Is "where two or more gathered" a church?

Is "where two or more are gathered" a church?

By Frank Viola www.frankviola.com


Originally published in Christianity Today/Out of Ur in two parts, August 2009.
There is a growing phenomenon in the body of Christ today. Alongside of the missional church movement, the emerging church movement, and the house church movement, there is a mode of thinking that I call “postchurch Christianity.”
The postchurch brand of Christianity is built on the premise that institutional forms of church are ineffective, unbiblical, unworkable, and in some cases, dangerous. Institutionalization is not compatible with ekklesia. So say postchurch advocates.
But the postchurch view goes further saying, “any semblance of organization whatsoever . . . any semblance of leadership … is wrong and oppressive. Church is simply when two or three believers gather together in any format. Whenever this happens, church occurs.” So the thinking goes.
Here are some examples of what you might hear a postchurch advocate say:
“Sally and I had coffee at Starbucks last week. That was church.”
“I get together with two other men once a month at Sonny’s BBQ. That’s church for us.”
“I travel a great deal and whenever I visit Christians in other cities, we’re having church together.”
“I belong to the same church that every other Christian belongs to. I live in Dallas, TX. Last week, I talked to my friend on the phone for an hour. He lives in Miami, FL. The week before I talked with a friend who lives in Portland, OR. We were having church on the phone. I belong to the same church that they do.”
“I don’t attend any Christian meetings. Not regularly anyway. I have church on the Internet. I belong to several Christian discussion groups and social networks, and that’s church for me.”
“I don’t understand how people can talk about church planting? How can a church be planted when we are already the church? I’m the church. You’re the church. So just be the church. Church happens. “
To my mind, all of the above reflects an entire redefinition of ekklesia as it is found, used, and understood in the New Testament. No first century Christian would have used “church” in this way. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with fellowshipping with Christians at Starbucks, on the phone, or through the Internet, the biblical meaning of ekklesia is something quite different.
In order to understand the Scriptural meaning of “church,” the New Testament must be understood within the framework of the biblical narrative. And it must be read and interpreted in its cultural and chronological context.
The biblical text that postchurch advocates hang a great deal of their doctrine on is Matthew 18:15-20.
Let’s look at this passage in context:
“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
Here, Jesus is speaking of a local ekklesia. He is speaking of a local community of Christ-followers who live in the same locale. (That is what the word ekklesia meant in the New Testament. More on that later.)
The people in this ekklesia know one another. The context makes this clear. This passage has in view an excommunication meeting. Therefore, it’s a horrifying text—a text that no Christian should ever want to use. It has to do with a person who is acting in a wayward manner and refuses to stop.
When this happens, the injured person must go to the offending person in private. If the offending person refuses to reconcile, two or three others from the local ekklesia must talk to the offending person. If the offending person still refuses to stop their wayward conduct, the offending person must be disfellowshipped from the ekklesia.
Note that Jesus says that after two or three have talked with the offending person, and the person still refuses to stop what they are doing, then the news of his unrepentance must be taken “to the church.” Now think: If the two or three people are the church, then this text becomes incoherent. Jesus says that the two or three should “tell it to the church” if the offending person doesn’t repent. Consequently, the two or three cannot be the church. They are simply a part of it.
The two or three at the end of the passage are the same two or three at the beginning of it. The implication is that the two or three who went to the unrepentant person should be praying for him. And the Lord will be with them in a special way as they do. He will stand with them.
This context indicates that the ekklesia is an organic entity where a group of committed believers in a locality “bind and loose,” using the keys of the kingdom that Jesus has given to them.
Consequently, Matthew 18 is not a text where Jesus is trying to define the church for us. It’s rather a text describing the awful process of excommunication.
Having said that, I’m of the opinion that the postchurch viewpoint cannot stand up against the light of the New Testament. Let me unravel that statement and you be the judge.
THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE TEST
New Testament scholarship agrees that the word ekklesia (translated “church”) meant a local community of people who assemble together regularly. The word was used for the Greek assembly whereby those in a city were “called forth” from their homes to meet (assemble) in the town forum to make decisions for the city. Consequently, the word also carries the flavor of every-member participation in decision-making. The Christian ekklesia is a community of people who gather together and possess a shared life in Christ.
As such, the ekklesia as used in the New Testament literature is visible, touchable, locatable, and tangible. You can visit it. You can observe it. And you can live in it.
Biblically speaking, you could not call anything an ekklesia unless it met (assembled) regularly together.
New Testament scholar Robert Banks makes this point loud and clear in his groundbreaking work of biblical scholarship entitled Paul’s Idea of Community.
THE EPISTLE TEST
The word “epistle” means letter. The NT contains twenty-one epistles. And most of them were written to local churches—ekklesias—in various cities.
Now here is a test. Those who belong to a postchurch “church” (which I also call the “phantom church” or the “ghost church”) should ask themselves a question: Can a person write a letter to my church? Can it be received by the church and read together by all of its members at the same time?
Paul of Tarsus wrote such letters to the churches he planted.
He wrote a letter to the church in Corinth, for instance.
There was an actual, physical, locatable, visit-able body of believers that met together in the home of Gaius. Paul could write a letter to that church and everyone read it at the same time.
Paul did the same for the church in Thessalonica, Colosee, Philippi, Laodicea, etc.
And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it to be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.” (Col. 4:16)
THE VISITATION TEST
Can you visit a postchurch “church”?
If you were living in the first-century, you could literally visit any of the churches that existed.
You could also visit the church in Jerusalem in A.D. 35 and meet Peter, James, John and Mary, the mother of Jesus. These were real people who met together regularly. They were part of the same believing community—the same church.
You could visit the church in Corinth and sit in a living room in Gaius’ home and talk with Stephanus, Fortunatus, and Achaicus.
The house of Chloe could visit the church in Corinth and attend its meetings (1 Cor. 1:11).
If you were to visit the church in Rome before Nero annihilated it in A.D. 65, you could sit in the living room of Priscilla and Aquila’s home and meet all the believers who regularly assembled together. (Their names are mentioned in Romans 16.)
Paul could also send Timothy to visit the church in Philippi where Lydia, Euodias, Syntyche, and Clement gathered. He could send Titus to visit the churches on the island of Crete. He could also send Tychicus to visit the church in Ephesus. And on and on.
Question: You who belong to the postchurch “church,” does your church pass the visitation test?
If someone comes to your town, can they locate and visit your church? Can they meet the members and stay in their home for a week?
THE NARRATIVE READING TEST
I would like to challenge you to go through your New Testament very carefully, beginning with the book of Acts, and try to find in the whole sweeping story support for the postchurch “church.” Not by proof-texting verses together, but by looking at the entire first-century narrative in chronological order.
I suggest picking up The Chronological Study Bible or The Narrated Bible and go through the New Testament story in chronological order from Acts to Revelation. And see if the postchurch view can fit into that beautiful saga.
THE CONSISTENCY TEST
Three common critiques that postchurch advocates level against the institutional form of church are:
1) It breeds low commitment.
2) It feeds the consumerist, individualistic Christianity that plagues the Western church today. (In consumer Christianity, religious teachings and experiences are goods that one “buys into” by becoming a subscriber to a particular church that “sells” those goods. Religious professionals produce these religious goods, and consumers pay to keep them in business. Those who consume the same sort of religious goods are no more members of a real community than those who shop at Walmart.)
3) It produces little transformation in the lives of the people who are part of it.
Ironically, these same three critiques can be appropriately leveled at the postchurch “church.”
The postchurch breeds low commitment because there are no regular gatherings nor is there any real community life that’s consistent. (Talking to Christians on the Internent is virtual. It’s not a substitute for authentic Christian community where people’s lives are shared in Christ.)
The postchurch view also reflects the consumerist, individualism that reflects our culture. Why? Because there’s no devotion or commitment to a regular community of believers. It’s church on your own terms. Whenever you feel like it.
The truth is, the postchurch “church” is actually more convenient and easier on the flesh than virtually every other form of church.
THE “ONE-ANOTHERING” TEST
Throughout the New Testament epistles, there are nearly sixty “one another” exhortations given to churches. All of them imply close-knit community, such as “forbear with one another.” Here are some others:
• live in harmony with one another (Rom. 12:16; 1 Peter 3:8)
• be devoted to one another (Rom. 12:10)
• edify one another (Rom. 14:19; 1 Thess. 5:11b)
• care for one another (1 Cor. 12:25)
• serve one another (Gal. 5:13)
• bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2)
• bear with one another (Eph. 4:2)
• be kind and compassionate to one another (Eph. 4:32)
• speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
(Eph. 5:19)
• submit to one another (Eph. 5:21)
• forgive one another (Col. 3:13)
• teach one another (Col. 3:16)
• admonish one another (Col. 3:16)
These “one another” imperatives assume ever-deepening relationships and community, not casual and occasional get togethers.

