Dear Pastors And Leaders - Let Us Help You - Let's see an awakening like never before!

The Call of Jesus

Welcome to this lesson 25 called
"Dear Pastors and Leaders".

In this video series and also
in my book here

I have dedicated a whole chapter,
a whole video

to you who are pastors and leaders
out there.

And I want to welcome you,
pastors and leaders, to this video,

because I want to talk to you.

I want to share my heart to you.

First, I want to say that we, as leaders,
we have a responsibility.

And our main responsibility,
when it comes to the church,

is to teach people
what Jesus has commanded.

We, as leaders, need to teach
what Jesus has commanded.

Everything He has commanded.

Including what we see here
in Luke 10.

If you are a pastor or leader
of a church,

and you have been teaching, teaching
teaching, teaching, Sunday after Sunday,

but have not, at one point,
been in Luke 10,

then something is missing.

We need to teach Jesus' words.

And remember what I said
in the beginning of this video series,

that there was the church,
mission and Christ,

but this is how many look at it:
church first, mission second and Christ later.

But we need to start with Jesus.

We need to start with who
Christ is,

what Christ has commanded us
to do,

and how we then do mission
the way He has commanded us to do,

and then, in the end,
we end up with church.

I also want to remind you, who are pastors
and leaders out there, in the church,

that the people in the church
do not belong to you.

They don't belong to me.

They don't belong to us.

I'm sad that I need to say that,
but it's so easy for us, as leaders,

to come into a mindset
where we think

that those people in the church,
somehow, belong to us.

But they don't.

And we need to always remember
that and remind ourselves of that,

that everyone with us,
they themselves are called,

not only we are called, but they are
all called to do ministry and to obey Jesus.

And our job as leaders
is not to do ministry for them.

Our job, as leaders, is to equip them
and help them and then send them out,

so they can go out and
do ministry themselves.

And I know it's not easy.
And I could imagine that some of you,

who have been reading this book,
who have been seeing this video series,

some of the things I'm saying here
are challenging you a lot.

Yeah, Torben, but, what if those people
just take it and go out,

and find a person of peace, and leave,
and start to do meeting there,

and we somehow cannot control it,

what if they are not ready for it,
what if they go wrong?

I know many of you are fighting
with many questions.

I know many of you are fighting
with some of the things I'm saying.

How do I know that?
Because I've been there myself.

I've been fighting with many
of the same questions,

because I come to you as somebody
who have been leader in church for years,

who have been a pastor.

And I've been fighting with
many of those questions.

And also when I start to look
at Jesus' words

and things I've been teaching here,
I was like:

Oh no, I don't want people to go crazy,
and anarchy.

I want holy people.

I don't want people just to go astray,
this way.

And I felt that responsibility.

But I also just want to say now,
now we have been doing this for years,

and there is good fruit.

There is very, very good fruit.

And I want to say, one of the things,
many years ago,

there was a guy, he asked me about
the whole thing with control,

because I was controlling.
I think that is an issue for many out there,

because it's so easy, without knowing it,
that we come into control,

we think those sheep are our sheep.

And we control them in a way,
instead of training and letting go.

And I remember a friend who asked me:

Torben, what is the job
of the Holy Spirit?

And I said: That is to remind people
of sin, and righteousness, and judgment,

and remind people of Jesus' words,
and so on.

He said: Torben,
how good is the Holy Spirit in that?

And I said: He is good.
The Holy Spirit is really good.

How good is the Holy Spirit?

He is really, really good.

"How do you and the Holy Spirit do it?",
he asked me.

What?

How do you and the Holy Spirit do it?

Do you 60% of the work
and He does the 40%,

or do you do 40% and He does 60%?

When me asked me that question
I did not know what to answer.

And he asked me another question:
Torben, who is the best leader on earth?

I said: Jesus Christ.

Yes, if Jesus Christ was the best
leader on earth,

and He told His disciples that the best
thing He could do is to leave them,

leave them over to the Holy Spirit,

why do you then think you are
so important?

And he asked me those questions.

When he asked me those questions
it started to challenge me, because...

I was afraid.
I was afraid to let go.

I was afraid to just encourage people
to run with it,

because what if they go wrong
and what if this, if that?

I had a lot of control issues and
I had a lot of fear.

But he was right.
And today I see it.

