WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO RESTORE THE CHURCH
By W. G. Guy
First of all, why does the church need to be restored? Most Christians fail to realize that the church of today is nothing at all like it was in the beginning. The church is supposed to be the living functioning Body of Christ on this earth representing Him as God’s children. Most churches are run like businesses, and function more like social clubs or fraternal organizations of man.
The early church did not have elaborate buildings, lavishly equipped with lighting, pews, pulpits or stages with organs, pianos and choir lofts. Nor were there two classes of people in it; clergy and laity: and of the leadership there was no hierarchy; nor priestly vestments of rank and class. Certainly there was no one in leadership called, “Father”, which Jesus said was a “no, no”.
Matthew 23:9 – And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven; (“father” as used as a title).
Man dominates the leadership and control of the churches today, whereas it was the leading of the Holy Spirit, and the believers dependence on Him to provide that leadership and direction. Thus the early church was led of the Spirit, whereas the modern church is led by individual men, committees, boards of directors, incorporated organizations or denominations. Man has created a form of church that cannot identify with Christ and whom Jesus cannot identify with. In fact, Jesus will say to them, “Depart from Me, I never knew you.”
Matthew 7:21-23 – 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. (Iniquity is rebellion or doing your own thing, not His.)
Much of what Christ ordained for the Body of Christ is rejected by the majority of churches today. Thus we have the absence of the Holy Spirit’s presence that fills the believers along with the operation of the nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and of particular importance is the lack of the nine Fruits of the Spirit – (John 15:1-5). This required fruit is the character and nature of God that was fully operating in Jesus Christ – (Galatians 5:22-23). This fruit of the Spirit was so evident in the early church at Antioch that the locals called them Christian, or Christ’s ones.
Acts 11:26 – ….. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
This means that the fullness of Christ that is to be seen in Christians today is mostly lacking. Thus is the need to restore the church to what it was like when it was first formed. Jesus is returning for a church that truly resembles Him; having His character and nature (fruit).
1 John 3:1-3 – Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 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 purity is to be seen in Christ’s true followers who have matured to the point that they have put off the carnality of the flesh and have been clothed with the righteousness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:21-24 – If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Paul, the apostle of Christ, told us that there will be issues that must be removed from churches to prepare it for the coming of Christ so He can receive it unto Himself. He uses the metaphor of a husband’s loving relationship for his wife to do everything he can for her benefit. Can we not also receive what He wants done in us as His church?
Ephesians 5:25-27 – Husbands, love your wives, even as 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.
Consider how this compares with many of today’s so-called Christians that Paul told us that we would see in the last days: broken homes and marriages, etc.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 – This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Where do you find a “form of godliness,” but in a church? Notice that they lack the power that changes lives. This is the power of the Spirit of Christ in us and the power of the Holy Spirit that can come upon us when we accept the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Most of today’s churches do not have this power that changes lives; in fact, many even deny that power saying, “it is not for today”.
Act 1:8 – But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
This work has not yet finished, thus much needs to be done and changed to restore the church and prepare it for the Lord to return. He is waiting on us to conform to His image: His image formed in us was Paul’s labor for the church.
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.
Galatians 4:19 – My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
Now, in light of what needs to be restored in and to the church, what will it take to bring about this needed restoration back to the way it was originally? I have given much thought about this and have arrived at only one conclusion, but it isn’t what we want to hear.
Church today has become a matter of traditions that are so ingrained in us that we cannot possibly change. I thought of establishing a new group of people that could start fresh from the beginning and do it the proper way. Back in the late 1980’s I joined such a group that wanted to operate in the five-fold ministries of Ephesians 4:11. They had a good start, but after a few years they reverted back to their traditional church backgrounds; and those traditions that were so ingrained in them that they could not carry on with the changes needed. I had to leave them, and very disappointed. It appears that we become so secure in our traditions that any threat to change those traditions is met with fierce opposition.
Therefore these changes cannot come by man’s effort. So what will it take to restore the church to its original form that Jesus wants and is coming back for? The only way that I see is for great persecution of the true church of Jesus. That persecution will come from multiple sources, but obviously directed and motived by Satan, the destroyer.
John 10:10 – The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Persecution is promised to true believers because we live at odds with the world and its carnal lusts.
2 Timothy 2:12-13 – Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Note: it says “ALL” not some: that means eventually every one of us true believers in Christ will experience persecution and opposition, or the Bible is wrong.