THE PURPOSE OF GOD TEST
In my book, From Eternity to Here, I’ve sought to trace God’s “eternal purpose” from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22.
The New Testament makes abundantly clear that the eternal purpose of God is intensely corporate. God isn’t after a group of individual living stones, He wants those stones to be “built together” to form a house for His full-dwelling and expression.
You are not the church. And neither am I.
The church is the corporate expression of Christ that is expressed visibly in a locality, where human beings can see, touch, hear, and know one another and live a shared life together in the Lord.
While God never seeks to take away our individuality, He does desire to take our individualism to the cross.
Why? Because the Lord is after a bouquet of flowers, not simply a bunch of individual roses.
Consider the analogy of a father who has seven children. One Christmas day, he gives his oldest son a trumpet. He gives his youngest son a trombone. For his oldest daughter, he gives a violin. He gives another child a drum kit. Another he gives a bass. Another he gives a flute. And another he gives a piano.
Each child learns to play their instrument. The years pass, and each loves playing their individual instruments. It’s a joy to them.
Years pass by and one day the father sits down with all of his children and says, “I am so happy you have mastered your instruments. Each instrument was given to you as a free gift. And I’m glad that you have come to enjoy and treasure your gifts.
But I didn’t give you these instruments to enjoy by yourselves. I’m creating an orchestra that will produce music that this world has never heard. And I’ve invited you to be part of it. That is why I gave you these gifts.”
And so it is with our Lord. The gift of eternal life is not for ourselves. God wants an orchestra in every city. He wants a spiritual building, not a collection of individual living stones. A body, not a collection of individual limbs and appendages. He wants a corporate expression through which to reveal His glorious Son. And this requires the loss of our individualism and independence.
It seems to me that the postchurch view denigrates Christian community (at worst) or deemphasizes and redefines it (at best). For that reason alone, it fails to fulfill God’s ultimate intention and grand mission in the earth.


SUMMARY
In my personal judgment, the postchurch view fails all seven tests.
The postchurch paradigm is rooted in the attempt to practice Christianity without belonging to an identifiable community that regularly meets for worship, prayer, fellowship, mutual edification, and mutual care.
Such a concept is disconnected with what we find in the New Testament.
The first-century churches were locatable, identifiable, visit-able communities that met regularly in a particular locale. They were not amorphous entities. For this reason, Paul could write a letter to these identifiable communities (local churches) with some definite idea of who would be present to hear it (Rom. 16). He would also have a good idea of when they gathered (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 14) and the struggles they experienced in their life together (Rom. 12—14; 1 Cor. 1–8). He can visit these churches and/or send others to visit them as well. The same is true for the other apostles.
Again, there’s nothing wrong with fellowshipping with Christians on the Internet, over the phone, or meeting with friends at Starbucks. I personally love doing these things. But calling these activities “church” or substituting them for ekklesia is misguided in my opinion.
It is my observation that many (not all) who embrace the postchurch viewpoint have been hurt in churches that had organization, so they have concluded that any organization is bad. Consequently, the viewpoint seems to have been born out of personal pain rather than a revelation of Christ and His Body.
To put a finer point on it, the postchurch paradigm appears to be an expression of the contemporary desire for intimacy without commitment. And commitment often brings injured feelings. This is especially true in Christian community, where very fallen people are learning Christ together.
So it seems to me anyway.
*For further reading, see Pagan Christianity for a biblical and historical critique on the institutional form of church and Reimagining Church for a presentation of the organic expression of the church.

Consumerism or Christ?

Consumerism or Christ?
"But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world"  Gal. 6:14.
In Galatia, Paul had to deal with the problem of a different gospel. The Judaizers had come into the churches after he and Barnabas had left and brought in the gospel of legalism. His gospel was only Christ (Gal. 1:11,12; 15, 16). Yet the radically religious Jewish believers added something to the gospel. They tried to add something to Christ.
This was because some of the Galatians never really received the revelation of the cross. They didn't realize that they had been crucified on that tree (Ro. 6:8; Col. 3:3). They actually thought that they still had their own lives! But a dead man doesn't try to obey the Law of Moses. Why would he want to be circumcised? He's dead to himself and only alive to God (Ro. 6:11).
For Paul, to live was Christ (Phil. 2:21), there was nothing else. Nothing else could be added because nothing else existed. Paul got it. Christ was his All. He lived to express Christ, preach Christ, and fulfill God's eternal purpose in Christ. However, we find ourselves in a different situation today.
Our Modern Dilemma
It's very clear from the scriptures that God has an eternal purpose (Eph. 1 & 3). This purpose is something that God had desired since before creation, hence the term eternal purpose. This purpose is centered in his beloved Son:
"He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his kind intention which he purposed in him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ. Things in the heavens and things on the earth" Eph. 1:9, 10.
If you continue to read the letter to the Ephesians, this eternal purpose and will of God should become clear. God wants to increase or expand the sphere of his Son by having a Body for his expression, a Family for his community life, and a Bride with whom to share his love.
But herein lies our problem. We neither see nor understand this eternal passion within the heart of our God because we have been blinded by another gospel. This gospel is predominantly preached to us by our western culture and we have bought into it hook, line, and sinker. It colors everything we do and tints our spectacles to only see that which it wants us to see. This gospel has tightly fit us into its own mold and now everything we do is influenced by it.
We are not free to live by Christ, for Christ, and to Christ, nor are we free to live for God's eternal purpose and passion. The tentacles of this monstrous mindset have their grips on our every thought and action. It's like a wet blanket that is suffocating us from experiencing and displaying the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
I am referring to the "gospel," mindset, and culture of western consumerism.
We are a consumerist society and it pervades every area of our lives. Human need is god, and everything revolves around us getting our needs and desires fulfilled. The cry is, "Hey! I have needs you know. These needs must be met at whatever the cost!"
Needs by the Dozens
This becomes the most telling when we look at organized Christianity. Our "churches" are built upon fulfilling human needs. When Christians go "church shopping" what do they look for? A good preacher so I can be fed the Word. A good youth program so my kids can be taught. A good worship team so I can feel good during the service on Sunday morning. I want a closer location and a schedule of programs that fits my lifestyle. A good discipleship program so that I will mature in my walk with God.
All of these things we look for are no more than features and benefits. These are things that we feel we need. We have wants. We have needs. The church is here to fulfill those needs.
But then there are the needs of the world. What about the lost? They have a need for salvation. What about the poor? They have a need for food. And what about those in prison, or the sick, abused, exploited, neglected, abandoned, etc.? Isn't the church here to take care of all of them?
We have Missed the Whole Point
We have been so "consumed" with human need. Could it be that we have totally missed the whole reason that the church of Jesus Christ even exists?
Our God has a Need!
Now I know that all you theologian types out there just reacted to that statement. However, I do realize that God is all sufficient within his own nature. But in a sense, he does have a need in relationship to his eternal purpose. He has an urgent desire and passion to accomplish something. And he needs certain things to take place to accomplish his goal.
My point is that we are so consumed with human need that we have forgotten that the church exists for one purpose and one purpose only. And that is to satisfy the longing within the heart of God! And that longing is that his dear Son would become the sum, the center, the head, the fulfillment, the expression, and the source of all things (Eph. 1); that he would fill all things with himself (Eph. 4:10); that this glorious Christ would have an expression that would freely express him in all his fullness (Eph. 1:22, 23); and that this expression would put all of his enemies to shame (Eph. 3: 8-12). As you can tell, this is a much higher calling than that of human need!
What about those who have left institutional Christianity? What about we who are involved in the house/simple/missional/emergent church movements? If we are brutally honest with ourselves, we will admit that much of what is happening among these movements is driven by the same exact engine as the institutional church - human need!
As I see it, many of our house churches are setup to meet the needs of those in the group and/or to meet the needs of those in the world. But I propose to you that this is the wrong premise. The only reason that any group calling itself a "church" should exist is to fulfill the eternal purpose of God in Christ. Everything else will flow out from that foundation.
If the eternal purpose of God in Christ is the vision and foundation for a church, then the life of Christ will flow out of that group to both meet the needs of the believers and the needs of the world around it.
"If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" Ps. 11:3
Brothers and sisters, may we all abandon foundations which are other than Christ and his glorious purpose and go for the gold of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ!
written by Milt Rodriguez