I see that the Holy Spirit is able,
He is more than able.

Jesus is more than able.

And the fruit we see is not only
in many people. We see quality.

We see people follow Christ and
become disciples.

So I want to encourage you,
by saying the same:

What is the job of the Holy Spirit?

You are not called to build the church.

You are called to make disciples
and Jesus will build the church.

That guy asked me some question
at the same time. He said:

Torben, what do you want?

Do you want a church with
1000 people in it

or do you want 1000 churches
with 10 people in each?

And when he asked me that question
I'm like... one church with 1000 is 1000.

1000 churches with 10 is 10.000.
Of course I want 10.000 then.

And then he said:
Torben, what do you want?

Do you want a church with 1000 people

or do you want to see a movement
that is changing the world?

That guy who asked me that years ago,
it was maybe, I don't know,

that is 12 years ago maybe, long time ago,
I don't remember right now.

But it's some years ago,
before the "Last Reformation",

before everything we are standing in now.

What do I want?

Do I want a church with 1000 members

or do I want a movement
that is changing the world?

And that made me think,

not of what I had, but what do I want,

what does God want to do.

Not what I have, but what does God
want to do.

And I said: Yes.
Yes, I want it.

I want to see a movement
that is changing the world.

It's not about TLR.
It's about the people.

It's about the Kingdom of God.

And I said:
Yes, I want it, and I went this way.

And I have paid a high, high price
to see what we are seeing now.

And I still do.
I still pay a high price.

But I want to say: I really,
really, really love the fruit I'm seeing.

I love the freedom I'm experiencing,
because even now I'm part of something

that is much bigger than
when I had the church.

I experience so much more freedom now

than when I was a pastor
and tried to run the church.

I feel free now because it's not
my kingdom, it's not my vision.

It's just the call of Jesus
and what He is doing.

And I see how the Holy Spirit is working.

So, the freedom is amazing
and the fruit is amazing.

I'd like to talk to you,
pastors and leaders out there.

I know you love Jesus.

I know you do everything you do
for the sake of the people,

for the sake of God,
for the sake of the Kingdom.

This is what I believe you do,
that should be our heart.

But I'd still like to ask you
the same question that guy asked me:

What do you really want
in your life?

Or, what has God called you to do?

Do you want a church with 100 people,
1000 people,

or do you want 100 churches,
1000 churches with 10 in each?

Or, do you want to see a movement
that is changing the world?

Do you want to be part
of the Kingdom's work,

the Kingdom of God that is changing
the world?

What do you want?

Do you want to obey this?

Do you want to experience this life
we have been talking about?

If you want it, then it's your decision
and then you need to say "yes"

to the call Jesus has given,
like everyone else.

You need to say "yes".

And you need to pay a price for it,
like everyone else.

And I want to guarantee you,
as pastors and leaders,

that this is not going to be easy,
but it's going to be amazing

and there is going to be
a lot of fruit.

I really encourage you to follow
the call of Jesus. Why?

Because it's fruitful
and there is freedom.

I want you to do it for your sake

and I want you to do it
for the people around you,

and for the harvest.

Our focus is Christ and do His will,
and then He will do the rest.

We read in the Book of Acts 2:47:

"And the Lord added to their numbers
daily those who were being saved."

The Lord added to them daily
those who were being saved.

Our focus is to do what Christ
has called us to do,

and then we see that
He will add people who will get saved.

God is doing it.
Jesus is building His church.

I don't know where you are right now,

as a pastor, or as a leader.

I don't know what church denomination
you are part of.

I don't know if you are a part of something
where it is the new wine and the new wineskin,

or you are more part of the, kind of,
old wineskin,

if you are in a very, very traditional church.

Short time ago, I had a meeting in Florida
and I met a pastor there.

He was a pastor of a big, big church,
and he loved what he saw in our meetings.

He loved the fruit, and he left with it,
and went home to the church,

and he started to see fruit.
He started to see many baptized,

set free, receive the Holy Spirit.
He started to see things

he has never ever seen before.

But, he also recognized that the system
he was in that church,

among the other pastors and
leaders in that church network,

that they were not ready to change.
They did not want it.

And that pastor, actually, ended up
leaving the church.

Why? Because he has tasted it
and he wanted it.

He saw good fruit and he wants
more of that.

