90 Leaders Are Needed To Set Up According To The Pattern

With our many workers, more laborers are needed in the harvest field.  At this time, I would like to use a Scripture that describes the type of leader that is needed to go through the Reformation.  Mark 4:14, "And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach."  This Scripture points out the fact that it was necessary for Jesus to have leaders that were with Him.  Since the principle of these offices are the same being refilled in this Reformation, it will still be necessary for the same type men working with the Chief Office.  This quality would be the same revelation, preaching the same doctrine working in unity to meet the same goal, another quality for holding a bishopric (office) is found in Timothy 3:1-7.  These qualifications are even more necessary in a Reformation, for an example; it is necessary for one to be sober, and of good behavior, given to hospitality.  To be sober is to know what you are doing and being convinced that it is the thing to do.  Good behavior means to behave yourself in the house of God.  Not being ugly and giving trouble all the time.  A lover of hospitality is one who loves to entertain and treat others as Christ would treat them.  This is necessary to be Christ-like.  One of the main things that would disqualify a person from holding the office is to be striker, the meaning of this, is for one to hold out for what he wants and all the time quitting everything if something happens that he does not like.  This type never makes it through.  God can never depend on them, and as Paul instructed Timothy in preaching the doctrine; Timothy 4:16, "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them:  for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee."  We must keep united in the doctrine.  We cannot go forth believing contrary one to another.  Some have already made shipwreck because they were not willing to go along with the principle of the faith, of which, we made our stand.  A reformation is not to introduce a new doctrine, but it is to reform the people in the true doctrine.  Some appear to think that we have done away with all the Church's teachings, and have started all over a new with the right to introduce a new doctrine.  I want to say in this, that this view is not true.  We only denounced the man-made laws of the people and the people as the highest tribunal of authority; and accepted the highest authority in the anointed and not the people.

I have stated before in previous writings that we are to stay far away from doctrines that would change the FAITH of The Church of God for there is only one FAITH, one pattern, one Church, one doctrine.  This pattern that we are building by is not a pattern for an individual.  This is the pattern of the revelation and principle of Jesus Christ.

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* Article Written By:  The Late Grady R. Kent, St. John II, Chief Bishop of The Church of God, 1957-1964. This sermon was taken from The Vision Speaks, Volume 1 : Number 10 : August 1958.

All grammatical and typographical errors have been corrected except for direct quotations from the Author.  Thought content of said article has not been changed