Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 34 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and four amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has published two books - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles which he has compiled into books in PDF form.

How Can I Know if I Am Born Again?

According to Jesus, the new birth is the only way into the kingdom of God. 

Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 (NASB)

Two questions immediately arise: what is the new birth and how can we know if we have been? It all sounds rather mysterious and mystical. It certainly did to a certain Pharisee named Nicodemus, who visited Jesus at night, most likely to avoid being seen consorting with Jesus, who was openly spurned by other Jewish religious leaders. He wanted to learn more about this miracle working teacher.

His opening statement revealed to Jesus his deepest need.

 …”Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” John 3:2 (NASB)

Because Nicodemus had an open mind and heart, he correctly reasoned that Jesus must be sent by God. The miracles our Lord performed required God’s help. It would be unreasonable for God to affirm and use a person who did not please him. This was good logic that should have been obvious to all the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders. Most of us would applaud such clear thinking, openness, humility, and hunger to know more. Jesus, who never used flattery to manipulate people, rather than congratulate him for what he understood, quickly confronted this man’s ignorance of crucial spiritual matters.

We do not show love to people when we coddle their feelings at the expense of their eternal destiny.

Nicodemus was thoroughly trained in the Bible and the Jewish religious traditions. He obviously was hungry for more of God. He took the initiative to visit Jesus, but what our Lord wanted him to understand was that if we have not been born again, we cannot enter God’s kingdom. This brings us to a very big truth regarding the new birth, our first key to knowing if we have been born again.

Key #1. Revelation Is the Only Gate into the New Birth

Jesus knew that Nicodemus would have no idea of what he meant by being born again. Our Lord wanted this well-educated man to immediately grasp that his religious training and knowledge of the Bible was insufficient. Nicodemus was woefully ignorant of what mattered most. This is the case with many churchgoers who have grown up in and around Christianity, who have a fair grasp of the Bible, who know how to talk the Christian talk, but who have never been born again. They, like Nicodemus, are in a very precarious situation, thinking that they are secure with God, when they are actually outside of God’s family and in danger of spending an eternity separated from God.

Jesus also wanted Nicodemus to understand that human reasoning is insufficient when it comes to the things of God.

Nicodemus’ opening statement revealed that he knew Jesus was from God, but he did not yet really see who Jesus was and is. It is not enough to simply know about Jesus. We must see him with our spiritual eyes by revelation from the Holy Spirit. Even the demons know that Jesus is God’s Son and someone great, but they are certainly not born again.

You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! James 2:19 (ESV)

A good indicator that we are born again is that we clearly see and understand that Jesus is the Savior and Lord of Lords.

Key #2. Revelation Produces Faith and Allegiance to Christ

Just knowing about Jesus is never enough.

Revelation from God not only opens our eyes to our Lord’s true identity, but also sparks faith in our hearts that enables us to receive from him and give ourselves to him.

Revelation from God causes faith to explode inside us. Suddenly we know who Jesus is in a way that causes us to worship and serve him as the Lord. We also receive forgiveness and eternal life.

A great example of this happening is the account of Thomas’ encounter with Jesus after his resurrection. Apparently Thomas had never previously really known Jesus, except as team leader and as a great teacher and prophet. But when Jesus appeared to him in his resurrection body, Thomas realized something he had never understood before.

Then he [Jesus] said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28  Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29  Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:27-29 (ESV)

Thomas had the distinct privilege of beholding, touching, and talking to the resurrected Jesus. We cannot do that, but we are not at a disadvantage, however.

We may not physically see Jesus, but we can definitely behold him by revelation from the Spirit of God, and when we see who he truly is, it will always produce faith. Such allegiance to Christ is a clear indicator of the new birth.

"For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." John 6:40 (NASB)

Jesus was continually on the lookout for those who had received such revelation and faith from God. One of the first such persons he found was unexpectedly a Gentile. The Roman centurion who asked Jesus to come to his home to his heal his servant understood in his heart who Jesus is. We know this because of his words.

But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9  For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10  When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. Matthew 8:8-10 (ESV)

 

Key #3. Revelation Produces Action and a Lifestyle Change

One way we can know that we have been born again is if our faith in Christ changes us. The centurion’s faith prompted him to come to Jesus for help and to declare that all he needed to do was to simply say the word for his servant to be healed. Jesus saw the faith through his words and actions, and that is what we can expect from any born-again person.

Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. Matthew 12:33 (ESV)

Being born again should produce a change in how we think, talk, and live. Faith coupled with repentance (changing our thinking to agree with God and his Word) ought to result in a life dedicated to God and his kingdom.

If believing in Jesus has not made any appreciable difference in my life, it is safe to say that most likely I have not been born again.

Key #4. Revelation Produces a Confession of Allegiance to the Lord

Later in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus asked his disciples a probing question designed to reveal if any of them had yet received such a life changing revelation regarding his true identity.

He [Jesus] *said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16  Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17  And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 16:15-17 (NASB)

Notice that our Lord did not coach them in what to say. He also did not do what many well meaning preachers do: he did not put the words in their mouths by leading them in a “sinner’s prayer.”  Jesus did not tell his disciples, “Now say after me: Jesus is the Messiah.” No, he waited for the Spirit of God to reveal this to them.

Perhaps if we make things too easy for people by putting our words into their mouths, we may prevent their receiving eternal life!

Paul understood the importance of believing from the heart, the place where faith resides after we receive revelation from the Holy Spirit.

But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9  that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10  for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:8-10 (NASB)

The new birth is precipitated by the Spirit’s showing us who Jesus truly is – the Lord of Lords and Messiah King of Israel. Seeing with the eyes of revelation is believing. The one automatically follows the other.

What we believe in our hearts, we naturally speak.

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45 (ESV)

When we publicly profess our allegiance to Jesus our Lord, it gives strong evidence of the internal work of the Spirit.

I put this key last because it is the one that is easiest to fake. We can say anything, but if what we say agrees with how we live, we can be more sure that what we say is genuine.

Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? Luke 6:46 (NASB)

 

Summary

It is vital that we grasp that the new birth is not simply a poetic sounding theological term.

The new birth is an actual experience every child of God must have.

It is initiated and carried out by the Holy Spirit as we participate by faith. The new birth depends on our receiving a revelation of Jesus’ true identity as Savior and Lord. This means that God opens our spiritual eyes and makes us alive in our spirits by supernaturally connecting us to his Spirit. Through the amazing process called the new birth, we receive an entirely new spiritual identity. We become a new creation in the spirit, that deepest part of us which died because of sin.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3 (NASB) 

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB)

Being different in the core of our being will change our thinking, words, and actions. If we still think as unsaved people do, if our words sound exactly like those of our friends and neighbors who don’t profess allegiance to Christ, and if our actions do not reflect a loyalty to Christ and his teachings, we should question if we ever have been born again and seek God until we know for sure.

