was brought to our home. Then a man in white robes came up to me, opened up a bottle of water and poured some in my cup telling me to drink. I recalled how thirsty I was and drank it, while thinking how I could share the water with my parents and neigbours because there is no water in our wells. In the morning I shared about the dream and they read me a place from the Bible where Jesus was talking to a woman at the well. I was amazed and ever since I am following Jesus. I need to understand a lot and grow. Now I am praying so that I can serve because a lot of people need salvation and deliverance. I am also praying for my relatives and other villages to be saved."

Over the next few weeks Marilyn and I will be in Norway for the first time and then back to Ukraine. We are looking forward to sharing with our friends there after a two year absence.

Thank you for your prayer and support.
These are your stories as well!
Steve & Marilyn Hill
_____________________________________________________

www.harvest-now.org

North America
35 Colony Trail Blvd
Holland Landing ON L9N 1C6
+1.905.836.8943

Europe
Hoenderhoeve 23
Houten 3992 XK, NL
+31.30.638.4377

PENDAHULUAN (E-BOOK "BE THE CHURCH")

PENDAHULUAN


Pada tahun 1996 terjadi peristiwa berantai dimana gereja-gereja Indonesia mengalami aniaya di beberapa kota di Pulau Jawa. Gedung-gedung ibadah diserang dan dibakar, salah satu kisah yang mengharukan terjadi di Situbondo dimana keluarga pelayan Tuhan pun tewas sebagai martir dalam kerusuhan tersebut. Di belahan Pulau Jawa yang lain, saat itu saya tengah melayani di sebuah denominasi gereja yang berada di Jawa Barat. Kala itu gedung ibadah tempat kami melayani juga diserang dan dibakar oleh massa. Sangat menakutkan kondisi tersebut, melihat bangunan yang megah dan segala fasilitas yang ada lenyap seketika itu juga. Saat itu saya sendiri tengah melayani di kota lain sedang seorang rekan saya yang berada di lokasi berhasil meloloskan diri dari penyerangan tersebut. Puji Tuhan.
Ketika tiba hari Minggu beberapa hari setelah penyerangan dan pembakaran itu, jemaat menelpon kami dan menanyakan apakah tetap ada ibadah. Dan kami menjawab ibadah tetap ada, mereka pun menanyakan dimana dan bagaimana? Mereka bingung bagaimana kita akan beribadah sebab gedung ibadah hancur dilalap si jago merah, perlengkapan musik dan sound system rusak dan tidak ada bangku.
Peristiwa itu mulai mengganggu pikiran saya, sebegitu mudahnyakah gereja dihentikan dan ditutup? Apakah ini hanya satu-satunya cara kita beribadah pada Tuhan kita?

Beberapa tahun kemudian pada akhir 90-an saat itu kami tengah merintis sebuah jemaat di kota Pahlawan – Surabaya, “orangtua rohani” kami Pr Christopher dan Vijaya Khrisnasamy dari pelayanan Zoe Ministries Penang – Malaysia datang mengunjungi keluarga kami. Kala itu kami tinggal di daerah Kedondong yang sangat padat penduduk, beliau mentaati suara Tuhan untuk datang ke Indonesia dan “menguatkan” kami. Saat kami dalam kondisi tidak punya apa-apa, beliau datang mengunjungi kami.
Beliau datang sebagai ayah yang menerima keberadaan kami sebagai pelayan Tuhan bagi kaum terbuang dan tersisih. Saya sangat diberkati melalui pelayanan beliau sejak 1995, kala bertemu beliau di Discipleship Training School – YWAM Jakarta. Kami merasakan “pribadi Bapa surgawi” yang terefleksi melalui kehidupan keluarga mereka.
Gereja yang kami rintis memang berkembang tetapi jemaat kami mayoritas bukanlah orang kaya dan terpelajar. Mayoritas merupakan orang-orang yang selama ini tersisihkan dan dipandang sebelah mata. Ada kalanya kami ingin menyerah saat itu sebab kami tidak memiliki fasilitas apa-apa. Kami beribadah dari rumah ke rumah dan tak punya gedung atau sekretariat. Pelayanan berkembang dari hanya segelintir orang sampai lalu mencapai ratusan orang.
Kala kebingungan melanda diri kami, Tuhan mengutus anakNya dari Malaysia untuk menguatkan kami. Beliau menyampaikan sebuah nubuatan bagaimana Tuhan memakai pelayanan kami untuk memulihkan dan mengubahkan banyak jiwa sebagaimana Daud bersama pengikutnya di gua Adulam, segerombolan pecundang yang berubah menjadi sekumpulan pahlawan Daud. Bagaimana Tuhan menghendaki kami untuk menanam gereja dengan pola yang ada di dalam Perjanjian Baru seperti jemaat mula-mula di dalam kitab Kisah Para Rasul.
Beliau bercerita bagaimana ketika Idi Amien berkuasa di Uganda, ia menangkapi dan membunuh para pendeta dan orang Kristen dilarang bertemu untuk beribadah. Ada dua kepala keluarga yang setiap hari bertemu di sebuah pabrik tempat mereka bekerja. Tetapi mereka dilarang bahkan untuk berbicara mengenai Tuhan di tempat bekerja. Setiap sore ketika mereka pulang dan mengambil sepeda di tempat parkir, maka mereka berjalan berdampinga, lalu saling menanyakan keadaan masing-masing. Dalam perjalanan keluar tempat kerja, mereka saling mendoakan atau saling membagikan hasil saat teduh atau renungan pagi untuk saling menguatkan iman. Akhirnya mereka berpisah di ujung jalan kantor hingga keesokan harinya kembali.
Lalu beliau berkata pada saya,”Dave, itulah gereja.” Duueeer!!!!!! Saya sangat terkejut dengan pernyataan beliau. “Apakah itu bisa disebut gereja?” Beliau memberikan kutipan ayat di dalam Matius 18:20, “Sebab di mana dua atau tiga orang berkumpul dalam nama-Ku, di situ Aku ada di tengah-tengah mereka.”Paradigma mengenai gereja yang selama ini ada dalam benak saya terguncang.

