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Every
Believer Becomes a Disciple -
Matthew 28:19
DISCIPLESHIP
IS ABOUT PARTAKING OF THE LIFE OF GOD
AND THE MINISTRY OF Yeshua (JESUS)
KOINONIA:
SHARING, COMMUNICATING, AND PARTAKING IN
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Jesus
is the living "head of the church"
for all believers. He has designed a way for
us to both know him and follow him, even as
the original twelve disciples followed him.
During the Lord's earthly ministry, they
walked at his side, conversed with him, and
were both witnesses and partakers of
his ministry. They knew his voice; saw his
power; and marveled at his wisdom. On a strictly
physical level they knew him! Yet, this
was not considered adequate. These original
disciples were instructed to receive a further
supernatural empowerment. In order to demonstrate
and build the Kingdom of God there were told
to. "Wait in Jerusalem until you receive
power from above- -." Today I suspect
that far too few nominal Christians are able
to say they know him on a Spiritual level.
Yes they know about him have been taught doctrines
but how much do they know him in the transformative
power of his love and the power of his resurrection?
Perhaps the greatest thing to be revealed in
the "gospel" is that we not only
may know him, but have fellowship with
him and partake in his divine nature
and in his ministry. When we gather
as believers at any particular place of meeting
can we say as we leave that meeting knowing
him better? Can we say that we have heard his
voice, felt his presence, or have been empowered
by his touch?" 1
Peter 4:10,11 defines God's idea
of the importance of sharing the gift that
is unique to each believer for indeed each
has received a gift or many gifts to be shared
from his or her life. Tradition has had the
negative effect of barring or at least, discouraging
the ordinary believer from ministry even though
apostolic scripture consistently prohibits
this.
All
believers are told to grow and mature in the
knowledge of Him who came to give more abundant
life through the power of his resurrection.
We are not to remain a novice and a baby in
the faith, but that we attain "unto the
stature of a 'mature man' even the stature
of Christ." (Ephesians 4). The exaltation
of a single voice in the role of authority
to disciple us may be limited and limiting.
Pulpit ministry is an unfortunate self- perpetuating
legacy of 17 centuries of the "Church"
age. Those who in fact have experience in Christ's
life and ministry, made possible by the power
of the Holy Spirit have a title in the Word
of God; these individuals are called "elders."
Certainly church denominations use this same
term within some context of their doctrines.
But those who Jesus calls elders may differ
from what religious traditions might label
as elders. The apostle John, the disciple who
Jesus loved, begins his letter by talking about
Spiritual experience as the qualification
(credentials) that we must look to and lean
upon. He noted what he had seen, touched, looked
upon, and handled in the Word of life. (1John1:1)That
which was from the beginning, which we have
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which
we have looked upon, and our hands have handled,
of the Word of life, these things we declare
unto you - -;
True fellowship is elusive and hard to achieve
since religious traditions tends to separate
rather than unite in our sense of belonging
and feeling one accord. The wrong motives and
wrong understandings create disharmony. Correction
is occasionally necessary but in the right
Spirit. For we are to have the same Spirit
that is Christ's and *"- say the same
thing - ", seeking that there be no schisms,
walls, or disharmony among us. * (1Cor.
1:10,11)
Ministry
Transforms, Edifies, Strengthens, and Blesses
After conversion of individuals, discipling
pertains to their subsequent edification and
maturing as part of the body Christ. This need
not be the formal sort of ministry experienced
as the normal Saturday or Sunday fare in a
church congregation. In the apostles day it
was done in intimate and loving fellowship
groups where individuals shared their testimonies
of the transforming life of Christ and the
acknowledgment of the revelation of the Word
of Truth with fellow believers. We pass through
various stages as we grow. Just as in the natural,
we begin as babies, then children, the strong
young 'men', then mature sages expressing the
character and spiritual nature of Jesus Christ.
So is it in the matter of Spiritual growth.
The Bible shows how we each are called to minister
our individual Spiritual gifts to one another.
(Rom.12; 1Cor.12. 1 Cor. 14, and 1Pet 4:11)
The proper and best time to edify and grow
is when fellow believers come together in koinonia
(fellowship). When two or more true believers
get together the natural result is to share
their common salvation and to have "fellowship"
to minister "edification" to each
other. When these two or more gather, Jesus
'joins' them and becomes a co-participant through
the Holy Spirit! This fellowship process is
not complicated, nor formal, it is not domination
of one individual authority over another. It
is not adversarial. Discipleship happens as
we share the several gifts given to each believer.
Koinonia is about participation, communication
and sharing. As referenced in 1John 1:1-3,
It begins with actual experiences given as
a witness of Jesus' life and resurrection.
It is about the revelation of Christ within
each person and how he is living through our
lives and doing his work through us. Koinonia
is about sharing what Christ has given to each
believer and ministering that gift to others.
According
to the measure of God's grace, individuals
have various of testimonies and experiences,
some have more, some fewer. There may be some
with musical gifts which enhance worship and
some with less of that ability. Some may have
verbal skills, some less. Some with practical
kinds of skills, some not so much. Some may
be working through personal tragedies or rejection,
while others have already had healing in these
areas. All need to be encouraged to participate
at some level so that leadership skills
may be fostered in each.