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. John 6:37 (ESV)
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What if I am struggling to follow Jesus and feel like giving up?

Following Jesus can be very difficult. Some find it so challenging that they turn their backs on the Lord and may even renounce their allegiance to him. Why would a person do this? The answer may surprise you. Sadly, history is littered with those who started well and ended poorly.

Solomon tells us that how we finish is perhaps a greater indicator of who we really are than how we begin.

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Ecclesiastes 7:8 (ESV)

Our Lord Jesus will one day return as the glorious Son of Man prophesied by Daniel to judge every person who has ever lived on the basis of his or her actions. What we do reveals what we believe and who we are.

We can fool people with our words, but what we do tells a truer tale.

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18  knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19  but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20  He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21  who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 1 Peter 1:17-21 (ESV)

Judgment according to our deeds neatly meshes with salvation by faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross and resurrection. The two are not antithetical, but are complementary.

If we are truly saved by our faith in what Christ did for us, we will remain loyal to him over a lifetime.

Faithfulness (allegiance) to Christ is an unmistakable earmark of those who truly know him. When our physical lives are completed and we stand before God, how we lived will be the final statement of what we truly believed.

Here are two important reasons someone may turn his or her back on Jesus.

Reason #1: I do not really know Jesus.

When our loyalty to Christ is tested, it reveals how deep is our allegiance to him.

Let’s take a look at such a case from the New Testament, an instance when many of Jesus’ followers decided to turn back. Our Lord had just announced to the crowd:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54  Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55  For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” John 6:53-55 (ESV)

I don’t know about you, but that sounds a little weird. Is Jesus teaching cannibalism? Who is this guy? That is exactly what many in the crowd were thinking. Why did Jesus use such a strange way to communicate the truth of our union with him? Was there a better way to teach this deep mystery of God? I doubt it. God always does what is necessary. Nevertheless, by couching this truth in a “difficult” saying, Jesus revealed the hearts of his followers.

God offends the mind to reveal the heart.

Faith resides in the heart. If all we have is mental assent to Jesus, life’s tests will uncover that insufficient foundation.

Those who have not believed from the heart will eventually stumble and fall away when their minds encounter something that offends them.

Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” 61  Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? 62  Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? 63  The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64  But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) 65  Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.” 66  At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67  Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” 68  Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69  We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:60-69 (NLT)

We cannot follow Jesus unless we first come to him, and we will not come to him unless the Spirit of God draws us. (John 6:44) In other words, unless God opens our eyes to Jesus’ true identity, we cannot follow him. It’s too hard. Many try, but somewhere along the way something will be said or something will happen that will trip us up, influencing us to walk away.

None of us perfectly understand who Jesus is, but we do need to “see” as Peter saw that he is from God and in him is life. We must realize that he is someone great, God’s Son, who is worth following no matter what. This is what enabled Peter and the rest of the twelve to hang in there.

Reason #2: We do not understand or accept the cost of discipleship.

We may have begun our faith walk after having heard a version of the “gospel” which requires little or nothing of us. We live in a consumerist society, which has conditioned us to look for “good deals.” We have adopted a “What’s in it for me?” mindset, sometimes without realizing it, that influences how we view everything.

The consumerist “gospel” minimizes the cost of following Christ and maximizes the benefits.

The consumerist gospel focuses on heaven, eternal life, prosperity, and being happy. Who wouldn’t want that? But if that is what you think following Jesus is, you are certain to be disappointed. Jesus called his followers using the opposite message.

Jesus warned people up front that following him would cost them everything. (Luke 14:33)

In our opening passage, Jesus just told the crowd that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood in order to have life, which offended their sensibilities. When he saw that they were offended, he did not back down. He let his words stand, knowing that many would cease to follow him on that day. It was a test.

God arranges life to provide us with various tests that reveal what is inside us.

Many of these tests will be difficult, and it may be impossible for us to understand why God allows them.

Following Jesus requires us to give up the demand to understand everything up front.

We follow him regardless of how well we understand where we are going, what we are doing, or why this is happening.

Following Jesus means we give up control over our lives.

It means we relinquish the title to what we own. It means we make no demands from God. It means we serve where we are sent, without complaint or questioning. It means our new friends are fellow travelers on the same discipleship journey and may not be the people with whom we would normally associate. It is very much like being in the military, in that regard.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote of this mentality in his famous Charge of the Light Brigade.

“Forward, the Light Brigade!”
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew
Someone had blundered.
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Some may view this act of unquestioning loyalty to be foolish, but the only foolishness was on the part of the commanders, not the men. The military is built on the loyal obedience of the soldiers who stake their lives on decisions made by very imperfect leaders. Followers of Christ are expected to trust their Lord just as fully, knowing that he may tell them to charge into the gates of hell. The big difference is that we know that our commander never errs and following his commands will result in eternal life and reward.

Following this military theme, Paul wrote:

Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. 2 Timothy 2:3-4 (NLT)

Paul’s point is that we are to avoid conflicts of interest so that we will unhesitatingly obey the Lord. We who follow Christ are under the command of the Holy Spirit, whose voice we must learn to heed. Soldiers also know the rules of the military. We who follow Christ have the written words of God in the Bible, and make the commitment to prioritize them to the highest place in our lives. We believe they are true and authoritative. Followers of Christ do not make excuses for disobeying the Bible, nor do we minimize its authority, even when its message runs contrary to current popular beliefs of the culture or to our own sinful desires. Following Jesus means we prioritize obedience to him over family, friends, career, and personal convenience or ease. (Luke 14:26)

Following Jesus means we do not turn back when the cost of discipleship exceeds anything we were prepared to pay. Those who give up everything realize that God may indeed require everything. (Luke 14:27-30)

Christ does indeed give us abundant life. He blesses us beyond anything we might imagine, but he does not insulate us from suffering, through which we learn obedience. (Hebrews 5:8) Our obedience reveals if we are real disciples. (1 John 5:3)

So, what do I do if am currently struggling?

If you are contemplating turning back, ask yourself the following questions.

  1. Do I really know who Jesus is? Am I convinced that he is worth following, no matter what? If not, my advice is to pray and seek God until he opens your eyes.
  2. Have I counted the cost of being his disciple? Have I told him that all I am and have is his? Have I relinquished ownership of my life to him? Have I given up the right to direct my own affairs? Have I told him that I will suffer whatever he may require, as long as I can be his follower?

If not, now is the time to get make the commitment to be a disciple.

