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INTRODUCTION TO DISCIPLESHIP
Charles
Pinkney
Believers
need to be nurtured in order to grow as disciples.
When I use the term "church" I always
imagine it in quotations because not everyone
regards this word the same way. The familiar
church-house model where most denominational
Christians meet routinely is most commonly
thought to be a church. This reference is not
the original New Testament model. The term
ekklasia (ec-cle-si'a) in the original
Greek text is translated "Church"
throughout the Bible. The proper connotation
of ecclesia is the called out, the gathered
out ones. We tend to assume that church
life in early Christian times is equal to its
present day form. However, the form of the
'church' in the days of the apostles was quite
unlike modern understanding of familiar religious
forms built around a church house.
In ancient times ecclesia was a form of gathering
in which members came together to transact
a specific kind of business on behalf of a
community. In the case of the Christian ecclesia
it was and is the business of the heavenly
shepherd, Christ Jesus. In this kind of fellowship
all members are called to participate actively.
In this church body we are called out of the
world by the Spirit to be a part of Christ's
body, (He, Christ the Messiah, is the head
over the church.) All members bring with them
unique abilities, gifts or enablements. God's
grace provides the activation or enablement
of those many gifts that are needed for Spiritual
fellowship and growth in understanding. (1
Peter 4:11)
The Holy Spirit is the divine personage who
brings the gifts or enablements of Grace. We
who are called out into the Kingdom
of God grow and mature, gain experience and
develop testimonies in the Kingdom of God.
These are our personal 'God Stories.'
These testimonies when shared, build faith
among those with whom we share. Testimonies
are God stories that describe the dynamics
of heaven touching us individually. Spiritual
gifts are enablements that bear witness of
God's presence in day to day experience. Church
house religion, all too often deficient in
such experience of God in the present.
Among
the assertions I want to present in discussions
of discipleship is that we as believers after
being born of the Spirit, may not only know
G-d, but that we all (men, women, boys, or
girls) can have a spiritually empowered
life. The "church" as Jesus Christ
established it, was given this provision. But
in spite of this provision, both knowing God
and developing a spiritual life, is often
unrealized in the institutional church. Time,
circumstance and unrelenting forces of spiritual
resistance (authored by our spiritual adversary)
embattle believers, to derail or to side track
us from attaining the spiritual life. Human
traditions are instigated instead. Jesus warned
his disciples in Mark 15 to beware of the leaven
of the Pharisees and also the leaven of Herod,
superficial religiosity, and worldliness. Jude,
half brother and an apostle of Jesus, writes
that we must, " - - earnestly contend
for the faith given to us by the apostles.
AN
INTRODUCTION TO DISCIPLESHIP
Disciples, Learning the "Way"
The foundation of the life of Christ begins
as we become a disciple of Jesus. Just as he
made disciples in the time of his earthly ministry
so he continues today. (John 8:21 ; 17:20)
Religion has made the life of the Bible remote
and impersonal. It has made Peter, James and
John or John the Baptist into icons or religious
folk heroes. The sense of their being our brothers,
sharing the same life of trials and faith has
been all but lost. In our minds Bible days
were another time, another faith, another kind
of application. This is not the case. Religious
tradition places apostles on pedestals and
this should not be the case because it is contrary
to every apostolic and Christ-uttered teaching.
G-d does not show favoritism nor does he show
respect of persons.
A
short time after the apostolic age, lust for
human rulership and impure motives undermined
the apostolic foundations. Liberty and spiritual
forms of worship began to erode. We are entitled
to the same promises and gospel practices that
New Testament believers knew. The Christian
life, being Holy Spirit inspired, is not of
human authorship nor human tradition. It is
the way that I have found to be God inspired,
life-changing, fulfilling, and in perfect accord
with the Bible.
Discipleship described here is modeled by the
saints and apostles in the beginning of this
church age. Many denominations and religious
teachers, attempt to mentor and advise others
about the spiritual life. Since there has been
a history of promoting religious traditions
instead of knowing G-d, it is important that
we look to grow in wisdom through the guidance
of the Spirit of Truth, the Holy
Spirit.
G-d
has told us through the Word (James) that we
may ask for wisdom or truth to be revealed
to us. He further instructs us to be confident
knowing that G-d is willing to give good
gifts which bring fulfillment and blessings
and not sorrows. When seeking the revelations
which are of G-d
and not false we must be fully aware of the
risk of error and counterfeit. Deception
and false teaching is everywhere. In order
to discern the true from the false It is
very important to invoke the name of Jesus
Christ. His
is the name above every name!
