(Europe 2008) Session 4 - Assuming the Ministry of Christ — B.H. Clendennen

Experiential Knowledge of God

You know, I learned along this way, you have to, if you learn some things, maybe you like me not too quick to learn, but what I learned, I tried to learn well. And I don't know a lot, but what I've learned, I've learned well, and I've learned much of it by experience.

That's the only thing that really stays with you. You know, there's two words for know in the New Testament. One of them is to know by information, and the other is to know by experience. That's the kind of a knowledge that never leaves you.

You know, once you have come to experience God and to know Him, there was that moment in time when I met God, like Isaiah, I saw the Lord. Now, you know, in the Bible, to see is to know. It is, and the Bible said no man has seen God at any time.

Now, the body of Christ become a prism that broke up the infinite light and holiness of God that we could look upon Him, but otherwise, men never saw God. But to see is to know. The Bible said that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know.

You know, and as you walk with God about believing. You know, I've watched faith become everything from a nervous tick to a positive confession. But I've learned that faith is just willing to do the will of God, living every day of my life in whatever God wants me to do.

It's not a matter of positive confession or any of that. It's a matter that I just will to do the will of God. I woke up one morning with the thought that God called me a believer. He called me a believer.

You know, whoever wired this hotel or whatever we're in here, somewhere in this country, there's a school that a man goes to, he becomes an electrician. They give him a diploma and it declares that whatever his name is, he is an electrician.

And you know what that means? He can do this. That means he can do this. When he come here and presented his credentials, then the people building this building saw that he was an electrician. That means he can do the work.

Well, God called me a believer. That means I can believe God. I can. That may not be easy. May take a long time. In the year that Uzziah died, Isaiah prayed his way through to God and believed God. Now, we've been taught that you pray twice for the same thing, that is, the second time is unbelief.

Hell told that lie. Jesus himself prayed the same prayer in Gethsemane, even the same prayer three times. Elijah prayed seven times. He would have prayed 21 if he had to because he knew it was time for it to rain.

He knew it was time. So, he's going to be there until he sees that cloud. That's all the way. So, it is just a matter of knowing, I am a believer. I can believe God. Have to go through a lot of things, a lot of things in that life.

You know, there's a lot said about praying in the will of God. You know, and so they say, well, just find your scripture. I'm the Lord that healeth thee. Now you know it's the will of God to heal you.

So, that's all you need. No, no, that's not it at all. You yourself have to be the will of God. Clean hands and a pure heart is the only thing that can approach that throne. If I regard iniquity in my heart, no matter how much I quote a Bible, God said I'm not going to listen to you.

I myself must be the will of God, then I can pray in the will of God, always will I get an answer. Hallelujah. Oh my, it's good to be here tonight. I'm just so blessed of God. I want to talk to you about assuming the ministry of Christ.

Assuming the Ministry of Christ

We've talked about Brother Kirby, my good friend, done a marvelous job this morning bringing that wonderful message that he brought to us. You know, we deal with what we must be. But you know, once we know what we must be, we have to know what we must do.

And there's not any trick to ministry. There's not any laying awake at night dreaming of some scheme or some program. The Bible said Christ left us an example for everything. What he was, his method, his mission, his everything must be mine.

That is the calling of the church. Just look, study his life, then we understand what ministry is. There is no other ministry that will please God but the ministry of Christ. Now we're going to go to I Kings chapter 19.

I Kings chapter 19, and we're going to read verse 16 of that verse. And then we're going to go to II Kings chapter 2, and we're going to read verses 1 through 14. Father, as we turn to read the Word of God tonight, anoint the reading, preaching, hearing.

Open up our hearts to hear what I do believe you want us to hear tonight. I believe if you were here, you'd say it much better, but this is what you would say to us tonight. God bless it. Open us up to hear it.

And above everything, not to be a foolish virgin that we hear and not do. In the name of Jesus. Verse 16 of I Kings 19. And Jehu, the son of Nimshi, shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel. And Elisha, the son of Shephat, of Abel-me-loah, holah, shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy rule.

