Is Church Relevant?

John 1:43

Because there are a number of false churches in the world, many false teachers deceiving the unsuspecting, and too many scandals related to modern Christianity people are turned off by religion and church. Even in mainstream Christian denominations people have a growing sense that church has no real contribution to make in their lives. They have their education, careers, and families to worry about and church does not help them much with either. Church is merely one more thing to fit into already very busy lives.

But, what if we entertained the idea of what Jesus deems relevant instead of what we think is relevant. Perhaps we are thinking about relevance in terms far too small…. In John 1:43, Jesus issues an invitation to “Follow me.” What does He have in mind, and how does that relate to church involvement today?

What must we understand about the invitation Jesus made to “Follow me” in John 1:43?

“Follow Me!” These are great words because of the One who spoke them and great because of the privilege they offered. The Savior is still issuing this simple, yet sublime, invitation to all men everywhere.^[1]

There are several valuable points relevant to the invitation Jesus made to “Follow me.” He means the following:

1.       Followers keep company with Jesus and one another.
2.       Followers live His way.  It was a call to live life His way in relation to the Father and to others.
3.       Followers join Him in the redemptive initiatives of God. The call to discipleship essentially means a call to live His way and join Him in the redemptive enterprise.

Furthermore, it was customary for a disciple to take the initiative and select the rabbi they would follow. Jesus intentionally broke with this customary practice by choosing his own followers.  

What does the call to discipleship have to do with the relevance of the Church?  What does discipleship involve?

The call to discipleship is the nature of the church, when that call is lived out in its intended way.  An individual disciple is one part of that body, the church. Discipleship involves joining the company of others who are also disciples and working together with Christ to bring persons to God. Yet many reject church membership and regular attendance because they reject organized religion…they prefer to pray and worship at home privately. They believe that church is a human creation and subject to human manipulations advanced under the administration of fallible human leaders.

While any and every church is not worthy of attending or belonging to, there are some who still afford disciples opportunities to fellowship with Christ, share life with fellow believers, participate in Christian lifestyle, and cooperate in sharing the Gospel of Christ with the world. Truly following Jesus Christ today is effectively executed through serious involvement in a local Bible-believing church. That is a church that understands its nature and mission from Christ’s perspective and not merely one pandering to the culture’s demands, traditions, or expectations.     

What is the essential nature of the Church?

The Bible affords great insight regarding the very nature of the Church. We see in the New Testament several functions and responsibilities that are true of specific local congregations, and these are portrayed in a positive light (Acts 2:40-47).  The church in Jerusalem early on was very pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ. Evangelizing, worshiping, fellowshipping, training and teaching, and ministering were all major features of this ministry. But, the point here is to define its essential nature.

A closer look at the word “church” should be helpful. It is used 115 times in the KJV. In 114 of those passages the Greek word translated “church” is ekklesia. (In Ac. 19:37, the Greek word hierosulos, meaning “a robber of a sacred place,” is translated also “church.”) Ekklesia means called out. Also philologically, that is the way a word is used, not merely its root meaning, a church is an assembly. We need to be just as concerned about how a word is used, not merely what its roots may be.  The meaning of the word ‘ekklesia’ is defined by its common usage in Biblical times. This being the case, the meaning of ‘ekklesia’ is “a called out assembly.”

Now, a local assembly operated through democratic processes under the laws of the Empire.  A Christian assembly function is the great commission, Matt. 28:19-20, its government is democratic (Acts 1:15-26), and it operates under the laws of King Jesus Christ.  A church is an assembly, city of believers, on earth within the Kingdom of God. A church should be comprised of believers who have been baptized in accordance with the Scriptures and voluntarily covenant together to fulfill the Great Commission. This includes evangelizing the unsaved, baptizing the new convert, training the saved to live and serve as Christ Jesus taught us. This is to continue through starting new churches in new places the world around until Jesus comes back for us.

The first mention of the word “church” in the N. T. is Mt. 16:16-19. Consider some important lessons from this passage:

1. The Church was started and built by Christ (“I will build”). This is one of His most important  present occupations.  This refutes the idea that the Holy Spirit started the church on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.  The Holy Spirit came to Fill and Empower the Church not to start it!  Jesus is the Originator and God’s great arm of creation– and He created the church.
2. The Church was built upon Christ. The “Rock” upon which the church is built is Christ Himself--not Peter (compare 1 Co. 3:11; 10:4; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:6).
3. The church did not exist until Christ came. It is an entity distinct from Israel.  There was no church in the O. T.  times (1Cor. 10:32; Eph. 3:3-11).

So, a genuine Church is a called out assembly of baptized believers following Jesus Christ, and associating with fellow believers to live out the Gospel and share it with the world. Following Christ requires involvement with one of His genuine churches. Forsaking churches altogether is forsaking God’s plan for Christian fellowship, development, ministry, and purpose. Yet, it is common to plead with believers to attend church regularly and to involve themselves in the life of the ministry!

What is the mission of the Church?

The mission of the Church is to make known the manifold wisdom of God: the Gospel (Eph. 3:10).  Christ gave his churches the responsibility of unbinding the gospel, letting it loose in the earth.  But with this responsibility comes also the possibility that a church might not unbind the gospel and, by this very default, will bind it.  Not all children obey the Father.

A church is a fellowship of disciples making known to all the gospel of Jesus Christ. Its mission is not to be a fellowship. That is its nature.  It is a fellowship.  Its mission is to make the gospel known.  It is a fellowship on a global mission.

A genuine church from Christ’s point of view affords believers opportunities to follow Him corporately. Being a part of and engaging a church in meaningful worship, ministry, and mission are practical ways of following Jesus Christ today. The Lord Jesus did not start another entity to support Christian living and missions, so it is safe to conclude He deems His original plan as relevant still. To belong to a solid Bible-obeying church with a heart to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and devoted to life and ministry Jesus’s way is the plan of God for every believer without any exceptions.

