Will we continue to pioneer? Ray Lowe | Fusion 2016

 This message was preached by RAY LOWE at the Fusion 2016 RegionsBeyond gathering in the UK.
For the audio /video link please click here

 This is a serious time. I have not been in a conference where there has been so much expectation and hope in the room. I have heard some say that the Charismatic think that because they sing it it’s done! But we know that is not true. The conference theme is Pioneers. Pioneers make us feel uncomfortable and it can be challenging!

Take C.T Stud; he gave everything away. C. T and his wife vowed that they would never hinder one another. In 16 years they saw each other for the total of one month!!! Why do people do such things?

1956 E. Elliot goes back to live with the people who murdered her husband. Why? Pioneers are fully focused and not impressed with what impresses others.

We are a part of the Restoration Movement. That is our history ( as Newfrontiers and Region Beyond) i.e to do the deeds of the New testament church. We built the churches and expected God to turn up and we did not want to miss the meetings. We had a steady growth, baptisms, and we planted churches. But pioneers are not impressed by that! They think dream and live bigger because that us what they believe God thinks like that. God wants us to move to another level, to another gear.

The question is why did we do all that we did?

Pioneers take risks but they are not reckless. They know the consequences of their actions. They knew they would die.

J. Elliot “Wherever you are, be all there”. “He is no fool who gives up what he can’t keep to gain what he can’t lose”.  

Steve Jobs “The people who are crazy enough think they can change the world are the ones who do”.

Nelson Mandela “There is no greater risk in life than taking no risk at all”.

This is a serious time. We need to continue to believe that we can change the world and pioneer things.

ACTS 8:1-8

The passage troubles the non charismatic and the cessationists.

Why did Philip go to Samaria when there was persecution? It was not sensible to go there! The Jews and Samaritans were enemies. But Jesus actually said go to Samaria! So that ought to be enough. The Holy Spirit convinced him to go. That’s risky. Things get birthed in small actions and decisions that we take. God uses the unlikely cases to do stuff i.e you and I.

What stirred Philip up?  It was hanging out with the Apostles. If you hang out with good people something happens to you. Who do you spend time with? Proverbs says Bad company corrupts good character.

“GO” is a controversial word. It was then and is now too. It took 100 years to scatter the church and for the people to actually “go”. People went around the Jews but no one went to Samaria or the gentiles.

God has been patient with us. For 20 years God has spoken to us about church planting. It takes time for God’s word to filter to us. If we won’t do something – persecution makes us move. We don’t want that.

The word witness can be translated as martyr. Stephen was martyred and people fled and they began to share the gospel. It was a grass roots movement. The Apostles were nowhere around. Ordinary people spread the gospel. It takes time.

 In this Conference God is saying, “It is time” We say that we are built on the Apostles foundations. What is that? We say the Word of God. That is good. But Apostolic also means sending, “going”, “releasing”. We must be a sending faith. Get out there and plant community.

What hinders us?

1.      Sometimes good leaders do it. We restored the church to release and not be an end in itself. Many restoration movements have died because they failed to do what they set out to do i. e plant churches. Newfrontiers has kept going because we have not given up on the WORD and the CHURCH. WE need to use the church to do what it’s supposed to do.

So we have grown good churches but we have failed to release church. Paul stayed on at Antioch and taught for a year. What did he teach? I’m sure it was mission because, Antioch was a releasing church. We have to release the people once they peak. When we give away you get more. We are here to change the world.

Don’t stop building well, but build with the intent of releasing. So ask the question, where are we going to do this or that?

What does a pioneer look like? They are frigidity, easily bored, easily mis judged; don’t fit in, always evangelistic, gatherers, not embarrassed by non believers. They ear relational, they loved the list.

They have lots of ideas, lots of projects. They drive pastors mad!!

So pastors don't hang onto people to build church. You build church by releasing people and then you build a whole load of others.
We need people because there are many places we need to plant church and we need pioneers to go with them.They are lousy church leaders but they have got to be released. We need these risk takers. Pastors need to get to know them and find out what would they do given the opportunity.

