ORGANIZATION
AND REVIVAL
Known As, "After
Pentecost"
By Donald Gee
"And in those days, when the
number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a
murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because
their widows were neglected in the daily ministration."
That’s when the trouble happened, "when the
number of the disciples were multiplied." You can’t
run a thing the same way when it is multiplied as you
did when it was beginning. You can take it from the Word
of God that when a thing grows you are going to have troubles
that you won’t have when it is smaller. Don’t
be so silly and sentimental as to be always wanting the
old days back when there were only a handful and very
few troubles. Some people can’t bear big meetings
because there is likely to be trouble in them.
Now because there was trouble they
dealt with it. Some folks say, "Let’s just
pray and preach and forget about it." No. Get it
by the scruff of the neck and deal with it. Don’t
run away from it. Be a man and face it. The twelve called
the multitude of the disciples together. That was an act
of courage. They "faced the music." Then they
said, "It is not reason that we should leave the
word of God, and serve tables." Reason is what we
need sometimes. We need a lot more reason in Pentecost.
Our testimony has suffered in many places because it has
not been presented reasonably. God help us to be reasonable.
"Look ye out among you seven
men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom,
whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give
ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of
the Word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude."
The Church did its first bit of organizing and it saved
the revival. Let’s pull this "dragon"
out and have a look at it. When you start talking about
organization some people nearly faint. This is the principle;
it is always right to organize sufficiently to meet a
felt need. That is the principle. Have you got it? I know
organization is a dangerous thing. I know that organization
can kill revival. When they first organized the Assemblies
of God I would not touch it, but the Lord cured me. I
am just as free as any man in the Assemblies, and I have
the benefit of being checked up by my brothers and sisters.
Organization is a deadly thing
when you go beyond the need. The sort of men I am afraid
of in the church are those who love organization for organization’s
sake. Some men are made that way. They love organizing
everything. If you go into their offices you can see that
everything is in its place. They love talking and discussing
matters and they simply gloat in resolutions and two thirds
majorities, etc. They are the men who do the mischief.
Chain those fellows up and don’t let them out till
we are through with the business meeting. If you organize
for the love of it you will kill the revival.
Organize only enough to meet a
felt need. From 1906-1924 we had no Pentecostal Movement
to speak of in Great Britain, but since we have organized,
the work has grown by leaps and bounds. There were two
reasons why we organized. Before we organized we were
being simply swamped by false doctrines and false preachers.
Now we demand a certificate of fellowship. If you are
thinking of going to Great Britain to preach, be sure
to take along your certificate. The first thing we’ll
ask you for will be your credentials. Take my advice and
stay here if you haven’t credentials. There is no
opening for you without them. We have to safeguard the
church that God has put in our charge.When it is meeting
a need, organization is Scriptural and right. If you won’t
organize, your revival will explode and go to pieces.
(Edited For Emphasis)
|