All Things in Christ

All Things in Christ
by Chip Brogden
“For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to Whom be glory for ever. Amen. (Romans 11:36).”
In my written and spoken messages I make frequent reference to the preeminence of Christ. Just what do we mean by Christ having the preeminence? What do we mean by giving Christ the preeminence in all things?
“Preeminence” literally means having the first, highest, chief, and best place in a position of ascendancy over everything else. It is an ultimacy, a glory, an honor, a distinction, a prestige, an illustriousness, a renown, a notability, and a nobility that surpasses all others. Paul simply says that the aim of God is for JESUS CHRIST to have THAT kind of position in - all things. That explains everything God has done, is doing and will do. But what does he mean by “all things”?
Whenever I teach from a passage that includes the phrase “all things” I usually stop and ask, “Now how many things does ‘all things’ include?” And the people always respond, “Everything!” That word “all” is a very large word, a very encompassing word. There is nothing outside of “all”! How casually and easily we allow our eyes to glance past these words. We have not comprehended them. If we comprehended them we could not read them with a yawn, but we would read them with a shout!
If we intend to make some exception to “all” we might say something like, “everything but” or “everything except” in order to qualify what we mean as something less than “all”. But “all things” is without qualification. “All” is “all”, and “all things” is everything. Nothing is left out, nothing is excluded. It is not necessary for us to list every single thing that “all” includes, because “all” is all-inclusive. But what about this, you ask? It is among the All. And what of this, you say? That, too, is included in the All. And what about this thing, or that thing? Oh yes, they are in the All as well. You cannot come up with a single thing that is not included in All.
So in Romans 11:36 Paul sums up the preeminence of Christ into three expressions: “Of Him… through Him… to Him… are ALL THINGS.” “OF HIM” says that everything which exists - things in heaven, things in earth, everything that was created, everything that has come into being, everything that will come into being - is created by, and because of, CHRIST. “THROUGH HIM” says that everything which lives, moves, breathes, operates, exists, or functions in this universe, whether animate or inanimate, whether biological, chemical, spiritual, natural, or cosmotological - does so THROUGH CHRIST, Who sovereignly upholds all these things, determines their place, and keeps them in order. “TO HIM” says that everything, no matter how far from God’s Thought it may be, no matter how chaotic things may appear, is being directed, summed up, and gathered together INTO CHRIST. As the Alpha, all things flow FROM Him; as the Omega, all things flow TO Him.
That is quite a paragraph. A paragraph like that cannot be grasped in one reading. But that paragraph is, in essence, what Paul means, and what we mean, by Christ having the preeminence in all things. We are talking about Jesus as Lord over us individually, over the Church corporately, and over all creation collectively. We are talking about a preeminent Christ Who is exalted above every principality and power, rule and dominion; things visible, things invisible; things past, things present, things future; things in heaven, things in earth, things under the earth: all things are OF Him, all things are THROUGH Him, and all things are TO Him. That is preeminence.
Let us go through the Scriptures and bring out a few gems from the storehouse of tremendous wealth and riches in Christ. Our criteria for selecting these particular Scriptures was very simple. We wanted to look at every reference that mentions Christ in connection with His preeminence over “all things”. We found quite a number. There are dozens more references that support our study, but we have included only the ones which contain the phrase “all things”. Once we gathered the references together, we sorted them according to Romans 11:36 - those that are OF Him, those that are THROUGH Him, and those that are TO Him.
The result of that study is the basis of this writing. I pray these will not be mere verses of Scripture to us, but will be the very means through which the Father gives us greater illumination and revelation into His Son. We ought to meditate on this daily and ask the Lord to open our eyes to see the height, depth, width, length, and breadth of this JESUS Whom we say we serve. May God deliver us from our own idea, concept, perception, and illusion of a small Christ and give us revelation into the preeminence of His Son.
I promise that if you will read through these verses once or twice a day, every day, it will be impossible for you to remain unaffected by the Truth they present! I am affected just in the preparation of this material, and how much more in the application and apprehending of it! When we see Christ as All in All then it will be impossible for us to ever again be reduced to the small, the trivial, the petty things which occupy us and waste so much of our time. Our only hope is seeing a Christ that fills us, a Christ that is greater than us, a Christ that is larger than we can fathom, an indescribable Christ that overshadows, overwhelms, and consumes us through and through!
OF HIM ARE ALL THINGS
“All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made (John 1:3).”
“And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:9).”
“For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him (Colossians 1:16).”
“For Whom are all things, and by Whom are all things (Hebrews 2:10ff).”
“But to us there is but one God, the Father, of Whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we by Him (I Corinthians 8:6).”
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created (Revelation 4:11).”
The Father declares the preeminence of His Son by involving Him in the process of creating all things. As a result, nothing was created apart from Christ. Of Him are all things - things in heaven, in earth, visible, invisible, spiritual, and physical. Scientists believe there may be as many as twenty-four dimensions in this universe, of which we only know five. However many there may be, He is preeminent over them all. Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ is the Alpha, the Beginning, the First, the Source. This establishes Him as preeminent over all creation.
All things were created by Him, and everything was created for Him. For Him! Why this earth, the moon, the stars, the galaxies? Why the animals, the birds, the fish, the insects? Why men and women, angels, cherubim, and seraphim? For Him! All for Him! God’s original thought is for Christ to fill every created thing with His Life, Love, and Glory. A design implies a Designer, a plan implies a Planner, and a creation implies a Creator. We are not drifting along aimlessly, and we did not come into being by accident. We were created by Him, and we were created for Him. We were created to love Him, and to be loved by Him.
Of the three spheres - of Him, through Him, and to Him - “of Him” is probably the easiest to grasp. It is easier for us to look backwards and see Christ in retrospect than it is for us to perceive the present and to discern the future. But He is All of these at once. It is not that in times past He was the Alpha, and after a lengthy period of time He become the Omega. No, “I AM Alpha AND Omega, the Beginning AND the Ending, says the Lord: which was AND which is to come, the Almighty (Revelation 1:8).” And, “They rest not day and night saying, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, AND is, AND is to come (Revelation 4:8b).” He always has been AND He always is AND He always will be; hence three “Holies” are necessary. What a mighty God!
So we progress forward and see that…
THROUGH HIM ARE ALL THINGS
First, all things are in His hands:
“All things are delivered unto Me of My Father (Matthew 11:27).”
“The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand (John 3:35).”
“Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was come from God, and went to God (John 13:3).”
“All things that the Father hath are Mine (John 16:15a).”
“[God] hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, Whom He hath appointed Heir of all things (Hebrews 1:2a).”
His hands speak of His Ownership, His Authority, His Possessing of all things. The Father gave all things to the Son. Then, because all things are in His hands, all things are under His feet. His feet speak of His Dominion, His Rule, His subjecting of all things to the authority that is in His hands.
“Thou madest Him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; thou has put all things under His feet (Psalms 8:6).”
“And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the Church (Ephesians 1:22).”
“And He is the Head of the Body, the Church: Who is the Beginning, the Firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence (Colossians 1:18).”
“Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. (Hebrews 2:8a)
This possession and subjection of all things to Christ is not a passive, disinterested, distant, absentee ownership, like a clock that was once wound and now ticks all by itself long after the watchmaker has left it. Make no mistake: at the core of this spiritual and physical universe is a living, powerful, proactive Personality at work to bring fallen creation back to its original state, back into line with God’s Purpose, Heart, Mind, Desire, and Plan, which is CHRIST FILLING ALL THINGS, CHRIST UPHOLDING ALL THINGS, CHRIST AT THE CENTER OF ALL THINGS! Come quickly Lord Jesus! May Your Kingdom be manifest!
“And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist [Greek: find their being, take their place] (Colossians 1:17).”
“Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His Person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:3).”
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).”
“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do (Hebrews 4:13).”
“For the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God (I Corinthians 2:10).”
Everything is upheld by His power, and all things are working together according to His Purpose. The Spirit searches all things and reveals them for what they are. Before Him everything is manifest, and there is nothing hidden from Him. There is no darkness that He does not penetrate, no deception that He cannot illuminate, no evil that He will not eradicate.
“He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30).” Christ is ever increasing in order to fill all things, conforming them to His image, so that His glory is manifest in every corner of Creation - and He begins with individual disciples. The increasing of Christ and the decreasing of Self in every individual disciple is but a fragment of an ultimate Plan which extends from each disciple, to “two or three gathered together”, to the Church, and finally to all Creation. We should be able to look at each disciple and see a demonstration of Christ filling All in All: “Look, this is what I intend to do with all Creation.” He will continue to increase, and everything outside of Him will continue to decrease, until there will remain nothing outside of Him. He is Lord!
TO HIM ARE ALL THINGS
“Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself (Philippians 3:21).”
“And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be All in All (I Corinthians 15:28).”
“That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him (Ephesians 1:10).”
“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven (Colossians 1:20).”
“He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things (Ephesians 4:10).”
Everything is moving back TOWARDS a Christocentric universe, so that as it was in the beginning, so it will be in the ending. Just as all things have their source and beginning in Christ, so all things will have their ending in Christ. He subdues all things, in order to gather together and reconcile all things, that He may fill all things. What a task that is! How can that be? How can all things ever be subdued, gathered together into one, reconciled, and filled by Christ? We cannot say how, but we know that “He is able”. Praise God, how can we doubt Him? How can we question this Man? Do we not yet know that He is the Preeminent One? Let us bow down and thank and praise God that He is able!
When we pray, “May Your Name be hallowed, may Your Kingdom come, may Your Will be done: as in heaven, so in earth”, this is the End we have in mind: “all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are in earth, even in Him.” This reconciliation and marriage of heaven and earth is a tremendous thing. In heaven, His Word is settled forever (Psalms 119:89); but on earth, things are very unsettled. In heaven, we see Jesus seated at the right hand of God, exalted above all principality and power, name and dominion; but on earth, “we see not yet all things put under Him (Hebrews 2:8b).” We see that “the heavens are the Lord’s: but the earth has He given to the children of men (Psalms 115:16).”
One day that discrepancy and unceasing conflict, that great chasm between Heaven and Earth, will be healed.
“And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new (Revelation 21:5a).”
“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and He shall be my son (Revelation 21:7).”
“How shall He not, with Him, freely give us all things (Romans 8:32b)?”
“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us (Romans 8:37).”
“Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ’s; Christ is God’s (I Corinthians 3:21-23).”
How glorious! How tremendous! He is doing all of this for us! Everything He has is freely given to us, and through Him we possess all that He possesses. When He has all that we have, then we have all that He has. When we give Him all that we are, He gives us all that He is. Oh, the depth of this love! Oh, the depth of the richness of His grace to us! Who can understand it? Who can know it?
The chorus to a song comes to mind, that says
How could you not love Him back?
How could you hold out your heart
For even another day?
How could you not love Him back
When you’ve learned every loving fact?
How could you not love Him back?
Oh Jesus, may You have the preeminence henceforth and forever!