To reach the nation we need every gift whether its in a skirt or trousers. We have not changed our theology but we do need all the gifts. The world is so sophisticated today that we need sophisticated gifts to reach the world , the skill that Pastors don't have.

I asked Donna Bloomfield why does she go to Burundi? Why does she do what she does and go where she is going?

Here is response ( my paraphrase ) " I don't go to Burundi because I am brave. In fact I am not very brave.. there are many things I don't cope well with things like bugs and snakes. Only bugs and snakes like bugs and snakes!!... I'm as far removed from an adrenaline junkie as you can get... What motivates me to go to Burundi that is a country on the brink of civil war, in crises and is the poorest country in the world?... well on one level because God has called me and yet there is no place I'd rather be. I'm passionate about the Kingdom of God coming to the nations, to see lives changed.. only God can change a nation around and we get to partner in it.
We already have so many testimonies of lives changing, God's provision.. These remind me of what we can't but what God can.. right now the risks are high... is it safe for me to go back?.. Its not about what is safe but what God said. The call of God will sometimes take us to the most darkest and dangerous places. ... we are the light and darkness cannot penetrate the light. .. Darkness is being pushed back by light.." 

So if you feel you are a pioneer and you have felt held back or held back give us your names and we will see how your gift can be used and we you could possibly go. This is for everyone, age , sex ,no bar.

People are willing in the day of God's power and this is the day of God's power.

HOW ARE WE TO BE AN EFFECTIVE APOSTOLIC PEOPLE IN THE FACE OF OPPOSITION : Ray Lowe | THE HUB 2014

This message was preached by RAY LOWE at THE HUB , the annual conference of Regions Beyond, an apostolic sphere that is a part of Newfrontiers, an international family of churches joined in apostolic partnership.

Here is the video link.

HOW ARE WE TO BE AN EFFECTIVE APOSTOLIC PEOPLE IN THE FACE OF OPPOSITION – RAY LOWE

Acts 20:17-38

We were in Clarence which had gone through a tough time with Steve Oliver left to come to Dubai. People left, leaders had fallen. It was not easy.

In Acts 20 it’s an emotional meeting taking place. There were riots in Ephesus because of the church.

“You know” is a phrase that comes many times. Paul and Peter warned the church of impending trouble. Paul warns if wolves in sheep’s clothing, people with their own agendas. Whilst we don’t wrestle with flesh and blood, opposition does come in the form of flesh and blood.

Many people have come to Christ in Ephesus – temple prostitutes, those who practiced occult, black magic etc. The riots Paul understood were demonic opposition. Don’t be surprised by backlash. Elders watch out- Peter says the devil is like a roaring lion – resist him. All over the world your brothers are facing the same thing.

The early church knew that the protection under the Roman government was coming to an end and there would be persecution.

We must not anything that will give Satan a foothold. We must understand this that God and Satan are not equal- that was unmistakably demonstrated on the cross.

Tom Wright quotes – we are in the victory of Calvary, but there are battles to be fought. Paul was not just a preacher/teacher but he was a role model. This letter Paul writes is not a letter of correction but a reminder. Peter does the same thing.

1. Eph4:1-6 Paul is emphasizing – of genuine unity and oneness. Our calling is not our ministry but to be in Jesus and within that there is a call.

“I urge you” Speaks of priority, urgency. We are to work as one – this is what keeps the devil from getting a stronghold.

“Be completely humble” – this is not an option.

“Make every effort” this has to be worked at, it not easy.

We have 2000 years of history that is not good. It’s fraught with lots of division. So many heroes of faith fell out on doctrine. What might have happened if these guys got it together?