Maybe you are like this pastor.

Maybe you are in a place where
you have been so stuck,

and you have been longing
for this,

and you tried to put this new wine
in the old wineskin,

but maybe you are there where
it's time to move on.

You cannot change it anymore.

Or, let's put it in another way,
or, come with another example.

In Florida I met another pastor.

He had a church and he gathered
50 of his members in the church.

And he asked me to come
and do some training.

And I was doing training of
how to heal the sick, cast out demons,

be led by the Holy Spirit,
find the person of peace,

preach the gospel,
make disciples.

And we came there just three Tuesdays
and we were working with the church.

And it was amazing.

We set up a WhatsApp group there,
in the church,

and testimonies started to come in,
testimonies started to come in,

testimonies started to come in.

What was the result?

30 new people got added to the church
in a month.

That was beautiful.

New people were added.

There were also seven of the old
who left,

because they did not like it.

This is how it always is.

One pastor needed to leave the church.

Another pastor saw 30 new people
added in one month.

I don't know where you are,

I don't know what background
you are in,

but I know that this is the truth.

And if this is the truth,
what Jesus is saying,

we have a responsibility, no matter
how people around us will receive it.

So, where should you start?
I don't know.

Some of you have a long, long way to go.

Maybe you are in a church denomination
where they do not believe in gifts,

that gifts are for today,
with the baptism with the Holy Spirit,

speaking in tongues, healing the sick,
casting out demons.

If you are there,
you have a long, long way to go.

But I encourage you - go there.
Why? Because it is the truth.

I want to say something here.

When I met God, many years ago,

my father looked at me and said:

Torben, I will not have you to go
into church!

I don't want you to have anything
to do with Jesus and the Bible.

I looked at my father,
and I loved him,

and because I loved him
I did not do what he told me.

But he did not agree with that.

He thought I was rebellious
and he was angry, for six years,

until I led him to Christ,
baptized him in water and Holy Spirit.

Now he's dead, home with God.

And I'm thankful that I did not
compromise,

even he was angry for six years.

It was easy somehow. It was hard,
but it was still easy to know what to do

when my father said: Torben, I will not
have you to do anything with God.

Why? Because, father, if I don't get Jesus,
who can give it to you?

And I want to say the same to you.
If you are in a church denomination

and they don't believe in gifts...

it's somehow easy what to do.

What should you do?
You should just do what is right.

You should do what the Bible says,
no matter if they're going to receive it,

or if they're going to reject it.

No matter if there'll be
riots and problems.

You should do what is right
because it's the right thing to do.

Because it's the truth.

If you go this way,
some people will hate you for it,

but I guarantee you,
many more people will love you for it.

We, as leaders, especially as leaders,
but everyone of us,

we cannot please everyone.

Let's just please God instead.

Let's do what it's right
because it's the right thing to do,

because it's the truth.

And then, every other question:
Yeah, but what about this,

what about this, what about that,
what about this,

they will come later.
We start with the truth.

Maybe you are a pastor or a leader
in a more modern church,

who believes in gifts,

but where they don't speak
about the sin at all and

baptism is just a symbol.

I will say the same to you:

Do what is right because
it's the right thing to do.

And no matter where you are,
I will say: Always start with the gospel.

Because what you will see when you
really understand the gospel

and start to share the gospel,

you will be surprised how many people
are in the churches,

who are not fully born again.

You think they are struggling
because they don't have the heart

to read the Bible, they don't have the longing
for fellowship with other believers,

they don't have any desire to tell
other people about Jesus.

And you'll think: Oh, we just need
to disciple them a little more,

and some people, yes, need
to be discipled,

but many other people, actually,
just need to be born again.

Because if they fully, fully see
their sin and

fully recognize they were lost,
repent and get fully born again,

come on, the longing for fellowship
with other believers,

the desire to live a holy life,
the desire to tell people about God,

all of this will come naturally.

So, I would say, no matter where
you are,

never ever compromise with the gospel.

Take the time to share the gospel.

Then I encourage you who are in a church,
if you can, start with the few.

It's not always easy... It depends on how
big the church is, of course,

but it's very difficult to have a big church
and then just move it around like this.

Find the few. There is always 10, 15%
of the church, who want more,

who are longing. Find those people.
Start with them.