Now to II Kings chapter 2. II Kings chapter 2, that's just a little ways there. We're going to read the first 14 verses of this wonderful message from God. And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah unto heaven by whirlwind, that Elisha went with Elisha from Gilgal.

And Elijah said unto Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, as the Lord liveth and as my soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.

And the sons of the prophet that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha and said unto him, knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thine head today? And he said, yea, I know, hold your peace.

And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho. And he said, as the Lord liveth and as my soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. And the sons of the prophet that were at Jericho came to Elisha and said unto him, knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thee, from thy head today?

And he answered, yes, I know, hold your peace. And Elijah said unto him, tarry, I pray thee, for the Lord has sent me to Jordan. And he said, as the Lord liveth and as my soul liveth, I will not leave thee.

And they two went together. And fifty men of the sons of the prophet went and stood to view afar off. And they two stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle, wrapped it together, smoked the waters, and they were divided hither and thither.

So they two went over on dry ground. And it came to pass when they were gone over that Elijah said unto Elijah, ask what I shall do for thee before I be taken away from thee. And Elijah said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

And he said, thou hast asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if thou see me, when I'm taken away from thee, it shall be so unto thee. But if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they two went on and talked, that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire.

And parted them both asunder, and Elijah went up by whirlwind into heaven. And Elijah saw it, and he cried, my father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more.

And he took hold of his own clothes and ripped them into pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan and took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and smote the waters and said, where is the Lord God of Elijah?

And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither, and Elijah went over. And when the sons of the prophets, which were to view at Jericho, saw him, they said, the spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elijah.

And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him. What a story! You know, the Old Testament is a picture story of spiritual reality. It is God's way of teaching us the reality of spiritual truth.

Elisha’s Call to Continue Elijah’s Ministry

This great truth, Elijah, is appointed by God to be the successor of the great, maybe the greatest prophet of all time, Elijah. One of the most rugged men of all time. Never have there been such a human.

There are very few, if ever, one like him has ever passed. But the young man, Elijah, has been appointed to be him. You know how the call was. He came behind him. He's plowing with twelve yoke of oxen.

The old man passed by, passed that mantle upon him and kept walking. Well, he dropped his plow lines and ran after him. He said, let me kiss my mother and dad goodbye. The old man said, what have I got to do with you?

In other words, if he can be discouraged, he's going to be. What have I got to do with you? Well, he went back and he slaughtered those oxen, barbecued them with the plows, burned every bridge, and for eight years followed that old man.

Followed him. Eight years he was his shadow. Edgar Bethany, the historian, says for eight years he followed him all the way, never allowing the old man to get out of his sight. There was something that happened to him in that cotton patch.

Something, reality touched his life. And now he'll never be satisfied until that becomes his. Now, there's to be no change of ministry here, none whatsoever. The change is only in person. Do you understand?

The ministry that begun by Elijah is to continue. No change in ministry. Only a change in person. This man, this young man is called to absolutely assume the ministry of Elijah. He carried it further.

He did twice as many miracles as the man that he succeeded. That's what's meant by Christ when he said, greater work should you do because I go to my Father. See, that's not quality, that's quantity. Now Christ has multiplied himself a billion times over in the believers.

We are to assume that ministry. And this is what the whole message was about. Now, Elijah knew that the ministry left him by Elijah was far beyond his capability. He knew that he was not capable of walking in the footsteps of this great man.

He knew that beyond. Now, there's no question about Elijah's relationship with God. There's no question about his call. It has been a personal thing. God has called him. And he never would have called him if it had been question marks about his character.

Yet, in spite of the fact that he's God's man, called to assume the ministry, before he begins, he must be specially endued with a power for that ministry. He understands that well. He knows he's called.

But yet, he's absolutely sure of this one truth. That in himself, he cannot walk in those footprints. That's an impossibility. He cannot walk. Amen. He served and followed Elijah very carefully so that he would not fail to obtain every possible understanding.

