The "Business Model" Of The World In The Church (part 2)

The Saul-like “Business Model” Of The Church (1 Samuel 8:9-22)

1 Samuel 8:9 – “Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure [4941- “judgment, rights, custom, manner, plan”] of the king who will reign over them.”

1 Samuel 8:11-17 – “He will take… and you yourselves will become his servants.”

• In this flesh-driven model, people serve the leader and his kingdom. As we’ll see further down in Matthew 20:20-28, the kingdom of God model is the opposite. This “top-down” model of authority causes a groaning among the people; “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2/NKJV)

1 Samuel 8:18-22 – See the note below.

18 "Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day."

19 Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, "No, but there shall be a king over us,

20 that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles."

21 Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the Lord's hearing.

22 The Lord said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice and appoint [4427- “to cause to reign”] them a king." So Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city."

NASU

The Lord makes it clear what will occur after they/we have experienced what they/we desired through a church run “business model” of the world, “like all the nations.” The choice we make today for ourselves, apart from the Lord’s will for us, is sure to result tomorrow in the outcry for Him to rescue us from the self-induced weariness of an oppressed spirit. But, because they/we did not listen to His warning of what to expect due to our poor choice, “the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

Solomon wrote of this very thing when the Lord spoke through him;

“How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? If you had responded to My rebuke, I would have poured out My heart to you and made My thoughts known to you. But since you rejected Me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out My hand, since you ignored all My advice and would not accept My rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you — when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. Then they will call to Me but I will not answer; they will look for Me but will not find Me. Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord, since they would not accept My advice and spurned My rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways [1870- “a way, a road, a journey, a manner (see 1 Samuel 8:9 above)”] and be filled with the fruit of their schemes [4156- “a purpose, counsel, plan, principal, device”]. For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to Me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

(Proverbs 1:22-33/NIV)

Those who choose their own way (see Matthew 22:5, Acts 14:16, Proverbs 14:14), to remain under the “procedure” (i.e. manner) of the leader they have chosen for themselves that operates within the “business model” of the world, will die together with them as Saul and his children did in the days of their judgment from God. The “complacency of fools will destroy them.”

God Granted The People Their Choice

1 Samuel 9:1-2 – See the note below.

1 Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor [probably a man of “high-standing” amongst the people].

2 He had a son whose name was Saul, a choice [970- “youth, young man”] and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller [1364- “high [in position), exalted, elevated, powerful, proud, arrogant”] than any of the people.

NASU

Saul represents all the fleshly attributes the world admires in a leader; a “choice and handsome man” who stood “taller” than all others. I think that it’s interesting that the Hebrew definition for the word “choice” is “youth, young man.” How often do “pastor search” committees look for a younger man of sorts, one who is a polished speaker and very persuasive in his manner, and who dresses in a modern style so as to attract the younger crowds? Surely they could not have an older man, who by the way is probably filled with a spirit of wisdom, to represent them to the world that is looking at merely outward, physical appearances to gauge a man’s worth, could they?

After the debacle of Saul’s reign, who would, in the end, be killed by Israel’s enemies, God brought forth His choice for king. David was the opposite in many ways in regards to his abilities that would be admired by the world. The leaders in God’s kingdom will probably not fit the world’s “business model” for leadership, which is why they are overlooked by those in the church that walk in the flesh. Let it be known, though, that the David’s, those hidden in obscurity with most likely only a handful of sheep that they have faithfully been overseeing, are about to be raised up by God, replacing those foolish shepherds that have destroyed the sheep of His pasture for their own benefit (Zechariah 11:15-17, Jeremiah 23:1-4).

Kingdom Leadership (i.e. servant leadership) vs. Worldly Leadership (i.e. the self-serving Saul business model)

Matthew 20:20-28 – See the note below.

20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee [James and John] came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him.

21 And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left."

22 But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to Him, "We are able."

23 He said to them, "My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father."

24 And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers.

25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers [758- “a first (in rank or power), leader”] of the Gentiles lord it over them [2634- see def. below], and their great men exercise authority over them.

26 "It is not this way [3779- “in this manner (procedure)”] among you, but whoever wishes to become great [3173 – megas; “great, large, of physical magnitude”] among you shall be your servant, 

27 and whoever wishes to be first [4413- “first in rank, influence, honor; chief”] among you shall be your slave;

28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom [3083- “something to loose with, i.e. a redemption price (figuratively, atonement)”] for many." 

NASU

NT:2634 katakurieuo (kat-ak-oo-ree-yoo'-o)

(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)

from NT:2596 [“down, down from, down upon”] and NT:2961 [“to be lord of, to rule over, have dominion over”]; to lord against, i.e. control, subjugate:

KJV - exercise dominion over (lordship), be lord over, overcome.

(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)

a.   to bring under one's power, to subject to oneself, to subdue, master (Acts 19:18)

b.   to hold in subjection, to be master of, exercise lordship over (Matthew 20:25)

In this passage, Jesus is teaching His disciples how to lead in His kingdom. It’s the opposite of the world. The world rules “over” people, “exercising lordship” over them. Kingdom leaders are called to serve “under” others, by serving the people rather than themselves.