Prayer

Jesus, I am struggling. I realize that my allegiance to you has been less than it needs to be. Holy Spirit, open my eyes to the true identity of Jesus, so I will value him more and more, even above my own life. Right now, relying on the Holy Spirit and the grace you will give to me, I make the commitment to follow Jesus no matter what it may cost me and those I love. Remind me of this prayer when I want to turn back. Help me to let go of what is “mine” in order to fully receive what you have for me, which is far better. Come, Holy Spirit, live your life through me. Amen.

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How Can I Transition from Spectating at Church to Being a Player?

Christianity is not a spectator sport. The Reformation renewed some very important truths of the faith that had been lost over time, one of which is the priesthood of the believer. This doctrine means that in the New Covenant there is no clergy-laity distinction. Everyone is called to ministry.

All followers of Christ are called, equipped, and expected to partner with the Holy Spirit in the adventure of using their spiritual gifts, time, energy, finances – everything – to fish for people and encourage them to become followers of Christ and fishers of men in their own right.

Every football and basketball season an interesting phenomenon takes place. People personally identify with their favorite teams. When their team is doing well, they feel good about themselves and become enthusiastic, vocal, and visible fans. What is so intriguing is that many of us think that we somehow acquire greater worth and prestige, if our team excels and does better than the other teams. It is almost as if we were the ones who are competing. All big sporting events are filled with such fans who get satisfaction out of watching others play the game. So it is with many people who attend churches.

We all know that playing and spectating are vastly different. When we spectate, we can imagine ourselves making better decisions and better plays than the players on the court or the field, but the reality is that we are not playing.

Jesus has invited his followers actually to participate in the greatest adventure of being his Spirit-filled and empowered representatives.

Unfortunately most of us who call ourselves Christians are merely spectating fans. We may agree with the concept of being involved in the Great Commission, but we have fallen into the trap of being passive, sitting on the sidelines, hoping that someone else will lead our family member, neighbor, or friend to Christ and teach them how to follow him fully. Many Christians think that evangelism is inviting someone to church, where they will hear the preacher talk about Christ. We do not see ourselves as the one who can best share the gospel with them. However, the truth of the matter is that we cannot transfer our responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission to someone else.

God does not give us the option of merely being fans or spectators. God asks us to be players – disciples and disciple makers.

Not everyone is equally gifted in this area, but we are all asked to participate. Some may win thousands to Christ, while others may help only a few become followers of the Master over a lifetime. Sadly, a great number of those who call themselves Christians have never led even one person to faith in Christ. In some cases they have given up trying. This ought not be. Could this be because we do not even talk about Jesus in a serious way with anyone outside of church meetings?

Suggestions
  • Ask God to forgive us for succumbing to laziness, fear, and the spirit of the age that tells us to keep our faith to ourselves.
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to stir in us the fire of enthusiasm for Jesus and the Gospel.
  • Ask him to give us a love for those who live around you who do not yet know Christ.
  • Familiarize ourselves with the Gospel. (I recommend The King Jesus Gospel by McKnight. You can read my summary by clicking here or you may wish to read my articles on the subject.)
  • Pray for opportunities to speak meaningfully to people.
  • Make it a priority to get to know the people in your neighborhood, at work, at the gym, at school, and wherever you have the opportunity to connect. As we spend time in conversation, we will begin to see how Jesus and the Gospel can help them. Our care for them may give us a platform from which to speak about Jesus to them.
  • Visit people and have them over to our homes. The more time we spend with people, the greater the opportunity we provide for the Holy Spirit to work in the relationships.
  • Offer to pray for people on the spot when a genuine need for God’s help surfaces.
  • Join a group (or start one) whose focus is fishing for people and making disciples. In many cases this will be what some call a “missional” church, as opposed to an event-oriented spectator church. We need to be encouraged in the work of the Great Commission because, although it is rewarding, it can be difficult and discouraging at times.
  • Never, never, never, never give up. Our heavenly reward will be great!

To learn more about this way of living for Christ, visit our church website – www.lifenet.us.

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Do we believe Christ rose from the dead, or just think we do?

 

Faith is something that resides in the heart. It is not simply mental agreement with some statement or doctrine. Faith affects how we live. If our lives have not been impacted by Christ’s resurrection, it is reasonable to question whether we truly believe.

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22  But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23  Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24  Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27  She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” John 11:21-27 (ESV)

This passage is an interesting illustration of our propensity to misunderstand God. Having the advantage of hindsight, today we realize that Jesus was leading Martha to believe that he would raise Lazarus from the dead right in front of her eyes. Even though she had a good theology of Jesus’ identity as the Messiah, she did not make the leap into applying that great truth to her present situation. When Jesus asked her if she believed that he embodied the resurrection, all Martha could muster was a declaration that he was the promised Messiah. She spoke truth while completely missing the point of Jesus’ question. She had faith in his being the Messiah, but none for his being willing and able to raise her dead brother. Why could she not properly hear what Jesus was saying or believe?

Her faith was for the future but was useless for her present situation.

It is relatively easy to believe when there is nothing confronting us to test our faith. We seem to more easily believe in what will happen in the far off future than to apply our faith to the here and now.

Mental assent to truth does not necessarily engage the heart, where faith resides. (Romans 10:9-10)

If what we believe about the past and the future does not translate into faith for the present, it might be mere mental assent, which cannot help us much.

According to Hebrews 11:6, God is pleased and honored by our faith, which produces acts of obedience and is faith in action. (Romans 1:5)

Martha and Mary gently chided our Lord for not showing up sooner to prevent Lazarus’ death. They viewed his failure to immediately respond to their request as a lack of caring for them. They did not understand that Jesus had bigger things in mind. He deliberately delayed until after Lazarus died to provide an opportunity for God to be glorified through his resurrection. Martha and Mary underestimated God’s love for them and his sovereignty over our lives. If we truly believe that Jesus is the resurrected Lord of lords, we will learn to see everything in life as an opportunity for God’s glory to shine as we apply our faith and keep our focus on him and his love for us.

One of the big lessons of the resurrection is that we cannot properly evaluate our circumstances without factoring in God’s love, sovereign rule, and power.

Faith in Jesus’ Resurrection Will Greatly Impact Our Lives

Jesus’ death and resurrection profoundly affected the early disciples, transforming them from being fearful followers into dynamic disciples.

Following his ascension into heaven, Jesus poured out his Spirit on his disciples, empowering them to boldly proclaim the Good News. Today we do not have the privilege of physically viewing the risen Christ, but we can see him with the “eyes” of faith. In addition, the same baptism in the Spirit is available to us today. (You can read more about this wonderful promise of the Father by clicking here.)

Jesus does not want us to wallow in unbelief regarding his resurrection. Instead of casting aside his most dubious disciple, Jesus confronted Thomas’ lack of faith as described below.

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” 28  “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. 29  Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” John 20:27-29 (NLT)

Believing without seeing requires us to have another kind of sight called revelation.