Lain lagi ketika Inban Caldwell berdiskusi dengan saya (Inban dan Rozanne Caldwell merupakan “mentor rohani” kami yang lain), beliau menanamkan nilai kepemimpinan, ketegasan, keberanian dan kesungguhan untuk mencapai visi Tuhan. Dimana ketika itu ia mengajak saya memikirkan bagaimana caranya agar jemaat yang ada memiliki rasa takut akan Tuhan. Ia mengajarkan pada saya bahwa rasa takut akan Tuhan harus dimulai di rumah tangga. Ujian kita sebagai orang Kristen adalah di rumah, meskipun kita pandai berkhotbah dan mengajar Alkitab bahkan punya pelayanan internasional sekalipun tetapi orang di dalam rumah dapat tahu dengan pasti apakah kita orang Kristen yang melakukan firman Tuhan atau hanya seorang munafik yang pandai berbicara. Pendeknya praktek gereja harus dimulai di rumah.
Hal lain lagi yang ia tanamkan pada saya adalah bahwa setiap hari adalah kudus. Tidak ada sebuah hari yang lebih sakral dari yang lain. Semua hari sama hingga kita harus hidup dalam takut akan Tuhan setiap hari bahkan setiap saat tentunya. Bukan hanya pada hari Minggu, itupun tampak suci saat di dalam gedung ibadah saja.
Beliau juga menanamkan betapa pentingnya visi atau tujuan bagi umat Tuhan sebab bila tidak jemaat akan hidup tanpa tujuan yang jelas.

Dari teladan kehidupan kedua keluarga ini saya banyak belajar dan akhirnya mengajar arti servant leadership (kepemimpinan kehambaan) dan fathering leadership (kepemimpinan pembapaan). Menjadi “ayah rohani” bukan sekedar mendapat panggilan “papa atau papi” dari murid kita tetapi lebih pada fungsi. Benar-benar menjadi ayah kala suka maupun duka. Gereja sebagai keluarga Allah yang sesungguhnya dan buka sekedar “lips service”.

Sejak saat itu benak saya dipenuhi pertanyaan dan rasa ingin tahu yang besar untuk menyelidiki apakah itu gereja, apa rencana Tuhan tentang gerejaNya, Seperti apakah gereja yang didirikan Tuhan Yesus? Apakah saya membangun gereja Tuhan atau gereja saya sendiri? Apakah gereja saat ini alkitabiah atau tidak? Kepemimpinan seperti apa yang Tuhan kehendaki, kependetaan atau kepenatuaan dan mengapa? Apakah Tuhan menghendaki orang percaya sebagai pengikut atau muridNya? Bila saya menemukan kebenaranNya beranikah saya untuk melangkah berhadapan dengan tradisi gereja yang sudah terbangun selama berabad-abad?

Tujuan buku ini bukan untuk menyerang institusi gereja, tetapi untuk kembali bersama-sama memikirkan tujuan adanya gereja Tuhan di muka bumi. Agar gereja Tuhan dapat memobilisasi murid-murid Kristus menghasilkan buah yang tetap dan kekal bagi Bapa Surgawi. Church back to simplicity (gereja kembali kepada kesederhanaan).
Buku ini ditulis bukan demi diri saya atau pergerakan gereja rumah (house church movement) tetapi demi menanam gereja Tuhan sesuai blueprint-Nya. It’s all about Jesus.


