Not for One Moment Did I Notice
“Saying ‘Lord, Lord,’ isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience that produces what my Father wants. I can see it now–when I decide to call people to account, crowds of people will feel bold to say, ”Lord, we prophesied, we cast out demons, our list of “wonderful’ has everyone talking.’
“And I am going to say, ”First I’ve heard of any of this since I wasn’t involved at all. I’m not sure how you got in this line. Somebody gets these people out of here so we can do kingdom business.”
“I speak Truth that you either make a priority to your lifestyle and destiny or miss your purpose when the whole of it is tested. They are foundational words. You build with my word. You build on a rock. Rain falls, river flood, straight-line winds blow—but what you build stands the test because it sits upon a rock.”
I am firmly convinced that most contemporary Spirit-filled people think God would never empower them to cast out demons, prophesy, or do great things if He weren’t pleased with their moral, ethical, and kingdom culture lifestyles.
Yet, Jesus points to supernatural power exhibitions as first-order examples of people doing things in His Name He ignores.
What Time Is It?
We have some critical questions to answer: what does Jesus mean by “in that day?” Jesus avoids the answer because it is not His intention to post a chart of events but to point to outcomes desired or ignored. The point is about producing Father’s will, not about a timeline of future culminations.
Immediately commentators read these words, they begin banging on them with hammers forged in doctrinal idolatry, firing them with red hot coals, and dropping them into cooling waters. Then they repeat the process until they get Jesus to say something they want to hear.
Yet, Jesus doesn’t say what they say He says at all. Thus, Jesus does not have their doctrinal idolatry ruling His filtering system of Eternal Reality or organizing His excellent communication of Truth.
What Priority Creates Exclusive Focus?
Jesus talks about getting Father what He wants and throws shock waves through His hearers by saying that supernatural operations of power do not mean your show suggests you are producing what Father wants. Jesus clarifies that “many shall say” that there will be a prevalent trend in kingdom history toward doing great things without a blueprint in mind.
People doing things in His authority will produce things in His absence that have no resemblance to the blueprints and battleplans of Father’s strategic wisdom in creation, redemption, and restoration.
People who graduate from the School of Supernatural Ministry or the Power of God Almighty Academy or the Prophets Raising a Bunch of Dead People Club will reach some point of accountability at which the assessment of their produced outcomes will be reckoned by Jesus with the blueprints sitting before Him.
What Blueprints?
The deadly assumption “the many” fall into comes from the desire to be overtly individualistic with God’s resources. The “God gave me a free will so I can make decisions about my life and destiny” lie tells God to take His blueprints and shove them in an angel’s ear.
“If God has anything to say to me, He can say it. I don’t need leaders telling me what God wants.” I can do all things through Christ. I prophesy. I raise the dead. I heal the sick. I worship with both hands up.”
The issue isn’t “Can you do the stuff, but do you have access to the blueprint?”
“Lord, Lord, I can really lead worship like a rock star, and people say they can worship when I’m the one doing it,” many will say. To which Jesus will say, “Who are you? If you were ever, for one moment, doing what in the world I’ve been doing, I would recognize you.”
“Doing the stuff” can be, and often is, a contradiction and confusion to what Jesus prioritizes–what Jesus prioritizes to the exclusion of all else.
“Lord, Lord, look at this campus we have built, the money we have raised, the thousands who are born anew, and the amazingly good impression people have of You because of what we do for the poor,” many will say when the moment of accountability arises.
Knowing what I know as a spiritual father, I fall on the ground like Moses when people talk like Korah. I’d not sleep at all if I had their attitude toward obedience and submission.
Who Has the Blueprints and Battle Plans?
Jesus looks for something that matches the blueprints in the individual lifestyle and the kingdom strategies for representing the Father through the Overcoming King and finds that the whole thing is a distracting misuse and abuse of merciful opportunity and resources. So Jesus looks at the blueprint and the report of people’s claims and says, “This is the first time I’ve heard of this because I see nothing but what produces this blueprint.”
Of course, this applies personally, and Jesus makes a personal application with the built on the sand or rock metaphor. First, however, we look at how this fits the entire schematic of individuals within kingdom culture. They were making things in that context, missing the mark altogether, therefore, sinning against the Father by bringing God what they want Him to have instead of what God wants.
To avoid this outcome, people wishing to please God should have access to the blueprint leaders who Jesus assigns construction. These leaders have blueprint and battle plan authority, and they can also assess personal and ministry with these blueprints.
Leaders Have Blueprints and Battleplans
Paul reveals this in Ephesians and the presuppositions behind how he fathers individuals and ministries as apostolic leaders. “I have the insight and authority to assess what people in the kingdom accomplish by relating it to the blueprints Jesus gave me as a master builder.”
We also learn by this revelation from Jesus: things can go on for a long time before an “in that day” arrives on the calendar because Jesus assumes we are living by kingdom culture, apostolic order, and His design for the ekklesia. Then, when the moment of summation arrives, the judgment decisions come from blueprints and battle plans.
Season-ending Harvest Time
Seasons end with harvests. When seasons end and harvest comes into God’s barns, distinctions are made about the outcomes. Did what we planted produce? Did the soil produce something other than? Does the harvest now require sifting to separate out what was never desired?
Providence works throughout history, but the context of all kingdom purposes points to human beings representing the King responsible for producing what the King wants.
Since the stakes are so high, the King provides everything needed for success. And, the King’s standards of judgment take that into consideration.
The King provides special representatives who can reveal the blueprints by laying down foundations for others to use for complete construction. These representatives also have the authority to assess the progress for integrity to the blueprints. The foundations anticipate what the blueprints reveal.
People who ignore these blueprints build what they want the King to have instead of what the King knows His Father wants. The King has eyes only for His Father’s will because the King got the blueprints from His Father.
Are We in Jeopardy of Missing It?
I know you are suddenly saying, “Well, if all that is true, Dr. Don, a great many people are ignoring the process.”
Yep.
Jesus says, “Many people will not stand as leaders and representatives in His next steps for the eternal kingdom on Earth. If they ignored the blueprints, He ignored them. So it appears there will be no opportunity for “do-overs.”
Paul says fire tested what is built on the foundation. What is foreign to the blueprints is destroyed. Perhaps the picture of “get out of here” means the people go empty-handed with the opportunity to start over.
In the ultimate sense–someday–there will be ultimate judgment, but throughout history, there are many points of season-ending harvest judgments. Perhaps we experience many wake-up calls along the way that can reset our priorities when blueprint adjustments come to our construction efforts.
In the context of contemporary churchism, most people are certain Jesus giggles with delight every time we have an event, raise some funds, and erect a new campus addition without little thought about Father’s blueprints for the region in which they are assigned to represent Him.
Me, Myself, and I
In the context of modern revivalism, most people assume that doing the stuff impresses Jesus, and their identity in Christ means they are entitled to an excellent report card “in the day.” Yet, Jesus considers the blueprints and nothing else–happy if you raised the dead, prophesied to nations, kick out demons, and represented Him well enough to suffer a lot–but remains thoroughly ignorant of what you are doing unless you build something that answers to Father’s blueprints.
Jesus did not die to redeem you outside a context of eternal purpose. Agape love is Divine passion for purpose, so your purpose burns in Jesus. However, your purpose outside the context of eternal purpose is a sideshow.
Any assumption that He died to give you the capacity to produce what you think He would like is the ultimate folly. He didn’t reach the right of the Father to enable your capacity to show off for Jesus.