Now we depend on the Holy Spirit’s ability to reveal Christ to us, and he is very good at it. With his help, our faith can be just as strong as that of the early disciples. Some people in Jesus’ day saw miracles with their physical eyes but did not believe God’s words. Today we are able to believe without physical sight, thanks to the inner revelatory work of God’s Spirit.

Paul wrote about the Spirit’s ability in the passage below.

For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, 16  do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:15-18 (NASB)

In my own case, the Holy Spirit “opened my eyes” to understand and believe that Jesus is truly the risen one described in the Bible. Before he did this for me, I did not believe because my spiritual eyes had been blinded by Satan, according to 2 Corinthians 4:4. But I asked Jesus, if he were real, to come into my life and show me the truth about himself. Amazingly, God used the slightly open door to set up residence in my life and open my spiritual understanding to Jesus’ identity as the risen Savior and Lord. In an instant of revelation, the Spirit moved me from unbelief to faith by an inner miracle of opening my blinded mind. I came to understand and believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead, and that changed everything in my life.

For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NLT)

His resurrection, if true, is easily the most world altering event in history, and God requires us to face it squarely. Do we really believe it or not?

Christ’s resurrection proved that he was not a delusional martyr with a tragic God complex. Instead it showed that God the Father accepted his sacrifice for our sins as the Lamb of God and vindicated him as the Lord. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we know that our sins have been forgiven and we have been made right with God. Those who put their faith and allegiance in Jesus are now God’s beloved children with all the associated rights, privileges, and authority.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3 (NASB)

If we truly believe that Jesus rose from the dead, here are some ways our lives in the here and now ought to be affected every single day.

  1. We should be the happiest people on earth because the threat of condemnation and death for our sins has been removed. (Romans 8:1, John 5:24)
  2. Through the new birth, as God’s beloved children, we now have continual access into God’s loving presence where we are always welcome. (Ephesians 3:12)
  3. We can be bold and fearless because death no longer has power over us. (Hebrews 2:15)
  4. We are free because the power of sin, the “flesh,” and the Law have been nullified. (Romans 6 and 7)
  5. Having been released from bondage and oppression, we are free to serve the Lord. (The meaning of redemption.)
  6. Because Jesus is Lord over all, we can live in the confidence that he is working all things out for our good and his glory. (Romans 8:28)
  7. Because Jesus was raised from the dead and has all authority, as his representatives, we can operate in his name and authority to preach the gospel and set the captives free through the power of the Spirit of God. We are authorized to heal, cast out demons, raise the dead, and otherwise represent him to the world. (Matthew 10:8)
  8. Because we know God is real, his love for us is proven, and his power limitless, we pray with confident perseverance.

If these things are not yet part of our experience, our understanding of the Bible and our faith need to grow.

People without a proper revelation of Christ’s victory through the resurrection…

  1. Will live as if we are still under condemnation and are not beloved children of God.
  2. Will be inhibited in their obedience because of the fear of death.
  3. Will not believe we are free from the power of sin, the “flesh,” and the Law and so will live as if we are not.
  4. Will simply acquiesce to sickness and and other forms of oppression. (Acts 10:38)
  5. Will doubt that Jesus is truly Lord over all things and will have difficulty trusting him when things appear to go wrong.
  6. Will not be bold to preach the gospel and operate in his authority and the power of the Spirit.
How Faith in Jesus’ Second Coming (the Second Resurrection) Should Shape Our Lives

The first resurrection happened some two thousand years ago when Jesus came out of the tomb.

Every time a person is born again, he or she participates in that first resurrection by coming alive spiritually and being joined to Christ.

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5  that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6  For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7  So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7 (NLT)

The second resurrection will take place at the return of Christ. That is when our dead physical bodies will be raised and transformed into glorious spiritual ones, thus completing the salvation of our spirits, souls, and bodies.

And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. 40  For it is my Father’s will that all who see (by revelation) his Son and believe (in their hearts) in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:39-40 (NLT)

Many people today give “lip service” to their belief in Christ’s return as the glorious Son of Man and King of Kings, but I suspect there will be a high level of astonishment when he actually returns, even among those who profess faith.

Here is how Jesus described the coming “Day of the Lord.”

Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 30  And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see (revealed to all people) the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31  And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. Matthew 24:29-31 (NLT)

When Jesus returns as the glorious Son of Man (Daniel 7:13-14), he will come as God’s judge of everyone who has ever lived. (John 5:27) All people will be gathered before him to be judged and, for his elect, to receive their reward. It will be at this time that all wrongs will be set right. That which was hidden will be brought to light. Those acts of faith and love which went unnoticed will be fully rewarded. God’s people will be vindicated and the wicked judged. Jesus will be acknowledged by all as the Lord of Lords. Every knee will bow and every tongue confess it.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT)

This will be the culmination of God’s plan to redeem his people and his creation. It will be the grand finale when everything will be made right. But do we really believe that it will happen?

People who truly believe and look forward to Jesus’ return will be like Paul.

And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8 (NLT)

They will…

  1. Joyfully and eagerly look forward to (love) his coming.
  2. Distance themselves from that which defiles or hinders their fellowship with  and obedience to the Lord. (1 John 3:2-3)
  3. Set themselves apart for the Lord’s work and prioritize the Lord over everything else.
  4. Be willing to make sacrifices to advance God’s kingdom, knowing that their eternal reward will be far greater than anything they might give up in the present.

Those who only give “lip service” to the Second Coming will…

  1. Not care too much about his second coming or even dread it.
  2. Live like those in the world.
  3. Be distracted from or uninterested in the Lord and his work.
  4. Be unwilling to sacrifice temporary pleasures or wealth for the sake of the kingdom of God, since they lack confidence that God’s eternal reward will be better.
Prayer

Holy Spirit, I come to you because the Bible says it is your ministry to reveal Christ and his truth to us. I ask you to give me a deeper and clearer revelation of Christ and his resurrection and lordship so that I will live as I should, full of joy and commitment to Jesus and his kingdom. Deliver me from unbelief and carnality. Let me live in a way that is worthy of our Lord and the sacrifice he made for me. Amen.

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Come, Follow, Fish, and Teach Others to Do the Same

Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” Matthew 4:19 (NLT)

Many people are called by God to become disciples, but Jesus said that few are chosen. (Matthew 22:14)

When we truly hear the call of God through the words of the Gospel and the inner voice or prompting of the Holy Spirit, we are immediately faced with a choice. We can resist, ignore, or surrender to God’s call.

Many people are sifted out immediately because they will not obey the call to come, but even more are left behind by the next requirement. People initially come to Christ because he is wonderful, loving, generous, and offers everything a person would ever truly need, including everlasting life. The consumer in us thinks that this is a “deal” too good to pass up, and we are correct.