I know there are those who have had bad experiences with rotten churches who feel they are the exception. Yes, you may feel justified by walking away from that awful church, but Christ expects you to follow Him still. That means finding a solid church who understands its nature and mission from Christ’s perspective and joining it. Join it to live in right and fuller fellowship with Christ Jesus. Join it to support and cultivate biblical Christian thinking, values, living, and service. Join it to advance the only hope God offers lost humanity of eternal value, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The invitation to follow Jesus Christ is the most valuable invite you and I will every give consideration to. Accept it and follow Him with as little interruption as possible until He returns for us in the Rapture.

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^[1] MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1472). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Rightly Treasuring Others!

Visit any news venue and within minutes you will be convinced the world is completely devoid of kindness, consideration, or tenderness. Human beings seem to be devolving into something less human with every news report and every click of the remote or mouse. Yesterday my wife asked her father if he had seen any “good news” on TV today. His response was a solemn and reasoned “No….it is all bad news anymore.” He went on to mention the terrorist group ISIS responsible for a number of recent beheadings asserting themselves as a force to be reckoned with internationally. Indeed they pose a threat to the Middle East and every country from whence they have effectively recruited and trained terrorist. A rash of new terrorist attacks will follow as these trainees return to their respective countries. Under their influence killing, fear, and barbarism reign!

This sadly is not where the barbarism ends though. It has emerged in supposed sophisticated societies in the forms of rape, sex trafficking, abortion on demand, wife beating, serial killings, city gang wars, abductions, protracted drug cartel clashes, homicide after homicide, and the list goes on seemingly endlessly with yet another example of gross inhumanity. Have we completely lost the ability to treat people like unique creations of God who bear His image? Have we forgotten that human beings are intrinsically endowed with worth and value by their Creator? Is it possible to reestablish a society that actually values each human life?

GENTLENESS IS RIGHTLY TREASURING OTHERS….

The fifth gracious quality of the character of Christ to be explored is “gentleness.” Paul, the writer of Galatians says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Gal 5:22-23). Again spiritual fruit is purely the production of the Spirit as we Believers yield ourselves to God. It may surprise you to learn that “gentleness” is actually “usefulness, i.e. moral excellence (in character or demeanor)” according to James Strong (1890, p. 78). That is, our character or essential personality is made honorable and ethical as we trust God for this grace. Actually the word focuses our attention on the inner disposition, but not necessarily the associated acts of goodness it inspires.  Furthermore, Spiros Zodhiates (1993) in The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament says of gentleness, “It is the grace which pervades the whole nature, mellowing all which would have been harsh and austere.” This of course is the opposite of being intense, extreme, or severe. This fantastic inner quality is further defined as being harmless like a dove and truly tenderhearted.  Fairness, moderation, and clemency are also great synonyms for gentleness. Regarding interactions with others, gentleness involves sincere expressions of equity/justice and consideration. In a manner of speaking, gentleness is rightly treasuring others.

As you may have already concluded, a gentle Believer is free from needless roughness, discreet while employing sternness, measured when making assertions, thoughtful in speech, and considerate in actions. Typically gentle Christians are slow to make use of any form of violence or force. It is not that they cannot serve on a police force, in the military, or as part of the FBI with excellence; they simply do not operate predominantly from the position of force. Gentle Believers are marked with a moderate/mellow disposition; this translates into a demeanor that is cordial, congenial, and cool-headed. Beloved, high social considerations for the welfare of others are good hallmarks to aim for. This is the Christian doctor with an excellent bedside manner, a godly lawyer who serves for real justice respecting the statues of the law, and a nursing home care-giver who handles the elderly and fragile residents with tenderness and understanding. Gentleness reminds us of a nursing mother with her much beloved suckling, the tender ways of a wise old farmer with his favorite but aging Clydesdale, or the manner in which a loving father trains his only son. Gentle people truly treasure others and treat them as such!

Gentleness will manifests itself by goodwill rooted in the heart much like God possesses toward humanity. He typically sends rain and sunshine to the benefit of the just and unjust persons indiscriminately (Matt 5:45). Gentle Believers treat others well in what they say and they interact with others employing tender carefulness and thoughtfulness. We are to even evidence gentleness toward those who are undeserving and guilty of treating others unkind.  Still yet, while facing the gnawing pain of rejection, the gentle soul responds in character and refuses to lash out in revenge. Accordingly, the Spirit produces chivalrous qualities like thoughtfulness, politeness, graciousness, consideration, and understanding in the yielded believer. This quality describes the overworked pastor/biblical counselor who minister to a rape victim delicately and individually no matter how many cases they have counseled before. Yet again he blocks off time on his busy calendar to sensitively help yet another soul who has been violently violated. It is the social worker who still dares to look into a foster child’s eyes realizing they are more than just another case, but a highly valued life stoked with raw potential. Though placing children in foster homes has been her employment for over twenty years, she still finds herself weeping silently on occasions. I see gentleness in the response of a single father to his only fifteen year old daughter. “Daddy…I’m pregnant” she blurts out through tears and quivering lips. Instead of harshly scolding her while kicking her out of the house in rage, he gently embraces and assures her while fighting back his own tears. Deep inside he blames himself for not being there for her…but they desperately needed the extra money from his second job in order to make rent. Beyond any argument, gentleness is supernatural! It must stem from a person with a Spirit-tendered heart.  Once again LaHaye (1966, p. 51) observed, “The hurrying, bustling and pressurized life we live tend to make even some of the finest Christians annoyed at the interruptions of “the little people.” Without the influence of the Spirit even good Believers will become needlessly insensitive and harshly inconsiderate.

Characteristically, gentleness includes the inclination to forgive others. As Spirit-filled Christians, we must refuse to hold a grudge or harbor resentful feelings toward an offender. Through our Lord Jesus Christ we have the power to respond with tenderness while under great personal strain or pressure.

