You don't have to live in a desert to be a voice in the wilderness. Today many believers are experiencing isolation, abandonment and social martyrdom in their towns and cities. Their way of seeing Biblical truth seems to be less merged with fads, trends and the traditions passed on through history. When they speak it is standing for biblical truth, walking it out faithfully and calibrating their church practice to the teachings of Christ and the pattern passed on by the Apostles. When you determine to walk this way it can get very lonely, discouraging and often we eventually stop speaking out the truth. After all, whose listening? Many return to church projects they know are somehow amiss just to make sense of their faith. I want to try to encourage you to continue to be a voice in the 'wilderness,' to walk and talk this faith filled life in the name of Jesus.
The Apostles applied Jesus teachings to their whole life and practices. The lived in faith and repentance and also met with other believers according to the 'paradosis,' passed on patterns and traditions. 'Church,' for them, was meeting in homes around food and drink as a covenant sign. They shared the scriptures and the Lord issued forth through graces that we call 'gifts' to build up and encourage one another. When the Apostles died, the way believers met began to be more like any-old meeting where a spokesman stands up and everyone listens. In the 4th century Emperor Constantine started a process of merging the meeting of believers with the state. 'Church' began to look like the Roman Empire with central meeting halls, professional clergy and compulsory attendance. The church was squarely placed into the hands of Man. That which facilitated the moving of the Spirit was now Man's enterprise. But this is not the whole story.
Ever since the meeting of believers was made into a systemic institution there were always those who sat outside of it, walking and talking as led by the Spirit and not by the state. God always had his remnant who refused to recognise Rome. In Europe many groups were standing firm for Biblical truth and as Rome sent the Inquisitors, many were killed for standing outside the system and refusing to align with the Pope. Hermits and monks, although problematic in their own practices, came up from non alignment with the system. But any divergence from the Apostolic pattern for biblical ekklesia always found itself in a cul-de-sac where the enemy would manipulate and pervert.
As history continued The Roman Catholic church became the major force on earth. It was a political giant and entire countries were assimilated to its agenda. It continued to send unholy auditors to infiltrate who they saw as heretics and burn them, sometimes in the homes they were hiding in. Some willingly clamoured into burning bonfires rather than turn to the Pope. So many groups existed to live led by the Spirit of God outside the system and Rome was infuriated. Of course, we then had the Reformation and a clear distinction was made between Rome and the 'Protest-ants.' With it came the idea that we have only two camps... Rome and Protestants. But this is flawed thinking.
If we discard labels and categories for a minute, we can explore what it actually is what made Rome into a systematised institution and eventually a killing machine. The problem is when Man discards the biblical direction and tries to do it without the Lord. So when Roman Catholics throw away the scriptures it is easy to see. They will affirm that the Pope is Jesus' representative and he has final authority. No need to scratch your head there, right! What is new to our thinking perhaps is that many Protestants, when they discard biblical direction, they are also not to be aligned with. How do Protestants violate the direction of God? Surely to be separate from Rome is enough?
When the Pope sits on the Throne in the Vatican he has substantial power. This is the blatant refusal to bow his heart to the King of Kings, Jesus our Lord. When we truly submit, yield and abandon to the Lord Jesus, He can rule and reign, His will and His purposes issuing forth in the earth. Protestants may be vehemently against the Pope, Rome and the idolatry but many are still happy to create their own rule and reign on earth. Even though this may be with only a few people, the desire to be over other believers is still there. The whole point of Jesus risen and glorified is to be our sole King. Believers are supposed to be His hands and feet, not another enterprise of man.
Rome has one Pope, and as I've said before, Protestantism has millions of Popes! When we consider the simple, home based ekklesia, meeting around food and drink as brothers and sisters, we can see how it would be more difficult to become 'Father!' I can't see and assess a man's heart so I'm not sure anyone sets out to be over other believers in Protestantism, but as long as the structure of meeting together is 'special people doing special things in special places,' it will always lead to systematised institution. While it may not be subduing governments and killing its opponents today, there is denominational-ism and social martyrdom for anyone refusing to take part in man made systems.
So if you find yourself a voice in the wilderness, unable to associate with 'whats out there,' you are not alone. You stand with the many who, by the grace of the Lord, stand outside of the systems and structures made by men. Before we even get out of bed in the morning we are already standing against the world system that pressures us to assimilate, whether by sword or by the pain of loneliness, abandonment and accusations. Like those who ran towards the flames of the inquisitors, embrace the life, or death, that you find yourself in. It is much more significant, important and productive that you could ever imagine!
Gary Ward