However, once we come to Christ and spend time with him and begin to read the Bible, it dawns on us that there is a cost to following him. In fact, following Jesus will cost us everything.

A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, 26  “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. 27  And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:25-27 (NLT)

Jesus laid down his life for us and asks us to show our allegiance to him by doing the same. It is one very important way we glorify God. But out of stubbornness, selfishness, fear, pride, or for some other reason, it is at this point that many turn back and make the decision not to follow him. They eliminate themselves from the ranks of the “chosen.”

For many are called, but few are chosen. Matthew 22:14 (NASB) 

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14  "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13-14 (NASB)

Jesus promised that he would transform those who follow him into fishers of men and telling others about the Gospel makes us just that.

This means that every true follower of Christ shares the Gospel with others. We may not be evangelists or preachers holding large meetings, but we can share one-on-one with people as the Lord directs and provides us with opportunities.

Followers of Christ are called disciples. They make the commitment to follow Jesus and, with the help of his Holy Spirit, obey his teachings and share the gospel message with others. When our hearers respond to the Gospel, a new responsibility confronts us.

Jesus wants us to teach these new followers to do as we do. This is called making disciples.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT)

Discipleship is a journey that begins with a call, which prompts us to come to Jesus the Savior. If we continue on the journey, we must decide to follow Jesus the Lord. Along the way, Jesus will teach us how to fish for people. Some of those who hear our message will also respond to his call to come and follow and fish. We are responsible to make them into disciples, too. This is the discipleship journey.

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Can We Be Disciples without Being Part of a Local Church?

Can those who profess to be Christians and do not participate in a local church be called disciples? It is a sad commentary on the state of the church that many who say they are believers are not connected with any local church. Some wear their aloofness as a kind of badge of  honor keeping them above the pettiness and corruption of the church. Maybe it is because of a judgment lodged against their previous church’s wrong priorities, values, or traditions. But probably most often pain is the reason. Many have been hurt, some quite significantly, by church leaders or members.  At the root of many people’s going it alone is a deeply embedded determination that no one is going to tell us what to do.  Many such people live in clear opposition to Christ’s teachings, but do not want to be held accountable.

Whatever the case, for a believer to be disconnected from a local church for any significant period of time is not good.

I think we can agree that becoming a child of God has nothing to do with church membership. Going to church cannot make anyone a Christian. Placing our faith in Christ and his finished work on the cross and submitting to his Lordship is what includes us in the family of God. God has no grandchildren; so, we cannot claim membership in the family of God just because our parents were believers or we attend a church. Each individual must engage the Spirit for him or herself and be born again spiritually.

Faith is a very personal thing when it comes to the new birth; but, our life as believers also has a corporate aspect.

Faith is not merely a matter of surrendering to Christ and believing the promises of the gospel: what we believe must be put into practice to prove its genuineness, and this is where we need the local church.

Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” James 2:18 (NLT)

We grow stronger by associating with those who instruct, encourage, and challenge us to follow Christ and his teachings.

Even though it is possible for a person to come to know Christ without belonging to a local church, I believe very strongly that it is impossible to be a disciple Christ that way. God created us to be dependent upon him and interdependent with one another.

Any attempt to “go it alone” is rebellion against God’s created order and the specific command to assemble with other believers.

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:25 (NLT)

Adam’s and Eve’s first sin was to try to do life without reference to God. This is the most fundamental sin of humanity – a prideful and arrogant demand to call our own shots, or, as Frank Sinatra so famously sang, we want to live “my way.” In the Genesis account it was not long before “doing it my way” resulted in murder. Evil grew stronger the more humans selfishly and independently pursued their own agendas. The beat still goes on, even among people who claim to be followers of Christ.

True repentance means we turn away from doing life independently and embrace God’s plan for humble interdependence.

During times of confusion, disunity, and unrest in Israel in the times of the judges and kings, disgruntled Israelites would disavow any connection with appointed authority figures saying, “Every man to his own tent,” meaning “do your own thing.” Unity is one of the most precious results of our properly following the Holy Spirit’s lead in a corporate setting, like the local church. Disunity results when we go it alone, seeking our own way. Where there is disunity, all manner of evil takes up residence, and, if we are not connected to people who will lovingly confront us, we will continue in that vein to our own loss and shame. We need each other.

Paul used the analogy of the human body to describe how church members are to view and relate to one another. Even though each part of the body has a different function, each is precious and needed. We can live without some parts of our body, but there is always sorrow when we lose some part we were designed by God to have. The body operates as a unit directed by its “head.” The church functions in the same way. It would be odd for a few body parts to suddenly leave with the intention of going it alone. Likewise, the church needs every part.

When we opt out of the local church, we reveal that we have an independent spirit. Life has a way of sorting us out and revealing what is inside us.

Have you ever heard someone say, “I love God. It’s just people I don’t like?” It is humorous line with which we can all identify, but the Bible clearly teaches us that our love for people actually reveals whether or not we love God.

If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20 (NASB)

Just as absentee parents have difficulty in communicating how much they love their children, absentee church members cannot express their love for the body in practical ways, nor can they receive as they should. Absence does not make the heart grow fonder in this case. Rather it cuts us off from the ones we should be loving and from whom we should  be receiving love. If we have difficulty with people, it just shows how much work needs to be done in our lives, and that work cannot happen if we are out of relationship with the people God has put into our lives to help us.

And what will happen to us if we go “off the rails” and have no one to correct us?

When we remove ourselves from regular contact with people who can speak the truth in love to us, we set ourselves up to be deceived.

None of us are immune to the tricks and traps of the devil. We need one another to bring correction, balance, and sometimes discipline. Discipline is one of the most important functions of the church, but it is one to which we do not like to submit. Without discipline, however, we will not mature and learn obedience.

And what about the nurturing aspect of the body? God has placed apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers in the church to feed the sheep and help them grow to maturity. When we isolate ourselves, we cut ourselves off from this ministry and opt for stunted growth. Some might argue that it is possible to hear all sorts of great teaching via various media. But Paul warns us of the importance of knowing and being known by those who minister to us.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. Hebrews 13:17 (NASB)

We cannot know a person well enough to properly “shepherd” them from long distance. That can only happen when we do life together in the context of a local church.

The Holy Spirit works through the various people and ministries in the local church to care for and encourage us.

Guidance and protection are two other functions of the local church. Pastoral input can preserve us from much harm and wasted energy. Good leadership does not seek to “lord it over” our faith. Instead its purpose is to confirm, guide, and protect. If we remove ourselves from the “umbrella of protection” provided by being properly related to church authority as vested in the pastor and elders, we once again set ourselves up to suffer. The devil, like a wolf, always goes after the sheep  who are straying from the flock. Don’t be one of them. Get back with the group. Remember: the banana that stays with the bunch doesn’t get peeled.

