THE END-TIME CHURCH and THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP
By W. G. Guy
As it was in the beginning of the church on the Day of Pentecost, so shall it be at the end when Jesus returns for it. The Bible records that believers were first called “Christians” in ancient Antioch,
Acts 11:25-26 – Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
This is because that the “Christ in them” was easily recognized as their lives were changed from the fleshly lusts of the world around them to being holy, honest and true – Christ like. (This will be seen later as discipleship is discussed.)
1 Peter 1:13-16 – Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
As back then, the church that Jesus is returning for will look and be like Him; showing forth His character and nature. The corruption of the world will not be in them, as such will have been put off.
Ephesians 5:25-27 – ……Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Why was the early church like Jesus? It was the work and ministry of the five God ordained gift ministries that labored to bring those believers to the full maturity of Christ who was to be formed in them.
Ephesians 4:10-13 – He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (Note when Jesus appointed these gift ministries – after He ascended back to the Father.) for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (as a mature believer).
Back then believers were properly taught the Word and ways of the LORD, being conformed to His image.
Romans 8:29 – For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Conforming the believers to the image of Christ was the mission of the five gift ministries and the apostle Paul.
Galatians 4:19 – My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
The apostle Paul identified being conformed to the image of Christ as a mystery hidden from those in the past, but now revealed for us to receive.
Colossians 1:25-27 – whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
As believers came to spiritual maturity they exhibited the character and nature of Christ, whose Spirit indwelled them. This character and nature of Christ is called the “Fruit of the Spirit”, and is listed for us by Paul in Galatians:
Galatians 5:22-25 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
This Fruit is what our Heavenly Father is looking for in Jesus’ disciples.
John 15:1-5 – I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
This Fruit can only be produces as the life of Christ is manifesting in the life of the believer. This Fruit is listed again in 2 Peter which identifies this Fruit as being God’s divine nature.
2 Peter 1:4-9 – whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
(Now the Fruit is listed in reverse order from the list in Galatians 5 and continues):
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. (Now here comes a promise): For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Now for a warning for those who fail to heed this word): But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
For the end-time church to be restored to the original form of church will require at least three things to occur. First comes the latter day outpouring of the Holy Spirit which is referred to in scripture as “the latter rain” with the former and latter rains pouring down together.
Hosea 5:3 – Then shall we know if we follow on to know the LORD; his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come into is as the rain, as the latter and former rain into the earth.
This is also repeated in Joel:
Joel 2:23-24 – be glad then, ye children of Zion; and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
Then we have the beginning of the fulfilment of this prophecy.
Acts 2:17-18 – And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
This prophecy from Joel 2 speaks of the “last days”. This is the last two millennial days, or two thousand years which began at Pentecost and continue unto the return of Jesus. The LORD said His Spirit would be poured out on all flesh, (all of humanity); however not all of humanity will accept and receive His Spirit. In fact many will reject and even oppose this outpouring. It will however be accepted and exhibited among the remnant and restored church, and thus be fulfilled.
Obviously this prophetic message speaks of the end-time harvest that Jesus is calling for the laborers to join in. The majority of the church will reject this latter rain movement, just as they reject the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements of the Holy Spirit. As a result they will come against and persecute the awaked remnant of the church. This is because the Institutionalized Religious System (I.R.S) of man is not able to control the working of the Holy Spirit; just as it currently does in the services of the institutionalized church.
The second thing needed for this restoration of the end-time church to be like the original is the full recognition of the God ordained, and Christ initiated, five gifts of ministry listed previously in Ephesians 4:12-14. Although there are those who claim to hold these positions, they are mostly man-made and thus false ministers assuming positions and functions that have not been appointed to them by the LORD Jesus.
Matthew 7:15-16 – Beware of false prophets, (preachers) which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. (Not by their gifts.)
Jesus gave multiple warnings of false ministers that will deceive the church.
Matthew 7:21-23 – Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 24:4-5 – And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Matthew 24:24 – For there shall arise false Christs (anointed ones), and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Jesus spoke of false apostles to John when He dictated the letters to the seven churches.
Revelation 2:2 – I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
The LORD ordained and appointed these gift ministries to function in order to build up the believers into His image and likeness. When Jesus returns it will be the restored end-time church that He is coming for. Why? Because believers will be conformed to His image and likeness, just as God the Father had originally planned for mankind in Genesis 1:26. In this last day church believers will be like Him. All that is of the world will be purged out of them. They will be holy as He is Holy.