Let them read the book.

Go through the teaching with them.

Let them understand what this call is about

and then let them live it out,
start to see testimonies,

going out, finding the person of peace,
leading people to Christ.

Start with those few who want it.

And then let those few come into church
in a bigger gathering

and share the testimonies.

And what you will see is that when
the "normal" church goers,

who are sitting in church for 10, 15 years,
without really bearing fruit,

suddenly start to bear lot of fruit

and start to testify about Jesus
and the change,

and then you use them to come
on the platform

and share their testimonies.

Then it starts to go fast.

Because then people will not think:
Yeah, you are the pastor.

It's easy for you to talk about.

But when they see their friends
in the church start to live it out,

they start to be jealous, some of them.
And more people want it.

And more people want it.
And more people want it.

And suddenly you change the whole
atmosphere in the church.

But I'm sad to say that you will
very often end up

with a group of people
who don't want it,

because that was not what
they signed up for.

They are in church for many reasons

and one of them is not to follow Christ,

to give up everything.

So you need to count the cost.

And maybe some people will leave church.

Or something else.

I don't know, but I know one thing.

I know if you do what is right,
you will feel you're alive,

you will be part of not only starting
a small church or a big church.

You will be a part of the Kingdom of God.

So I want to really challenge you
out there.

Don't be afraid.

Don't be afraid.

Do what is right
because it's the right thing to do.

You have heard, you have seen,
and now you have a responsibility.

Paul in Acts 20:26 said:
"Therefore, I declare to you today

that I am innocent
of the blood of any of you."

Why did Paul say that?
Why did Paul said to the people:

"I declare to you today that
I am innocent of the blood of any of you."

Paul said it because he knew, as a leader,
that he had a responsibility

for those people
God has entrusted him with.

Paul said he was innocent because

he has preached the whole truth
of God

and he did not hold anything back.

And we can see that in the next verse,
because the next verse says this:

"For I have not hesitated to proclaim
to you the whole will of God."

If you are hesitating
in telling the whole truth,

because you are afraid
what people will say,

then you cannot say like Paul:
I am innocent, when it comes to their blood.

No, their blood will be on our hands.

The Bible is very clear that we have
a responsibility.

When you know what the truth is,
and you don't do it, you are sinning.

So, the question is:
Is this the truth?

Check it up. It's not my words.
It's not about the book here.

It's about Jesus' words, Luke 10,
and everything Jesus is saying.

If this is the truth,
it's the truth for you.

If it's the truth for you, it's also
the truth for those people around you.

And if you really love those people
around you,

then you do what is right
and give them the truth,

and give them the opportunity
to follow the truth.

If you need help in this, then let us know.
We are here to help you.

We have so many resources.

We have our free movies on TLRmovie.com.
Three free movies that can bless you

and your church. And it's not about TLR.

Please, it's not about TLR.
It's about the Kingdom.

We also have schools.
You are welcome to join.

We have different pastors and leaders
on our school.

I've actually given out a teaching,
just now,

with a pastor who was interviewing me,
who was in our school,

and who got so much, much
blessing out of being in our school.

We are here to help you.
It'a all about the Kingdom.

I want to say here: We are all working
on the same thing - the Kingdom of God.

Let's work together. Let us help you
if there are areas you want us to help.

We can send people who can help you,
not to build TLR where you are,

but to help you to obey the call
Jesus has given you.

If you want to have books,
to give out to everyone,

send an e-mail to us and we can give you
a very, very good deal.

And of course, everyone is welcome
to send an e-mail

and you can get the e-book for free.

We just want this word to be spread.

We want the Kingdom of God to grow.

And if you are growing, and we have been
a part of blessing that helped you to grow,

we are excited.

And we are not there to control
and put everything under our ministry, and so on.

It's really about the Kingdom.

But we want to say: Let's help you.

Let's stand together.

Let's take this call Jesus
has given us,

and you, as leaders, start to equip
the people in your church to obey this call.

You will see so much more fruit
in your life out of it.

They will see so much more fruit
in their life.

The church will see so much more fruit,

and we are all doing the will of God
and the call Jesus has given us.

God bless you and please, contact us
through our website thelastreformation.com,

if there is anything we can help you with.

You are welcome to come and meet us
when we are out there.

Bye-bye!

The Call of Jesus