In conclusion, separating ourselves from the local church reveals that we are self-seeking and independent.

One who has isolated himself seeks his own desires; he rejects all sound judgment. Proverbs 18:1 (NET1)

Instead, let us forgive past offenses, put aside our differences, repent of our selfish independence, and embrace the God-given provision of the local church. We can be a very important part of the whole, receive ministry, grow, and participate in the church’s mission to go and make disciples. Otherwise, our story may become a sad footnote referencing how our great potential was wasted because we were determined to go it alone. Remember: we can be a Christian alone, but not a disciple.

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Chapter 92: The Priesthood of the Believer

One of the great errors that has crossed over from the old covenant into the new is the idea of a clergy-laity divide that limits ministry to the ordained clergy. The Protestant Reformation addressed many of the doctrinal errors and abuses of Roman Catholicism, among which was the establishment of an ordained priesthood, whose were privileged to offer the “unbloody” sacrifice of the Mass, forgive sins on behalf of Christ, transform bread and wine into the actual body and blood of Christ, and otherwise act in mediatorial ways between God and the people. I have written more about the heresies connected to Roman Catholicism in another series of articles. For now, we will focus on the priesthood.

The Reformation reestablished the doctrine of the priesthood of the believer, which teaches that, after Christ fulfilled the priestly duties of Aaron’s line, all believers share in the priestly ministry of the new covenant.

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”  Revelation 5:9–10 (NASB95)

Jesus is the one and only mediator between God and humans (1 Timothy 25). No longer is there a need for old covenant like priests to act in this regard. After Jesus died on the cross to secure forgiveness for us, the massive curtain in the temple, which prevented God’s Holy of Holies from being accessed, was supernaturally torn in two from top to bottom (Mark 15:38), signifying that all believers all can now approach God directly.  

19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  Hebrews 10:19–22 (NKJV)

Before, only the high priest had such access only once a year on the Day of Atonement.

In the New Covenant God has given us priestly duties to offer specific sacrifices and to go before God in prayer for others. These New Covenant sacrifices include the sacrifice of praise, doing good, and sharing. (Hebrews 13:15-16) We can also offer our own bodies in service to God as a living sacrifice. (Romans 12:1) The bloody sacrifice of animals is forever finished because their purpose was to point to Christ’s perfect once-for-all-time sacrifice. Once our Lord accomplished that, the need for the shadow came to an end. This is one reason God saw to it that the temple was destroyed in 70 AD.

Grace and forgiveness come directly to us from Christ via the Holy Spirit. We have no need for human mediators any longer.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,  Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV) 

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,  2 Peter 1:2–3 (NKJV)

In Old Covenant times, those called to the “ministry,” priests and Levites, were born into their roles and held their position or status exclusively. Commoners or laity were not allowed to participate by law. In the New Covenant, all believers are born into the priesthood of the believer.

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God... 1 John 5:1a (NKJV)

Those who are uniquely called to the “five-fold ministry” – apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher, are responsible to equip the rest of the church to do the work of ministry.

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.  Ephesians 4:11–12 (NLT)

God wants New Covenant ministers to have the attitude of John the Baptist, who was willing for his own ministry to recede in order for Christ’s to expand.

He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.  John 3:30 (NLT)

God wants us to have the point of view expressed by Paul in his letter to the church in Philippi when he exhorted them to consider others more important than themselves.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.  Philippians 2:3–4 (NLT)

Jesus described ministry in the New Covenant as humble service to others.

Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11 “But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.  Matthew 23:10–12 (NASB95)

It is true that God calls some to function in leadership and ministry roles, but it is never for self-aggrandizement or to secure an enduring position. Rather, we are to invest ourselves in others so they can become all that God desires. Then we are to release them and move on to discipling others.

Paul made this clear in his description of the five-fold ministry.

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.  Ephesians 4:11–16 (NLT)

Each of these ministries is to impart to the church what God has given to them. Success is when the church becomes apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, pastoral, and competent to teach God’s Word.

Whatever God has given to us, we are to reproduce in others.

Disciples are the basic building blocks of the kingdom of God, “living stones” that the Holy Spirit builds into a fitting “house” or temple for God. Jesus called us to make disciples. When disciples are made, churches are sure to follow.

When churches are planted without disciple-making being the top priority, we miss the mark.

The church is not a building. It is a living, moving “body,” which has the capability to reproduce itself at the discipleship level. Disciples are living beings, who have the ability, through the Spirit, to multiply themselves. In fact, that is our primary responsibility. Just as God commanded Adam and Eve, and afterwards Noah and his descendants, to multiply and fill the earth, so Christ mandated the church to “go and make disciples.”

Making disciples is our mission given by God, which supersedes every other sub-mission that the local church may adopt along the way.

The question facing every missional church, then, is how are we to teach, train, and equip disciples who will go and make other disciples? What vision, information, understanding, wisdom, and ministry skills need to be imparted to them that will enable them to become effective disciple makers?

It is part of the human condition for those in leadership to carve out a secure niche for themselves, and it is convenient for the rest of us to consign ministry responsibilities to the clergy instead of accepting our own role as ministers.

The best way a church can effectively multiply disciples is by acknowledging and promoting every disciple’s duty to be a representative or minister of Christ in his or her own right.

This does not mean that everyone is part of the five-fold ministry. Rather, the job of the five-fold ministry is to equip the rest of the church to do the work of the ministry. Just as parents train their children to be responsible adults with their own families; so, we are to prepare disciples who will take responsibility to serve others.

In other words, those in five-fold ministry are increasingly successful as they move more to a coaching role, allowing their disciples to take on more and more responsibility.

In my experience, a small percentage of senior ministers make the commitment to do this. We convince ourselves that without extensive formal Bible training, people are not to be trusted with the Scriptures. We set the bar higher than did our Lord, who turned over the church to men with whom he had spent three years training, but who still did not understand many basic things. The “seminary trained” Pharisees criticized these disciples, as well as Jesus himself, for being “unlearned” men. Jesus knew that the Holy Spirit is a more than adequate on the job instructor.

Disciple-making churches are willing to give “average” people ministry and leadership responsibilities and make the commitment to stand with them as they get “on the job” training from God.

Any gospel movement that rapidly expands must think this way.

The genius of the Great Awakening in the Carolinas, where I live, was the willingness of church leaders, such as Shubal Stearns with Sandy Creek Separate Baptist Church, to equip and commission average people to be preachers, ministers, and leaders, trusting the Holy Spirit to develop them along the way. This is no small thing. It takes a radical commitment to the priesthood of all believers to properly develop and launch disciples and to be an effective disciple-making church.