He's not going to miss any. If I'm going to assume the ministry of this man, then I'm going to know the particulars about this ministry. There's not going to be any committee working out how I'm going to follow God.

I'm going to walk as he walks, without a plan, without a blueprint. I'm simply going to do what I'm told. That's what he learned from his ministry. He never had a plan. No more. When Moses went to Egypt, he had no plan.

There's no blueprint. He's not to go hide behind the pyramids and pray for some kind of an answer. He now is to go to Egypt and do what he's told. That's all. God will work every miracle if you and I will learn this one, one, one great truth.

That this is what we're called to do. This is it. Now, he served and followed him very carefully. Now, when the time of that departure drew near, they got across the Jordan. He tried to dismiss him all along the way.

I'm going to Bethel. You stay here. Not on your life. The sons of the prophets, the Bible school boys, said you stay here. Not on your life. You hold your peace. I'm not letting this man get out of my sight.

I'm following this man. I'm going to assume that ministry. This is a call of my life. And nothing is going to turn this back. Nothing. This was the whole calling. Elijah's response was, when he got across the river, now there's no boat back.

The old man has crossed the river. There's no ferry to get back across. And when they got over on the far side of death, that's what Jordan is, then the old man said, boy, you've been my shadow for eight years.

What do you want out of me? He said, a double portion of what I felt eight years ago. My God, folks. Oh, that we feel something in this place that will drive us to the ends of this earth. He said, I want a double portion of what I felt in that cotton patch.

You passed something on me, mister. I felt something that day. And I'll never rest day and night. I want a double portion. But listen to the old man. The old man's response was, you've asked a hard thing, son.

You've asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me, when I'm taken from thee, it will be so. You will get it. Now, this is serious business that requires the utmost diligence of Elisha and the utmost diligence of you.

You want to be baptized in the Holy Ghost, there's got to be such a desire that nothing else matters. Give me children lest I die, was the cry of Jacob's wife. That must come the cry of the heart. If you don't fill me, I will perish.

There has to come that kind of a hunger from God. All of this little seeking when you want to, tear around an altar 30 minutes, then decide it's not for you. It's not for you. No, no, it's not for you.

It's for the hungry. It's for those that see him when he goes. It's the people that heard from heaven have a reality. They fell to touch of this anointing and I'll not stop till it's mine. This is serious business.

The Necessity of the Holy Spirit for Christian Ministry

First, he must believe not only that the power is for him, but also that it's the will of God. Not just it's something I need, but it's something I must have. You see, this salvation is an ongoing thing.

I'm saved, but I'm being saved. I was justified by the death of Christ, but for 59 wonderful years, I have been being redeemed by his life. That life of God has been redeeming me, conforming me to the image of this great Christ.

That is the work. It's progressive all along this great line. He must believe that this is the will of God. Not only must he believe it's for him, but he has to come to believe this is the will of God.

There's nothing, absolutely nothing optional about being filled with the Holy Spirit. You cannot live this Christian life except you walk in the Spirit of God. If you're born again here tonight and fall over dead in this building, you'll come up in that first resurrection.

But if you have to face that world, then the Bible said it's only as you walk in the Spirit of God that you overcome this flesh. Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts and desires of this flesh.

Now what the Bible doesn't say is as powerful as what it does say. That says if you don't walk in the Spirit, you will fulfill the lusts of this flesh. And this book, not me, says if you do such things, you shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.

I'm just a newsboy. I didn't write it. I'm just telling you that it is a walk in the Spirit of God. The Christian life isn't hard. It's impossible for a man to live it apart from the Holy Spirit. This is a supernatural life.

He knew that. He must be convinced that the ministry that he's about to assume is impossible apart from this powerful, born high. That has to be. If Christ had to be baptized in the Holy Ghost, why do you think you can make it without Him?

If He wouldn't allow those first apostles to leave Jerusalem without this Holy Spirit, then why are we so presumptuous that we believe we can make it without God's life in us willing and doing the purpose of God?