In our system of government, officials are supposed to be “public servants.” They are called to be responsible for representing the best interests of the public. Unfortunately, most seem to do the exact opposite, in a self-serving manner like Saul, even profiting from their positions of authority. Often, they will cater to “special interest groups” that compete for their attention in an attempt to influence their decisions in their favor. A special interest group is defined as;

• “A group of people or an organization seeking or receiving special advantages, typically through political lobbying.”

• “The primary purpose of a special interest group is to influence government policies to benefit the group's cause.”

Unfortunately, in order to influence the elected official’s decision in their favor, they may use questionable ways of lobbying to get what they want. And, their cause may not even be the will of the people among whom the official is supposed to be representing. Through this, the elected official’s heart is revealed by the way he or she responds, whether or not it benefits them, or the citizens they are supposed to be representing.

On the other hand, the rulers in the kingdom of God are called to a completely different standard. Jesus said;

“…but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom [3083- “something to loose with, i.e. a redemption price (figuratively, atonement)”] for many.”

To be “first” in the kingdom of God you must become the slave that serves others in the Body of Christ. And you must, like Christ, be willing to lay down your life, your agendas of preeminence among the brethren for their sake (see Luke 22:24-27). (See the Bible study Biblical Leadership Qualities.)

I think that it’s worth noting that the Greek word interpreted as “great” is megas, which is defined as, “great, large, of physical magnitude.” This would seem to reveal the heart behind todays mega(s)-church movement. They desire to be “great among you,” but not always to “be your servant.” Instead, it seems that they need people to help serve them, driving their kingdom needs, as did Saul.

The following insights about those who desire, with wrong motives, to be first in the church is from the Bible study Judas And Ahithophel; Brothers Of Betrayal (https://www.network153.com/post/judas-and-ahithophel-brothers-of-betrayal);

“The Hebrew origin of Judas’ name is Judah which means “praised, celebrated.” In the Greek, it’s also the same name interpreted in English as Jude. Unfortunately, because of his apostate heart, Judas never fulfilled the destiny of his name, in Christ. His “celebrated” lot, or share in Christ was lost because of a fleshly craving that overcame him (Acts 1:17). It was the price he was paid for his wicked betrayal (Acts 1:18). Today, we who have also been “chosen” by the Lord to be one of His disciples must take note of this inspired warning lest we also allow the spirit of anti-Christ abiding within false leaders to overtake us. Peter warned us that “many will follow their sensuality,” their “absence of restraint, unbridled lust, excess, and shamelessness.”

John gave us an example of someone with this “me-first” spirit in the church in one of his writings;

“I wrote something to the church [1577- “a calling out, gathering of those summoned”]; but Diotrephes [1361- “raise/nourished by Zeus”], who loves to be first [5383- “to be fond of being first, i.e. ambitious of distinction; to aspire after pre-eminence”] among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.”

(3 John 1:9-11/NASU)

The Preeminence/Superiority Of Christ

Preeminence means “the highest place of ascendency, above all, over all, surpassing all, to the point that nothing and no one else can even come close.” It’s “the state of being preeminent—extremely distinguished, outstanding, or superior to all others.”

In his letter to the church in Colossae, Paul speaks of the superiority of Christ in the church;

“[Jesus] is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place [4409- “to be first, hold the first place, to be preeminent”] in everything.”

(Colossians 1:18/NASU)

This is what every Christian must aspire after; that Christ would come to have “first place” in every area of our life. The word for this is “lordship,” the supreme rule of Jesus Christ. (See the Bible study Lordship.)

In Peter’s first sermon after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, he made the following declaration;

“… let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him [Jesus] both Lord and Christ -- this Jesus whom you crucified.”

(Acts 2:36)

The Greek for “Lord” is kurios (koo'-ree-os). It’s taken from kuros which means “supremacy; supreme in authority.” The word “lordship” in the Greek is kyrieuo (ko-ree-yoo’-o). It means “to rule, to have dominion over, to have power over, to have influence over.” The lordship of Jesus Christ refers to His supremacy over all of creation (Matthew 28:18).

“Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines supreme as “highest in rank or authority” or “highest in degree or quality.” In essence, there is none better. The supreme of something is its ultimate. Jesus is the ultimate in power, glory, authority, and importance. Jesus’ supremacy over all is developed biblically primarily in Hebrews and Colossians.”

(https://www.gotquestions.org/supremacy-of-Christ.html)

The following insights regarding the government of God is from the section Taking The High Ground in the article Iwo Jima and the Flag Raising on Mount Suribachi (https://www.network153.com/post/raising-the-flag-on-mount-suribachi-the-beginning-of-the-end). In it, you will read that we have been called to a “spiritual government. It is a heavenly government of priesthood, rather than a political government of kings”;

“Interestingly enough, yesterday was February 24, 2024, or 2-24-24. Seeing the two witnesses of the 24’s together moved me to look to see if there was anything being revealed by the Lord through them. In my training through the years by the Holy Spirit, He has taught me to be aware of the meaning of numbers as defined thru their usage within the Bible, as well as the definitions of names.