RETURN of THE JUDAIZERS??

RETURN of THE JUDAIZERS??
-by Andrew Strom.

I have friends who call Jesus "Yeshua". I don't mind it at all. I have
other friends who keep the Saturday Sabbath. It doesn't bother
me too much, unless there is a kind-of "aggressive attitude" about
it. But in recent years I have witnessed a worrying trend - that in
my opinion is growing worse - and we need to address it.

Today when a Christian tells me that they are "Torah-observant"
then all kinds of alarms go off. It may be that they are just into
'Hebrew roots' - but usually it is a lot more than that. We all know
that in the early church, the biggest problem they had was with
the "Judaizers" who went around trying to convince the Gentile
Christians that they must obey the letter of the Old Testament
Law. This shipwrecked the faith of many. It was the biggest
problem they had. The book of Galatians is all about it - and many
other sections of the New Testament. It was a battle between the
old Law - with its subtle bondages - and the new walk of the Spirit
and of grace.

A few months back, we published the testimony of a Christian
woman who got involved with a Messianic group that slowly under-
mined her faith in Jesus - and basically converted her gradually
into a practicing Jew - even though they all thought of themselves
as "Messianic Christians"! She realized later that in almost every
way she had slowly had her faith in Jesus and the New Testament
replaced with the keeping of the Torah. She had been "Judaized"!
And I fear this is happening to a great many Christians today - in
all kinds of subtle ways.

This is exactly what the Bible warns against - losing the "simplicity"
of the faith. And that is why Paul was so strong against the Juda-
izers. He saw that Christians were being tempted - not to place
their faith in Christ alone - but rather in Christ PLUS the keeping of
the Law. It was no longer a simple trust in JESUS to be their
righteousness. They now started to feel they had to keep the letter
of the Old Law too - in order to be truly "holy". And so they became
"Judaized". This is the worst trap possible. And so subtle!

Let us look at a few vital Scriptures. Please open your Bible to
Acts 15:1-29. This whole passage is about a great meeting of the
apostles to decide whether - with the new Gentile Christians - it
was "necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to
keep the law of Moses" (v 5). So what did the apostles conclude
about this? As Peter declared during the debate about it, "Why
do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples
which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" (v 10).

At the end of the great meeting, the apostles put out a letter to
the Gentile Christians that declared: "For it seemed good to the
Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than
these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to
idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual
immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well."
(v. 28-29). And as far as the Old Law went, that was it!

In other words, no "Torah observance", no Sabbath, no circumcision,
no Old Law apart from these few things. This brief list only. That
was the pronouncement of the apostles. If they wanted to tell the
Gentiles, "You must keep the Jewish Sabbath," then this was the
place to do it. But it is definitely not included. And neither are a
thousand-and-one other things from the Old Testament.

Of course, this should be no surprise to us. In Colossians 2, Paul
tells us very clearly that Christ has "wiped out the handwriting of
requirements that was against us" by nailing it to the cross (v. 14).
He then goes on to say: "So let no one judge you in food or in
drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which
are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ."
(v. 16-17).

So all these Old Testament practices are only a "shadow" of the
New. In fact, as Hebrews makes clear, the entire Old Covenant
was only a 'type' or shadow of that which was to come. It was not
the real thing! It does not make us more "holy"! The substance is
found in Christ - and Him alone. The Old Torah "requirements"
were nailed to the cross with Jesus. We don't need them any more.
If anybody ever tells you that the New Testament is simply a
"continuation" of the Old, run a mile from that person. They simply
do not know what they are talking about. In fact, what they are
spouting is dangerous heresy.

Thus, as Paul tells us in Romans, observing the Sabbath is only
necessary if our conscience is weak in this area - and we feel we
have to:- "One person esteems one day above another; another
esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own
mind. He who observes the day observes it to the Lord; and he
who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it"
(Rom 14:1-6).

So we do not "have" to observe the Sabbath. It does not make us
more 'holy' or righteous to do so. It is simply a matter of conscience.
This runs against a lot of the teaching that is doing the rounds
right now. There is a lot of dangerous "Back to the Torah"-type
emphasis that is bringing a lot of harm to a lot of people. Many
of them don't even realize what is happening to them.

Paul clearly tells us in Galatians that you can lose your salvation
by beginning to rely on the Law in your Christian walk: "You
observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for
you, lest I have labored for you in vain" (Gal 4:10-11). He then
goes on to say, "You have become estranged from Christ, you
who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace."
(Gal 5:4). Alarming statements, are they not?

You see, it is a direct insult to the work of Christ and to God for
us to go back to the "works of the Law" to try and make us more
'righteous' in His sight. It is placing our trust in something other
than just Jesus. We are "adding works" for our salvation. And it
will not do.

I believe that just like the Galatians, a lot of people today need to
repent of trying to add the Old Law to their salvation - sometimes
in subtle ways - sometimes major. This is not the kind of thing to
toy around with. It can be utterly deadly. If you are someone who
is adding "Torah observance" to your faith, I urge you to repent.

The testimony of the woman who slowly lost her faith in Jesus
through Messianic Torah-observance can be found at the top of
our website. Here is the link-

http://www.revivalschool.com

Please send feedback to- prophetic@revivalschool.com

God bless you all.

Andrew Strom.

Now THAT's a Community Church

Now THAT's a Community Church

by Gerald Harris www.christianindex.org

I think it is important to look at the following story, not as a model, but as an encouragement towards obedience from a community of God's people. We are watching God do many things through His people and there is a divine shift going on that will impact all systems and methods. At the same time we are witnessing the Lord making it clear that it is not about the system or structure, He wants to be All and in all, whether it is in a church building, business, or home. It is all about Him, and about the people He desires to touch for His glory. Be ready to do His will in ways that go beyond any religious or systematic box....... Robert Ricciardelli
If you're frustrated with leading your congregation and need a reminder of why you love the body of Christ, you'll want to hear the inspiring story of what's happening at Rolling Hills Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Ga.
Last year the congregation of no more than 100 people was a mere $150,000 away from paying off their $1.4 million property. Their pastor, Frank Mercer, had come from a megachurch in Charlotte, N.C., and envisioned replicating the numerical growth he'd seen there. Naturally, everyone thought that after fully paying off their buildings and 20-acre plot, they'd pat themselves on the back and move on to "bigger and better" ministry.
They have … only in a way few churches are willing to do. On October 5, 2008, with a reeling economy hitting their community hard, the congregation voted overwhelmingly to sell the church property and invest all proceeds into what they believe really matters: people.
“Our motive should not be to fill these seats, but to empty these seats,” Mercer has often stated to a profoundly unified and supportive congregation. But he admits it has taken a transformational journey to embrace a mindset that would rather see local families with roofs over their heads and food on the table rather than the church having a better sound system.
“We had long been considering how to best maximize ministry and missions resources by reducing operating costs," Mercer says. "But the idea of leveraging the value of our buildings and property so that we could begin to invest more deeply in people rather than property still seemed far-fetched.”
After a season in which God prompted the pastor to research more on the idea of a "church without walls," Mercer visited a small congregation in New York making a difference in their community by serving the homeless, hungry, sick and lost. When asked about future plans to purchase property, the church's pastor, Tom Richter, responded with a statement Mercer couldn't shake: "If we become a church of brick and mortar, we may cease to be a church of flesh and blood.”
Mercer returned to Georgia and gradually shared with others what he believed was God's new vision for the church. Within only a few months, 95 percent of the congregation agreed: It didn't make sense for them to spend more than 50 percent of the church budget on a building that sat unoccupied for 90 percent of the time. Rolling Hills members have since become regulars in serving a local homeless shelter, children's home and various other community projects. Once the building is sold, they are considering either renting or building a warehouse-like structure where they could meet for services while also storing clothes and food for distribution.
“At our church we’ve tried to keep up with the Joneses for too long," Mercer admits now. "Churches buy property and build buildings to expand the club and improve the clubhouse. We suffer from steeple envy. We work to attract guests. And the church that has the most people who give the most money wins. We’re tired of playing that game. We no longer want to be like everybody else. And that is not to say that everybody should be like us either. This model is not for everybody."
[ajc.com, 7/28/09; christianindex.org, 12/4/08]