Under no circumstance must He allow, Elijah allow, the fundamentalists to convince Him that the new birth and the enduement of power are the same thing. He must under no circumstance. This is a second subsequent work of the grace of God that is a heritage of every believer, every single believer.

Faith cannot function in an atmosphere of a double mind. You must know this is the will of God. You must know this is the only way that we're going to resist generation for Christ. They reached Him after Pentecost full of the Spirit of God.

That first generation is the only generation ever to reach their generation for Christ. But the end is always contained in the beginning and always returns there. You let a man die naturally, he'll pull his knees up to a fetal position and go home.

Every time. Right back to how he came from his mother's womb, he'll leave this world. And the law of physics is that the end is contained in the beginning, it returns there. I can tell you this final generation is going to reach its generation.

Whether you're a part of it or not is up to you, but somebody is going to wake the horse. Somebody is going to carry it to the ends of the earth. This is going to be a reality. Faith cannot function where there's a double mind.

Elijah stayed very near. He obeyed the command to the detail. Everything. He never let that old man out of his sight. I don't know whether it's that day he went or tomorrow, but he never let a tree dip between him and the old prophet.

If they lay down to sleep, he held on to his foot. The old man moved. Where are you going? What's happening? There was that diligence of life, that careless life that can go to church Sunday morning, live like the devil on a Monday, has nothing to do, knows nothing about this.

This is an ascending life, and if you're not being raptured tonight, sir, you're never going to be raptured. If this life isn't moving upward, the Bible said, Enoch, walk with God. That's an upward walk.

He's going. One day he wasn't, because God took him. And if that's not true of your life, if you're the same place tonight that you was a year ago, then you're not raptured material. You're never going to go anywhere.

This is an ascending life. It is always upward. Abraham hadn't been in that country ten minutes when he got to that point that he knew this is not the answer. Nothing on this earth will satisfy what God put in.

He's looking for a city now whose builder and whose maker is God. See, faith always deals with the invisible. Amen. I'm not by faith believing I've got the Holy Ghost. I know He's in me. Amen. I received Him by faith.

But God moved into me. This is not a thing of I'm taking it by faith. It's a reality. I said it's a reality. This is what it has to be. A change of life that's totally, totally different. Elijah stayed very near.

The gift is to the obedient. To the obedient. Amen. It's always. He stayed very, very close. God gives the Holy Ghost. The Bible says to them that obey Him. Now when Elijah was taken up the mantle came down.

Christ’s Departure and the Church’s Commission

Jesus said it's expedient for you that I go away or the Comforter cannot come. There's your Old Testament parable. As the man of God went up the mantle came down. When Jesus sent out the right hand to the Father the Holy Ghost came down on those waiting beside Him.

When Elijah picked that mantle up that is when he accepted it for himself that's obedient. When he picked it up he said this is mine. Eight years I followed this man. Eight years. This is mine. When he picked it up he accepted it.

He accepted it for himself. It is then that the power of God came upon the man of God. From that moment onward he was mightily used of the Holy Ghost to carry on the prophetic ministry of his master. No change whatsoever except the change of person.

The same ministry that was birthed by Elijah is carried on through his predecessor Elijah. Now this is the story of the church. That's a parable of the church who must assume the ministry of Christ. We're not called here to invent ministries.

I've saw so much of that. You know David Wilkerson once wrote he said I've never in searching history I've never saw a man survive that put his name on a Bible college. I've never seen it. I don't think you'll survive with a clandestine ministry.

I don't believe that name belongs on ministry. I don't believe any of our names. It is the ministry of Christ. Servants we be. Amen. When they can see us then we obscure the vision. It has to be Christ.

And this man assuming that's a type of parable. See for three years the disciples followed Christ. They followed Christ watching his every move hearing his every word witnessing his every miracle. They never lost sight of it.

This man has captivated them. Their boats are gone. The doctor's office is locked. Everything. The tax collectors left his office. All of them to follow this Nazarene. Everything is forsaken. They watched every single move of his life.

