Cell Explosion

The Emerging Cell Church

Just recently, God has laid it on my heart to study the book of Acts and the early church.  Yesterday, He led me to look at the cell church movement that is starting to spread like wildfire where churches are implementing it.  I believe this is going to be the church of the 21st century.  This model is based on the early church whose members continued on in the temple, but also broke bread house to house, discipling new converts, and the Lord added to the church daily.  I believe this is where God is calling the church of today.

“It is my conviction that church leaders and members alike need to see how vitally relevant cell ministry is for church life and growth today. An effective cell church model is needed if we are going to obey the call of Christ on our lives as individuals and as churches. Traditional church structures (even those who have small group programs) must be renewed, and in some cases radically altered, in order to meet the challenges facing the 21st Century Church. Even large and apparently successful churches are often found to be ineffective when judged by the principles laid down in the New Testament.

Matthew 28:18-20, speaks of Jesus’ command to make disciples, and implicitly includes the additional work of maturing and mobilizing them. This will not happen without a radical re-thinking of how we are currently doing church in much of the Western world. We are simply not making disciples of Jesus Christ. We are not even winning and retaining enough converts to Christianity to keep pace with the loss of membership across the denominations. It is not enough for evangelical churches to speak of their growth, while millions of nominal Christians abandon the notion of church altogether. We must develop such vibrant Christian life-styles both at the individual and the community level that we win, retain, train and release believers to impact our entire generation for Christ. We are called to disciple whole nations, but why isn’t it happening? Clearly, we must discover once more the New Testament principles of discipleship and find ways of implementing them today.

Perhaps there is no greater need to apply Jesus’ warning that our traditions rob the Word of God of its power than in this matter of the life and ministry of the church in the Western world today. Ephesians chapter 4 verses 11 through 16 clearly teaches that the job of the leaders is to equip the members of the church, the body of Christ, to do the work or ministry of Christ in the world. The ministry is in the hands of the saints, the so-called ordinary believers. That is the only way the body of Christ will be fully built up and grow into maturity. Each member must do its part. And it is my conviction that an effective cell church model is one of the only ways we can fulfill this call of Christ today.”

(Excerpt taken from Colin Powell: Sr. Minister of Kensington Temple, London City Church)  For more information, see http://www.cellexplosion.com.

The emerging church

Following the pattern of Christ…

The emerging church is one that is raising up to heed the call of Christ to leave the nets of traditionalism and religious bondage and to come follow Him.  The emerging church will look like the church of Acts—following the doctrines and teachings of Jesus.  The church of Acts was a community of believers who were of one heart and soul. They had one purpose—to further the kingdom of God.  They had a “kingdom” vision.

Before we can go forward as a church into where God is calling us, we must deconstruct the religious mindsets and redefine Christianity according to the pattern of Christ.   We must heed Jesus’ call to “deny yourselves, take up your cross and follow Me” (Matt.16:24) We must be conformed into the image of God.  What does God look like?  Like Jesus.  Jesus was God in the flesh.

Today I will focus on Jesus’ obedience to the Father.  Self-denial and sacrifice are not enough without obedience.   The way to obedience is through the cross. “Without death to our agenda and desires, we will eventually have a face-off between the will of God and the desire of man.” (The Devil’s Door by John Bevere).

In John 5:19, Jesus says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do, for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” And in verse 30 He says, “I can of Myself do nothing.  As I hear, I judge, and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.”

If we are going to follow the pattern of Christ, we must walk in perfect obedience to the Father.  Look at the story of Lazarus.  Jesus had received news that Lazarus was sick, but yet He delayed going to see Him for two days.  If Jesus had a man-pleasing mentality, He would have gone immediately in order to appease the desires of all who were concerned for Lazarus’ health and well-being.  But Jesus only did what His Father said!  When the two days had passed, Jesus said, “Let’s go to Lazarus.”  Jesus knew that Lazarus was already dead, but He also knew it was the Father’s purpose to raise Lazarus from the dead so that He would be glorified and that the faith of many would be strengthened.