Luke writes of the “temptation of Jesus in the wilderness.  Jesus was weak in body but powerful in the Spirit. Satan tempts him with bread. If Jesus gave in there would be no trinity!!  “Father make us one even as we are one . Satan’s ploy has always been to divide. HE did it in the garden between man and God. With Jesus he failed. But the church has fared miserably on this. We need to preserve the unity in the bond of peace.

2.The key role of leadership is another thing he emphasized.

Leadership is key- whether in business, church. If leaders don’t get it right people won’t. We are to keep watch over ourselves. Eldership has to be friends. We need openness, honesty, accountability. If we can’t talk about something we have opened the door for Satan.

Eldership is not a job- it’s the Holy Spirit who sets them apart and it’s an awesome calling.

Paul spent 2.5 years in Ephesus- the men were pagans, polytheistic and yet in 2.5 years he had elders. That should tell us something. Don’t need to wait forever!!Paul was not in for personal gain. He has a good conscience before God. Paul labored among them and from house to house. Paul was not just an example of integrity but an example of a man of the Holy Spirit.

He knew that his job was to turn Ephesus upside down for Jesus. He knew he could not do it alone. He knew he needed the people full of the Holy Spirit.

They learned from Paul’s example. We are slow to learn from one another’s life these days.

We have become very forensic with scripture that we loose what’s there. If the Holy Spirit wanted to say more he would have instructed Luke to write more!!!

In conclusion- Scars and struggles make you grow up. What you need is the Holy Spirit. We grow up and we find out who we are.

All this is so that we can go into the world and not so that we can get better.

God wants fire!! We need to be biblical but do not do anything to limit the power of God. We need the Holy Spirit. Keep being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Regions Beyond Leaders gathering |Session 2| Ray Lowe

This message was preached by Ray Lowe who is a part of Regions Beyond an apostolic sphere within Newfrontiers Intl. 

Ray shares on what the the major influences that have shaped us as Newfrontiers. What is our history and where are we going from here.

You can hear the audio by clicking here.

Ray Lowe - Where we've come from .

Five years ago I helped plant a church on the Isle of White. But prior to that, 5 years before I had preached at a conference of 5 churches there. The next day we had a Q&A and they asked why the charismatic churches of the 1960s have diminished but Newfrontiers  has continued to grow.

There are 3 reasons I have put down. 1. The Bible is still the ultimate authority.2 We have never given up on church as the vehicle for change and 3. Terry has always looked out for the increase and multiplication of leaders.

Every movement has its DNA and so do we.

There are 8 influences in our DNA

1 Scripture –

we have never departed from this and this is the only way (Acts 11:19) to establish NT churches. Barnabas discovered that  Jews and gentiles could worship together without having to be circumcised. Paul has had a decade of frustration because he longed for “one new man” but it’s only with Barnabas he saw that it was possible.

Having a year of teaching, what did he teach? On, One New Man in Christ. The grace that is evident in Anticoh and that what he models after.

The Dynamic and power of God. When Paul goes to Ephesus and prays for the Holy Spirit. This was another model. It does not take much for heresy to creep in depart from scripture. In the early church the Gnostic heretics were very charismatic and dynamic. Ignatius’ letter towards the close of the first century syas there is no apostle, no prophets and gifts.

Then we have the century’s of persecution till the 4^th century. Constantine adopts Christianity and owe it become s the official religion of the Empire and Christianity gets watered down and the leading Church fathers become leading politicians and heresy gets into the church.

So for us Scripture is our first protocol.

2. Reformers  

In 1516 Erasmus translated the bible into Greek and he wrote a commentary on how scripture has been corrupted to give in and how doctrine has been corrupted. He was not a Reformer but he put tools into the hands of the reformers to study for them. So Luther, Zwingli etc were the Reformers. The issue was can you sell indulgences. Zwingli was challenging the doctrine of the church in Switzerland and then in 1521 in Germany the taught of the Word of God was coming through and Jesus ( and not all the saints etc ) became the object of worship once again.