Gentleness is probably a strange trait to many since our culture is highly impressed with selfish advancement and individualism above all else. Neil Wilson’s (2000) book The Handbook of Bible Applications affords this very helpful insight into our contrary cultural values and vices.

“Jealousy and selfish ambition” are inspired by the devil. It is easy for us to be drawn into wrong desires by the pressures of society and sometimes even by well-meaning Christians. By listening to the advice: “Assert yourself. . . . Go for it. . . . Set high goals,” we can be drawn into greed and destructive competitiveness. Seeking God’s wisdom delivers us from the need to compare ourselves to others and to want what they have. 

In addition since God is gentle toward sinners (2Cor. 10:1; Js. 3:17), Christians should display this same virtue (1Thess. 2:7; 2Tim. 2:24; Tit. 3:2; 1Pet. 2:18). While there is not even a hint of encouragement for condoning sin, redemption and restoration are equally valued by gentle Believers. It was James who said the wisdom of God is distinguished by gentleness, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace” (James 3:17-18). Gentle people are experts at handling others with ‘kid’s gloves.’ They are masters of the ‘velvet gloves’ treatment, but remain free of sinful manipulations for personal advantage. Gentleness undeniably excludes a Christian from behaving selfishly forceful, competitively coarse, or needlessly insensitive when interacting with others.

Boaz’s dealings with Ruth in Ruth 3:7-15 is a good example of gentleness. She entered the threshing floor late at night and waited at his feet to proposition him with a marriage interest and option.  This was fully consistent with Naomi’s advice, the Law of Moses (Deut. 25:5–10), and the customs of Israel. Boaz responded with thoughtfulness and courtesy. He behaved like a gentleman. Understanding her proposition, he immediately blessed Ruth, commended her, praised her, protected her honor, sought her security, and made provision for her needs.  Boaz fleshed out sensitivity, thoughtfulness, consideration and old-fashioned gentleness. MacDonald and Farstad (1995, p. 291) drew a fantastic parallel from this passage to the believer in Christ Jesus in the Believer's Bible Commentary.

This assured Ruth of his deep love and gave evidence to Naomi that he would follow through on the matter without delay. Ruth was a noble woman, intrinsically worthy of Boaz’s kindnesses. But we were unworthy sinners. Yet the Lord spread His covering over us and took us as we were. He has loaded us with gifts and encouraged us with His promised return to consummate the marriage. Our salvation is settled, a finished work. But entrance into the full bliss of our union awaits the Bridegroom’s return. 

Gentleness as tender kindness is perhaps best explained in the attitude of the Lord Jesus toward little children (Mark 10:14; Luke 18:15-17). Christ’s gentle spirit is contrasted with the disciples’ rather cruel attitude toward the children who were brought to Him. As this episode unfolded the Lord Jesus said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Mk. 10:14).  The disciples viewed themselves and the Lord as either too important or too busy to be bothered with such minor affairs. Christ Jesus on the other hand made time for the ‘little people.’ He expressed genuine interest in their desires, afforded them His undivided attention, and left them in an improved state because of His personal touch and blessing. The persons in need were not treated like a burden to Him; they were not merely tolerated but secretly resented and unwanted. Christ cherished no concept of Himself as being too important or too busy to be considerately gentle to the disadvantaged. More Christians should cultivate this Christlike quality through serious submission to the Spirit.

Finally gentleness provides an atmosphere for others to mature. Think of how a good mother handles her newborn in the nursery. Such an environment is conducive to growing under special care. Though this grace is not cherished in society it is nevertheless incredibly valuable. Many people esteem power and self-assertiveness because such behaviors enable them to establish themselves as respectable. This evidences itself in millions of ways in a highly materialistic culture where individualism is a strong value. However, this results in pushing others around, justifying abject cruelty in the name of ‘good business,’ steamrolling over whoever gets in the way of securing another promotion, and loudly reminding others of one’s authority, rank, superiority and advantages.  Threats and intimidation are standard procedures in that environment. Such should never be the case for us who follow Jesus Christ.

That is correct; through the Spirit of Christ, it does not have to be that way. How wonderful to come into a climate where gentleness is highly valued. In this scenario love can spring into action. Allowance is afforded for needed growth. Understanding is generously poured out to the disadvantaged without belittling them. Selfless consideration of co-workers and addressing the needs of others become viable practical approaches to problem solving. There is an allowance of time for the other person to talk, and a willingness to learn, grow, explore, and discover together. Why do we not see the value and potential of treating others with gentleness?

Sadly much of the barbarism that plagues or modern highly sophisticated society will continue relatively unchecked. Unfortunately forms of rape, sex trafficking, abortion on demand, spousal abuse, serial killings, child abuse, gang wars, protracted drug cartel clashes, and homicide after homicide will continue as humanity ever spirals downward. As followers of Jesus Christ, we must not lose the ability to treat people like unique creations of God who bear His image! We must never forget how human beings are intrinsically endowed with worth and value by their Creator! By the grace of God in the Gospel, we must believe it is possible to reestablish a society that actually values each human life! We Christians must endeavor to maintain a Spirit-tendered heart and this will result in handling others with gentleness. It is not by becoming worldly, that we will have the greatest impact on our world. If we all subscribe to a dog eat dog philosophy we will only destroy each other. Trust God to give rise to more of this quality of gentleness in you. I am asking my Lord to do a work of grace in me also. If nice guys must finish last then so be it. Remember God said the first shall be last and the last shall be first in His kingdom. I believe God! We do not have to become cut-throats, vultures, and wolves lurking in the shadows to take advantage of another unwitting soul. Refuse to prey on people; choose to treasure them as God does. Beloved, learn from the Spirit of Grace how to rightly treasure others.

Love is What We Need!