At the time of his departure drew near. He began to talk to them about their future. Why he called them and what he was expecting out of them. He began to deal with them along that line. Why? What is the purpose?

Why I've called you? What I'm expecting out of your life. He said them and to us. The works that I do shall you do also. And greater works. That just means more because I'm going to multiply myself in you by this Holy Spirit.

Now if you don't let him come and possess you then you're not a part of that. As my Father sent me so send I you. Exactly the same purpose. We're not to die for the sins of the people but we're to die that the Gospel he bought with his death is to live.

You know Jesus said I have the authority to die. That's what he meant when he said no man taketh my life I have the authority to lay my life down. He said I have the authority to die but I leave the resurrection with my Father.

That was the key. Now to us he has given us the authority to die. To everything that we are. But we must leave the resurrection to him. But there can be no resurrection without a death. It's only as we die that he can live.

So there must be a constant living of this cross of Christ. Where there's a constant death and resurrection. I must increase. I must decrease if he's going to increase. For Christ to increase in our lives something in you and I must become that burnt offering.

It cannot be otherwise. So as we live that cross from the moment Christ came to die and every step for those 33 years was toward Calvary. He came to die. He lived that cross dead to everything. Tempted in every way but without sin.

The devil offered him this world. He didn't want that as a man. Then there's no temptation to it whatsoever. But there were things more important than anything else. That's the key to this life. Amen.

The church. Listen. As my Father said in my name you shall cast out devil. Now in his name simply means that they are to take his place assume his ministry. You do what you saw me say and do. As you go you do what I've told you and what you've seen me do.

Preaching Christ Rather Than Inventing Programs

Assuming the ministry of Christ. We've got committees laying awake at night dreaming up dreams of how to reach the world. I can tell you how they've reached them. They reached them they went everywhere preaching Christ.

They went everywhere preaching Christ. Making this Christ alive. We moved into that world of Islam. I have a man that he'd been through all the mission schools. And he said you know I've learned how to reach the Muslims and I'd like to help you if you need.

I said well we've learned how to reach them. He said what school do you go to? I said the Bible. He said what is your plan? I said they went everywhere preaching Christ. They never preached something to Islam and something to somebody else.

You know we've become very trans at work. In America they're moving all the time. New family moved into the city back there before I left. Now it's worse. They'd be in the church a couple of weeks and I knew they were going to come.

They'd come to me and said Pastor we love the singing. We love you preaching. But I knew that goat's coming out someday. What do you got for fat people? What do you got for skinny people? What do you got for married people?

What do you got for divorced people? What do you got for single? I said we've got the same thing forever because you left the Lord. We've got the Lord Jesus Christ. If you don't satisfy your heart you're in the wrong place.

Move on down the road there's somebody, something else. We have no gymnasium. There's no place to eat and drink and rise up to play. Amen. We're here to preach the Bible. No other program. No other plan.

This is the answer. They reached their world because they knew how to reach it. They made Christ the reality. I said they made Christ. You know since faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God and the just shall live by faith we must remember that the basis of every Christian life is a constant mediation upon the simple and acceptance of everything that this Bible says.

That is the Christian life. We must also remember that as Christ's work of redemption in the flesh was only preparatory to his future indwelling in us by the Spirit so the written doctrines of the Bible are the only means to all that inward teaching and powerful working of Christ within us.

The Bible can only lead us there. Amen. That's what the Bible's about. Amen. The word itself must lead us to the reality of Christ living in us by the Spirit of God. And we must beware of neglecting the word of God so also we must beware of resting in the mere letter of the word thinking because we know a thing we possess a thing.

The man that found that pearl of great price did not make it his. No, no. It cost him everything to own that pearl. He got happy about finding it. I've watched the church. The preacher finds a new pearl every Sunday.

Comes to church. He gets excited about it. People get excited about him with him. But there's no change in them Monday morning so none of them bought the pearl. You know that. It's just every Sunday a new pearl.