The Kingdom of God and the Workplace

The Kingdom of God and the Workplace
By Gerald Chester www.strategieswork.org


Bernie Madoff’s fate has been determined. He pled guilty to operating the biggest ponzi scheme in history and will spend the rest of his life in jail. The judge showed no mercy in sentencing him, which was appropriate given the egregious nature of his sins.
I think most would agree that what drove Madoff to live out the lie of his con game was avarice or greed. Greed is the unrestrained compulsion to accumulate more and more physical wealth, even to the point of compromising values such as truth, hard work, and fidelity—values that most of us would embrace, at least in theory. If Madoff valued truth, hard work, and fidelity, one would never know it. He lived a life of ease built on lies, deceit, and infidelity.
Another perspective on Madoff’s sin is that he worshipped money, that is, he erected an idol to the almighty dollar and compromised everything to worship that idol. He became skilled at greed through the consistent practice of lies and deception. The fact that it is possible to become an expert in greed is noted by the apostle Peter (2 Peter 2:14). Furthermore, the apostle Paul wrote that greed is a form of idolatry (Colossians 3:5). Madoff mastered greed and the worship of money.
Madoff’s story is a warning to all of us about the fate of people who worship money. Most of us would never consider that we might be, like Madoff, infected with greed. But would we be correct? Does the worship of money exist in all of us? Even in people who don’t commit the most egregious of sins?
My friend Dennis Peacocke says that what is in any of us is in all of us; the only question is to what degree. Given that we are all descendants of Adam and Eve and everything reproduces after its own kind, then it follows that what was in Adam and Eve is in us. Adam and Eve sinned; so we, as their descendants, have a sin nature. Hence, I think it is fair to say greed, and therefore the worship of money, is in all of us. The only question is to what degree?
To help us gain perspective, consider how the worship of money may be manifested. An easy analysis is to compare the common view of work with the biblical view of work.
The common view of work is what I call the “dualistic view.” This view is a utilitarian view of work, that is, work is a means to an end—a necessary part of life to make money. This perspective holds that work is at best morally neutral and at worst evil; there is no inherent dignity in work, so we work as little as possible in order to spend as much time as possible doing important things elsewhere like leisure activities, shopping, church functions, and mission trips.
For a Christian, the dualistic view of work means that work has no redeeming value other than to make money and to offer opportunities for evangelism. For example, a friend of mine, Bob Payne, recently shared the story of a plumber who came to his house to replace Bob’s water heater. The plumber was a professing Christian who had a heart to share Christ with others. Upon arriving at Bob’s home, the plumber quickly commented that plumbing work was only a means to end; it gave him access to people in their homes so that he could pray for them. Bob responded that he didn’t need the plumber to pray for him; what he needed was a new heater and he needed it to be installed properly.
Don’t misunderstand Bob’s comment. Bob was not minimizing the value of prayer; rather he was countering the dualistic perspective the plumber displayed about work. Bob recognizes that work has dignity and value because God created man to work (see Genesis 1:26–28). Hence, Bob’s view is that work has value and that man is charged to work with excellence. To do so, requires godly people doing what God created them to do (Ephesians 2:10). I call this view of work the “holistic view of work.”
The holistic view of work recognizes that both spiritual and physical activities are ways to glorify God. God made the physical universe and repeatedly declared it "good" (Genesis 1); then in the last verse of Genesis 1, God declared his physical universal “very good.” The appellation “good” is a divine attribute (Luke 18:18–19); hence to state that something is good is to say that it is consistent with the nature of God. God’s declaration over his physical universe was that it was consistent with his nature; hence, the physical universe is to be highly valued because the physical universe reflects God. Therefore, since God viewed the physical universe as good, so should we.
What gives work in the physical realm significance, meaning, and value is that it was for this purpose that man was created (Genesis 1:26–28). Work is therefore divinely ordained and is a means for glorifying God.
The first occurrence of the word work is in Genesis 2:5. In this text, the Hebrew word abad refers to Adam’s divinely ordained work assignment. In other texts, the word abad is translated worship (Psalms 100:2) and serve (Psalms 2:11). This suggests that physical work is a way to worship and serve God. Furthermore, if work is a way to worship and serve God, then this suggests that work is spiritual activity. This gives physical work dignity, meaning, purpose, and significance.
Comparing the dualistic view of work and the holistic view of work, it is clear that since the dualistic view sees work only as a means to make money, then this view is a sign of the worship of money, which is idolatry. Those who hold to a dualistic view are, on some level, doing the same thing as Bernie Madoff, just not as extreme. Nevertheless, they can expect the same end results: judgment.
By contrast, the holistic view of work values work as a means not to worship money, but to worship God. When anyone performs their work with excellence, fidelity, honesty, and diligence, they bring glory and honor to God, which serves both God and man. Hence, only a holistic view of work enables us to produce great results and simultaneously to worship our Creator. This is how the kingdom of God is advanced in the workplace. May the Lord grant us grace to do this.

