Kenneth Copeland - Unity in the Christian Chain of Command
Welcome again, today we’re here in full class of Kenneth Copeland Bible College. That still has a strange ring to me. My name on a Bible College… well, glory to God. I didn’t start this, Jesus did. He knew this before the foundation of the world. And he knew you’d be sitting right here. Praise God. And I want to put something else on there. There are those that should be here right now and they are not. But then that’s his business, not mine. Praise God. So open your Bibles with me to the 4th chapter of the book of Ephesians first. «I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called».
Wherewith ye are called. He’s writing this to the whole church at Ephesus, so everybody there’s called to do something. No such thing as a Christian that’s not called, no such thing as anyone born on this planet that is not called of God to do something. Amen. And I want to touch on this while I’m talking about it. That’s not white, it’s kind of red ugly brown spotted up looking mess. It has nothing to do with anything. It has to do with the way people react and respond according to the Lord or the devil. There are churches that I am not welcome in, not because of the color of my skin, but because of what I preach. They don’t want me in there. In fact, that’s the reason the Lord instructed me years ago. He said, «I can’t expand your ministry any further».
Of course this is over a period of time, but I can tell in a few seconds, this has to do with Christian chain of command. I said, «Why»? He said, «You’re too high tempered…» Really? He said, «Someone criticizes you. First thing you do is just fly off the handle and get mad». Well, he was right. And he said, «If you want my perfect will for you, don’t read about yourself in print ever again, good or bad, especially the good, because you have a tendency to remember that». That’s the reason I don’t want to know what people post about me. And I’m not about to post anything. I’m not going there. I don’t want to know it.
Now they post things about wishing Gloria happy birthday or me a happy birthday. That’s fine, Kellie or somebody can tell me about it. I’m not going to read it. I can but… There was a man walked up to me with a big smile on his face. This is really the bottom line of this, chain of command now remember. And he walked up big smile on his face and grabbed me by the hand while he was smiling. He said, «Copeland, I’ve never heard anybody rape the Scriptures like you did today» and turn around and walked off. Well, the first thing I want to do is spank him, made me mad and then I kept thinking what I should have said and then what I shouldn’t have said.
And so I had to live with that guy for a while and he’s gone. He don’t care. I had to forgive him and forget and pray to God that he heard something that woke his spirit up. Let me change that awakened his spirit. I don’t want it woked up. It is sad to me how people can butcher up a fine word, but that’s not my business neither. I just refuse to use it. So the judgment doesn’t happen when you don’t know it. I don’t want to hear it. So there were people calling me a lot of stuff. Well, God bless them. I didn’t hear it, so it didn’t bother me. Amen. But one of the things that comes close to infuriating me and I know it does God, hurts his heart is to be judgmental about little stuff. And the problem with Christians, they major in minors.
In the whole scheme of things water baptism is minor, not major. It is appropriate and should be preached, but not every Sunday. But then that’s not my business, is it… Can you see, I can’t judge somebody for that. That’s what God’s called them to do. And thank God for the Baptist. I’m telling you, the people that they’ve caused to be born again, I just thank God that I found out that Joe Stewart, CEO of Central Flying Service, was an ordained Baptist preacher. And he is such a sweet friend. And he married Gloria and me in his living room, Gloria, the Friday the 13th, about 8:00 in the evening. And I swore before God to take care of her. And I remember I told Gloria, I said, «I’m gonna talk to your dad». I said, «After all, he introduced us».
So I went to Blevins and sat down there in the living room. And Gloria was right here. Mary was here and Gloria’s Dad, Wallace was right here. And I noticed this little head kept peeking around… Mary said, «Kenneth, I’ll ask you only one thing,» I said, «Yes, ma’am». Take care of my little girl. I said, «Yes, ma’am, I will». And I kept looking, this little head kept popping around. It was Gloria’s sister, Janne, and she is now in this ministry in the finance department. Now, Mary was pregnant with Missy, so we always know how old Missy is. She’s the same age as Gloria and my anniversary. Sweet things. But God had a plan. He didn’t plan for me to be in the airplane business, but I had to know how to fly in order to get to Oral Roberts University to get connected with him. I’m talking about God’s eternal plans. His judgment…
Now in the 4th chapter of the book of Ephesians, «Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace». Now, hey, that should come under the Christian chain of command to keep unity and the bond of peace, why? There has to be order… «There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism,» which has three parts, «One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. He is top of the chain of command. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of the anointed one and his anointing. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth»?