A couple of definitions for the number 24 stood out to me;

• “To write twenty-four in Hebrew, they wrote two Hebrew letters: kaph-daleth. These signify the open palm in the act of opening a door, signifying an open hand showing and offering to us the door of priesthood and access into the Sanctuary of God.

• Twenty-four is the number of priesthood. Even as the number 12 is the number of governmental perfection, its multiple (24) is the number of priesthood, wherein lies the call to spiritual government. It is a heavenly government of priesthood, rather than a political government of kings.

• “It is interesting that the 24th time the name of Jesus is mentioned in the book of John is found in John 3:3, which says, "Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” This is about a new beginning in one’s life, and it connects the number 8 with the priesthood (24)…”

  
  

  [In a section further below in this study, titled “The First Flag Raising,” I mention more about the number 8 and its connection with the priesthood.]

What this means to me is that the door for entering into the Lord’s presence is now open for all who would choose to enter in. The physical manifestation of His government will soon be established on earth. In fact, one definition for the number 24 that I saw from Troy Brewer (propheticnumbers.com) was, “The number 24 represents ‘Perfect government (12) made manifest (2). It’s when God is in control of circumstances and wants you to come before his throne.”

The open-door policy by Divine invitation will not be open for long though (Matthew 25:10). As in the days of Noah, when God shuts the door, no one will be able to open it (Genesis 7:16, Revelation 3:7). Those who enter in now, at this acceptable time of the Lord, will be accepted as the priesthood who will reign in the heavenly government of God. Our submission to the will of God to “come up higher” now will result in the enemy’s submission under our feet later.

It is in the upward, holy place near Him where God calls His servants to come so that He may converse with them [we will see this picture in type in Esther 1:13-15 right below]. Men often think they can remain in an earthly, fleshly condition of rebellion against the “upward call of God in Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 3:14) and still have God reveal to them “what must take place.” When Moses was called up the mountain by God, he obeyed and received His word for the people to live by.

On the demands associated with the call of ascension from the Lord, David declared;

“Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Selah”

(Psalm 24:3-6/NIV)

For those who answer the call from God to come up higher per His revealed standards, the mountain currently possessed by the enemy is yours for the taking. After ascending to the higher position in Christ, per the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you will be used to lead others by the Way revealed to you, and take back the land from the enemy for the kingdom of God.”

The Custom (i.e. “manner/procedure”) Of The King (1 Samuel 8:9, 11)

Esther 1:13-15 – In the Lord’s rule on earth during the millennium, there will be those who will sit in “the first place” in His kingdom because they are “close to Him.” This is the place James and John’s mother requested of Christ for her sons, not understanding what it would cost them for it to happen. (Notice the meanings of the names of the “seven princes” who were close to the king.)

13 Then the king said to the wise men who understood the times [see 1 Chronicles 12:32; the men of Issachar] — for it was the custom [1697- “a word, an utterance, business, occupation, manner”] of the king so to speak before all who knew law and justice [the king conferred with his trusted advisers that knew the law and its judgments before making a decision; what is the “custom” (business) of our King when making decisions that we should be modeling?]

14 and were close to him [7138- “near, a kinship”]: Carshena [“illustrious” (which means, “well known, respected, and admired for past achievements”)], Shethar [“a star”], Admatha [“a testimony to them”], Tarshish [“yellow jasper”], Meres [“lofty”], Marsena [“worthy”] and Memucan [“dignified”], the seven princes of Persia and Media who had access to the king's presence and sat in the first place [7223- “first, primary, chief”] in the kingdom;

15 "According to law, what is to be done with Queen Vashti, because she did not obey the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?" [So, the big question is, according to the law of God, what is to be done with those who, like Queen Vashti, refuse to enter the Lord’s presence when He commands them? Will they also, like Judas, be replaced (i.e. God’s replacement theology)? YES, THEY WILL! (See the Bible study Queen Vashti’s Rebellion for God’s law in this matter.)]

NASU

2 Corinthians 10:3-4 – Unlike the Saul brand of religion, the weapons of our warfare are not to be of a carnal nature, ruled by the desires and will of the fleshly nature of man. In 1 Samuel 17:38-39, David chose to not use Saul’s armor, but instead a simple weapon; a sling with 5 stones. This is a picture of the “covering” of the Saul “brand” of religion over the flesh. It’s useless when coming against giant-like enemies. Instead, a simple tried and tested weapon of God by a tried and tested servant of His was used to bring Goliath down. The institutional church today is an overweight, clunky machine that cannot move quickly enough to bring down the strongholds of the devil. Instead, like the army of Israel, they stand in fear of the enemy's taunts against them.

3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.

4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

NIV