The Spirit of Grace desires to produce love in the experience of each believer in Christ Jesus. Many relationships suffer because of self-centeredness, impatience, insensitivity, jealousy, insecurity, pride and the list goes on. Christian marriages, homes, friendships, and lifestyles would be more than favorably impacted by a generous dose of divine love. Relationship complications range from communication problems, sex, money, household chores, deprioritizing the relationship to conflict and trust issues (Sorgen, www.webmd.com).  While there are many self-help articles and books on the market offering many well thought out solutions, I believe there is one fundamental problem at the root of most relational challenges. In most cases Christ and His truth are blatantly missing because the individuals are unsaved and uninterested in God’s Word. With regards to believers, His love can scarcely be detected in the average relationship; this is a tragedy of embarrassing proportions. While shallow, token and superficial ‘love’ abounds in many places, deep abiding agape-love is often missing or has been minimized. In contrast, the Apostle Paul exalts the potency of agape-love saying it, “Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth” (1 Cor. 13:7, 8a). While every relationship has challenges at times, still there is absolutely no force in the universe more powerful than divine love. It is always a key element in real relational solutions! Even better, such love is prescribed for every child of God as a way of life for us followers of Jesus Christ. None other than the Spirit of the Living God can produce this transforming fruit of the Spirit in a yielded life. Every relationship on the planet needs this dynamic type of love.

LOVING

In the listing of the fruit of the Spirit, love appears first because it is the foundation of the other graces. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Gal. 5:22, 23). Thus love lays at the foundation of healthy relationships. But what kind of ‘love’ is this?  Obviously this is divine love; it can be described as spiritual, sacrificial, unconditional, volitional, enduring, and triumphant (1 Cor. 13).  It is supremely supernatural and wonderfully sublime. Often love is characterized as a feeling, sentiment, or an emotion. We love our mother, football, and even the house we grew up in. Though love is used widely in these manners in our society, none of these are what the Apostle Paul had in mind when He wrote the word “love.”

Love is not merely an emotion, but a choice to do what is best for the ones cherished.  Love acts to secure the highest good spiritually, physically, emotionally, and relationally. Love has been described as the steadfast command of the will to secure the lasting good of another; even for those who do not love in return.  It is both love for God and for one’s fellowman (Matt. 22:37-39; Jn. 14:15; 15:10). Clearly the fruit of the Spirit will entail expressions of love toward God and man as a normal course of daily life. In his book The Work of the Holy Spirit, Kuyper (1946, p. 533) observed,

The means employed by the Holy Spirit in the shedding abroad of the Love of God in our hearts is simply Love. By loving us He teaches love. By applying love to us, by expending love upon us, He inculcates love on us.  It is the love of the Holy Spirit whereby the shedding abroad of love in our hearts has become possible. As according to I Cor. xiii., Love ought to manifest itself in our lives, so has the Holy Spirit wrought it in our hearts.

The Bible reveals the three principal qualities of the Christian life, which are faith, hope, and charity. Of course charity is the greatest of all according to First Corinthians 13:13. Love is the preeminent quality of Christian character. Yes, faithfulness is important and certainly hopefulness is too.  But the greatest and most excellent trait the Spirit of God seeks to ‘stamp’ upon the believers character is love. When this virtue fills a life, it provides the most persuasive evidence of a genuine personal discipleship to Christ (Jn. 13:35; 1 Jn. 3:10-24). True faith must always lead to a life of love for God and others (Matt. 22:37-40). This is one of the central purposes and most crucial evidences of genuine people of God in this life. Another critical purpose of believers is to glorify Him in all facets of our existence. Cultivating loving character certainly glorifies God! It was Kenneth Osbeck (1990) who said, “Our love relationship with others should be characterized as sacrificial, sensitive, and sharing.” This is heavy-duty love and it is not for the faint of heart. That is, believers are to relate and interact with others much as the Lord Jesus did while here on earth. Christ obviously loved individuals simply for themselves. They were His creatures bearing His image and no matter how obscure and marred that image was, He genuinely loved them, accepted them, and met them at the place of their personal need.  While He never condoned sin in anyway, He readily reached out to sinners and the unlovely to save them and help them know life free of the bondage of sin (Luke 19:1-10; John 4:6-42).

The Bible declares that “God is love” and He loves the world (1 John 4:8; John 3:16). Love is the very nature of God,

John is emphasizing that God is love. Love is His nature. There is no love in the true sense but that which finds its source in Him. The words “God is love” are well worth all the languages in earth or heaven (MacDonald & Farstad).

Therefore, what is true of God can become true of abiding believers who depend on Him for this quality. Yes, this awesome divine love can be communicated into the lives of genuine believers,

Since God is love, intimate acquaintance with Him will produce love. Like light (1:5), love is intrinsic to the character and nature of God, and one who is intimately acquainted with God walks in His light (1:7) (Walvoord & Zuck).

Since love is what God is, it is also what His children ought to be—willfully compassionate, willfully tenderhearted, willfully loving individuals, and willfully obedient to God. This is not merely a love rooted in admiration, or natural affection, but it is anchored in the human will—the power of choice. The Spirit of Grace produces love through our yielding and choices. It is not about feelings primarily, but it is decidedly about choices first and foremost.  We must choose to govern ourselves in a loving manner regardless of personal feelings toward another. I know that statement sounds strange, but it is biblically accurate. This is why love can be directed toward all men—to include one’s enemies (Matt. 5:43-48).  We are not commanded to have warm feelings toward someone who is antagonistic toward us, but we are instructed to pray for and do good things for them in return for their animosity. We make the choice to show love.

Love is beautifully described in 1 Corinthians 13 as sacrificial, service oriented, placing others first, showing deference, exhibiting patience, and consideration. Love is brilliantly proclaimed in all its fullness at the cross of Calvary where Christ freely and willingly shed His precious blood for undeserving sinners (Rom. 5:8). He suffered greatly for our faults and sinfulness when He knew just how dark and wretched we truly are deep inside. As expressed through Christ, not even His own life was too great a price or sacrifice to secure the people He loved unto Himself. What an awe-inspiring passion! Such self-sacrificing love that moved Christ to embrace the cross for us sinners is the same type the Spirit-controlled believers will manifest also.  This conclusion is inescapable!