The other side of the coin is that “average” people must be willing to accept the responsibility to lead and minister.

It is far easier for us to accept the clergy-laity divide because it divests the rest of the church from stepping up their responsibility to serve the church. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit still calls people to ministry and leadership. Perhaps many are simply waiting for someone to invite them to be discipled. Jesus took the initiative to call the ones he chose for development. We who are already in leadership and ministry roles should ask the Holy Spirit to show us who to invite.

Many people do not consider themselves to be adequate to be in ministry, which is why they need encouragement from someone who sees their potential.

This gift of encouragement was found in Barnabas, who was responsible for seeking out Paul and inviting him to take on greater ministry responsibilities. Just as in the case of John the Baptist, Barnabas was willing for Paul to become the main leader in their joint ministry. He eventually moved on to developing another young man named John Mark, who would eventually write his Gospel. Paul learned from Barnabas how to develop people. He called young men to join him, such as Timothy, whom he discipled and launched into ministry. This chain of disciple making has never been broken. Let’s do our part to keep it going.

Click here to see all the articles in this series.
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Part 11: Mending Nets, Rebuilding Walls

Mending Nets

Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a net used to catch fish. A large net has to be kept in good repair; so, mending the holes that inevitably appear is a primary responsibility of fishermen.

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19  And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20  Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21  And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22  Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Matthew 4:18-22 (ESV)

The English word “mending” is a translation of the Greek word katartidzos, which can mean to mend, restore, equip, or to prepare. These fishermen were mending and preparing their nets to bring in a huge catch. It was how they earned a living for their families.

Paul the apostle used this same word in his letter to the church at Ephesus.

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12  to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13  until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, Ephesians 4:11-13 (ESV)

In this passage the Greek word is translated “equip.” It is the same idea as preparing, with the implication that people need to be restored, taught, and equipped in order to properly function as a giant net which the Holy Spirit can use bring a great multitude of people into God’s eternal family.

Jesus told those fishermen who became his first disciples that he would make them into “fishers of men,” if they would follow him. He would call, equip, mend,  prepare, and send them out to fish for people, gather them into God’s kingdom through the gospel, and teach them to replicate themselves in others, which is discipleship. The Lord will do that for anyone who makes Jesus and his kingdom his or her priority.

Jesus is fashioning his people into a mighty net to gather in his end time harvest.

Rebuilding Walls

Changing metaphors, in the Old Testament, Nehemiah returned to Israel to rebuild Jerusalem, which the Babylonians had demolished and whose walls were still in ruins. Rebuilding walls is not as disconnected from mending nets as one might think. In those days, city walls offered the residents a measure of security from hostile forces. Our neighborhoods can be viewed as a type of city. Our spiritual enemy, the devil, wants to run roughshod over people. Our disobedience to God and lack of community has effectually removed our protection from the devil’s activity. Many in our neighborhoods are experiencing oppression under Satan’s thumb because they have no advocate or Savior, no one to love them and show them the way to safety through faith in Christ.

Nehemiah organized the Jews to contribute to the rebuilding effort by asking them to commit to labor on a particular portion of the wall, quite often right next to their own house. (Nehemiah 3:28) This is a good strategy for us today. Just as Nehemiah took personal responsibility for restoring Jerusalem and asked the people to “own” rebuilding the part of the wall close to them, I believe Jesus asks each of his disciples to look upon his or her own neighborhood with a heart of compassion, realizing that if we do not rise to the occasion, many in our own community will spend eternity away from God’s presence.

Our Lord wants us to build the kingdom of God right next to our own home.

Application

Jesus told his followers to pray to the Lord of harvest to send forth laborers into the masses of harassed and helpless people all around them. (Matthew 9:35-38) In context, Jesus spoke about people needing shepherds, which can be understood as those who care about other people enough to watch out for them, provide for them, go after them, and protect them.

Any follower of Christ who cares about people can be used by God in his or her neighborhood to be a fisher of men and a restorer of the wall.

Our neighborhoods should be better places to live because of us. This will happen when we take responsibility and start being what Jesus called “salt” and “light.”

How will this happen? We can pray in secret for our neighbors, pray for them personally and publicly when they share some need with us, visit them, have them over, and do loving acts of service for them.

God wants us to learn to be a good neighbor as a lifestyle, not something we occasionally check off on our “to do” list.

We often earn the right and privilege to share Jesus with people by first loving them and building a genuine relationship with them. Our ultimate goal is to introduce people to a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus. That is the most loving thing imaginable!

The world is weary of people who only tell them about Jesus, but otherwise seem to take no personal interest in them. Jesus was quickly able to convey an enormous amount of love for those he met. It generally takes us a while to make a breakthrough into people’s lives.

The old saying is true that people usually don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.

Let’s make it our goal to destroy the commonly held assumption that Christians are judgmental know-it-alls, who don’t really care about people. Instead, let’s be menders of nets, re-builders of community, lovers of people, and proper representatives of the kingdom of God.

Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes. Isaiah 58:12 (NLT)


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Part 10: How graciously do we engage people?

 

It should be no surprise to us that being able to graciously engage people in conversation increases our ability to influence them toward the gospel. Jesus said that his followers would be known by their love. Why is it that many times Christians are associated with being judgmental instead? Probably it is because we have foolishly forgotten how desperately we need mercy and forgiveness ourselves. When most of us first became followers of Christ, we clearly understood how far we were from living up to God’s holy and righteous standards. We jumped at the gospel’s amazingly gracious offer of complete forgiveness and reconciliation to God. But over time, we may lose sight of our own need for mercy and begin to think more highly of ourselves than we should (Romans 12:3). How does this happen?

One possibility is that when we place our faith and loyalty in Christ, he sends the Holy Spirit to live inside us and change us from the inside out. When we experience this grace, we start thinking, speaking, and acting in a more God-like manner, tempting us to look down on those who have not yet experienced such transformative grace. We start thinking of ourselves in a self-righteous way, instead of humbly appreciating God’s inner work and wishing the same for others. Instead of graciously sharing the good news of forgiveness, reconciliation, and life with those who need it, we may stand off to the side and self-righteously judge them. This goes against God’s heart, undermines our own grace standing with God (Romans 5:1-2), and misrepresents the gospel.

Judgmental people do not make good fishers of men because we lose our ability to make a heart connection. We push away the very people who need to be drawn to Christ.

People intuitively know whether we love them, merely tolerate them, or actively judge them. Most of us are drawn to love but repelled by self-righteous smugness.

Those who desire to be good fishers of men choose to extend the same love and mercy toward others which God has extended to us.