This persecution will come not just from the world’s systems which are abhorrent to God and His righteousness, but it will also come from other religions that are of the devil. This includes portions of the church that deny the power and reject the Holy Spirit working in and through us. These will be churches that are influenced by false prophets, preachers and teachers that Jesus warned us about would deceive many in the last days.
In addition, governments will impose restrictions that will bring about persecution, probably encouraged by the false other church leadership. This is already happening in Europe with restrictions on public prayer and preaching the gospel being called hate speech, and is putting people in prison for doing so.
We need to consider that persecution never hurt the church, but purifies it. Persecution tests and proves the believers resolve in faith, to stand or to fold. It eliminates the weak and corruptible so that only the truly righteous will remain standing; strong and undefeated; being more than conquerors.
This persecution is not something new as it has been going on since the church began at Pentecost. Consider the church in China today: it is severely persecuted, and as a result, it has had to go underground. The established churches in China swore allegiance to the CCP in order to be allowed to remain. Thus this state approved church became an extension of the Communist Chinese Party.
The true church then went underground in order to have meetings and operate clandestine, out of sight of the government. Even so, many of its leaders, pastors and ministers have been imprisoned, tortured, or worse, for not being obedient to the CCP. Can you imagine how things will be after the Antichrist comes on the scene and has influence over the governments of this corrupt world.
Yet the Chinese Church operating underground is powerful and experiencing great wonders as they remain faithful and strong in the LORD. They are much more influential in China than the church in America currently is: we just don’t hear about it because the media will not reveal anything about it. However, there is information coming out of the underground church in China that reveals their experiences; and we need to keep them in prayer so they may keep on going on.
The only way I see for the church to be fully restored to the original is by a coming persecution: and this will obviously be instigated by the Antichrist and his evil forces of darkness.
Romans 8:31-39 – What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered
him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Persecution is not to be feared but to be experienced in order to bring the church full circle back to the way it was when it began. It will finally manifest as the Body of Christ in this earth.
Romans 8:18-19 – For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Here are some scriptures that tell us more about persecution: we start with King David’s prayer:
Psalm 7:1 – O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me:
Jesus tells us that persecution will come, and He explains how we are to react to it: not cursing or fighting back, but praying and interceding.
Matthew 5:11-12, 44 – Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mark 4:17 – And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
Those weak in faith who have not been rooted in the Word of God, and lack depth will not do well in persecution. This is the purification of the church. Again, persecution is a sure thing to happen to all those who live godly lives representing Jesus. Jesus dealt with this subject often in the gospels warning that persecution may even come from within your own family.
Matthew 10:16-22 – Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Jesus reminds His disciples again that they, and we, will receive persecution.
John 15:20 – Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
Persecution was used of God to spread the gospel to other nations.
Acts 8:1 – And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
This is also how the gospel came to America. The Church of England, under leadership or the king of England, was persecuting those Christians that were not part of the Anglican Church (the Church of England), so they fled to America on the Mayflower to establish a new colony free from English tyranny. As we read in the above scripture, persecution did not destroy the church, but caused it to expand and spread.
Matthew 10:23 – But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
Note: Jesus considers the persecution of His followers as a personal persecution of Himself, as Jesus told Saul at the time of his calling of the Lord. Your personal persecution has Christ’s full attention of what you are going through; because He feels it too.
Acts 22:7 – And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Romans 12:14 – Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
Our response to persecution is not as the world would respond. Also there are various levels of persecution from light to severe; and we should respond accordingly.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 – We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
Being persecuted does not mean the end of all things, but just a time to endure hardness as a good soldier in Christ.
2 Corinthians 12:10 – Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
We must remember what Jesus said to His followers, that no matter what…..
Matthew 28:20 – lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Hebrews 13:5-6 – for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Note: this prosecution for believers will continue until Jesus returns.
Revelation 12:17 – And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony (witness) of Jesus Christ.
Conclusion: it will take persecution to fully restore the church to its original form that Jesus wants as He returns to receive it unto Himself,
1 John 3:2 – but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Obviously we are not there yet! So get ready as we will have to fight for our faith and stand on the Rock, our testimony.
Revelation 12:11 – And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
How will we know when we have been respired to the original form of His church? When the Body of Christ live and functions with His love, as did the early church. (As referenced in the last chapter of my latest book THE OTHER CHURCH, published in 2024 by Author House.)
1 John 4:7-8 – Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
