That Was Good

"I've been in the word longer than you've been alive, but that was good" 

This was the reaction of a lady that was in the congregation while I was preaching last Sunday. She made the effort to find me after the service was done and after introducing herself she promptly told me the line that I quoted above. She must have been in her mid-sixties, old enough to be my grandmother (theoretically of course), but her eyes had a sharpness and a keenness that held my attention for the few minutes that we spoke. I didn't just listen, but I heard her.

After this encounter it got me thinking: what was it that got her excited, why did she need to come and tell me these things, barely being able to contain her enthusiasm at the same time; did I say something right? It didn't take me long (four to five seconds) to know that it had nothing to do with me, rather it had everything to do with the message I was delivering. You see, good news does that to people. It helps people to see who they are, to realize their purpose, to encourage them to breakthrough and to know that none of it has to be done out of their own efforts.

The 'gospel', as Paul calls it is the very embodiment of good news. It carries with it a relevance that transcends context, a power that breaks open the hardest of hearts and a truth that sets people free. You see, we can be in church our whole lives, read the bible every day and still have no idea what the gospel really is. We look at Christianity like a religion instead of seeing it for what it is: becoming one with Jesus and enjoying the benefits of this union.

Paul is quoted in Romans 1:16 as saying, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes ..." The Apostle Paul had tasted and seen the effectiveness of the good news, so much so that he put it in writing, saying that there was nothing to persuade him otherwise. He'd seen the results of the gospel being preached with undiluted accuracy, the miracles that followed (Mark 16:17), the healings that took place and the freedom that was part and parcel. It made him come alive.

I don't know whether that lady had ever heard the gospel presented to her as it was that morning. All I know is that it changed her, it made her come alive. On your quest for truth, if the gospel of Jesus Christ does not sound like good news it probably isn't. If it hasn't got life, it can't make you come alive. Don't settle for an inferior gospel, pursue the real gospel of truth and power.

Eureka!

   Have you ever found out something about God, that you've never seen before? It may have been while you were reading the Word or in a time of worship or prayer and, suddenly, the Holy Spirit shows you something about God and His kingdom, in a fresh way. "Eureka, this changes everything!" This happens often to me, and it just keeps getting better. The more I find out about God, His character and His goodness, the more there is to find out; it's a snowball effect.

   With new-found knowledge, though, there comes a responsibility. Firstly, there is an onus on you to allow the new truth to work in your life, to become reality to you, to start walking it out and experiencing the freedom it brings. If truth doesn't lead to freedom, then it's not truth at all (John 8:32). Secondly, once we have made it a reality in our lives and see it's benefits, we need to extend the life to other people. It is only once you have broken through, that you can help others break through. We have a responsibility to help others share in the freedom we are experiencing ( Matt 28:18).

   However, herein lies the problem, not so much in the idea, but rather in the execution. We tend often to use new-found revelation knowledge to win arguments. We see it as our right to use something that God has shown us in order to show someone else that they are wrong in what they believe. This is the wrong attitude. Sometimes God shows us things, just so that we can benefit from it. But, more often than not, He shows us things so that the body can benefit, even if it is just one other person.

   When He does this we must realize that it wasn't us who came up with the idea, it was the Holy Spirit.Therefore if you feel God pressing it upon your heart to share the revelation with someone else, it is not up to you to convince them; it is only up to you to be obedient and present the truth that has been revealed to you. It is the job of the Holy Spirit to quicken the truth to them; helping it become a lasting revelation and not just the flavour of the week. (Rom 10:14)

   Taking this stance will cause a lot of conflict to be avoided, within the body of Christ. God knows how much you love that person and how much you want to make them see things your way; but do you think you love them more than God? No.  Our mandate is to help transition other people into the same freedom and fruitful life that we are experiencing, but at the end of the day every person is responsible for there own spiritual growth.

   What are you doing with your revelation, that which God is showing you? Are you using it to become spiritually proud and beat other Christians over the head with it? Or are you using it, in love, to try and help facilitate others to break through into what the Holy Spirit has shown you? (1 Cor 13:1)

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free"

How Should Christians Deal with Social Issues?

    We are surrounded by social issues every day. All around us there are people abusing substances, teenagers falling pregnant and crimes being committed, these are basic examples of negative social issues. The first question I want to pose is this: Are Christians responsible for solving social issues? The answer is an overwhelming, YES. We should be at the forefront of trying to put an end to upward suicide trends and increased gang-related violence, it is part of our mandate. The problem, however, does not lie in the if, it lies in the how.