“We often get discouraged when God does not follow our lead with His healings and miracles.  God will heal and perform miracles, but it is as He leads and we follow.” (John Bevere) God is not subject to our will. We are subject to His.  We need to begin to pray that His will would be done on earth, even as it is done in heaven.

The blueprint for the emerging church is found in the pattern of Christ.  We are to follow His example in His obedience to the Father.  Authority and power come through submission to the One who has all authority and power.  The early church understood authority and they walked in it.  They walked in power and were witnesses of the gospel of Christ.  Because of this, the word of Christ was spread throughout the world.  

It is time that we as a church take a good long look at ourselves.  We need to forget everything that we know, and seek to have the mind of Christ.  We need to “know nothing, except Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2) Then, we will see the will of God accomplished in our lives.

Busyness does not equate obedience

“Are we so busy serving God with intercessory prayer, generous offerings, orderly services, outreaches, ministry administration, fastings, Bible studies, Christian conferences and conventions that we are missing what He (God) is saying.  Caught up in it all, have we lost the simplicity of hearing His voice and trembling at His Word?”  (The Devil’s Door by John Bevere)

During the early days of Samuel’s ministry, when the word of the Lord was scarce, ministry still continued at the temple.  The priests still observed the religious rituals.  But there was a lack of obedience to God’s Word.  Eli, the high priest, was busy with his religious duties, yet he failed to tremble at God’s Word—His precepts and written law, and he allowed his sons to desecrate the sanctuary of God.  He was busy, but not obedient.  Could it be that the word of the Lord was scarce because when Eli had received a word from the Lord, he did not obey?  When you walk in habitual sin, God will withdraw Himself.  God is a Holy God and He will not abide where there is sin.

What are the characteristics of one who trembles at God’s Word?*

1. Obedience is immediate


2. God’s will is honored above all else.


3. There is no arguing, complaining or pouting.


4. They search for the heartbeat of God.


5. When God’s will is unclear, they wait until it is.


6. They suffer the rejection of friends rather than displease God.


7. They do not add or take away from what God says.


8. There is a reverence for God’s ways and wisdom for there is none greater.

*(Taken from The Devil’s Door)

Obedience is better than sacrifice.  In Isaiah, we see God’s attitude toward sacrifices that are not out of obedience.

“He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog’s neck; He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine’s blood; He who burns incense as if he blesses an idol.  Just as they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their own abominations, So will I choose their delusions, and bring their fears on them; Because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke they did not hear; but they did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight.” (Isaiah 66:3,4)

“When God called, no one answered.  When He spoke, no one listened!  The people were so busy 'serving God' with religious sacrifices (God called them abominations) that they did not respond in obedience to His voice!  God lamented their choice, saying, ‘They chose sacrifice over listening and obeying My voice.’  He made it clear that His delight is not in sacrifice!" (The Devil’s Door)

We as a church need to get back to the simplicity of obeying the voice of God.  Religion will bring you into bondage, but obedience to God’s voice will bring blessings.  We have complicated Christianity.  We need to get back to the basics—hearing the voice of God and following it.

Do You Love God?

If you love Me…

I’ve recently started rereading The Devil’s Door by John Bevere.  It reveals how our disobedience to God and His Word brings deception into our lives and opens a door of legal access to Satan giving him the right to steal, kill, and destroy.  I would highly recommend this book to every Christian.  It is eye opening as it reveals how we can walk in victory over the enemy by our submission to God and His Word.

Today I wanted to focus on how our obedience to God is strengthened by our love for Him.  John 14:15 reads, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”  A more accurate translation of the word “keep” in this scripture is “you will keep.”  So let’s read it again looking at it this way:  “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”  What this verse is telling us is this, if we will fall in love with God, we will be able to keep His commandments.  

If you love someone, you will show it…Whenever you love someone, you go out of your way to express your love—even if it’s an inconvenience.  When you love someone, you find delight in fulfilling his or her desires.  This is what causes a husband to run to the store at ungodly hours for his pregnant wife’s latest craving.  