Enter the Kingdom

Enter the Kingdom
by Chip Brogden
“Someone asked, ‘Lord, will only a few be saved?’ Jesus answered, ‘Make every effort to enter through the narrow gate, because I tell you this: many will try to enter but will not be able to… For narrow is the gate, and narrow is the path which leads to Life, and few will find it (Luke 13:23,24; Matthew 7:14).’”
We live in a day of easy-believism. According to the way today’s church operates, it is very easy to be saved. All we have to do is make a confession, or repeat a prayer, or make a decision, or respond to an altar call. What is more, every day we hear reports of hundreds or thousands of people being “saved” in crusades and evangelistic meetings around the world. We are being told to prepare for a great last days harvest of souls which will proceed the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Since it is easy to become a Christian, it is even easier to remain one. So long as we do not recant our original confession, we believe, all is well. Once we have “prayed the prayer” we are Christians. Particularly if we attend church services, read the Bible, witness, give, and obey the Ten Commandments. But, we are told, those things have nothing to do with salvation - having entered in, we are safe and secure. According to the way we have been taught it is the easiest thing in the world to become a Christian, and once your name is on the roll it is difficult, if not impossible, to have your name erased.
We are not debating if you can have your salvation and lose it - we are questioning whether these “easy believers” ever found real salvation at all. It is a foundational issue of eternal significance. In stark contrast to the conditions which exist in our day, Jesus frankly tells us that few will be saved, and few will find Life. When we read what Jesus Himself has to say we have to come to the conclusion that some within Organized Religion are guilty of trying to make the narrow gate and the narrow path into the wide gate and the wide path. We have become excellent salespeople and know how to use our powers of persuasion. We have become good at arguing our viewpoints. We are skilled at manipulating the emotions of other people. Those who know how can lead many people to the Lord - at least, according to the outward appearance.
It behooves us to go back to what the Lord Himself says, and we believe we have found at least seven occurrences in the Scriptures (beyond the two cited above) which seem to indicate that the way to Life is anything but easy. By the time we are concluded with our examination we will understand why Jesus says few are able to enter into the Kingdom. In the first place, the Kingdom is more profound than we have been taught. In the second place, the Way which leads us into the Kingdom is more narrow than we have been taught. By the grace of God let us ask the Lord enlighten us so that we will not go on deceiving or being deceived.
1. Unless you are born-again, you cannot enter.
“I tell you the truth, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God… unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:3,5).”
All of us are familiar with these verses, but we are not so familiar with what they actually mean. To state it simply, being born-again is not the goal, but the first step towards the goal: the goal is the Kingdom of God. We could state it like this: the narrow gate is not the goal, but it is the first thing we must pass through in order to enter the narrow path. Our goal, and God’s goal, is not the gate, or we would not need a path. Though we begin our journey by entering the gate, the goal is at the end of the path, not at the beginning of the path. So what is the goal?
“It is God’s will for all men to be saved [narrow gate] and to come to the full-knowledge of Truth [narrow path] (I Timothy 2:4).” Here we see one will of God with two expressions - a gate and a path. We enter the gate in a moment, but we walk the path over time. We are saved in a moment, but we come to the full-knowledge (epignosis) of Christ over time. So John 3:3 is not telling us about our ending, but our beginning. Birth is the beginning of Life, not the goal of Life. The goal in view here is not being born-again, but entering the Kingdom. Jesus does not just say, “You must be born again.” If He did then we might be correct in saying that is all there is to it. But Jesus says, “Unless you are born again, you cannot see or enter into the Kingdom of God.” It is clear that the Kingdom is what we are trying to gain entrance into, and while being born again is the gate, the ultimate destination of the Kingdom of God is at the end of the path.
So what is the Kingdom of God? Stated simply, it is where Christ has the preeminence as All in All. It is where we finally behold Him in all His fullness. To begin with this preeminence is found inwardly in the individual disciple, where it is then seen a little more visibly in the Church, from which it is eventually manifested outwardly in all of creation. This is why we lay such stress on disciples, for as the disciples go, so goes the Church. Jesus did not establish His Church until He had selected His disciples.
What is commonly preached as the “Full Gospel” might be more properly termed the “Fifty Percent Gospel.” We lay such stress on the gate, on the initial coming to the Lord; but the other half of the equation, the Kingdom and the ultimate intention of God, is hardly alluded to. What is worse, we invite sinners to Christ on the basis of their own self-serving needs (e.g., come to Christ and He will take away all your burdens, etc.). As a result, most of these people will sit just inside the gate, claiming salvation, but never enter the Kingdom, never come to the full-knowledge of Truth, and never demonstrate the preeminence of Christ over sin, self, and satan.
2. The proper confession is not enough.
“Not everyone who says to Me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the Will of my Father in heaven (Matthew 7:21).”
We began by saying that not only is the Way more narrow than we have been taught, but the Kingdom is more profound than we have been taught. For some, the Kingdom of God (alternatively known as the Kingdom of Heaven*) is a place where Christians go when they die. In the meantime we are supposed to hold on to our faith the best we can, and if we persevere, then we will enter the Kingdom of Heaven when we leave this earth. This is an error. While to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, and while there is a place called “heaven”, the Kingdom of God is not up in heaven, nor is it someplace in our future. The Kingdom of God is “at hand”, “has arrived”, “is among you”, “is within you.”
So we will state it again: the Kingdom of God is where Christ has the preeminence as All in All, beginning with the individual disciple, then the Church, and ultimately, all of creation. “Thy Kingdom come… on earth as it is in heaven.” Obviously, the Kingdom would include heaven, but it is not heaven. Jesus tells us not to look for an outward Kingdom, or a political Kingdom, or an earthly Kingdom. “My Kingdom is not of this world… the Kingdom of God is within you.” Jesus lifted up His eyes to heaven when he prayed in John 17, yet He says the Kingdom is within you already. We may look up for heaven, but we look within for the Kingdom. When a Christian dies he or she does not travel to a heaven within themselves, nor do they go to live within a heaven which indwells other believers. So entering the Kingdom of God is more encompassing than going to heaven when we die.
Not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord” will enter into this Kingdom. Are we saying confession is unimportant or unnecessary? God forbid! “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will confess to God (Romans 14:11).” Yet, even if “every tongue will confess” sooner or later, it still remains that not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord” will enter the Kingdom. It is most difficult to find a religious person who does not claim to be following Christ and does not say, “Lord, Lord”. Even so, they will not enter in based solely on saying, “Lord, Lord”. The text goes on to say that there are even those who can perform signs and wonders in the Name of Jesus, but the Lord does not even know who they are! Obviously this is a serious problem.
We cannot make the narrow Way more narrow than it is already, but we can certainly mislead people into believing it is wider than it really is. We dare not make it too difficult; but we should tremble at making it too easy. That is why this word must be spoken. Remember, we are not making any claims in our own name, nor are we suggesting some hidden secret we possess that others do not, nor are we establishing a system whereby we can judge the eternal destination of others. We are merely calling attention to Jesus’ own words. He says few will be saved; many will try to enter but will be unable; few will enter the gate and walk the path in order to find Life. Many are called, but few are chosen.
3. Unless you become a child, you cannot enter.
“The disciples came to Jesus and wanted to know, ‘Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?’ So Jesus called a little child and had him stand in the midst of them. And then He said, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like this little child, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. So the greatest one in the Kingdom of Heaven is the one who humbles himself like this child (Matthew 18:1-4).’”
The disciples wanted to know who would be the greatest in the Kingdom. What they were really asking was, “Which one of us is the greatest?” In their question we see that they are heading in the wrong direction already. They see themselves as leaders, as kings, as lords, as heads inside this Kingdom. But Jesus seems to say, “Why do you assume that you have even entered the Kingdom? Unless you change from what you are into what this child is, you cannot even enter, so how can you claim to be the greatest?” Pride is a great stumblingblock. Proud people cannot enter the Kingdom of God. They cannot give up their own preeminence for His.
Jesus did not have to call a child over to make His point. He could have just said, “Humble yourself as a child.” But He did not. So there is a significance to calling the child over and having him stand in the midst of them. Only after this was done did Jesus say, “Become like this child, or you cannot enter the Kingdom.” So what is the significance? Jesus called the child, and the child responded to Jesus. There is no questioning from the child, such as, “What do You want?” or “Who are you?” Jesus had him stand in the midst of them, and again, the child complies. We do not hear him say, “Why?” or “What are you going to do now?” or “I don’t have time to stand here, I want to go play.”
The Lord would have given two simple instructions to the child, “Come over here” and “Stand right here”. There is much we can say about being with the Lord and standing still, but we will not dissect that now. Our point is simply this: the child did what he was told. Silent, meek, surrendered, obedient. It is very simple, Jesus says. The greatest people in the Kingdom are the ones who do what I tell them to do, nothing doubting. It is only when we get older that we begin to question everything. To enter this Kingdom we must know there is only room for one Head, for one Preeminence, for one King, for one Lord. We are disciples, not masters. We may struggle and question His dealings with us, but if we progress in the Way then one day we will learn the best course is to bow our heads and say, “Yes, Lord.”
We are waiting for Jesus to give us grand instructions and commandments: “Go around the world and proclaim the Gospel full-time” or “Rise up and fulfill the ministry of an apostle” or “I have appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.” But if we cannot hear and obey in the small things, how can we expect Him to lead us into greater things?
4. Unless you are perfectly righteous outwardly, and inwardly, you cannot enter.
“I tell you the truth, unless your righteousness is greater than the Pharisees and teachers of religious law, under no circumstances will you enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:20).”
We know from the Scriptures and from historical writings that the Pharisees were the strictest sect of Judaism. These people were zealously religious, even to the point of giving God a tenth of all their herbs. It was the Pharisee who stood and prayed with himself, “I thank you God that I am not like the others… for I fast twice in the week and give a tenth of all my possessions.” It was the Pharisees who had Jesus arrested and turned Him over to Pilate to be crucified - all the while thinking they were doing the right thing. Before meeting the Lord Jesus, Saul carried out their tradition as a member of this elite group and led a fanatical persecution against Christians thinking he was doing his duty to God. Looking back on his religious experiences, Paul said he was “blameless” insofar as the Law was concerned.
According to man’s own standard, there is none more holy or righteous than a Pharisee. So when Jesus says a disciple of His must have a righteousness which surpasses the Pharisees, it is, for all intents and purposes, an impossible, idealistic goal. It would be like expecting everyone to have an athletic ability which surpasses Michael Jordan. We cannot even bring ourselves to the outward standard that the Pharisees represent, much less the perfection of an inward standard which Jesus says will characterize His followers.
It is amazing to see how many people, even today, try to please God in their own strength with outward works. They wear themselves out with church attendance, ministry, and giving. Unconsciously or not, they believe God will bless them because of their works. Consider a couple who told me they did not agree with what the church was doing with their money, but they continued to tithe anyway because they did not want to lose God’s “blessing” on their finances. This is the logic of Pharisees blinded by their own self-righteousness. Such unwavering support of religious things would appear to be applauded by God, but Jesus says it counts for nothing insofar as the Kingdom is concerned.
Jesus leads us down an impossible path, and demands of us a righteousness that not only looks good outwardly, but looks good inwardly. Are you beginning to understand why few are able to follow this Way? The word translated “narrow” means “difficult to pass through because of many obstacles standing about”. More and more I am finding that it is Jesus who puts these obstacles in front of us. And this is one of the biggest hurdles - how to have a righteousness that exceeds a Pharisee but does not turn me into a Pharisee. What a dilemma!
5. Apart from much tribulation, you cannot enter.
“[Paul and Barnabas] strengthened the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, “We must enter the Kingdom of God through much tribulation (Acts 14:22).”