    For decades now Christians have been trying to alleviate poverty by having fundraisers, buying food and clothes with the money raised and then handing it out to the needy, hoping it will solve the problem of having poor people on the streets. Albeit noble, this scenario and the many thousands like it are in vane, temporary at best. We constantly make the same mistake: WE ADDRESSS THE FRUIT AND NOT THE ROOT! The fruit of the issue is poverty, but the root is greed. The fruit of the issue is rape, but the root is evil lust. The fruit of the issue is gay marriage, but the root is deception. The fruit of the issue is wife abuse, but it is rooted in insecurity.

   There is an obvious trend to be found concerning the social issues we encounter everyday: They are all issues of the heart.  We are told that it is out of the heart that the issues of life flow (Prov 4:23). The apostle Paul does an interesting thing in Ephesians 6, when he addresses the issue of slavery, a major social issue at the time. He does not give his opinion on the merits of slavery, nor does he discredit the practice, instead, he immediatley addresses the heart issue, in the slave-master relationship. In verse 5 he says, "... in sincerity of heart as to Christ" , verse 6 "... doing the will of God from the heart" and verse 9 " ... your own Master is in heaven and there is no partiality with Him"

    What Paul has done here, is to successfully break down a highly controversial social issue of the day and make it simple. He didn't start a campaign against slavery, he didn't send out petitions and he didn't mobilize a prayer movement. He addressed the heart of the slave and the heart of the master, because from the heart flows all of life's issues.

    The fact is, that we don't put enough faith in the power of the gospel, the power of the good news of Jesus Christ, in order to let the gospel change people's lives. Instead we want to try and change people and their situations from the outside in, instead of from the inside out. The reality is that it is only the truth that will set people free (John 8:32) Only the good news of what Jesus has done for us has the power to break the cycle of poverty in our communities, it is the only force strong enough to forever bring people to their senses from a life-time of selfishness and greed. We must believe that the gospel is the answer, because it addresses the heart of the matter, the root, which will in turn bare good fruit.

    We must contend for the hearts of people, communities and nations. We must allow the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and understanding on how best to minister the gospel to people, who believe God has failed them. The people who are worst affected by negative social issues, need to know that God loves them, that He wants the best for them and that no matter what they've done, He still died for them.

    Paul sums up what happens to us when our hearts transition from being under satan's control (old man), to a full and vibrant life, living in the freedom of Christ (new man). This is what we should want society to look like.

"17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" - Ephesians 5:17-24

#3 Discipleship Under Grace: An Outline

Characteristics of a disciple

Bear fruit

“This is to my Fathers glory, that you bear much fruit showing yourself to be my disciples” John 15:8.
It is no effort for an apple tree to produce apples, nor an orange tree to produce oranges. The same is true for someone who is born again. Your spirit is made new and righteous according to 2 Corinthians 5:10 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” Our new nature is thus one that is no longer after the fleshly things, but after the spiritual things, because our spirit is totally renewed and made alive to Gods potential in us. The fruit that we bear will thus be a natural result of this act of faith and not something we do in order to attain it.

Fruit may come in the form of the fruit of the spirit, as found in Galatians 5:22-23. It may come in the form of gifts flowing through you, such as prophecy, healing, miracles, tongues, interpretation of tongues, words of wisdom and words of knowledge as set out in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10.

All of the above are unlikely occurrences in someone who has just recited a prayer at the back of the auditorium, there are exceptions of course, but history shows that people who bear much fruit are those who have been mentored into and taught how to best manifest Gods power through them. They have been taught on how the principles of healing work; they have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and have been guided through the bible into an understanding of what they are going through.

Remember: The goal is not fruit. The goal is a changing of the heart and a renewing of the mind. Fruit will be a natural and exciting product of these two elements combining in the life of any believer.


Multiplication

Acts 6:1 “And in those days when the number of disciples was multiplied…” Acts 6:7 “The word of God increased; and the number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly …”


Another characteristic of a disciple is multiplication. The pattern in the book of Acts gives us a good idea of what it meant to be a disciple – the disciples of the day preached the good news of Jesus Christ and the reality of this good news meant that more people joined them and their numbers increased!

Our aim is for every tribe, nation and tongue to hear and receive the gospel. It is to raise up leaders, who can carry on with the good works in the absence of the initiator. Success is largely dependant on whether there are successors or not. Discipleship thus ensures the sustainability of a particular work of God in a given environment.

Multiplication is thus a spin-off of effective discipleship and equipping. Disciples in the book of Acts did life together. They ate, lived and worshiped together. This meant that they gleaned off each other by learning from each others mistakes and profiting from each others wisdom, causing them to be encouraged in replicating these insights in other people.

