In the book Revolution in the Church this question is brought to life, who is the rebel? In Mark 1:35-39, Jesus starts his day early, withdrawing to a place of solitude to begin His day in prayer. As the masses following Jesus and his disciples begin to request various things, Jesus can not be found to confirm these requests. However, after communicating with His heavenly Father, God had other plans for Jesus and his disciples on this day.
When the Holy Spirit speaks to people today in a dream, through scripture or a rhema, sometimes the message you receive may not align with your theology or your churches doctrine. If you test what you hear with scripture and it is consistent with the Bible, you may be labeled as a rebel in your church. In the case of the disciples, they believed God wanted them to help those people following them. Nonetheless, God had a different plan which Jesus received as He prayed.
Thus, the question arises, who is the rebel or how should churches define this term in the context of the church. Over my 10 years as a teacher, there were times that I was outspoken. Sometimes I may have over stepped my bounds, yet in most of these situations I was following the convictions of my heart. In his day, Jesus was considered a rebel because He fulfilled the will of His Father. Rebellion against scripture is one thing, but if you keeping in step with the Spirit, Galatians 5:25, then you are a rebel for the gospel, seeking to fulfill the great commission.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 