The early Apostles were not Levite Priests. All were “laity” from Greek term laos, meaning “the people of God”. The term Clergy is, in fact, currently misunderstood, missed and misplaced. It originally comes from the term cleros and means “people who have been called of God”. Both laity and clergy refer to all Christians not just those who are professional Christian leaders.
I have been a strong proponent for involving, training and releasing all of God’s people, both laos and cleros, into positive activities. However, I had a powerful transforming insight about the importance for today in 1983. A group of us met in Oklahoma City to plan the next years’ activities for an international renewal group. During prayer I was struck by a strong sense of God’s voice. It went something like this:
I am pouring out my Spirit for a New Reformation. In the first Reformation, I took my word out of the hands of the few and gave it to all my people. In the New Reformation, I will take my works out of the hands of the few and I will give it to all my people. There will be resistance but not unto death.
This word energized the group and I redoubled my efforts to preach this word and devise ways to release the works of the Holy Spirit in America and around the world. There are over two million congregations outside Western Europe and America and 95% have no educated leaders. Additionally, many of the newer congregations in developed countries are now seeking ways to equip leaders without having to send them to seminary. Ordinary people with an extraordinary God can do great things.
The First Reformation started this revolution by preaching that every believer is a priest who has direct access to God without a human mediator. That truth wonderfully liberated God’s word from its chains and millions of ordinary people began to read the Bible in their own languages. Theology was changed forever. The Reformation affected all churches even the Romans Catholic from which the Reformation sprang. However, ecclesiology or the church structure did not change. The practice of dividing Christians into spiritual leaders who could preach, teach and handle the sacraments from the ordinary people who watched remained in both Protestant and Catholic groups.
For generations church leaders had built monopolistic organizations dependent upon state support. This eliminated competition among theologies and stifled healthy dissent with its needed corrections. The development of new Christian forms was forbidden and creative leaders killed. It stifled the use of gifts and the involvement of ordinary people in service to God. Finally, personal evangelism was discouraged.
God’s word to me in 1983 indicated that these traditions were about to be dramatically and widely challenged and changed. The results of the New Reformation would be as dramatic as the one that began in the Sixteenth Century with Luther and Calvin. The promise was that in the New Reformation millions of renewed believers would be released to serve Christ in the marketplace, home and factory. The result would be a worldwide revival and a powerful awakening.
We can actually see that coming about as we are writing this material. All over the world men and women are being encouraged to follow God, discover their gifts and see a vision for touching lives. The following chart shows the worldwide church growth since the New Reformation began in earnest through the Jesus Movement Revivals of the Sixties and the Seventies.
In many nations the Second Reformation is turning into another Great Awakening when spiritually blessed men and women get involved and strategically in tackling social and spiritual ills. I have trained leaders all over the earth for decades and I can see it happening on every continent.
What about you? Are you on the sidelines or in the game? God, our heavenly coach is calling us to play with all our might and really have a great time.
Gary Sweeten
www.sweetenlife.com
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