This article is part of my ongoing series on the kingdom of God (you can read the previous articles at frankviola.org/kingdom. They all work together.)
Right or wrong, I believe the greatest obstacle to the advance of the kingdom in the earth today is the unwillingness of so many of God’s servants to work together.
Thankfully, this isn’t the case with all of them. But I’d say it’s true for most Christian leaders in America.
I’ve explained the profound benefits of co-working elsewhere. Today, I want to discuss two reasons why countless ministers won’t work with others.
The two reasons – which are virtually never talked about today — are:
- Jealousy
- Fear of diversity
Let me unpack both.
Reason 1: Jealousy
According to music experts, the four greatest music artists of all time are Michael Jackson, Garth Brooks, The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin (those are in no particular order).
Suppose that you are a music artist living during the prime of any of those four artists. You have a nice following, but nothing like the afore mentioned musicians.
Unless your ego is thoroughly crucified, you wouldn’t want to open for Jackson, Brooks, The Beatles, or Zep.
Why?
Because you’d be thoroughly upstaged. They would wipe the floor, so you’d happily decline.
Don’t think for a second this doesn’t happen in Christian conferences today. This is actually the reason why many of the most gifted and powerful speakers aren’t invited to certain conferences.
It’s jealousy. The unwillingness to be upstaged.
Of course, jealousy is rarely admitted. Other reasons are given as excuses to cover the envy. But insecurity, rivalry, and competitiveness are often at the root.
Consequently, it’s much safer to work alone or exclusively with those who are less gifted.
Now imagine with me for a moment. What would have happened if Barnabas refused to invite Paul to work in Antioch with him because of jealousy? Or what would have happened if all twelve apostles refused to work with each other because of jealousy?
The kingdom of God wouldn’t have moved very far.
Reason 2: Fear of Diversity
One of Watchman Nee’s most brilliant books is called What Shall This Man Do? The book is an incisive study of the distinctive ministries of Peter, Paul, and John.
In the book, Nee argues that the distinctive ministry of each apostle was foreshadowed by what they were doing when Jesus called them.
When Jesus called Peter, Peter was casting a net into the sea. He was fishing.
Interestingly, Peter’s ministry was evangelism. Peter opened the door of the kingdom to both Jews and Gentiles. He was a fisher of men.
When Jesus called Paul, Paul was a tentmaker. He was a builder, if you will.
Accordingly, Paul’s distinctive ministry the building the house of God. To stay with the metaphor, Peter brought in the fish, but Paul built them together into a house.
When Jesus called John, John was repairing his net. He was a restorer.
Consequently, John’s distinctive ministry was restoring the house of God when it started to move toward ruin. To stay with the metaphor, John repaired the tent that Paul had built.
Each man was an apostle, so Peter, Paul, and John all engaged in evangelism and community-building. But each had a unique and distinctive ministry.
Peter cast the net, Paul built the house, and John repaired the net.
Now here’s my application.
Some movements today are exclusively made up of Peters. Their entire emphasis is on reaching the lost. Consequently, each person in the movement is a Peter (even though they may mistakenly call some in the movement Pauls or Johns).
The tragedy is that they never invite the Pauls or the Johns into their movements due to the fear of diversity.
To their minds, John is just too radical. And Paul is too intensely centered on community-building.
In addition, Peters are often jealous of Pauls because of their powerful speaking ministries. (Pauls tend to blow people’s minds wherever they preach.)
The real Pauls have actual experience in raising up the house of God and equipping the saints to function under the headship of Jesus Christ. So their value is immense.
The real Johns are prophetic voices that are able to identify the root problems in the church and offer solutions. So they too are needed. But they are boat-rockers and sod-turners.
For a Peter, Pauls and Johns are threatening.
(On occasion, God will raise up a person who is a combination of the Pauline and Johannine ministries. These rare vessels cause no small ruckus.)
Sometimes the problem works this way.
Not a few Christian movements are incredibly heady and intellectual. So the people who are invited to join arms with them are equally mindy, abstract, and intellectual.
The firebrands who minister at a deeper level are left out. And so are the emoters.
Why? Fear of diversity.
Conclusion
In order for the kingdom of God to advance in the earth today, the Peters, Pauls, and Johns must be willing to work together. But this demands something costly. It demands that the cross of Jesus Christ deal a hefty blow to the ego, demolishing its insecurities and putting to death the jealousy and fear that springs from it.
I could say much more, but I’ll leave it there. My hope is that the Holy Spirit will use this article to create change in this area. Even in the hearts of a few leaders.
I’ll write more about the kingdom of God next week. Stay tuned.
Click here for all the articles in the Kingdom of God Series
A Farewell to Kings
Are there instances where working separate can serve better for the Lord’s kingdom?
The imminent question right now is, “What sorts of things can God’s people do to encourage those who aren’t open to others who are more gifted than they are to welcome their contribution?”