The
dynamics of fellowship will change from week
to week. Few or more people may be present
at a house or meeting place and the Spirit
of God will act in accordance to the time and
persons present. I believe fellowship should
never turn into something regimented or formalistic.
However it often becomes that especially when
everything is controlled by one leader. Those
unfamiliar with the kind of fellowship I have
described need to experience for themselves
what can happen in a place of meeting where
the Spirit of God is given liberty! God can
make his glorious presence known; lift people
out of their fears and oppression; bring joy
and healing; restore broken hearts and broken
relationships and save peoples souls. The Holy
Spirit administers just such actions. (See
link to Why We Gather
)
The
encroachment of formalism
A
Religious spirit in the form of supremacy,
control or formalism, continuously stalks the
believer with the aim of transforming God-life
into dead religion. I suppose church
liturgy was put together in times past, following
the kind of glorious fellowship described above.
Liturgical forms may have started with good
intentions with the hope of bottling up something
very good and worthwhile, perhaps to preserve
some of the glory of an earlier day.
If only God's manifest presence could be captured
and preserved, but alas it can not. He is moving
on as the pillar of cloud moved ahead directed
the sojourners in the wilderness in the book
of Exodus.
The
Bible demonstrates that God's presence
can not be captured and preserved. The Israelites
of old tried to do so, but when God's Glory
departed they were left with a lifeless object
(a religious artifact or idol.) The temple
remained, the glory was gone. The brazen serpent
remained, but the manifestation of its power
was gone. A cistern remained, the fount of
living water was gone. God's continued glory
and fellowship with us is determined by the
hearts of those who gather to worship him.
Years and centuries past and only rituals and
catechism remained supplanting the glory that
had been lost. The ritual enactments remained
and the liturgical trappings but the presence
of God vanished. Ritual happens, I believe,
when men try to duplicate a behavior which
once brought forth God's 'glory' through waiting
upon Him in faith.
As
God's presence leaves it is replaced by religion.
"Ministry" follows a similar transition.
Leadership becomes the domain of a very small
body of liturgical experts. It has come to
pass that the priesthood or the clergy only
is trained and authorized to govern and rule
over the flock of God. But in the new covenant
as it was presented to the saints, discipleship
is the domain of every believer.
Here
is a paradigm to re-think: Abolish the Laity!
God wishes each believer to be a ministering
priest, just as he wishes each of us to become
a true worshiper.
What is this true worshiper and what is worshiping
the Father in Spirit and in Truth? (John 4:23)
God is always looking for True Worshipers.
Any one other than "true worshipers"
fall short in worship. The natural mind is
not accustomed to partaking in heavenly things.
These are strangers in the inner court of
the temple. Our Heavenly Father looks at
the hearts he does not regard the man who is
adorned with the outward regalia of religious
uniform over any common believer whose heart
is open.
The natural temple or cathedral is no longer
the place for meeting God.
Our Heavenly Father does not require a building
or cathedral but chosen a holy dwelling site
inside of us. As Jesus told
the woman at the well of Samaria, (It is not
about where you worship,) not 'this mountain
or another mountain,' we worship what we
KNOW! Many do not know what they are
worshiping. The truth is that worship is
inseparable from salvation. Salvation is through
the root and foundation of the Jews. The time
was coming, Jesus explained, when men and women
would worship the Almighty God in Spirit. Those
without this Spirit receive nothing of the
revelation and fellowship of God of which Jesus
spoke. A divine meeting place for the first
priest hood was a place behind the veil into
the presence of God where no human could stand
without having been made pure by scrupulous
preparation. In the presence of God man does
not utter a word nor risk the defilement of
his own sweat.
Disciples,
Learning the "Way"
The
foundation of the life of Christ is laid by
becoming a disciple of Jesus. Just as Jesus
set about making disciples in the time of his
earthly ministry so he continues today. (John
8:21 ; 17:20) The Great Commission is about
discipleship. Too often, the Christian world
has made the life of the Bible remote and impersonal
through religion . It has made Peter, James
and John or John the Baptist into icons or
religious super heroes. It is too easy to lose
the sense that Peter, James, Paul and Barnabus
and the host of others are our brothers and
our teachers. Though now having run their race,
they shared the same life of trials and faith
as we ourselves. In our minds Bible days were
entirely another time, another kind of faith
life , another dispensation. This is not the
case. Religious tradition places men on pedestals.
This should not be the case because it is contrary
to every apostolic and Christ-uttered teaching.
God does not show favoritism nor does he show
respect of persons. s many that have received
the gift, minister it to one another, as good
stewards of the Grace
You
may be interested in checking out the writing
of Frank Viola and George Barna
See
www.ptmin.org and listen to some interviews
as sound files describing the return to open,
house church. For any that have received the
gift, (God Life, Grace and Power) minister
it to one another, as good stewards of the
Grace of God. 1Peter 4:11
E
Book 1:
The
Gospel Without Religion
E Book 2:
A
Disciples Handbook
E Book 3:
Mysteries
in the Bible
Index
to all Charles Pinkney Christian Titles
Go
to next book: Disciples
Handbook 03
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