Fullness of Christ

The Booth Brothers – All Over the World [Live]

The church as the gathering of disciples is God’s ideal way of bringing people to the fullness of Christ.

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. Matthew 18:20 ESV

The Father is there, the Spirit is there and Jesus is there – and the church is build on that.

I have most often associated this verse with prayer. However, today I see the disciple connection. I need two or three people in my life that are walking with Jesus. This is the beginning of discipleship.

If this is the case, then my active prayer of the Lord’s Prayer – forgive debts as I have forgiven, and lead us not into temptation but deliver me – are words of significance because my relationships with other disciples is paramount. Either to be proactive in leading an erring follower of Christ, or building a spirit of alertness or wariness if you will so that the follower that I am with do not lead me down a similar path of sin that they have committed. In other words discipleship can lead us towards God with prayer. It can also lead us rudderless if we are not active in our own relationship with God. I look forward to keeping my relationship with the Trinity as I engage my world this year as a disciple of Jesus and to walk with others who want the same.

Spiritual formation

A Holy Rest

Yes, I am fully aware of the Great Commission, however, is it not true in my life and many others like me – what Jesus calls us to do is rarely done. For many of us it is the Great Omission.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20 ESV

Here is basically what Jesus is saying – I have been given the final say over everything in heaven and on earth. Therefore, as I go making disciples, I am to make sure they are immersed in the presence of the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. While I think it is just matter of them getting wet while I say Their names, it is not. It means to immerse them in the reality of who They are. Once I have accomplished that, then I can go and teach/show in such a way – we can actually do what Jesus said. Hence we get the description for spiritual formation. I believe that this will fill me with joy and I will live in the easy yoke of Jesus, finding what He has asked me to do, easy, and yet a strong way to live.

I was very interested in reading a thesis by Rev. Obeng Adjei Sampson who is part of the Methodist church in Ghana. The African church has had a stronger growth of 7% every year and I was keen on his own observations as he wrote his thesis on Discipleship. They have what they call a “Class System.” Basically it is what they call their discipleship process and all members are required to be a part of it. It follows the principle of the Great Commission – make disciples while you are going – baptising and teaching – and also encompassing evangelism. It would seem that they have come up with a statistical tool that allows them to understand both the qualitative and quantitative growth that should be taking place as a result of this answer to the call of ministry. Rev Sampson shared some signs of improved biblical understanding as well as social issues. Not enough to offset the very small numerical growth of 1.2% in the Effiduase Diocese compared to the rest of the country that held a 2.5% growth rate and hear this – the church was looking for a 20% growth rate over a five-year term. His theory of how to turn the failure around – there was a need for more evangelism and stricter requirement to attend Class meetings.

I appreciate what he thought should happen but I believe more fully that the church in Ghana, as the church in Canada from where I write from, have left out the amazing relationship we bring to our world of the Trinity and have failed to invite them into our world as we do the things we are asked to do and live the life we are asked to live. Spiritual formation in essence is the invitation God offers to walk with Him and in our context, the invitation of the Trinity to walk with Them.

What does following Jesus require?

We’re Following Jesus

Last night, in our Bible Study, someone commented on the fact that Paul, in his conversion story, was told by God how much he would suffer. There is a cost to following Jesus, and while we may be spared from knowing how and when, our success as followers of Jesus will not come easily.

Jesus offers Himself to everyone and He was always honest in describing what the journey would involve. Jesus asks to be first in our lives and that is where success as a disciple starts.

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. – Luke 14:26 ESV

The point being made by Jesus is that there is no other relationship that is more of a priority than the one we have with Him. To follow Jesus means to follow Jesus. Simply because without that relationship there is no way I can live my life learning from Him and at the same time being loyal to Him when I face rejection and persecution. If I cared more for someone else other than Jesus, would I not choose against Jesus when the time came to make a choice?

Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. – Luke 14:27 ESV

This is the issue of being a disciple – learning from Jesus means following Him, experiencing the rejection He did. Being a disciple means to rely on Him as I follow Him.

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ – Luke 14: 28-30 ESV

The implication is that embarking on the journey as a disciple of Jesus, I would do well to reflect on what it will take to finish what I have started.

Defined roles

Luke chapter 13 opens up the discussion of what my role looks like as a disciple of Jesus, especially verses 1-9 and 22-30.

repentance of sin is necessary to enter discipleship
fruitfulness is essential to it
absolutes define it

I found a paragraph written by D.L.Moody to explain this part of Jesus’ expression of what it looks to walk with Him, especially as Jesus gives no leeway to sin.

Who are we to strive with? Not with the gate-keeper. The gate-keeper stands with the gate wide open, and he says, “Come in, come in!” All the striving is with the flesh; it is with this old carnal nature of ours….MANY a man would be willing to enter into the kingdom of God, if he could do it without giving up sin. People sometimes wonder why Jesus Christ, who lived six hundred years before Mohammed, has got fewer disciples than Mohammed to-day. There is no difficulty in explaining that. A man may become a disciple of Mohammed, and continue to live in the foulest, blackest, deepest sin; but a man cannot be a disciple of Christ without giving up sin.

If I am to accept the role as a follower of Jesus, my life needs to express fruit. In fact, one would know I have accepted my call to follow Jesus based on the fruit my life produces.

Luke expresses it so clearly and simply and there is no confusion – love it!

Temptation

“Yield Not To Temptation” (1984) Salt Of The Earth

Unfortunately, I think for all of us, while we try to run away from hypocrisy, greed seems to be right around the corner. We are all tempted to shy away from boldness in the proclamation of the gospel, and I believe we are all tempted to pursue material things.

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” – Luke 12:13 ESV

This individual crying from the crowd shows just how much he was willing to yell out, disregard the move of God either through the healings or the speaking of Jesus, just to get what was rightfully his. Jesus response was again, perfect, and He had no problem pointing the problem being greed. For those who have an abundance of possessions – is it not true what Jesus said to the man – ” life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then the parable of the rich fool drove the point home.

I shared some of my own growth in 66Books. Click here to read some more of my thoughts on temptation.