SHARING

Love is often evidenced in the form of giving. This is seen in the Father, the Son, and the Spirit’s gifts towards humanity and the people of God.  God gives generously into our lives every singular second of every day for the entirety of our lives. We are to love others as He loves us. Love towards our fellowman is wonderfully captured in Paul Tan’s anecdote, His Brother Was Spurgeon from his Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations (Tan 1979, p. 1202).

It is related of the late Mr. Spurgeon that on one occasion he found a boy on the streets, ragged and hungry. Taking him with him home, the good pastor fed and clothed him, and then, kneeling down, prayed for the friendless boy as only he could pray. Several times in the prayer he referred to the Almighty as “Our Father.”

When the prayer was finished the boy said, “Did you say “Our Father”?” “Yes, my boy, yours and mine.” “Yes,” was the reply, “then we are brothers.” “Yes,” gravely replied the pastor, and then he talked to him of the Lord Jesus Christ, and finally, on taking leave of him, gave him a letter to a certain boot dealer for a pair of boots.

A few days after, Mr. Spurgeon was passing the boot shop, when the dealer saw him and called to him. “I had a strange thing the other day,” he said. “A boy came into the shop and asked for a pair of boots, saying that his brother had sent him, and when I asked him who his brother was he said you were.” “That is right,” said Mr. Spurgeon, “and he is your brother, too, and if you like we will share the cost of the boots.

Who can forget that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16)? Love must be the most powerful force in the universe because it motivated The Father to take extreme measures to His own detriment to redeem us sinners. Clearly, Jesus “Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it” (Ephesians 5:23). Why was Christ on that tree on Calvary? It was because He loves His church, His bride, and willingly sacrificed Himself for her! It took far more than mere nails to impale the Sovereign of the universe to a cross. It took holy, pure, righteous, Son of God agape-love! How amazing is this! My heart is overwhelmed as I reflect upon this tremendous truth. When I was of no value at all to God, He meticulously sought me out, refused to give up on me, gently wooed me to Himself, completely redeemed my exceedingly sinful soul, generously granted me a new place of honor in Christ, and one day He will come to receive us unto Himself when He takes us home to Heaven! I am saying that God is the greatest Lover, and thus He is the greatest Giver ever! Should not the “love of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:14) constrain us believers today to give?  Selfishness and stinginess should be extremely strange in Christian circles! Paul told the Corinthians to “prove the sincerity of your love” (2 Corinthians 8:8) by giving to the needs of others. Give to support the New Testament church you belong to. Give to sustain missions’ endeavors around the world through your home church’s worldwide outreach efforts. There should be convincing evidence of genuine Christian love; the proof is in our generosity.

CARING

Love also enables God’s children to express meaningful care one towards the other. We can overcome “personality conflicts” and avoid the many troubles a church may experience because of infighting and bickering (1 Cor. 12:31-13:8).  Why? Well, because we care for one another, care about the testimony of our Lord, and care to influence others for Christ instead of against Him. Biblical love would solve most marriage problems modern couples grapple with. Caring for one another must far outweigh pettiness, insensitivity, senseless hairsplitting, and even restore family/work balance. Adultery, unfaithfulness, two-timing, disloyalty, and many communication problems will evaporate once believers start living out godly love. Spirit-wrought love seeks to conceal and not reveal an embarrassing or awkward matter about another (Prov. 10:12; 17:9; 1 Cor. 13:4; 1 Pet. 4:8). This means private issues do not end up on the internet or on social media outlets. One simply does not embarrassingly expose those they love! This is how we behave when we truly care for family, friends, our church, and associates. Godly love ensures the needs of others are met and fuels the fires of ministry fervor to the saints (Eph. 4:15-16).  Training, discipleship, and mentoring ministries must be empowered and motivated by love. This will sustain them and keep them progressing in the right direction. In a loving context the elderly are cared for with sensitivity and tenderness, the handicap are ministered to according to their special needs, and the helpless secure real help without further mistreatment.

Godly love also inflames the saint with passion to reach the lost for Christ (2 Cor. 5:14; Acts 4:19-20). Precious souls are deeply valued, sought out, witnessed to, brought to church, encouraged to trust the Savior, and presented with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Human beings are treated with dignity and respect because they bear the image of God. They are genuinely and routinely loved. Loving sinners to Christ with the truth of the Gospel is completely consistent with holy love. There is no desire to merely label and condemn the unsaved, but there is an honest recognition of their sinfulness compelling us to reach out to them with the only solution for sin in the universe. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is what they need, just as it was for every believer. Oh for the grace to love more sinners to the Savior! Love is why Christians obey God and treat their neighbors the way they would like to be treated (Mk. 12:31; Gal. 5:14; Js. 2:8). As Believers, we need to be filled with the Spirit to evidence divine love.  Every honest child of God knows we cannot live up to these divine expectations in our human energy! Lord Balfour upheld the biblical mandate in a piece entitled The Best Gift (Tan 1979, p. 459),

The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all men, charity.

Brethren, let us love one another for love is of God. Let us put away our excuses for not loving as we ought and follow the Lord Jesus in this regard as well. Loving, sharing, and caring are what our Heavenly Father expects of all His children. We must rely on the Spirit of God to bear this fruit in our experiences. Let us ask God to fill us afresh that we may love as Jesus did. 

A Faith That Serves

In mid-August 2004, Americans engaged in disaster relief.  Ten days prior, a monster hurricane plowed through west Florida. Hurricane “Charley” devastated 25 counties and 225,000 people were stripped of electrical power.  In Charley’s wake, huge trees collapsed, numerous homes imploded, love ones were missing, and 25 individuals died.  Estimations for real estate damaged sored to over seven billion dollars.  However, amid all the chaos, many compassionate Americans rolled up their sleeves to lend a hand. While some responded to the crisis out of pure humanitarian kindness, Christians practice good works habitually as a matter of faith. According to the Scriptures, good works are a vital aspect of the motives, actions, and impact of genuine Christians.