Case in point. The other day I was notified about a conference coming up in February, and some people bemoaned why certain speakers — who should be there — weren’t invited to speak. I learned that one person isn’t going for that very reason (a “sanctified” boycott?). I know of another case where a person wrote a letter to the conference host, stating why certain people should be invited to speak. Perhaps actions like those may be ways of addressing the issue (?).
Once we focus on answering that question, should we move on to others like the one you asked.
Thanks for addressing a real need today! My concern is that the leaders of movements and hosts of conferences who really need to read it will never see it, and the people who read and agree with it are not in positions where they can really do anything about it.
Great article! It needs to be said. I attend many conferences and my question in most of them is, “why didn’t they invite __________?”
Now I know the reason. Makes perfect sense.
Thanks for the article, Frank. I think our city/town here in the UK is one of the exceptions to the picture you painted.
All the ministers meet fortnightly to pray together and we have a countrywide group called Churches Together which promotes unity. Perhaps that is why the churches in our area are healthy.
What you are describing is pretty common in the USA (and has been since the 1980s). Pastors breakfasts and occasional “unity” meetings with local area churches. However, in virtually ever instance, not all pastors and leaders and churches are represented. Even so, this article doesn’t have in view local churches or local leaders. I’m speaking in reference to extra-local movements and the conferences that go with them.
The letter I wrote to Rick Joyner many years ago (way before I had a ministry) captures the essence of what I’m speaking about: https://www.frankviola.org/2010/09/27/an-open-letter-to-rick-joyner/ – what I said in it applies to most movements today.
Great article. It made me think of some of my mentors. They seem to speak different languages: when one tends to put emphasis on the evangelistic ministry, the other emphasizes on the church building. Though they both love the Lord, the problem is they don’t cope together. And consequently, they don’t work together.
May the Lord help us to see far beyond ourselves!
Very insightful article – although you forgot to mention Elvis ha!
On a serious note, which would you perceive yourself to be… A Peter, Paul or John? (not necessarily claiming apostleship but using the metaphor)
Last, I like the fresh look at an evangelist, builder and restorer as different sides of the ‘apostle’ coin specifically. Typically I’ve noticed a similar tension within what many call the five-fold ministry. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers tend to act with protectionism too.
Yea, Elvis was big for several years and so was Sinatra before him, until The Beatles came along and wiped the floor.
I prefer not to state what I am. I am very clear on it, however. And those who know my work and ministry well could tell you instantly.
Frank, I’ve followed your ministry for the last ten years. You are definitely a Paul and a John. Your book “From Eternity to Here” and the talks you gave to the church you planted in the indwelling life course are all Paul. Your books “Pagan Christianity” and the tabernacle of David podcast are all John.
It’s like not wanting to hang out with a girl that’s prettier than you are.
I have a good number of leaders to whom your blog is being sent. It has to be widely distributed. Using the link of course. I have seen this with my own eyes. Surely this standoff is everywhere, within this nation and abroad. Thank you for this most powerful word.
Yes.?A good article.
This is only one of the reasons why I appreciate your ministry Frank, you talk about the “pink elephant in the room.” I see this issue of jealousy being evident on so many levels in trying to coordinate efforts to serve in a city much less a region or nation. Thank you for such a clear, insightful challenge.
I liked the article a lot. I’m wondering though, you mentioned the cross and so few are able to truly preach on this today. Have you found anyone in today’s ministries that are truly preaching the cross of Jesus Christ?
I think you may be confusing two things. I was speaking about bearing the cross in the areas of jealousy, competitiveness, and insecurity — one of the root reasons why so many leaders don’t open their arms to other leaders. I wasn’t speaking about preaching the cross. That’s another subject.
Your last statement has been received and the article has been GLADLY passed on to anyone on my list who might or might not read it. You actually gave clarity to the “obvious” that eludes just about every 20/20 Christian. 😉
Thanks. I hope you sent the link instead of copying the article. That way people can dialogue here with the rest of us.
Very powerful message, Frank. I’ve seen more than a few ministers and so-called movements claiming to be the new/latest/greatest/whatever move of God in the earth, but they appear segmented and shortsighted because their ministry is one-dimensional as you’ve described. They lack the other two dimensions.
These movements could be much more effective if they trusted others who operated in the other two dimensions to fill in the gaps.
It seems that where God has given pieces to some, they’ve assumed they received the whole puzzle and have no need of others.
Very sad.
All this in the framework of institutional Christianity. The problems, and many answers, you’ve tackled in books such as Pagan Christianity and Reimagining Church remain the same. I checked out of Institutional Christianity four years ago, though we’ve visited here and there, and I am finding very few answers. Working within the hierarchy of the “church” is certainly not it.
Vincent, let me push back here. What I’ve described doesn’t just operate within the framework of institutional Christianity. It operates JUST AS STRONGLY outside of it. It’s endemic to all movements and tribes. My hope in highlighting it is that the Spirit would deal with the hearts of leaders.
Unfortunately, unless someone passes this article on to such people, they will probably never read it.