When Jesus encountered the Samaritan woman at the well in John Chapter 4, he was able to discuss their doctrinal differences, which were major, but he first established that he cared about her and was interested in talking to her. Jesus accomplished this by breaking through a wall most self-righteous Jews refused to cross. He engaged in conversation with a Samaritan, and a woman to boot, quite probably one who was despised even by her own community! His loving engagement opened the door for her to safely ask her questions. There is something crucial for us to learn here. Jesus could have despised and rejected her because of her erroneous beliefs and immoral lifestyle, but instead he drew her to himself and transformed her into an evangelist who brought an entire village to faith!

I have watched Christian friends of mine exhibit the exact opposite, and I am sure I have as well. Once I was part of a men’s group that fostered friendly discussion. This was not a church group, but included friends and neighbors who were not believers. When one person said plainly that he did not believe the gospel or even accept that the Bible is trustworthy, one of the Christians in the group became indignant. Why do we do this? Have we forgotten that once we were in his place? Do we think it’s our job to defend God’s honor? Are we the doctrine police? A wise person who witnessed what happened later commented that we Christians need to learn how to debate in a better way. We owe it to ourselves, the Lord, the people we are trying to reach, and to the gospel to learn how to engage dissenters without erecting barriers, showing irritation, or saying unkind things.

A large part of the problem for many of us who believe is that we have limited conversations with those outside the faith. We tend to “hole up” in our church “fortresses” instead of getting out into our communities to engage dissenters.

This is very unlike how Jesus did things. How can we reverse this sad state of affairs? Here are some suggestions.

  • Prioritize connecting with people outside of our church “comfort zone.” 
  • Determine to love people and get to know them personally.
  • Look for opportunities to inject a spiritual component into our conversations. Asking to pray for any obvious needs that come up is a great way to overcome barriers. Listen to the Holy Spirit and go with whatever he tells us. Sometimes we can only start to get to know a person on a first encounter. Other times we may actually have an opportunity to share the gospel with them. Each person and situation is different.

The main rule is to love people and listen to the Spirit.

  • Fourthly, we should try to continue to love and engage those who disagree with us or initially reject our message. Who knows? They might change their minds.
  • Know when enough is enough. Sometimes we may have to walk away from a relationship that is bearing no fruit. That’s a hard call.
Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 6  Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. Colossians 4:5-6 (NLT)

That’s how Jesus fished for people. We can, too.

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Part 9: Surprised…again!

If you were tasked with planting a new church, which of these groups of people would you target – the affluent or the poor? The well-connected or the marginalized? “Beautiful people” or the ones Jesus called the “least of these?”

Surprisingly, Jesus instructed his disciples to go after the least likely people.

He called them “the least of these my brothers.” It is not that those who are “better off” regarding worldly affluence are unimportant. Rather, our affluence often works against us, making us feel important, self-satisfied, in control, and without an appetite for God and his blessings. It is the hungry who search for what Jesus called the “bread of life.”

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.Matthew 5:6 (NASB) 

And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24  "Again I say to you, 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." Matthew 19:23-24 (NASB)

The “least of these,” as Jesus called them, are often those on the margins of society who inwardly may not feel that they deserve to be blessed. Jesus called them the “poor in spirit,” which means they are spiritual beggars who are well aware of their need for God. (Matthew 5:3) They include the hungry, (who are usually poor), the stranger (which may include newcomers, aliens, the homeless, the lonely, the abandoned, and anyone who does not really “fit in”), those lacking proper clothing, sick people, and prisoners. They may have gotten to their state by choice or by happenstance. Regardless, they are the prime “ground” in which the gospel seed can grow.

Usually these people are overlooked because they do not seem to promise any return on the investment we may make in them, but this is where we might get it all wrong.

Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. 13  Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14  Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.” Luke 14:12-14 (NLT)

Jesus told us to care only for the reward that comes from God, and he promises to bless those who love the least of these his brethren.

If all we are looking for is what kind of immediate return on investment we can get here on earth, it makes no sense to spend time and resources on the “least of these,” but, if we care about eternal reward (and we should), it makes perfect sense. This is completely contrary to how most people in the world and many in the church think. The kingdom of God is often akin to looking at a photo “negative,” in which dark areas are light and light areas, dark.

The kingdom of God is many times a complete reverse of what the world thinks and values.

And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God. Luke 16:15 (NASB)

The “poor in spirit” are humble and are open to being taught, who have sorrow for their sins and a purity of heart, and who respond to the gospel and choose to follow Jesus. Quite often these people come from the edges of society, but sometimes wealthy, well-connected people are among the poor in spirit, too. Take for example, Nicodemus, a well-connected Pharisee who became a disciple of our Lord.

No matter where we find them, God is building his kingdom with humble people who are hungry for him. Every time such a person emerges, it is a surprising work of the Spirit. Such people are not “normal” as the world goes.

How do we find such people?

Only the Holy Spirit knows who they are and is able to guide us to them.

Jesus surprised the religious world when he chose rugged fishermen to become his disciples instead of gathering people from the religious elite. He surprised his own disciples when he chose a hated tax collector to join his band. He surprised them again when he included women, especially a despised Samaritan woman, who became his evangelist who brought an entire village to faith. I suppose many were surprised when he chose each of us, too. Would you consider yourself to be a likely or an unlikely candidate?

Would it surprise you to discover that every person who comes to Christ is unlikely? It is only by God’s grace that any of us make it.

How surprised were his disciples when the Lord commanded them to lower their nets into the deep, resulting in a tremendous catch? Do we depend on God to show us where the fish are?

It is possible that the Holy Spirit may send us to what we might consider to be an unlikely fishing hole.

The elderly are not usually prime targets for evangelism, but I have discovered that the Spirit is working in the lives of older people, too. God has not given up on them, and neither should we. It’s never too late as long as we are breathing. My ninety-three-year-old father-in law put his faith in Christ a week before he died! What a surprising gift of grace!

Assisted living centers are filled with neglected people who are often on the very edge of eternity. Would the Spirit of God send us to such as those? Perhaps God would lead us to work with the poor, those with felonies on their records, actual prisoners, sick people, or children without a functional family support structure. The list of possibilities is enormous.

God can guide us to the people in whom he is working and drawing toward Christ, if we ask him. Seek and you will find…

Once we find them, we can simply start loving them and see how God leads us from there. The pay for such labor is not much, but the benefits are heavenly.

The question is are we willing to be led by the Spirit to find those he has set his heart upon, or are we going to settle for using the world’s methods of marketing and promotion?

Are we willing to be surprised again and again by the Holy Spirit?

Prayer

Dear Lord, I want to be surprised every day as you lead me by your Spirit to seek out those you are calling to yourself, no matter where I may find them. Holy Spirit, lead me to those you want me to love and serve on your behalf. I trust you to develop compassion and faith in me to make a difference in their lives. Help me to be bold to share the gospel with them. Surprise me, Lord, again and again. Amen.

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