(Ini Merupakan Pendahuluan dar E-book "Be The Church")

House Church 2 by John Fenn

Hi all,
Notes: Links for tomorrow's Webinars are posted below - the first is at 10am CDT followed by a live repeat at 7pm CDT. Tomorrow I'll share about Matthew 24/Luke 21, and what the Lord has told me through the years about our nation and end times things. (CDT is 1 hour earlier than US and Canada East Coast and 2 hours later than US/Canada West)

Also, I'll be traveling so there will be no Weekly Thoughts next week. Next one will be 1 May.

What to do about...?
Sooner or later questions will arise about a person who dominates conversation or those who don't have basic social courtesies in house church. Paul faced this too, for human nature has not changed.

The (home based) churches at Corinth were a diverse group. Acts 18:1-8 tells us of the founding of the church there, which began in Justus Gaius' house, a Roman who lived next door to the synagogue. Joining him were Crispus, the leader of the synagogue with various Jewish believers, and an assortment of Greeks from Corinth who believed. From Justus' house they quickly spread to other homes as they outgrew his house.

Imagine 3 cultures meeting together in a living room for the first time: Greek, Roman, Jewish!
The city of Corinth had a motto: "Liberty and knowledge", which basically meant "if it feels good do it, it's right for you". The Jews on the other hand, were very ordered and separated. Their women wore veils in that region and no Jew mixed with Romans or Greeks in their homes...until they found Christ.

Remember that Paul is writing to these people meeting at first in (Roman), Justus' house, so in 14:26-40 he addresses basic social courtesies for meeting in someone's home. Actually, he started dealing with it earlier in the letter, in chapter 11: 1-16 where some wives were taking off their veils and praying and prophesying dressed that way, which was contrary to local customs for some.

The wives were finding their freedom in Christ, meeting and mixing with Roman and Greek women for the first time (who had more liberal or no veiling customs), so they were removing their veils and participating. Paul told them to follow cultural customs and dress properly to honor their husbands - they could pray and prophesy all they wanted, just dress appropriately.

Then in 11:17-34 Paul discussed the proper way to honor the Lord in the Lord's Supper, which was part of a larger meal. In that culture, the higher social groups did not eat with commoners, so they were eating before meeting for 'church'. So in 11:17-22 he tells them to refrain from eating ahead of time, that they have their own houses to eat in, but when they go to meeting in someone else's home they should prepare mentally, spiritually, and walk in love socially, which means eat with everyone else and don't be a snob.

So we know some were eating before meeting, the wives were taking off their veils, and now in 14:26-40 he addresses the basic guidelines for a meeting in someone's home - and they are all social courtesies!

In v26 he says all may participate; some have a revelation, some a teaching, some a prayer or worship, and others will move in the gifts of the Spirit. He says at the end of the verse, "Let all things be done to build up others", which is the guiding theme of this passage.

In verse 27 he says if someone has a tongue that requires interpretation, limit it to 2 or 3, take turns sharing, and let others interpret. In v28 he says if no one is there who can interpret, then don't speak in that tongue, just speak it to yourself and God.

This is a major point: Just because you have something from God doesn't mean you have to share it. Many meetings have been dominated or ruined because someone will insist on pushing their pet doctrine, or they have something from God and must give it. Paul says no you don't. If the timing is wrong or no one is there to receive it, or it just doesn't fit, just speak it to yourself and the Lord - you have not sinned.

This goes for conversation with children present that is more adult in nature, or married's talking of marriage issues in a group of predominantly singles, and so on. Be sensitive to others present.

In v29-31 he again talks of prophesying and sharing, saying that all may speak if they take turns, defer to the one next to you and let them share first or instead of you, and 'let the other(s) judge'. This is another major point: Anything you share is subject to scrutiny, discussion, acceptance, or even rejection.

Often we find that someone will share a "word", but when someone says they don't agree or it's not for them, that person will become upset they are rejecting 'a word from God'.

If you have friends over for dinner and ideas are presented that generate a heated discussion you wouldn't be offended, yet attach a 'thus saith the Lord' and people take offense. Calm down, you're among friends, don't take it personally - learn and grow. You're part of a community of believers and as such, no one has to swallow everything said without determining for themselves if it is for them, or not.

Remember, in house church you actually get to know the person you're sitting with in that living room, so do what Paul said to the home based churches in and around Ephesus in chapter 4; do all you can to keep the bond of the Spirit in love, and make allowances for one another.

He sums up these instructions in v32 saying "The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets", meaning, you are in control of what is in your spirit. If there is no opportunity to share, keep it to yourself. If you want to talk but someone next to you has something to share, defer to them. If 2 or 3 have already shared and the meeting is running on, remain quiet. If you speak, some may not accept it. You are in control and therefore responsible. He concludes this section with his main point: "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace..." v33 which reinforces his opening instruction in v26; Let all things be done for the building up of others.