Who can deny the active ministry life of the Lord Jesus Christ? He was a work-horse of a Servant as He executed the Father’s will with complete devotion! He taught, preached, healed the sick, cast out demons, restored sight to the blind, strengthened the limbs of the cripple, and cleansed lepers as an expression of His compassion, power, will, faith, and Messiahship. In addition, He trained His disciples, confronted the false teachers, rebuked the Pharisees, corrected Israel’s misconceptions, established His church, and filled His followers with courageous faith. As God’s supreme High Priest, the Lord Jesus sacrificed Himself, was buried, and rose again the third day as the Scriptures predicted. In doing so, He paid the price for our sins entirely making it possible for us to be justified when we repent placing our faith in Him and His finished work. Still today He serves as the Head of the Church, the Savior of mankind, our Great High Priest, and the believer’s Advocate with the Father. The Lord Jesus is a wonderful Model of service, and each of His followers would be wise to follow His lead.  

First of all, faith stirs compassion deep within motivating Christians to engage in good works. According to  James 2:14-20, compassionate service is expected, and passivity in the face of human deprivation is utterly insufferable. Like an apple tree bears apples, faith stimulates compassionate engagement for the sake of relief (James 2:14-17). Unmistakably, faith is to be demonstrated through Christ honoring endeavors, and not merely expressed in high-sounding religious statements to the needy (James 2:18)! Only dead faith, which is immature, stagnant, and apathetic, does not motivate or produce worthy services. Obviously, dead faith is the extreme opposite of saving faith, which generates wholesome motivations to minister to others for Christ’s sake (James 2:19-20).

Better yet, good works are definite demonstrations of genuine faith (James. 2:21-26). It is one way authentic faith is proven to a watching world. For instance, Abraham proved his faith by his obedient response to God’s command to sacrifice Isaac. His obedience was immediate, confident, and free of any misgivings about the wisdom of God. In the most convincing fashion, his faith illustrated devotion to God above all else (James 2:21-24). In addition, Rahab evidenced faith by receiving, protecting, and directing Joshua’s spies. Though her actions were unpatriotic and betrayed her city, she was completely loyal to the God of Israel. She consciously embraced what she had heard about the God of the Jews who had overthrown mighty Egypt some forty years prior. Her actions portrayed faith as a willingness to assist others in situations of jeopardy and danger (James 2:25). As a result, whether daily or in crises, Christians must demonstrate faith through actions of periodic assistance as needs arise, perpetual involvement because of persistent challenges, and obedience to God pursuing His design for every believer to engage in meaningful tasks that assist and help others (Eph. 2:10).

Furthermore, good works connect faith to others making a relevant and meaningful impact on the lives of those who have no immediate Christian influences. Regarding relational considerations, faith inspires the willingness to trust people, thus establishing a foundation for enduring relationships of mutual service. It is our trust in God that prompts us to engage others even when they are not worthy of our trust. Therefore, we love the unlovely, forgive the unforgivable, go the second mile with the unworthy, and afford second, third, and fourth chances to the derelict. Why? It is so that we may win their trust and commend our faith in Christ to them. It is a pure act of faith. Ministry wise, faith not only recognizes deprivations, but also creates positive changes to facilitate relief for the disadvantaged. It may take the form of a church rescue mission, a food pantry for the homeless, providing tutoring for underprivileged children in poor neighborhoods, a halfway house to help former inmates transition back into society to become productive members, and a bus ministry that penetrates the worst part of a city to bring the children and adults who live there in contact with the Gospel and the love of Christ. Then with evangelistic goals in mind, faith takes advantage of opportunities to present the gospel of Jesus Christ to non-Christians. This may transpire through weekly visitation and evangelistic outreach efforts, through home Bible study programs, or offering free funeral services to families in the church’s community for the chance to preach the gospel to the family at the funeral. The acts of service could be as simple as shoveling the snow in your neighbors driveway. Why? The aim is to win an opportunity to share the Gospel with them. Clearly, believers can make a most significant impact in the lives of others through good works in the name of our Lord.

Undeniably, good works are an essential facet of Christian faith according to the Scriptures. While we are saved entirely by grace through faith, the kind of faith that embraces salvation also produces good works in the lives of Christ’s followers. Christian service is rooted in faith, demonstrated through faith, and impacts others through faith. Therefore, as authentic believers, forsake immaturity, stagnation, and apathy through meaningful service to Christ by faith. It is incumbent upon Christ’s followers to engage their family, their church, a vital ministry, a social outreach strategy, the Red Cross, or other worthy causes to give living expression to real faith. After all, “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20).

Effective Disciple-Making Ministry

Effectiveness is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “producing a decided, decisive, or desired effect.”  When we apply effectiveness to discipleship ministry, it involves being capable of producing a desired and decisive effect in the lives of the students—Christ-likeness. While this article is not comprehensive, it does identify the principle considerations for a viable and effective discipleship ministry.

Obviously discipleship training entails far more than simply standing before a class and speaking. Certainly it is more than the teacher reciting to the students all he or she knows on a given subject. Undoubtedly, we all would agree that merely having a “warm body” in a classroom is never pleasing to our Lord. Effective teaching entails a capacity to produce Christlike formation in disciples (Gal. 4:19; Rom 8:29; Rom 13:14). While it is the Word of God and the Holy Spirit who effects change deep within the disciple, God uses His discipleship mentors and teachers to contribute to the process of spiritual transformation also (2 Cor. 3:17-18; Eph. 4:24; Phil. 2:5; Col. 1:27; 3:10).