INFLUENCE  THREE   -   The Anabaptists’ understanding of a gathered community

Ulrich Zwingli became the leading minister of the church in Zurich and was commissioned by the state authorities to turn the church to evangelicalism. .  A disputation took place, the outcome was inevitable and those disagreeing with Zwingli were ordered to present their children for baptism by sprinkling.  Those believing in a “Gathered Church” split and formed independent churches and began to baptise one another by immersion (hence name “again baptisers”).  For this, they were imprisoned and many executed by drowning.  This was a blight on Zwingli and the Zurich authorities.  Anabaptist’s notion of church as a community of believers was a great influence on later denominations, especially the Baptists in 17^th century.

Despite constant persecution by both the Zwinglians, Lutherans and Roman Catholics, they appointed travelling ministries to evangelise and start new congregations.  It is reckoned some 5000 were martyred for their faith.

INFLUENCE  FIVE     -   18^th century missionary movement

Surprising as it is, English speaking Evangelicals did not take seriously the “Great Commission to go into the world and preach the gospel” until the end of the 18^th century.  William Carey, a young Baptist pastor much influenced by the Moravian leader Count Zinzendorf, raised the issue among the Northamptonshire Baptist Association.  At first he was almost ridiculed, the famous response “Young man, if God wants to save the Pagans, He will do it without your help and mine.”  Carey left for India and landed in Calcutta November 1793.  Hostile authorities sought to forbid his labours but amidst personal hardship and off time depression, he pressed on until by the end of his life in 1834 he paved the way for the establishment of many missionary societies.

Carey’s influence has often gone unrecognised as he was more than a preacher.

Areas of influence

Education in both spiritual and secular fields - appointed by Governor of India  to train civil servants and future leaders of India.

Reformer – Many Indian superstitions practiced were abolished by Act of Parliament ie Sati (burning of widow), slavery (great supporter of Wilberforce).

Translator – Translated Bible into many languages and parts thereof into 26 languages.

Team builder – Serampore Trio, famous for work in the community, set up with openness, honesty and mutual submission and admonition.

By his death, he had set up 19 mission stations, appointed some 50 missionaries of whom only 6 were European and seen 1000s saved and baptised.  Against all odds, he became rightly called “The Father of Modern Missions”.

Married 3 times, lost several children, including his son and co-worker Felix at 37 years of age.

  

INFLUENCE  SIX    -   The Pentecostals

1898 Charles Parham living in Topeka, near Kansas City,  leaves his 40 students to study the early chapters of the Acts of the Apostles.  3 days later each state it seemed  the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues was central to the missionary success of the Early Church (first 30 years).  Agnes Osman has hands laid on her and can only speak in Chinese for 3 days.  Each of the other 39 students speaks in known languages and later go as missionaries to those countries.  (Such a corporate manifestation of the Holy Spirit not evidenced since Pentecost.)  Parham was generally given a hostile response by the church and became an itinerant evangelist in the Kansas City area.  It is reported some 2 million came to faith before his death in 1927.

W.J. Seymour, a black pastor much influenced by Parham, moved to Los Angeles where he was mightily used by God in what is known as the Azusa Street Revival.  For several years, many evangelicals worldwide visited and received an anointing of the Holy Spirit.  From Azusa Street, Pentecostalism spread around the world and such men as Smith Wigglesworth, William Branham and the Jeffrey Brothers were raised up.  Again the orthodox evangelical church did not embrace the Pentecostal Movement, some even calling it a “cult”.

INFLUENCE  SEVEN    -   The Restoration Movement

Post war Europe, especially the UK, was spiritually dry.  Only bright spots were Billy Graham’s visits in the mid 60’s but church not ready for those responding to Graham’s brand of evangelicalism.  However there were many in the mainstream denominations dissatisfied with their personal spirituality and church life in general.  A young Church of England clergyman Michael Harper, gathered a few like minded friends and re-discovered the baptism of the Holy Spirit from studying the early chapters of Acts.  Less emphasis on tongues but an emphasis on a deeper personal walk with Jesus and sensitivity to Holy Spirit promptings.  However, again not welcomed by majority of evangelical Anglicans and “splits” began to take place.    Slowly Evangelicals left the mainstream denominations and met informally for worship, fellowship and ministry in houses but as they grew began to hire school halls etc and then later purchased buildings to house their church family.

