What God Wants Different at ZPM
1. No shouts or applause for man only for God.
Break it down:
No more pastor worship in God’s house by God’s people; No more people pleasing by God’s servants.
2. Choosing people we like and preparing them for boards and committees rather than mission is not what God wants.
Break it down:
God wants folks to be prepared to serve the body, empowered, and then set free for mission, not to become captive servants of their church. Folks will be trained and commissioned in a timely way according to each person's gifts and the breath of their call and service.
Delegation and fellowship are a great opportunity for the body to grow and become mature. At ZPM this will be done according to the dictates of the Holy Ghost with our sights set on spirit to spirit relationships, not flesh to flesh or mind to mind relationships.
3. Christ’s body has no divisions.
Break it down:
Those who divide the body of ZPM based on race, background, and gender will be corrected. No cliques will be accepted. A multicultural church reflects God’s love for all peoples and is a sign of universal salvation.
4. ZPM is not out to reproduce or imitate other ministries, denominations, or exclusively espouse certain brands of theology, worship styles, or bible interpretation.
Break it down:
It is more important that we seek, express, and protect what the Spirit is saying and doing, under the authority of scripture, so as to carry out its new work, than to adopt any
denominational or otherwise customary practice. Thus, when it comes to worship, and other matters, we will be open to where the Holy Spirit leads.
5. The practical overarching goal of ZPM is to represent healthy and faithful Christians who are able to make decisions for themselves in faith and accept mission responsibility.
Break it down:
Our faith in Christ is not best defined by a particular style, or piety, or where we worship or even doctrine (though certain doctrines are foundational), but by the mature and free faith choices we make, or as Habbakuk and Paul put it “the just will live by faith.”
6. All believers should accept the whole gospel and be open to the importance of the Hebrew Scriptures (“Old Testament”), especially in regards to God's desire to give Israel a second chance at salvation (Rev. 11, Mt. 23,38-39, Zechariah 12,10: “I will pour upon the House of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication, and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced.”)
Break it down:
Too many of us Christians have ignored the wisdom of our Jewish faith roots because we assumed wrongly that the God who said “if I ever forget you Jerusalem let my right hand whither,” did just that. Without a better understanding our Hebrew faith roots, we may not understand or withstand end-time faith events and prophecies.
7. The pulpit or any ZPM means will not be used to embarrass or intimidate anyone.
Break it down:
No bullies in ministry, or administration. Mercy is better than sacrifice and defines how we were all saved. Therefore, mercy trumps justice. Thus all discussions and disagreements and discernments will be conducted in a manner that does not rule out mercy and forgiveness. The first servant, or his delegate, will make himself available for face to face interaction with those attending the mission.
8. The priority of ZPM is life giving, body building worship.
Break it down:
Empowered and faith giving worship comes before commissioning for service. If churches become too busy, and clique oriented, worship suffers. Moreover, busy churches distracted from worship can make newcomers unwelcome.
9. Holy Ghost Baptism is the norm of living by faith. It is a definite and distinct experience with manifestations of infilling. It defines and represents Christian unity better than any doctrine on paper. It is also the means of unity and communication in the body of Christ and the sign of God's new covenant with man.
Break it down:
All folks are welcome at ZPM, yet all will be challenged to seek and accept baptism of the Holy Ghost for mission service. There is no lack of "works" for God by folks who haven't been empowered to the degree God intends.
10. God is Sovereign in His House. No man or woman or idol will be permitted to take His place.
Break it down:
Social and religious customs, political-religious correctness, and soulish leadership cannot adequately govern those who follow Christ. The rule of the Holy Ghost, the new "law" of Christianity, confirmed and lived according to the fully accepted Word (no licentiousness ie Sunday Christians), is the best way to respect the absolute and the just-merciful sovereignty of God.
11. Churches tend to fall mainly into one of three categories: “Traditional” where rules and past practices and being part of the dominant social structure govern; “Mega-Relevant” where modern worship and business decisions and engaging the present culture are important; “Emergent” where authenticity and witness come before fitting into the secular and church culture of the day.
Break it down:
Praise God all churches combine some components of these broad categories. ZPM will likely fall largely into the emergent category, but will not hesitate to use the God given authority of the traditional church, the practicality of the mega church, while focusing on authenticity as led by the Holy Spirit. In a day when many churches fight the appearance of being more concerned with status and power, than serving the gospel, searching for more authentic ways of doing things is valid.