And also know that His Spirit will not lead
us into bondage, fear, submission to abusive
men, or lawlessness. Meekness, gentleness,
compassion and service to others is the right
spirit.
The Bible teaches that Jesus' name commands
all powers of heaven and earth. It is above
the authority of any other god or angel or
worldly authority. The word states that at
the name of Jeshua, Jesus, every knee shall
bow and every tongue shall confess his lordship.
It is in His name that we can consecrate any
prayer or any request. It is a safeguard and
assurance that anything which will be revealed
or imparted spiritually will be without deceptive
influence. If you ask in Jesus, name the
deceiver is unlikely to make his intrusion.
Reconciling
The Spirit in the Seeker, the Spirit of Him
being Sought
The true Spirit of Christ Jesus is the spirit
of love, forgiveness, gentleness, meekness,
selflessness, and patience. It is not tinged
with fear, with condemnation, with urgency
or panic, It is not contaminated by a lust
for personal gain, ownership of another or
any desire to control or manipulate another
person. Check yourself if you are seeking with
motives containing any of the negatives stated
above for they are contrary to the nature of
the G-d who will insure your being lead into
truth.
Receiving
True Gifts and not Counterfeit
Jesus instructs us about receiving gifts from
G-d, especially the gift of the Holy Spirit.
He teaches us that the G-d of heaven gives
good gifts and not devilish or perverted
ones. Christ also characterizes the fact that
there are two sources who might affect spiritual
results. G-d's gifts are good and true. Let
us look at the scripture found in Matthew 7:8-11
and in Luke 11:11-13: These shed light on Spiritual
gifts.
"For
every one that asks receives; and he that seeks
finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened."Matt
6:8;"Or what man is there of you, whom
if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?"
:9; "Or if he ask a fish, will he give
him a serpent?":10; "If ye then,
being evil, know how to give good gifts unto
your children, how much more shall your Father
which is in heaven give good things to them
that ask him?" -- :11. The two gifts which
are requested are bread and a fish, G-d gives
things which are life-giving (bread) and safe
(meat of fish). Luke chapter eleven restates
the same teaching about asking from G-d the
Father with a slightly different emphasis,
and includes the gift of the Holy Spirit
which is the living gift of G-d's power and
presence: "If a son shall ask bread
of any of you that is a father, will he give
him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for
a fish give him a serpent?"; "Or
if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a
scorpion?" "If ye then, being evil,
know how to give good gifts unto your children:
how much more shall your heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"
-- Luke 11:11-13
The
references to the counterfeit gifts are not
just coincidental or random examples they represent
the fact that there is a source of the bad
gift. The enemy is Satan. He does not give
good gifts, nor give valid revelations. His
gifts are not life giving, they give neither
joy, nor health nor liberty. Yet it is possible
that he will try to come in unless you exclude
him from having any part of the asking and
seeking transaction (namely the spiritual search
for a spiritual life.) Satan's gift is characterized
as a stone instead of bread, as a serpent instead
of pure food, a poisonous scorpion instead
of an egg. Jesus has portrayed Satan
as the deadly counterfeiter who will insinuate
himself into the seekers life subtly and at
any opportunity. Forewarned is forearmed; for
this reason we will need to initiate safe guards
and precautions as I suggested above in order
to keep the deceiver out of your life.
There was a time when our lives were entirely
under his (Satan's) control. We may not think
that this was the case but the apostle is very
clear about it. A couple of apostolic letters
bring attention to the nature of the unredeemed
life, common to each and every life before
that life is renewed In Christ.
Paul
states in his letter to Ephesus, Chapter 2,
verses 2 and 3."- - in time past ye
walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the
air, (Satan) the spirit that now worketh in
the children of disobedience; Among whom also
we all had our conversation (lifestyle) in
times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and
were by nature the children of wrath, even
as others." Paul's letter to Colossae,
Chapter 1 verse 21."And you, that were
sometime before now) alienated and enemies
in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath
he reconciled" Paul's letter to Corinth,
Chapter 1 verses 10 and 11, "Nor thieves,
nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers,
nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom
of G-d; And such were some of you: but ye are
washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified
in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit
of our G-d."
resources:
Resources
and Understanding Home Church Fellowships
http://churchinthehouse.org/
Frank
Viola interview with a typical church-goer
(Discusses Open Church)
Frank Viola
Who's
Your Covering
Rethinking
the Wineskin
Sid Roth Guest, George Barna
Moving beyond the established church
Barna's Book: "Revolution"
Interview 2/20/2006
http://www.sidroth.org
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