  Beginning in the 1960s this movement had various names, such as “House Church Movement”, “New Churches”, “Restorationists”. Their theological differences were not immediately highlighted as main aim was to restore church to its former glory and to reach the masses.  Among those who influenced this were Arthur Wallace, Bryn Jones, Ern Baxter, Terry Virgo, Gerald Coates, John Noble etc.

In recent years, much of restoration influences has been adopted by the denominational churches but begs the old question “Can you put new wine into an old wine skin?”.

INFLUENCE  EIGHT     -   Terry Virgo, father of Newfrontiers

He can tell us his own story but Terry Virgo, converted as a happy pagan with little religious background, found his relationship with Jesus a lot better than the church he attended.  Dissatisfied, he went to a renewal meeting in London and there encountered the Holy Spirit.  After a year as a door to door evangelist living by faith, he spent 3 years studying at London Bible College and took on the pastorate at Seaford Free Evangelical Church but on the condition that he had freedom to build on New Testament principals as well as New Testament practice.  After some opposition, he began to enjoy fellowship with the people named “Restorationists” – Arthur Wallace, Bryn Jones and prophetically gifted David Mansell.  Soon it became clear to them that Terry had a growing apostolic ministry and they encouraged him to pursue that, first on the South Coast and South London.  This led to the Downs Bible Weeks followed by Stoneleigh which over 2 weeks gathered some 30,000.  Guided much by prophetic words as well as the Scriptures, Terry took Coastlands (with a vision of restoration in South East England) to Newfrontiers International with a global vision.  Terry raised up 100s of leaders in his time, many of whom served on mission worldwide in Terry’s apostolic sphere.

In 2011, Terry released those apostolic leaders who served alongside him worldwide to develop and multiply apostolic spheres whilst still remaining part of the Newfrontiers family of worldwide churches.  Terry remains the father of Newfrontiers but increasingly takes the message of grace and the dynamic of the Holy Spirit to church leaders in many nations.

CONCLUSION

Is our history important, should we not be more concerned about the present and the future?  Some would say we can dwell too much on the past but I personally do not agree with that.  We must always remember that this is not mere history but God’s ongoing record of His dealings with His people until He wraps it all up.

Knowing what our forbears have achieved, even failed and struggled with, should cause us to worship intelligently the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has purposed to have a people of His own and for us to rejoice that He has mercifully caught us up in this great calling of taking Christ to the nations.  In surveying our ancestry, there are many lessons to learn, heroes of the faith to honour and emulate and mistakes not to repeat.  It is for us now to make our own history and leave a mark on our generation.

                             ……………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ray Lowe’s recommended reading list.

Reading material I have found helpful and enlightening

Rodney Stark  -  The Rise of Christianity

Jerome Murphy-O’Connor  -  Paul his Story

Heiko A. Oberman  -  Luther, a man between the devil and God

Prof. Stephen Neil  -  A History of Christian Mission

Roberts Liardon  -  God’s Generals I

Julian Wilson  -  Wigglesworth

John Pollock  -  Whitefield, the Evangelist

John Pollock  -  Wesley, the Preacher

Terry Virgo  -  No well worn paths

Ray Lowe   -  www.tabletalks.co.uk

 Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that have people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service. To know more about us please log ontowww.wordofgracechurch.org.

    English Language Service Sundays at 10am. Please check google maps for directions!

THE HUB 2013 | Defining Moments - Ray Lowe

This message was preached at theHUB conference 2013 in Dubai which is the annual Regions Beyond  ( led by Steve Oliver) family of churches gathering . This message was preached by Ray Lowe

to listen/download to the mp3 audio please click here.