1 John 3:2-3 – Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
This means that the end-time church will likely be just a fraction, or small portion of what we now consider as the church today. Thus this end-time church will be a remnant of the church compared with what man has built that I refer to as the I,R,S. – the Institutionalized Religious System. How can this be? Consider what Jesus said as recorded in the Book of Matthew:
Matthew 7:13-14 – Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Note that Jesus said that few will walk in the narrow and righteous pathway. Why only few? Because this path is in opposition to the ways of the world and the flesh; thus it is more difficult and challenging, and not as easy as the broad path.
Why will this last day church be just a fraction of what we call church? The answer is due to a lack of true discipleship of believers that Jesus commanded to be done. This is the third thing that is needed to bring about the true end-time church.
Matthew 28:18-20 – And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: (this phrase summarizes discipleship) and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Why is true discipleship lacking in the majority of today’s churches? Because true discipleship will cost the believer, thus most believers are unwilling to pay the price to become a true disciple of Christ. In addition, most preachers and pastors do not preach on becoming a true disciple of Christ, knowing that there is a price to pay, and they don’t want to put this on their members as most of them have not paid that price either.
What is the cost of discipleship that people don’t want to pay? The first thing required is repentance and turning away from the world and its fleshly pursuits of self-satisfaction. The first step in discipleship is REPENTANCE of sins and the selfish acts of the carnal fleshly nature. Jesus identified it specifically.
Luke 9:23 – And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Denying to self, or the flesh and its lusts, is basically dying to “self”. Then it is even more costly as Jesus continues to explain the cost of discipleship.
Luke 14:26-27 – If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross (undergo death to self), and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
And now the cost of discipleship gets even greater.
Luke 14:33 – So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Now you understand why true discipleship is not taught in churches. People want to receive blessings and benefits, not give them as did the early church.
Acts 2:44-45 – And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
Acts 4:32-33 – And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
The only form of discipleship that we see in churches today is making disciples, or followers of men, denominations or organizations: not of Christ.
God’s true ministers obey Him and declare truth to the believers to build them up so they can stand firm in the LORD against the storms of life and the opposition of the enemy. Jesus then declares the results of those who obey, compared with those who disobey.
Matthew 7:24-27 – Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Not obeying the LORD’S commands produces a false church; one that has a religious form and function, but is based on man’s ideas, thus reflecting man’s character and nature and not Christ’s character and nature. Thus man creates an organization that he calls church, (the I.R.S.). But Jesus creates a living organism that looks, acts, functions and sounds like Him, reflecting His character and nature.
Matthew 16:13-18 – When Jesus came into the coasts of Cæsarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
The “rock” that Jesus was referring to was not the man, Peter, but on the statement that Peter made: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”. Therefore we need to understand that the church is not a building that we call church. The true church is composed of Christ’s ones, properly called “Christians”, because Christ living and is seen in them. The church is composed of people, not buildings or man’s organizations. The true church is those in whom the Spirit of Christ abides in. The Spirit of Christ does not inhabit buildings, but His people who accepted Him.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 – Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Should we come out of what is currently referred to as “church” since it is not truly representative of our Lord Jesus Christ? So much of it now looks more like the world with its idolatrous lusts.
2 Corinthians 6:16-18 – and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
This verse implies that the Roman Church, and its man-made offspring, as the mystical Babylonian religious system. This warning is repeated again by the apostle John.
Revelation 18:4 – And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
There is an end-time move of God that is about to take place to bring about that which God has ordained, and that Jesus paid dearly to produce. Will you embrace this move of God, or will you be among those who resist and oppose it? The choice is yours, and the rewards for obedience are wonderful; but disobedience has great consequences.
Here is the conclusion of this restoration that is needed. God is LIGHT, thus Jesus, the Son of God is sent to be the light of the world. As Jesus Christ is formed in His believers, they also become His light in this world. As God made man in His image and likeness, that same light is to be seen in His believers as sons of God. This is summarized in the following scriptures:
1 John 1:5 – This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
John 8:12 – Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Matthew 5:14-15 – Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
John 1:12 – But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
God’s plan is the restoration of His children that were made and are to be in His image – light as He is LIGHT. This is so much more than being church; it is about His children, sons and daughters of the Most High God fully restored unto Him.