Let’s take a look at David.  He was called a man after God’s heart.  We often quote the first part of this verse, but omit the most important part.  “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.” (Acts 13:22)  “What gave David the ability to do all of God’s will?  He delighted in God’s commands. (Psalm 119:47)  He did not see God’s commands as restraints, but as bonds of his (love) relationship with God.” (The Devil’s Door)

When we fall in love with God with all of our hearts, we can obey Him.  Nothing else is more important.  We find pleasure in doing His will.  True love will also produce genuine repentance in our lives.  Our heart becomes broken when we disappoint the One we love.

When we fall in love with God, we find it is easy to do what He asks.  We will delight ourselves in doing all of His will—not His permissive will, but His perfect will.  How much do I love God?  The measure of my love will be shown by my obedience.

Where did God go?

God's not in the box...

“And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, ‘How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?’  When Jesus heard it, He said to them, ‘those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Matthew 9:11

Jesus was always getting into trouble with the religious people.  He never did things the way they thought He should.  How dare He eat and drink with sinners?!  Didn’t He know that He was supposed to separate Himself from those heathens?  After all, when you are “spiritual,” you must maintain a “holier-than-thou” distance so that their filth doesn’t rub off on you.

In Isaiah 65:5, God tells us what He thinks of these religious people saying, “Who say, ‘Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am holier than you!’  These are a smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all the day.”  God says that this kind of attitude brings a stench into His nostrils.  It’s a putrid smell that causes Him to withdraw from us.

Recently, I have been hearing talk among the internet circles about the emergent church.  My perception of this new movement, from what I have read, is that it’s a body of believers that are attempting to take the gospel of Christ to the streets.  They are attempting to let God out of the box, and some people are not very happy about it.  The emergent church sees evangelism as missional living—going to where the people are instead of expecting them to come to us.  Jesus was not too “holy” to go to where sinners were.  He even called Matthew—a tax collector (tax collectors were the most wicked of sinners!) to be one of his disciples!  

Whenever you go against tradition and try to evoke change by doing something new, rest assured you will meet with resistance.  The Pharisee spirit will rise up and object, for “this is not the way that we have always done it!”  Unfortunately, the “spiritual” people of Jesus day were so busy doing their religious thing in the temple, that they missed out on what God was doing because He was out in the street with the hungry people.

God wants His glory and presence to spill out of the church and into the streets.  In my own life, God has moved in ways that went against my traditional way of thinking.  When I got baptized with the Holy Ghost, with the evidence of speaking in tongues, I was in my home.  I thought it would happen at church, but it didn’t.  These past two weeks, the Holy Spirit has fallen on me while I was at home typing at my computer.  Does this mean I don’t need to go to church?  No.  But God is trying to show me that He is moving in new ways.  He is not confined to the church.  He wants to “break out” in our lives—in our homes, at our workplaces, and at the grocery store.  He has given me dreams in the past where I was ministering to people in the grocery store.

Too many times we want to keep God in a pretty little box.  Because when we let Him out, things tend to get a little messy.  We are no longer in control, and this scares us.  When people have an encounter with God, they tend to act a little radical—like David when he danced before the Lord so hard that his clothes started to fall off.  Another one that comes to mind is the woman with the alabaster box who “wastefully” poured out her worship at Jesus feet.  Her worship was messy—she washed His feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. So, in order to maintain “proper” protocol, we tend to reign in the Spirit of God and in so doing, grieve Him.

God wants to break out of the box we have put him in.  If we are not careful, we will miss out on our visitation, and Jesus will walk on by, outside of where we thought he was supposed to be—even as the Pharisees in the temple missed out when their King rode by on a donkey.  He was in town and they didn’t even know it.

“God is getting ready to break out in America, even if He has to bypass her stuffy churches to break out in the barrooms!  We would be wise to remember that He has bypassed the religious elite before to dine with the poor, the profane, and the prostitutes.”
(God Chasers by Tommy Tenney)

It is time that we as a church begin to look for God—to find out where He is and where He is moving.  Somehow, we have missed Him.  We thought we had Him in the box, but when we looked inside, it was empty.  He has broken out and is waiting for us to find Him.