And any person that takes upon him or herself to appoint apostles and so forth, you don’t qualify. You didn’t first descend into the lower parts of the earth, but by the leadership of the Spirit, one can separate like Brother Hagin did where I was concerned. Well, then I had to learn from him what the prophets ministry is all about, because I love to teach. I’m still learning and I’ve just picked up on some things here recently that are a great blessing to me. «He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, which is the work of the ministry, for the edifying or the building up of the body of Christ».
Now, if he ever needed that, he needs that today. He hadn’t changed. So we must, isn’t that good, our commander in Chief never changes… «Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect or mature man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love».
That’s the reason I have no business criticizing Keith Moore in the way he pastors those two churches. Amen. That’s not my business. It’s my business to love him. If I wonder about something, I’ll go ask him. He has called me and asked me certain things about, «What do you think about what we’ve been saying about this»? And I’ve told him, «Well, here’s what I believe the Lord said about it. Yeah, well, yeah, okay, discuss that between us». He didn’t go to the church and say, «What do you think about what Brother Copeland said about something…» No, no, no, no, no, no, no. That would mean that he’d sit in judgment over me, decently and in order. He and I discussed that. We’ve discussed tithing before. We’ve discussed a lot of things.
Keith is a very, very wise man, very calm. He taught the whole week of increase on meekness. Oh, where did he get it? Jesus said, «Learn of me». That’s what the commander said. Learn of me. I am meek and lowly in heart. What does that mean? Very humble. Humble yourself therefore, under the mighty hand of God. Now, we’re right here now, all of this, there’s a lot of criticism in here, but it’s corrective criticism. Now, watch this. «This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:» He just called somebody ignorant. Ignorant. But I’m from Texas, ignert, didn’t he… No, he used that as an example because they had been gentiles and ignorant of the things of God. They did a lot of things that they didn’t pay attention to.
«Put off concerning the former conversation, the former manner of life, the old man,» you do it… «which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;» Change your mind about these things. And how do you do it? Well, you carry the letter around with you. He didn’t know he was writing a book in the New Covenant. So what do you do? You carry the letter around with you and you read it and you read it and you read it and you change your mind. Or you renew the spirit of your mind. «Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness or right standing with God and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil».
You better get rid of this before sundown… whatever it is you better get rid of that. Don’t go to sleep with this in your heart, particularly… now I’m ministering to somebody because Brother Hagin ministered to a young man like this. Now, I’ve ministered to those that had seizures, but he told this young man, he said, «When you go to sleep at night, don’t you let fear of having another seizure…» He had been delivered from that. «Don’t you allow fear of a seizure to get on your mind before you go to sleep. You go to the Word, you go to the Scripture, you go to sleep on that scripture where you were delivered». Isn’t that good? Where did that come from? A prophet with experience. That was a word from God. Amen. And he obeyed that command. What did Jesus say in that last supper? Who is it that loves me? He that loves me will obey my command.
Now, this is the 14th chapter, in the 13th, he said, «I just got through saying the new commandment is love. He that loves me obeys my command. My Father will love him and I will love him and I will manifest myself to him». Well, God loves everybody, but everybody is not keeping that command of love. So here we’re back to the chain of command again. And this Book is command order. This book has command authority. So it needs to be first place and final authority in a Christian life. And to find out about it, you’re going to have to study it and read it and live in it and allow it to live in you. Praise God.
So let’s continue here now. Oh, if only Christian people knew this. «Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands» so that he can buy food for his family… No, that’s not what the commander said. That’s not orders… so go back to your orders. Look up your orders and read your orders and find out what we’re supposed to do. «Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth». 99% I would say of Christian people don’t know what a job is about. Well, you know, I’ve got to pay the rent and la di da di da. you’re a tither. Oh, yeah, Brother Copeland I tithe. Why are you working? To have to give to him that needs. Changes your entire motive, and we’re out of time again today, amen. We’ll be back in just a moment.