In addition, effectiveness implies that the teacher possesses biblical authority, spiritual power, and communicative forcefulness to cultivate the desired holy character and spiritual lifestyle in disciples. It takes the right kind of person to reproduce a disciple for Jesus Christ—it takes a genuine disciple! While the mentor is only an investor in the godly progress of their students, each should aspire to wield instructional potency in their service to Jesus Christ. Merely ‘getting by’ or simply holding down a class is inconsistent with teaching to develop disciples. Transforming instruction is objective, deliberate, faithful, and effective. Thus, effective discipleship ministry involves a biblical perspective emphasizing an understanding of what discipleship is and a commitment to mature Believers.

Discipleship is Following Jesus Christ

To begin with we must understand what discipleship is; what is it actually that God expects of us as we seek to disciple converts? What is a disciple’s focus? Along the way we must discard misconceptions and perhaps even quite some fears related to discipleship commitment. All in all discipleship is following Jesus Christ.

First, discipleship is the process of becoming a committed follower of Jesus Christ (Matt. 4:18-22; Mk. 8:34-35; Luke 14:25-33). Notice specifically what Matthew records for our consideration,

And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. 21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. 22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him (Matt. 4:18-22).

Though it may be shocking to note, this is not the conversion experience of these disciples. They were very likely saved under the ministry of John the Baptist just prior to these developments (John 1:35-51; Acts 1:21-26). This is, however, a record of the day these men forsook all to follow the Lord Jesus. They committed themselves to learning from Him, and submitting to His teachings as a way of life. As He was, so they would become. Since He was a fisher of men, they would likewise become fishers of men as they followed Him. Though they had followed Christ for brief periods before, the relationship of these disciples became more concrete at this point. For these four men following the Lord involved leaving their occupations to become our Lord's disciples—this scene is drenched with commitment to following the Lord Jesus. Likewise, still today discipleship involves a definite decision to follow, obey, and adhere to the requirements of Jesus Christ upon one’s conversion. Salvation is a free gift, instantaneous, received by faith, and everlasting. In contrast, discipleship is costly, progressive—a lifelong process, an act of existing faith, and it fluctuates with each day. Therefore, a discipleship ministry must call believers to a lifestyle of commitment and submission to the authority and teachings of Jesus Christ. Any participant should rightly sense they are making a grand decision, but one that is consistent with repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21).

Secondly, Discipleship is actually Christian sanctification and spiritual formation; it is the mandate for every believer in Christ Jesus. We are talking about spiritual growth in the Lord (1 Pet. 2:2). Spiritual formation is a process through which the Holy Spirit transforms us into Christ’s likeness or image (Gal. 4:19). According to Dr. Malphurs (Advanced Strategic Planning), Christ-likeness is God’s full objective for all His people through the ministries of New Testament churches (Eph. 4:13; Col. 1:28).

Second Corinthians 3:18 informs us that spiritual change is wrought by the Spirit of God and is progressive in nature. Dr. Hemphill observes, the verb form of “change” is passive voice, which signifies Christians simply yielding, and the life changes are actually accomplished by God. The transformation is essentially done for and to the Believer. This same transformation is prescribed for every child of God and all of Christ’s churches. Every church is to experience this same progressive transformation by the Spirit into the likeness of Jesus Christ (The Antioch Effect). Paul is writing to churches as much as to individuals (2 Cor. 1:1). Beloved, spiritual transformation is prescribed for both. Yes, churches should be changing as the individual members change and grow. I know some are resistant to any significant changes, but genuine spiritual growth will impact the features and quality of a ministry and church (Eph. 4:11-16). None of us know it all, and all of us have quite a ways yet to journey before we arrive at Christ-likeness! So, let us maintain an open mind to the Bible, the Spirit, and our Lord as they lead us into proper growth and befitting changes.

Thirdly, the benefits of discipleship are joy, peace, and happiness resulting from following Jesus Christ (Jn. 15:10-11; Jn. 14:27; Matt. 5:3-12). Though the challenges of genuine disciples are not easy, the Lord does afford His people His blessings as they walk and endeavor with Him. Fellowship with our Lord is a wonderful benefit and should never be taken for granted. Of course such profit is taken together with the hope of being like Him and with Him in Heaven (1 Jn. 3:2; Rom. 8:29). This also anticipates and stresses the importance of obedience to our Lord Jesus (Jn. 14:15; 1 Pet. 2:21). The Lord delights in blessing and encouraging the faith of His committed disciples as they follow Him.

Discipleship Ministry Requires Commitment to Maturing Believers

Not only must we understand what discipleship is, but we must actually commit to maturing believers in the Lord Jesus. This awareness must become energy for establishing and sustaining viable discipleship ministries. Several important considerations must be given careful thought for effective implementation.

The first consideration is Christ’s mission for His churches is expressed in the Great Commission passages. The mission of each New Testament Church was articulated by the Lord Jesus Christ after His resurrection and just before His ascension to Heaven. He communicated the Great Commission in passages like Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:8. The intention of these passages is to make and mature disciples as an integral element of the Great Commission.

As any Bible student would anticipate, this involves reaching lost people with the Gospel (evangelizing), and moving them along a continuum towards maturity (edifying). Maturity is just as important as evangelizing. Though the Bible uses different terms there is great stress on the objective of growing believers (Hemphill, 1994) to full development (Eph. 4:13, 15; Phil. 3:12, 15; Heb. 6:1; Gal. 4:19; Col. 1:28; Matt. 5:48; Rom. 6:19, 22). Consider the insight of the Apostle Paul in the following passage:

 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love (Eph. 4:11-16).

What a brilliant portrayal of the maturation of Believers in a local church context. This church was committed to developing and growing Believers. God still requires this today.

Secondly, it is evident in the Bible that healthy churches place a high priority on promoting the growth of people towards Christlikeness. This is the fundamental issue of the discipleship ministry of a church. “Discipleship is the intentional training of converts/disciples, with accountability, on the basis of loving relationships” (Hemphill, 1994).