This does not sound like something which would strengthen and encourage young disciples. If Paul and Barnabas brought this message to some churches they would not be invited back. Our idea of overcoming is to avoid tribulation, not pass through it. We certainly do not connect entering the Kingdom with going through tribulation. We think having the victory means eliminating all tribulation. Nothing could be further from the truth.
In order to enter the Kingdom there must be an increase of Christ and a decrease of Self. This is an ongoing process, and by it we judge how far along the Path we have progressed. But how is Self decreased? We cannot do it by saying over and over, “I have to die. I have to decrease. I have to take up my cross.” The more we try to decrease the more we are increased. Any attention we give to ourselves, even in an attempt to decrease ourselves, only serves to make us larger. So what is the answer? The answer is in our circumstances and trials. They are sufficient to decrease us. We need not do anything but wait for them to come, and see them as our opportunity to have Self decreased and Christ increased.
There are some who want the full-knowledge of Christ and want to advance along the narrow path. But they resist the dealings of God which are meant to push them farther along and deeper into Christ. On the one hand they want more of God, but on the other hand they do not want to experience what they must experience in order to see Him. Hence, they unnecessarily delay the work of the Cross. They find fault with their circumstances, murmur, complain, and resist every contrary thing. After ten, twenty, or thirty years of being dealt with they are still as stubborn and headstrong as ever.
Some have no depth in God because they have no depth of circumstances. Their life has been relatively easy. Even what we think are huge trials, Paul calls “light afflictions”. Here is a man who has some depth of circumstances. The biographies of these men reveal they have had hard lives, both before and after knowing the Lord. If we desire ease and comfort then we will not have much depth. The Lord Jesus is “a Man of sorrows, and familiar with grief.” It is better to agree with the Word of God, and realize that we cannot enter the Kingdom except through much tribulation. If we want to reign with Him, we must suffer with Him.
6. Unbelief and disobedience is enough to disqualify you.
“So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief… some will enter that rest, but they to whom it was first preached did not enter in because of their disobedience (Hebrews 3:19; 4:6).”
The people referred to here are the Hebrews, most of whom died in the wilderness between Egypt, (representing the bondage of sin) and the Promised Land (representing the Kingdom of God). In First Corinthians 10:1-11, Paul says that they were ALL delivered, they ALL passed through the sea, they ALL ate the manna and ate the meat and drank the water from the Rock, Who is Christ. In spite of this they were not pleasing to God and they were destroyed in the wilderness. Twice we are told these things happened as an example to us. Why were they destroyed? Because of disobedience. They never lived out of all God had for them. They missed the fullness.
Upon hearing this message many become concerned about their relationship with God, and rightfully so. They have been taught that because God brought them out of Egypt, fed them manna, and gave them water that now they are set for life and can do as they please. Again, we are not questioning anyone’s inward condition before God. There is no need to. Our own heart will either convince us or convict us. If we are in the Path we know it; and if we are not, inwardly we know that as well.
What we are endeavoring before God is to show His people that the issue of Life dwelling in us today is not based upon a confession that was made years, months, weeks, or days ago. It is not based on mighty works done in the Name of Jesus. It is not based on spiritual gifts or experiences. It certainly is not based on church membership or attendance. Life today is immediately and directly related to whether or not we are abiding in Christ! This abiding is a continual thing, and this continual abiding WILL (not might) result in fruitfulness. Without the fruit, we cannot claim to be abiding in Him at all.
The Hebrews’ immediate concern was to get out of Egypt, but God’s concern was getting them to enter the Promised Land. It was relatively simple to get them out of Egypt, but only two men out of several million of that first generation reached God’s goal and crossed the Jordan. I think the problem is this: we have “going to heaven when we die” as the ultimate goal, and Christ has “entering the Kingdom of God” as the ultimate goal. Do we want to “just” go to heaven when we die, or do we want the preeminence of Christ expressed in “Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done, on earth [now] AS IT IS in heaven”? If we continue to preach an easy Gospel and bring sinners to an easy Jesus by having them pray an easy prayer then we are guilty of propagating another gospel, a false gospel, a Gate without a Path. Thank God for the Gate, but there is a Path, and neither of them are wide, and neither one of them are easy. But do we preach this?
7. The wealthy will find it virtually impossible to enter.
“Jesus looked around at His disciples, and said, ‘How hard it is for those with riches to enter the Kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were astonished at this saying. But Jesus repeated, ‘Children, how difficult it is for those trusting in wealth to enter the Kingdom of God! I tell you the truth, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God (Mark 10:23-25).’”
We have saved the best for last. It seems this rich young ruler came to Jesus as a model “seeker”, having obeyed all the commandments from his childhood. If ever there was someone ready to walk the aisle, sign a decision card, or pray the Sinner’s Prayer it was this man. He actually ran up to Jesus! Surely there is a future apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher in this one! At the very least he can use his wealth to help support Jesus Christ World Outreach Ministries, Inc. No soulwinner or fisher of men worth his salt would let this catch get away.
But instead of doing what we would do, Jesus pinpoints the very thing that is going to keep him from entering the Kingdom, and throws it up in front of Him as an obstacle to entering. As soon as the rich young ruler knows the cost, he turns away, grieving, and we never see or hear from him again. It is interesting that Jesus, even though He loved him, just watched him go. Does this sound like an easy Jesus? Does this sound like a soulwinner? What kind of fisher of men is this? What a contrast to the way we solicit converts every Sunday, with repeated altar calls and singing that hymn “just one more time” to give everyone an opportunity to come forward. Eventually, under such pressure, someone always does. But have they really counted the cost, or did we just make it sound too cheap? A cheap Gospel results in cheap disciples with no depth of root.
The Jews had been taught that material prosperity was a proof-positive sign of God’s blessing (not too unlike some of the teaching we hear today). That is why Scripture records the shock and amazement of the disciples when Jesus announces that rich people will have a hard time entering the Kingdom. According to the way He words it we have to assume that it is well nigh impossible, more difficult than getting a camel to go through the eye of a needle. I have known some rich people, and I can affirm what Jesus says. It is most difficult for Him to have the preeminence over someone with great wealth. Even people of modest means can still be bound by riches, pursuing wealth or blessings, hoping to make it big one day. The pursuit of wealth is as dangerous as the accumulation of wealth.
The point is not that every disciple must be penniless. The point is that in this Kingdom, Christ alone has the preeminence, and you cannot serve two masters. Why are riches such a stumblingblock? It all relates to Self. For the rich man, Self is mostly represented in his riches. For the wise man, Self is mostly represented in his wisdom. For the good man, Self is mostly represented in his goodness. For the strong man, Self is mostly represented in his strength. YOU are your biggest obstacle to entering in. Why? Because there is no room in the Kingdom of God for Christ and Self. To leave the Kingdom of Self and enter the Kingdom of God is indeed a Narrow Path that few ever find.
WHO THEN CAN BE SAVED?
“His disciples were astonished beyond measure, saying among themselves, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With men, it is impossible! But not with God; for with God all things are possible (Mark 10:26,27).’”
If you have endured everything said up to this point perhaps you are angry, confused, burdened, or amazed, just like the first disciples of Jesus, that entering the Kingdom is not as easy as you had at first thought. The Scriptures tell us that the Lord Jesus is “full of grace and truth.” With Truth comes Grace, and we will now conclude with how God accomplishes this impossible work by Grace.
Let us review all that is required of us in order to enter the Kingdom. We must be born again. In addition to saying, “Lord, Lord” we must actually do the Father’s will. We have to humble ourselves like children. We should be more righteous than a Pharisee without becoming a hypocrite. We must endure tribulation joyfully. We ought never disobey or show lack of faith. We have to give up every vestige of Self, whatever we love the most, whether it be money, pride, natural wisdom, friends, family, position or status. On top of all this we are told that many will try to enter in but will not be able to. So the odds are against us already. Then Jesus says, “It is impossible with man.” That eliminates self-effort altogether.
Some will say, “Oh yes, I can do all these things.” Very well. My advice to those who think they can do it is: keep trying! Perhaps one day you will come to the end of yourself. But the rest of us already know better. The disciples, absolutely dumbfounded by this time, were beginning to question this among themselves: “Who in the world can be saved?” And Jesus frankly said, “It is impossible with man.” Please note we are using “saved” in its ultimate intention of being established in the Kingdom of God, not merely going to heaven when we die, for that is the context in which it is used in this passage. Jesus says you cannot do it, I cannot do it, no human being can do this.
Where does God’s grace begin? It begins with man’s impossibility. It begins with “I cannot”. It does NOT begin with “All these things have I done from my youth until now.” As long as it is possible with man, there is no need for grace. We may be able to fulfill six out of seven things, or ninety-nine out of one hundred things, but when we meet Jesus on the grounds of self-effort there is always “one thing thou lackest.” And this “one thing” is going to stop us dead in our tracks every single time, no matter how perfect we otherwise are. The Lord is waiting for us to know and to confess, “I cannot”. For He can do what we cannot do; and He will do what we will not do! And once we allow Him, He brings us to where He wants us to be in a most remarkable manner.
“I am the Door [Gate]… by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved (John 10:9a).”
“‘So how can we know the way?’ Jesus answered, ‘I am the Way [Path]‘… (John 14:5,6ff).”
What is impossible with man is possible with God. Jesus is the Narrow Gate whereby we enter in and are saved. This much is obvious. So what is the Path? Is it being a good disciple? Is it fasting and prayer? Is it living a more holy life? Is it attending church or doing great works for God? Not at all. For Jesus tells us, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.” The Narrow Gate is Christ, and the Narrow Path is Christ. This explains why the Gate and the Path are so narrow. There is no room for you at all. There is no room for self-effort. There is only room for Christ.
To enter the Kingdom is to lay down my life and live the Life of Another. The very thing which frustrates me is the answer to my problem: since I cannot do it, I have to depend upon the Life of Another to do what I cannot do. Hallelujah! I cannot enter again into my mother’s womb and be born again, because I am too old; I cannot be faithful to do God’s will at all times, because I am rebellious; I cannot humble myself and be like a child, because I am too proud; I cannot have a righteousness that is outwardly perfect and inwardly pure, because I am a hypocrite; I cannot endure tribulation with joy, because I love myself too much; I cannot find my way out of Egypt and into Canaan, because I am disobedient; I cannot just give away from everything I have worked for all my life, because I am selfish. I cannot, and you cannot, and no one can. This Gate and this Path is too narrow, too demanding. It is impossible.
Only one Man has perfectly fulfilled all these requirements - the Lord Jesus Christ - and this Man lives in me now. I thank God that what is impossible with me is easy achievable with Him! “As you have received the Lord Jesus Christ [Gate], so walk in Him [Path] (Colossians 2:6).” We come to the Lord admitting that we cannot save ourselves, and He does the saving. That is the Gate. Now we come to the Lord every day, admitting that we cannot enter the Kingdom, and He does what it takes to conform us into His image. That is the Path. Hence, I have no secret for the Christian Life, but Christ. I have no key, but Christ. I have no method, but Christ. I have no formula, but Christ. I have no technique, but Christ. I have no life, but Christ for it is no longer I that lives, it is Christ that lives in me (Galatians 2:20a). In Him, through Him, because of Him, by Him we may enter the Kingdom.
Lord Jesus Christ, I thank You that You are my Way, my Truth, and my Life! I praise You that I cannot save myself. I praise You that I cannot enter the Kingdom. As I trusted in You to bring me out of Egypt, so I trust in You to bring me into the Promised Land. As I have received You, so I will walk in You. You are my Narrow Gate, and You are my Narrow Path. As I am decreased, You are increased, and my life is exchanged for Your Life. I thank you, Lord, that through You we may enter the Kingdom. Amen.
*A comparison of the terms “Kingdom of Heaven” and “Kingdom of God” shows that what Matthew calls “Kingdom of Heaven” the other Gospel writers call “Kingdom of God”. Since the same parables used to describe Matthew’s “Kingdom of Heaven” are also used to describe Mark and Luke’s “Kingdom of God”, there is no Scriptural basis for teaching these are two separate ideas. For the most obvious example, compare Matthew 13 with Mark 4 and Luke 8. [back]

