I just returned last evening from attending our annual conference. This morning I am singing "I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God, we're joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod, for I'm part of the family, the family of God." Too bad you can't hear me ... Lisa can hardly contain herself with the angelic serenade :-).
This year I was impressed with the maturity displayed among the delegate body. The manner they conducted themselves on the floor was articulate and respectful. The care and encouragement they shared in the down time exemplified what the scriptures describe as a Spirit filled Christ follower. Again I am reminded of the importance for growth and maturity in our local churches. We live in an emotionally, relationally damaged world which often times plays out through unhealthy expressions in the local church. We must face the problem and include a strategy in our discipleship matrix.
In the original context of discipleship it refers to an individual who follows and emulates the life and teaching of a rabbi (teacher). They often left family and job to live with the rabbi knowing that some things must be caught rather than just taught. They became one with the rabbi.
Today discipleship has been defined by many as Bible study, church attendance and adherence to a slate of doctrine. But the infusion of life with Jesus Christ through the fullness of the Holy Spirit into the inner recesses of our personal brokenness and sin nature is missing. This is the rich affective message of holiness. That we can invite the power of Christ's presence into the brokenness of life and correct what the nature of sin and human error has caused. That we can emulate the life of Christ, not because of book learning and the doctrine man but because we have become the embodiment of Christ through full consecration and the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
The only way to raise the emotional, social, relational IQ of the church today is through the impartation of Christ's life into ours. All other strategy will fall short. We must ask God to become Jesus. Not as a member of the Trinity but through the impartation of His life into ours. This requires full surrender of self to Christ so that His nature become ours, so His mind controls our action, so His resurrection power can transform us from broken vessels of sin into people who display His life and glory. Are we ready the grow up?
Thanks for stopping by!
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Adrian
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Rabbi ... How do I do this ? What must I do beyond Bible study, church attendance and adherence to a slate of doctrine to allow this process to heal my brokeness ?
ReplyDeleteGreat question!
ReplyDeleteI think it requires an awareness of what we can and cannot accomplish through self effort. Some of what we are dealing with in life cannot be fixed by man. Some maturity issues require reparenting to fix. For most adults that is impossible to accomplish. We simply cannot go back into our family of origin and compensate for things we did not receive at the time. Things that are critical to our emotional maturity and behavior today.
No amount of self effort can over ride some parental influence or childhood trauma but God can. Through the restorative power of Christ we can learn a process of learning from our pain and how to let go and let God handle it. It means we must let God reparent us. How's that for a new concept?
I am working through a book called "Changes that Heal" by Cloud that deal with these exact concepts. See you Saturday Morning.
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