Dr. Hemphill correctly insists that the church at Antioch did maintain a healthy emphasis on discipleship of believers. In fact Barnabas went to Tarsus to bring Paul back to Antioch to help him disciple and train the many converts the church had (Acts 11:25-26). They spent an entire year ministering diligently in the work of developing and maturing believers in Christ. The end result was the believers were first called Christians in Antioch.

Much can also be learned from the church model of Jerusalem about the importance of a balance ministry. We can glean significant insight into the emphasis, features, and values of the early believers under the influence of the apostles. The account in Acts 2:41-47 indicates that discipleship is not a quick fix but a process of maturing believers in a balance manner. These are the signal features identified by Dr. Hemphill.

·                    They added the converts to the body (v. 41)

·                    They devoted themselves to apostolic teaching v. 42)

·                    They devoted themselves to one another in biblical fellowship (v. 42)

·                    They devoted themselves to worship (v. 42, 47)

·                    They were respected throughout the community (v. 47)

·                    They continued to emphasize outreach (v. 47)

Thus this church in Jerusalem possessed all the basic ingredients necessary to developing a balanced discipleship ministry in today’s churches. Certainly identifying these signature features is a relatively easy exercise, but implementing this in modern churches will requires some wisdom from God and solid planning. In addition, there is no desire to downplay or minimize the influence of the Spirit of grace in these instructive passages. Christ must lead and the Spirit must empower New Testament church ministry. The work is not purely strategic; it is also overtly supernatural.  Again healthy churches make discipleship a priority in their planning, budgeting, training, and services.

Thirdly, we must identify the characteristics of a genuinely mature disciple of our Lord.  What does a fully mature and functional disciple of Jesus Christ look like? Is each pastor an excellent example? Can we take for granted the leadership of most churches is mature in the Lord? This is important to recognize and identify because these mature characteristics will become the goals of our people—disciples. Once these distinguishing qualities are identified, they must be communicated to the church and the disciple in training. This helps them know what to fix their minds and hearts upon as they mature.

So then a survey of the Word of God reveals these features in mature disciples: they worship (Rom. 12:1-2), pray (1 Thess. 5:17), evangelize (Col. 4:3), know and apply Scripture to their lives (2 Tim. 2:15; Heb. 5:11-6:3), serve the church body (Eph. 4:11-13), partake of communion (1 Cor. 11:23-26), display the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), give of their finances (2 Cor. 9:6-15), love others (1 John 4:7), and bear spiritual fruit (John 15:5). These are the primary traits that disciples must be encouraged to focus on. This is not merely a list of dos and don’ts; it is a portrait of genuine maturity in disciples of Jesus Christ. Each ministry leader should measure up and demonstrate these priorities from the heart in devotion to Christ. As they do so, the new converts and younger believers will understand better what to aim for in their own growth journey. The likelihood of arriving at the proper destination depends greatly upon knowing what the destination is at the beginning of the journey! Help your converts grasp what biblical maturity actually is; remove the mystery, misconceptions, and false traditions surrounding maturity in Christ.

A fourth consideration is the mastery of basic life skills for Christian living relative to discipleship. This is difficult to appreciate because much of our discipleship training time is mental, and not performance oriented. But, discipleship that is effective must have a strong emphasis on developing and mastering certain skills. These basic life skills are prayer, Bible study, Scripture memory, worship, stewardship of life, witnessing, and obedience leading to holiness (Hemphill, 1994). Converts must be painstakingly trained, monitored, corrected, coached, and critiqued through a skills development process. Just like acquiring any skill demands practical instructions, participation, practice, feedback, and continuous coaching through the process, the same is true with developing discipleship skills. Prayer, Bible study, evangelism, and stewarding life as skills not merely lessons to be taught. The discipleship mentors must be practical, evaluative, instructive, corrective, and diligent regarding accountability and expectations. Opportunity must be provided for believers to learn these vital Christian life skills under the tutelage of a master of them. Young believers will not learn these things without instruction, example, accountability, and opportunity (Hemphill, 1994). This reality likely account for the fact that 60 percent of all Americans attend church at least once a month, but of those only 12 percent read their Bibles. Dr. Hemphill also calls attention to a national survey conducted by the Church of God which revealed:

·                    25 percent of church members admit they never pray

·                    35 percent never read the Bible

·                    60 percent never give to missions

·                    70 percent never assume responsibilities in the church

·                    85 percent never invite anyone to church

·                    95 percent never win anyone to Christ

Finally, discipleship leaders, teachers, and mentors must be patient regarding their disciples’ development levels and skills. Understanding this will influences expectations and scheduling in discipleship ministries. In fact, the research conclusions from both Stanford University and Princeton University regarding development levels and skills help us understand the need to be patient with developing disciples in discipleship ministry. As a result of these studies repetition must be employed until the new behaviors are ingrained. All of this means the discipleship mentors must exercise real patience with the disciples (2 Tim. 4:2). I think we all would agree the Lord Jesus was exceedingly patient with the twelve apostles!

Dr. Hemphill also observed a positive relationship between instruction and discipline to Christian obedience. Actually instruction and discipline lead to obedience. The motivation to obey comes from God’s love for us and our love in return to Him (1 Jn. 4:18-19; Jn. 14:15; 15:10). Then we obey because we are convinced He has the very best in mind for us (Jeremiah 29:11). Believers, like children, require nurturing and admonishing (Eph. 6:1-4). Instructing growing believers would involve teaching solid and basic, biblical doctrine (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The churches today need to renew their emphasis on teaching sound doctrine. Biblical teachings should not be deemphasized, but reemphasized often as the basis for proper living.

As it is with raising children, discipline is also required for healthy spiritual development. Discipline is an act of love and care that promotes responsible and obedient behavior (Heb. 12:6, 7, 11). Sinful behavior among believers must be confronted in a healthy church in a manner that is loving, instructive, and filled with pastoral care. By following biblical principles for discipline, responding immediately with appropriate disciplinary measures, providing corrective instructions, and modeling genuine compassion, growth will be observed among believers (Hemphill, 1994).