Everybody gets happy about something but they never buy. There's a change in this thing that if we buy that pearl it becomes ours. Then the effectiveness is seen everywhere. Everywhere. But it cost everything to buy that pearl.

Everything. Amen. We must, you know as we must beware of neglecting the word we must beware of resting in the letter without expecting the indwelling Holy Spirit a real living experience to produce a real living experience of everything that Christ taught.

That must be a reality. If we don't make Christ alive we're no different than Buddha. We're dealing with the dead God. Ours is to present him as a resurrected Christ. He's the same yesterday today and tomorrow.

He lives in his church we're his body. The same Christ lives within us. Those who imagine that these virtues of Christ can be acquired in the greater works done by merely studying the letters of the gospel and epistles are under the same deception as the Jews who thought eternal life was in the Old Testament Word.

But Jesus said you search the scriptures because in them you think you have eternal life but they are those that testify me. If you don't find me in this Bible you have not found life. I am the life. I didn't come to tell you about life.

I am the life. I am the truth. I am the resurrection. Amen. This is what he said to us everywhere all the time. Up to this time Jesus had said very little about the Holy Ghost but now he speaks very frankly about this spirit.

The disciples' hearts were saddened with the thought of course of his going away but to console them listen he said it's expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you.

That's John 16 and 7. Then John 16 and 17 says even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not but you know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. Now Jesus made several things very clear with that statement.

Number one he said the world cannot receive him. Now don't talk about this being the same thing as being born again. He said the world cannot receive this Holy Spirit. But he said because the world can't see him.

But the second thing he made the believer must receive him it's expedient for you that I go away. The world can't get him but you must have him. It's expedient for I go away because if I don't go away he cannot come because he has been with you.

Who's been with him? Christ has been with him. Now he's going to be in him by the Holy Spirit. That's what ministry is all about. Christ living in and to our life. Know you not that you're the temple of God?

You know what that means? That what that Old Testament temple was what Moses' tabernacle was what Jesus as a man was we have become. We are the holy of holies. We are where God lives. Your body is a temple of the Holy Ghost and if this nation sees God they'll have to see him in us.

There is no other place. There's no other. That's why we are the body. The body is an instrument of expression. That's how spirit demands a body. Christ walked this earth in a body like this one but he put that body aside in Calvary and on the day of Pentecost he received another body the church of the living God same Christ living through that church making himself real.

Amen. Now the key to being and doing all that he commanded was he that is with you shall be in you. And learning to so live that like the apostle Paul we say for me to live is for Christ to live. Now that he would listen to this that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that you being rooted, grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all sense what is the breath, length, depth, and height and to know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge that you might be filled with all of the fullness of God.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that you ask or think according to the power that works within you. Christ living in us by the Holy Ghost. That's the gospel of Christ. That's what it's all about.

Living throbbing divine life flowing through believers that have become dead to things but those things of the world and alive unto God. Now he was Christ to be in them by the Holy Ghost. On what basis did he come?

They receive him on the same basis as Elijah received that mantle from Elijah. In the exact same way. Only the basis of willingness to obey his command will believers experience the miracles of that indwelling.

They'll obey. You know I've saw parents, I've saw children if you'll be good I'll buy you an ice cream. That's not what he's talking about. He knows. He said I'm going to give you the treasure of heaven.

I'm going to give you myself. But I'm going to know what you're going to do when I tell you before I put such a treasure in a nursing vessel. If you, I'll give it to them that obey me. Those that will let him be the Lord of their lives are the ones that he'll give this wonderful thing to.

He says that in spite of all they could. You know Jesus said to those disciples who had heard every word, witnessed every miracle men who said were his carry you in the city of Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high.

Now he said if you love me you will keep my command. Love is not an obsequious thing. Something you say. Love is what you do. Love is what you are. If you love me then you'll do what I tell you to do.

Then he said faith works by love. That just simply says I will to do what he tells me. Then I'm moving in faith. Doesn't matter what I feel like. The darkest moment of my life when I was 70 years old and God told me to resign the church I pastored, built, pastored for 35 years and moved to Russia.