Disciple Making (2)

As I reflect on how the church makes disciples I have concluded that we need to examine what gospel we are preaching and/or the mix of gospels!! Paul in a number of his letters highlights that his gospel was a gospel of grace. He contended with others who preached a gospel that was still rooted in the law, that is, a gospel of the law.

I want to suggest that a gospel of the law comes from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That is, if we live right (doing good) we overcome evil. The focus is on performing and doing, often requiring effort on the part of a disciple. The gospel of grace comes from the tree of life. That is, when we believe right we overcome evil. The focus is on receiving and being, based on empowerment by the Spirit.

Behaviour is always the echo of belief therefore right believing leads to right living. Paul’s letters regularly point to what the churches were believing then goes on to speak about matters of christian living. Satan attacks what people believe, we just need to look to how he moved against Adam and Jesus. Once Satan has our believing he has our living. Paul exhorted us to not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of the mind. That is, right living comes from right believing.

Leo Harris, the founder of the Christian Revival Crusade, was convinced that disciples of Jesus need right believing in three areas:

a) Revelation, that is, that we are children of God; loved by God because of who He is not what we do; empowered by God through the Spirit, authority and our inheritance to bring heaven to earth.

b) Renewing our minds, that is, that we need to think biblically with a focus on calling, power, provision, love, mercy and His promises.

c) Renaming our world, that is, releasing the reality of heaven on earth by renaming the works of darkness from Gods perspective according to His word.

What are you discovering?

Until next time may you be blessed with His favour and life.

Disciple Making (1)

As Jesus completed His time, mission and assignment on earth He called those who loved Him to go into all the world and make disciples. Over the years I have wondered if we in the church have thoughtfully considered what a disciple would look like if we were successful in making “one”. Is it possible that we are making disciples of the church above making disciples of Jesus? Are we defining the characteristics of disciples primarily as church attendance, small group involvement, tithing to the local church, ministry involvement through the local church, etc?

As we are pursuing Jesus call to make disciples we have concluded that the characteristics of a disciple we are forming should be:

a) Self governing, that is, people who take personal responsibility and are self aware. Disciples of Jesus acknowledge they need to repent of their sin not call out the sins of others through judgement and criticism. They do not live as victims, blaming others for their behaviour or believing others can make them do anything. Self awareness is prompted by the Holy Spirit’s conviction. Disciples of Jesus are prepared to hear and see what they are contributing to the issues of life.

b) Innately powerful, that is, disciples of Jesus intuitively reach for the fruit of the Spirit in every circumstance and relationship. They assess their believing and actions in relation to the fruit that is born out of living in the Spirit. They rely on the leading of the spirit in their being and doing. The gospel of grace displaces every aspect of law based thinking.

c) Inherently supernatural. That is, disciples of Jesus who know who Jesus is in them, who they are in Christ and what they inherited through the finished work of the cross. They are people of the power of God because they recognise they are involved in the clash of two kingdoms. They accept Jesus call to be like Him and invade the impossible areas of healing, deliverance and signs and wonders.

I’d love to know what you believe.

Until next time may you be blessed with His favour and life.

Intimacy, Identity & Influence

As followers of Jesus we have the incredible privilege of partnering with God, or co-labouring with Him to see His kingdom come on earth.  We are discovering three key areas that are helping us as a congregation to genuinely see an increase in healings, miracles and signs & wonders.

The first key is to help people grow in their intimacy with God.  To fall more and more in love with the God head.  To develop the way people abide in the love God has for us. (John 15:9)  To encounter a spirit of revelation in the knowledge of who God really is.  To approach Him as a father and not a judge.  To discover that as they remain in the love of God regardless of their circumstances that  they will discover the great weapons of warfare in rest and peace.

The second key is to help people grown in their identity in God.  To discover who they really are in Christ and who Jesus really is in them.  To know the Christian life is one of having Jesus  formed in us.  (Galatians 4:19)  That the renewing of our minds is one of the most significant pieces in equipping us to be like Jesus.  To learn what the cross has won for us and to think like Jesus about power, provision, calling, promises, position and grace.

The third key is to help people grow in their influence and how they bring the life of God to others.  Here they are discovering what Jesus can do through them.  We can do the works Jesus did and greater. (John 14:12)  We are learning how to defeat the devil and change the world through authority and God’s perspective.  You can find some of these stories here.

What are you discovering as you co-labour with Jesus?

Until next time may you be blessed with God’s favour and life.

Church Life

In church life when unity of purpose, that is, pursuing a vision or set of tasks together, is  primary,  relationships are often characterised by leaders and followers.  There is an emerging body of material in the writings of Christians that explores the place of spiritual “fathers and sons”.  While I am a champion of the kingdom principle of spiritual “fathers and sons” I remain unconvinced that this principle can be ‘imported’ into a leader/follower culture.

It seems to me that too often in church life we try to “bolt on” an emerging ideal to the pre-existing ones.  I would suggest that more often than not an emerging ideal or prophetic adjustment can only be effectively integrated through some deconstruction of the old that allows the introduction of the new.

Who we are under pressure is who we really are.  When a relationship comes under pressure through tension, conflict and/or disagreement it is only then that we see if a leader/follower paradigm has been successfully replaced by a father/son paradigm.  Unity of purpose and the leader/follower paradigm are strongly influenced by the use of power and control to get the job done.  The style of communication focusses primarily on tell and demand.  There can also be “violations” of personal responsibility as advice and expectation are imposed.  It can be an indication that the father/son paradigm has been “bolted on” if these tell and demand characteristics emerge when there is tension, conflict and disagreement.

Unity of heart and the father/son paradigm are strongly influenced by a love that is unconditional and not based on circumstances.  The style of communication will flow out of an observe and question approach that is looking for mutual understanding.  Personal responsibility is honoured even if there is disagreement, for example, the story of the father and the prodigal son.  When true fathers and sons experience tension, conflict and/or disagreement they remain in heart to heart relationship either actively pursuing or passively awaiting a time of resolution.

What have been your experiences?

Until next time may you be blessed with God’s favour and life.