Multiplication can thus also be seen as a fruit of effective discipleship in a believer. But, it is once again not the results we must focus on. The result of multiplication is only an indicator of a change of heart in individuals, through the Holy Spirit.

Freedom

John 8:31 “To the Jews who had believed in Him, Jesus said,” If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free”

In this verse Jesus paints a picture of progressing into being a disciple and what the end result will be. First, you have to believe in Him. This is a prerequisite to being a disciple; you must first be a believer – believe it or not!

Secondly, He said that “if you hold to my teaching” (NIV) or “abide in My word” (Amp), only then are you really His disciples. This then puts a clear separation between a believer and a disciple. A believer believes in his heart and confesses with his mouth (Romans 10:9-10), whereas a disciple holds to the teachings of Christ, which broadly entail: To love the Lord you God with all your might and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39).Something which most Christians today still struggle with and thus a watershed that can separate the strong in the faith from the not so strong.

The third step in the progression is to “know the truth”. Knowing the truth does not come merely from hearing, being exposed to or aligning oneself with the truth. ‘Knowing’, comes from embracing, engaging and meditating on the truth. It comes by the Holy Spirit opening up your eyes to the various truths contained in the scriptures, which reveal Jesus as the way the Truth and the life (John 14:6).

Lastly, having an intimate knowledge of Jesus, through relationship and revelation, ultimately brings freedom. Freedom from condemnation (Romans 8:1), freedom from sin (Romans 6:22), freedom to embrace, fully, all God has for you in Christ Jesus, in order to be an effective witness to a lost and dying world!

Living a life of freedom and liberty is the life Jesus intended for each one of us and one which marks a true disciple. “Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:16-17 NKJV)

Within every believer the Spirit of the Lord rests and when this Spirit is activated by faith, then freedom reigns in and through us and the fruits of the Spirit will abound.

Love

John 13:35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another”

The discipleship relationship rises and falls on the love one has for the person you are discipling. We are representing Jesus, who embodied love. God is love and we are His ambassadors (1 John 4:8).

Love is also an indicator of maturity. Maturity comes with the taking up of responsibility and the ultimate form of responsibility is to love your neighbor as yourself.

If we don’t share God’s love with others, then the chances are that they will not see God as a loving God. They will in turn, not disciple people into God’s love, but rather into a callous, regimented religion, that is a far cry from God’s intended plan.

This love is mostly seen as the agape or brotherly love, which we show towards one another and co notates affection. Another form of love is the phileo love, which represents tender affection and showing signs of love.

Love is the trademark of a disciple: “He who does not love (show good will towards) his brother abides in death” (1 John 3:14 NKJV emphasis added)

Love is a fruit of the revelation of God’s unmerited favor towards you through the sacrifice of the one man Jesus Christ: “But God demonstrated His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NKJV).

If we do not act in love then we act in vein. We are building our own kingdoms instead of the kingdom of God and will end up hurt, when rejection or non conformance is shown by the people who we have come to care for. This is unhealthy. We must, therefore, examine our motives and check our hearts, because if love isn’t the motivator, then it is probably power you are after.

Hardships

“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”( 2 Timothy 2:3 NKJV).
After Paul has spoken to Timothy about teaching others in the way he himself was taught (see introduction), he then goes on to mention that it won’t come without hardships.

The Amplified bible says it as the “hardships and sufferings which you are called to endure”. Thus, with the calling of being a true follower, student or disciple of Jesus, there will be hardships and suffering along the way. In fact, if you don’t bump into the devil somewhere along the way, it means you are going in the same direction!

The disciples and apostles in the days of the Acts church endured endless hardship and strife. In fact Paul lists the problems he went through: Beatings, imprisonments, riots, hard work, sleepless nights, hunger, persecution and being falsely accused (2 Corinthians 6)

It is not God who brings these hardships upon you; they are the attack of the enemy upon the calling and the destiny that is placed on the life of every believer. Hardships should be a sign to every believer that they are treading on enemy territory; they should be counted on as pure joy (James 1:2) and should prove to strengthen your resolve and forge your character as a true disciple.

2 Timothy 3:12 “Yes, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” It is therefore quite safe to say that a good trade mark of a disciple is one who endure hardships from time- to – time, but an even better mark is one that comes out the other side stronger and praising God for the opportunity to learn through circumstances. “He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us…” (2 Corinthians 1:10 NIV)

Go will always deliver us out of the darkest situation. It is often such situations that turn believers into disciples, as it brings them to a realization that they need God so much more and that there is so much more of Him to need.