Discipleship, Mission, and Church: A Plea to Learn Our History

Discipleship, Mission, and Church: A Plea to Learn Our History
By Frank Viola www.ptmin.org

“Discipleship” and “missional.”

These are the two big buzzwords on the Christian landscape today. Of course, there is also “simple church.” But that’s another discussion for another time.

As I speak in conferences throughout the world and meet people who have jumped on the discipleship bandwagon, or the missional bandwagon (or both), I make several observations.

Two Streams of Missional

There seems to be two different streams in the missional world:

1)Those who are stuck with D.L. Moody’s mindset. These are those who basically make the mission of God the salvation of lost souls. The church, then, is regarded as either a soul-saving station (the mechanism to save the lost), or it’s something that doesn’t appear on the radar screen as being anything terribly significant.

“Whatever church you attend, whatever form it takes, and whatever practices it observes is irrelevant. The church exists to save lost souls, end of story.” So the thinking goes.

2)The other camp, which I joyfully throw my hat in with, are those who do not see the mission of God as being the salvation of individual souls. While that’s a slice of it, it’s not the whole pie. Nor is it the goal. God’s intention actually began before the fall and it stands outside the reaches of redemption. God has a non-redemptive purpose—an “eternal purpose” as Paul calls it—that was in His heart before the fall ever occurred. And He’s never let go of it.

T. Austin-Sparks used to point out that you can think of the eternal purpose as a straight line that moves from eternity past to eternity future.

But somewhere in the middle of that line, there’s a dip. That dip represents the fall of humanity. At the very bottom of the dip is a cross. The cross is designed to bring us back onto the straight line.

Regrettably, many Christians have forgotten the rest of the line. In fact, they’ve forgotten the beginning of the line and the end of the line. Instead, they are stuck in the dip. We can’t seem to get past salvation and redemption. Our starting point is Genesis 3 (the fall of humankind) instead of Ephesians 1 and Colossians 1 (God’s purpose before time)

Consequently, serving God, helping others, trying to improve the world, saving souls from hell, worshipping God, etc. are routinely stated as being God’s grand mission.

I contend that God’s purpose goes beyond all of that. And it has something to do with a burning intent that is for God Himself, rather than something that simply benefits humans. The eternal purpose is immense, but it’s beyond the scope of this article to unpack. (I’ve done so elsewhere.)

Two Streams of Discipleship

I also observe that there are two streams of discipleship:

1)There are those who say, “What’s important is discipleship; the church is irrelevant. Let’s not discuss the church; let’s instead discuss how to make disciples.”

When people talk that way, it shouts one fact: That our understanding of church has gotten far afield from what it was in the New Testament.

When people make such statements, they are really talking about how church has been done traditionally (and that can include “churches” that gather in homes, parks, and pubs).

Whenever people think of “church” through a traditional lens, it’s not hard to see the pressing need for discipleship.

2)The other camp rightly understands that you cannot separate disciple-making from the ekklesia. You cannot separate the forming of people into full-pledged followers of Jesus and a living, breathing, vibrant community that gathers under His headship.

To put it another way, you can’t separate discipleship from the ekklesia anymore than you can separate child-rearing from the family. And you can’t separate the ekklesia from Jesus Himself, for it’s His very body.

I want you to imagine a saltwater fish. The fish can only survive in his natural habitat, which is the ocean. Why? Because the ocean surrounds the fish with everything it needs to live, breathe, and have its being.

The fish is also a dependent creature. Fish swim in schools.

Now consider a different image. Imagine that this fish is removed from the ocean and from its school and is thrown in someone’s backyard. People take turns spraying the fish with a water hose every 15 minutes. They also sprinkle salt on its body.

That’s an apt picture of modern discipleship.

Discipleship has been separated from the Christian’s native habitat (ekklesia) and it’s become a highly individualistic event. An individual discipler “disciples” an individual disciplee to become a better individual disciple.

And we have not so learned Jesus Christ.

Christianity has and always will be a collective, corporate life and pursuit.

The issue, therefore, is not discipleship. The issue is restoring the ekklesia as God intended it to be, for the ekklesia is the Christian’s native habitat. And out of it flows everything else.

How Did the Twelve Make Disciples

The fish metaphor brings us face-to-face with a question that’s rarely asked today: How did the apostles who received the original commission of Jesus to “make disciples of all nations” carry out this commission?

If you read the New Testament chronologically from Acts to Revelation, there’s only one answer you can come up with. They did so by planting ekklesias all over the known world.

I invite anyone to challenge me on that point.

Converts were made and sustained into full-pledged followers of the Messiah, naturally and organically, simply by being part of the local ekklesia in their city.

The Twelve knew ekklesia themselves. They lived in an embryonic expression of it in Galilee with Jesus Himself. For 3 ½ years the Twelve and some women lived in community with one another where Jesus was both the center and the head of their life together.

When a Christian lives in a living expression of the Body of Christ today, he or she is being discipled just by being part of that expression. Just as a saltwater fish grows, is nurtured, and is sustained simply by living in the ocean and swimming with its school.

Ekklesia, therefore, is the birth right of every child of God. By living in it, God’s people naturally absorb Christ. To wit, they are “discipled” by Christ and into Christ through the community of the believers.

We Don’t Know Our History

Another observation I make is that people who are jazzed about discipleship (usually males in their mid-to-late 20s and early 30s – their leaders being in their 40s and 50s), seem to have no knowledge of the history of modern discipleship, where it came from, and why it even exists.

The story harkens back to John Nelson Darby’s teachings in the early 19th century. Darby used the art of proof-texting the New Testament to separate conversion from following Jesus.

The gulf between conversion and followership further widened with the emergence of Dallas Theological Seminary and the early teachers there. They perpetuated Darby’s doctrine which separated faith in Jesus as Savior from following Jesus as Lord.

What happened as a result should look familiar to you. The Christian landscape became peppered with many converts to Christianity who possessed fire-insurance policies, but few of them were actually following Jesus as this world’s true Lord.

The antidote was discipleship as a method and a program. Para-church organizations took the helm on this and ran with it. They created the first discipleship “programs.” Denominational churches began picking it up as well.

What did it look like? The “disciple” would meet with their “discipler” at least once a week. They would memorize Scripture together or study a Biblical text, go over sins committed (this is called “holding each other accountable”), pray together, discuss witnessing to the lost, and set a date for the next “discipleship” meeting.

Young Christians were excited about it at first, but in time, they began to see the roteness of it all. This left the door wide open for a strong reaction against the routine, the drudgery, and the staleness of discipleship as a method.

Walking through that door was the greasy grace movement. This was an overamplified version of Darby’s teachings taken to the extreme. “Do whatever you please because you are under grace” was the mantra. While this was going on, the Lord hit America with a huge revival, and many young people in the counter-culture were coming to Christ.

Some very gifted ministers took the wheel of that revival and spawned a new movement that became known as the “discipleship” movement (also called the “shepherding” movement). They reinstated all the old methods of discipleship, but they introduced a new theology and vocabulary to go with it. It was the theology of “submission to delegated authority.”

When the dust finally cleared, the discipleship movement left a trail of bruised and battered souls, some of whom have never recovered to this good day. In the minds of many Christians, “discipleship” became a four-letter word. So the pendulum against legalism and authoritarianism swung hard again.

The Christian landscape became quickly populated with nominal Christians and lukewarm believers who simply “prayed the prayer” (i.e., the “sinner’s prayer”).

As a reaction to the growing lukewarmness and nominal professions, “discipleship” has returned. It’s back in vogue again to try and repair the damage. Yet the advocates of modern discipleship are largely ignorant of the history behind it. So we are back to spraying fish on the lawn again.

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

—George Santayana

What history teaches us is that men have never learned anything from it.

—G. W. F. Hegel

Albert Einstein once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

When I think of the practice of the church and modern discipleship, that quote comes to mind.

Would to God that we learned our history.

In a word, you cannot raise the bar on discipleship without raising the bar on the ekklesia—the living experience of the body of Christ—the native habitat in which true disciple-making and transformation take place.

Closing Challenges

So what’s my point? It’s quite simple. The problem is not with discipleship; the problem lies in our practice of the church.

Permit me to share my heart.

You who emphasize mission, where is your vision of God’s eternal purpose?

You who emphasize discipleship, where is your understanding that you cannot separate the ekklesia of God from producing serious followers of Jesus Christ who are mature, tempered, balanced, and free from religious bondage?

What God has joined together, let us no longer put asunder.

I welcome disagreement and even correction on the above. (If you can show me where I’m off using Scripture, then we both get to be right.) J

At the same time, please entertain the possibility that those of us who are raising this particular flag just may be on to something. And if we are, what do you plan to do about it?

I’d much rather have fair and rigorous disagreement over this matter than I would a theological head nod. For the latter changes nothing. We Christians are good at bulbously saying “amen” and then going back to business as usual.

May that not be the case here, as this issue is far too important.