ALL-INCLUSIVE CHURCH

“ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy' " (Acts 2:17‭-‬18 NIV). 

The church of God has continued for more than 2000 years. The highest authority of the church is the Bible. In it, there are few incidences of prejudice, stereotype, discrimination, classism and marginalisation which were all addressed in agreement with God's word and through the leading of the Spirit. 

These are supposed to be lessons for new generation of spiritual leaders to equip the church to curtail all forms of discrimination in the church, and to prepare God's holy lovers as a glorious church for the second advent of Christ. 

Unfortunately, today, there are yet incidences of discrimination happening in the family of God. Today's message addresses discrimination in the church. 

What is An All-Inclusive Church? 

An all-inclusive Church is a church that gladly accepts and actively engages everyone toward the collective goal of the church or toward its total uprising. 

The underlying virtue for building an all-inclusive Church is respect for all persons. In Christ Jesus, every person is important to God, useful to God and cherished by God. There is none in the church who does not matter to God. Even unbelievers have been used by God to introduce positive change among God's people according to his plan. 

For instance, Cyrus the king of Persia, publicly announced his interest in helping build Israel's national temple which had been in ruins (2Chr 36:22-23). Again, in the parable of Jesus (Luke 18:1-8), an unbelieving judge was used by God to resolve the plight of a believing widow.  

So then, leaders of the Church must recognize each person's capabilities and create opportunities for them to rise and shine through their capabilities. A leader who creates opportunities for followers to become the best of them is a praiseworthy leader. 

The church today needs more praiseworthy leaders who are able to teach, guide, inspire, encourage and motivate members of God's family to put out the glory which is in them for the world to see and give praise to the Father. Christ is in you and must be seen through you!

There is no authority provided in the New Testament for discriminating against women, children, young persons or poor persons in the church. 

You may hear some church leaders say that they do not want poor persons in their church. That itself is a form of classism. When you make statements like this, you are setting rich persons in God's family as superior to poor persons in God's family. 

A poor person is a less-endowed, less privileged person. Create opportunities for them to rise and shine, and you will notice that many poor persons are loaded in various ways but the lack of opportunities and privileges has covered them with clots of dust and dirt. 

As a leader, always teach, guide, inspire, encourage and motivate the less endowed, less privileged persons among your congregation to take up challenges and change their statuses. Do not condemn them or make them feel useless to you. 

I dare to say that many poor persons in the churches have been kept on the patched land by the very brainwashing and manipulative teachings of their leaders. 

Some leaders threaten their followers who want to leave the church for reason of excessive financial hardship. They threaten them with curses and stigmas that often discourage them from leaving to find greener pastures. Poverty is not a curse. It is a socio-psychological problem that can be solved by wisdom and ingenuity. Poverty they say, is the mother of ingenuity. 

Are you fond of discriminating against women taking up leadership positions in the church, young persons taking up leadership positions, less endowed persons taking up leadership positions or children using their gifts to serve the Lord? Then desist from it now!

The key verse above demonstrates God's intent to build an all-inclusive church where both men and women; children, youth and adults, can use their gifts and graces to serve his interests. 

The Spirit is not given to only men, or only adults, but also to women, children and youths. David was only 17 years old when he brought down the giant of the Philistines, Goliath, from whom even the king of Israel backed away. 

Jesus was only 12 when he interacted with the leading lawyers and scribes of the Jewish religion, and they found his understanding of the Scriptures to be superordinary. 

Women can, children can, young persons can, and less endowed persons can, introduce change into the church, and must be given opportunity to drive home the change. 

#Truth Haven