The basic love walk applies: Someone will be leading that meeting which is one level of authority; and you are a guest in someone's home which is the next level, so ultimately the host/hostess has the final authority for what goes on in their home, no matter if you attach a 'thus saith the Lord' to it. You're a guest in someone's home, remember that.

Women issues
Then he returns to the issue he covered lightly in chapter 11 where the women were discovering their freedom in Christ and throwing off their veils once inside these Gentile homes. They were also no longer sectioned off behind a wooden lattice work like in the synagogue, where they could not ask questions nor participate; they were now sitting with their husbands and children and had lots and lots of questions! In this open format which is discussion based, they were peppering everyone with all these stored up questions.

He already told them they could pray and prophesy as long as they were dressed for the culture of the day, but here he tells the wives if their questions would lend to confusion, they should wait and ask their husbands at home. He wouldn't tell them they could prophesy and pray in chapter 11 and then contradict himself in chapter 14 by telling them they couldn't talk at all - he just says if it will contribute to confusion just hold the questions until you are home.

That's why Paul concludes with balancing his instructions of these basic social courtesies with: "Therefore do desire to prophesy, and don't forbid tongues. But let all things be done properly and in order." v39-40

On the practical application side of things we do this. I ALWAYS teach this passage to new house churches because like in Paul's day, some may try to dominate, or insist what they have is from God, or otherwise not no how to act as a guest in someone's home.

We take a person aside privately, one on one, if they have a pattern over 2-3 weeks of dominating or stubborn insistence that all hear (and/or accept as from God) what they share. Usually that takes care of it. If their heart is right they will learn and become part of the group for they don't wish to offend.

If their heart is not right, that is if they are looking for a pulpit or they have a pet doctrine they insist all hear and accept, they will not return once they find no place for their "gift". They either grow in Christ and in these social courtesies, or turn aside, choosing to remain where they are spiritually and socially. It's their call, we don't run after them. Usually these people are spiritual islands with no one to speak into their lives and no real friends in Christ. Sad, but their choice. They would rather take offense and separate themselves rather than taking the bold step to learn and grow and invest in the lives of others in a balanced and healthy way.

When we first started we had a family whose kids were unruly. They broke rocks around our water garden, throwing rocks and sticks in trying to kill the fish, and were otherwise destructive to house and plants. After 3 weeks of this during which we gently urged the parents to take control of their kids with no results, we finally spoke privately to mom and dad in straight terms. Instead of apologizing, recognizing they were our guests in our home, they were offended at us! (never saw them again after that Sunday)

Elders/Leadership
While some in house church advocate no leadership, that is to say we all sit around like the Friends denomination and wait for God to speak through someone, I don't find that in scripture. As I shared last week, while there are prayer meetings where no one is in charge in scripture (Acts 2:1 and Acts 13:1-3), usually wherever Jesus, Paul and Peter went, they had something to say.

House church leadership serves from the bottom up rather than top down. It is understated leadership,
seeking to empower others in Christ as they desire to mature in the Lord. Leaders serve by function and grace rather than title and office. Mark observed in 4:33 that Jesus only spoke to people 'as they were able to receive it' - leading, patterning, modeling life in Christ - giving the opportunity to others to make right decisions. Such is New Testament leadership.

They organically rise to the surface because their heart, their grace, naturally flows that way. Paul called the leaders of the Ephesus area (house) churches to a meeting recorded in Acts 20:17-38. He describes their heart in v28: "Take heed to yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood."

People who have the grace to lead have the 2 points above naturally occurring within themselves; they have a seriousness about their own walk, and secondly, they love and care for the 'flock'. It's just in them.

These are the ones who naturally wonder where so and so is, who hasn't been to a meeting in 3 weeks.
These are the ones who naturally think about taking some food to someone in need, or are sensitive to someone's financial situation and how they can be helped, or will take the time to get together with a person or couple to help them work through issues in marriage, family, or life in general.

Paul told them to 'feed' the flock which isn't the best translation. This word is 'poimaino' in Greek, which means to tend a flock - not feed them (Gk 'bosco'), but to tend them. This action word became the noun we know today as the word Pastor.

They, like all the 5-fold, flow naturally within house church - sometimes I get questions from people about the 5-fold and how it works in house church, and I have to remind them that the whole of the New Testament was written to house churches. That in fact, the 5-fold operating in the traditional church structure of today is a foreign environment and not conducive to the smooth flow of these gifts, whereas house based church is their natural environment.

For the sake of space I will close for today, but in 2 weeks I'll conclude this series. I hope this has been a help! Webinar links below.

Blessings,
John Fenn
www.supernaturalhousechurch.org
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