Luke 5:1- 3 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat."

This was a defining moment for Peter. We can’t afford to miss them sometimes, on which so much rests. All else that Peter did is because he responded in the right way here.

Martin Luther’s action of questioning the indulgences set off the Reformation.

In 1735 George Whitfield was asked to speak to someone in prison. He speaks from John 3 and the 2 prisoners are saved- crying out ‘I’m saved’. Whitfield is bewildered- goes home and ponders on the thief on the cross who realizes that the thief could not do anything. This moment started a great awakening.

In 1861- Wesleyan society conference- William Booth’s method was not accepted by everyone. He hated Calvinism. He was firing evangelists. Some thought he should be reined in. wife shouted, “never William, never”. That started the Salvation Army. It was a defining moment.

In 1898- Methodist minister (America) gathered 40 students every year. Got them to study Acts 1-5- realized that the Baptism of the Spirit was indispensable. Agnus Osmond- asked for baptism in the Holy Spirit and spoke in Chinese for 3 days. They all spoke in known languages and then went on to those countries as missionaries. The start of the Pentecostal charismatic movement!

Billy Graham- the night before his first crusade had an encounter with God.

What do they all have in common? They did not have a clue that it would be so big. Today we look at it with hind sight at their success. They did not know it would be this way.

Luke is the only one who records the defining moment for Peter.

In Regions Beyond, this new phase of us coming together-

Jesus was not unknown to Peter. Peter may have even witnessed healing. He is having a bad night. He is happy to loan his boat to Jesus. He did not know what was coming. Peter was a middle class business man. Fishing was his skill and knew when to fish and knew he could have had a bad night. You still need to clean the nets even though empty.

Jesus is a preacher/healer but knows nothing about fishing in the natural.

He tells Simon to ‘go fishing’. Why did he do it? It just seemed like the right thing to do. That’s true for us.

1.      Obedience- they learnt it in the natural and in the spirit. Peter was impetuous, reckless, failed publicly. But Jesus had him in hand. Discerning the will of God is tough sometimes. The timing of God is important to know. These are defining moments- when we will have to conclude whether there is God or not.

G Booth- Booth’s son’s very different from his father. He has a strange experience – a woman climbs into his room and tells them her story which was tragic (child prostitution). William Booth did not want to get involved. Gram well felt this was the leading of God. Those days, age of consent was 12.  He fought to raise the age and the  result was the age was raised to 16.

John and Betty Stan in 1930 moved to China and were martyred. 700 men and women volunteered for mission work at their funeral.

It’s important to know what’s gone before. Obedience is tough.

2.      Partnership- we see it here. They call the other boats for help. We talk so much about team. This is vital to everything we do. Newfrontiers was built on relationships and we need to keep it that way. Not one fish was lost because he asks for help.

The next three years they are jockeying for position- strange. He did not say he did not want them to be great- but not in worldly terms but in serving.

Even at the last supper, they are arguing about who will be the greatest. We are not in competition.

History is not on our side when it comes to this.

Reformation in Europe- it could have achieved so much more. Luther and Zwingly divided over breaking of bread. This opened the door to Counter Reformation.

Whitfield-Wesley- the followers alongside the Great Awakening did not achieve what it could have.

We can do more together than apart- we can make history of working together not jockeying for position. Wesley did not do a good job at the end of his life.

They were great men of God but we learn from their mistakes. We are here for one another’s success.

3.      For Peter this defining moment was about too much. He was undone. He could cope with miracles but Jesus recruiting was almost too much for him. His response was “go away, I am a sinful man”. I don’t think it was sin. He just didn't feel worthy. It was the realization that he was encountering the awesome and big recruited by the most magnificent being ever. He was then to have full revelation.

When Isaiah went into the temple and encountered God, he was undone. This is an attitude for a lifetime and not for a moment. It was like that for Abraham, Moses, Joshua… it was something they lived with.

This Conference is a defining moment. We will model something- about partnership around the world.