Primary and Secondary Goals

From the other lessons in the Ministry Basics Series, let's recap God's two primary goals (purposes):

1. to sum up all things in Christ

Ephesians 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

2. to have a kingdom with all enemies removed

1 Corinthians 15:24-25 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. (25) For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

1 Corinthians 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

These two primary goals come together at some point because they both have the result of summing up that God may be all in all.

Whenever, you have a primary goal, there are usually a number of secondary goals along the pathway to the fulfillment of the primary. As one accomplishes the secondary goals, he is moved further toward the completion of the primary purpose.

There are three principles of the Godhead that are reflected in all that God would do in the earth. The development of these in us could be considered some of the secondary goals necessary for the completion of His ultimate intention.

Eternal Principles of the Godhead

1. Fatherhood
2. Headship
3. Fellowship

This is what these develop in us:

Fatherhood gives identity and security.
Headship gives order and government.
Fellowship gives life and service.

The Godhead is not a democracy but a perfect blend of plurality and unity. The ultimate authority in the Church is a plurality patterned after the Godhead. Our problem is a lack of understanding of how this works. We want a spiritual government that operates as a democracy where everyone votes and everyone is equal. However, spiritual government is not egalitarian—not everybody is equal and certainly decisions are not made by vote, but by the sovereign theocratic rule of our Lord.

Jesus said, “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30); however, He also said, “...my Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28). Jesus recognized the headship of the Father.

Secondary Goal #1

It is God's intention to have a family. The sons must grow up and reproduce by becoming fathers. In the natural, you can't have a family without a father. Where the father fails, the family falls apart. This is also true of the spiritual family.

The greatest social problem before the return of the Lord is broken families.

Malachi 4:5-6 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: (6) And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

This problem is so bad that if God doesn't send the Elijah ministry to correct it, He will have to smite the earth with a curse.

It stands to reason that if God wants a family, the enemy will do everything in his power to prevent or pervert it. Why do you think that the family has come under attack by the feminists and the homosexuals? No fathers—no family—no fulfillment of the purposes of God.

Just as Jezebel resisted Elijah, witchcraft is the spiritual force against fatherhood. It seeks to emasculate males and destroy fatherhood.

The Devil fears the man who will rule.

Revelation 12:1-5 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: (2) And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. (3) And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. (4) And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. (5) And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

Not only is the concept of fatherhood being destroyed or perverted, the feminists would also like to eliminate the concept of headship. They confuse value and function. Male and female are of equal value to God, but have different functions in God. Headship is a function and has nothing to do with value. Our success can only come with the right function.

The enemy is mirroring his own rebellious dissatisfaction as he stirs up the feminists’ agendas.

Isaiah 14:12-14 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (13) For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: (14) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Lucifer was not satisfied with who he was, where he was, nor with what he was doing. He wanted to change his place and function apart from the will and purpose of God. He has instilled that same dissatisfaction into modern women.

The enemy does the same thing with men also. Only in men it is called ambition. A striving to climb the ladder; to grab all the gusto you can; you only go around once in life so get all of the pleasure that you can. It expresses itself in a disdain for authority; for anyone telling us what we need to do. And if we have people under us, then it becomes a lording over, a tyranny, and a desire for absolute control.

Jesus said it was not to be that way with us.

Matthew 20:25-26 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. (26) But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

The way of Jesus is different than the way of man. The way of the people of God is different than the way of those who do not belong to God. This difference should be evident to the world.

The people of God operate as a family with love for one another being the motivating force. God expresses his Father's love toward us and we express that same family love toward one another.

Secondary Goal #2

It is God's intention to have mature sons. We have to grow up. As in the natural, this will take time. There is no such thing as instant maturity.

Peter tells us that we are to desire the milk of the word just like newborn babies. The milk will make the baby grow until, eventually, more than milk is needed—solid food is required for further growth.

1 Peter 2:1-2 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, (2) As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

He also gives us the marks of being a newborn babe: malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy, and evil speaking. That is our condition as babes and why we need the milk of the word to grow.

Paul called the condition described by Peter as being carnal.

1 Corinthians 3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. (2) I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. (3) For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

He sums up Peter's words by saying that they are not spiritual but rather carnal and equates that condition with being babes in Christ. He also gives the marks or signs of being carnal as envying, strife and division. They are still acting like men not like sons of God. Because of this, he still has to feed them milk and not meat.

Hebrews gives us further characteristics of a babe in Christ.

Hebrews 5:12-14 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. (13) For every one that useth milk is unskillfull in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. (14) But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

A babe is not skilled in the word. However, as we grow, our spiritual senses are exercised (used, developed) giving us the ability to discern good and evil.

Again, if God wants mature sons, the enemy wants to keep us all as children.

Ephesians 4:14 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;

The enemy's strategy is revealed in this verse: 1) to keep us children, 2) to keep us unstable, 3) to keep us deceived.

In the natural, a person whose body grows but whose mind stays as a child is called retarded. The same is true in the spiritual. A spiritually retarded person is one whose spiritual senses don't develop but stays at a child’s level.

From the condition of the Church, it appears that the enemy has been very successful in his strategy. Why? We need to read the preceding verses since this one starts with a “that'” meaning it is a result of the previous verses.

It is the 5-fold ministry which is given so that we would not be children, that we would became stable, and the truth would protect us from crafty, deceitful men. The enemy has been able to accomplish his goals because the Church has neglected, ignored, or misunderstood the 5-fold ministry and their place in God's purpose.