Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Discipleship 101 - Corporate Implications for the Disciple

We come to the point in our consideration of the practice of the original group of believers in the book of Acts. If you will recall, in the first article entitled "Discipleship 101 - What is discipleship anyway," I stated that the practices listed in Acts 2:42 could be best described with the phrase "they continued steadfastly." I would like to point out that this was not a solo effort. THEY continued steadfastly. It is without doubt that they practised these things as individuals as discussed in the other articles here. So why did they need to practice them together?



People make much out of how they don't "go to church," because of the problems they see in organized religion. I wholeheartedly agree with their analysis. However, I am not speaking of an organized religion, or a dead system of rules for behaviour. I am referring to an organic relationship with the "Ecclesia," the Greek word used in the New Testament for the Church, the Body of Christ.


The word Ecclesia has its beginnings about 1500 BC in Athens, and is a reference to their political gathering in the Acropolis. If you weren't aware, the Athenians practiced direct democracy, where everyone had a voice and everyone had a vote on the issues of the day that were of importance to their city-state. The English word "Church" does NOT originate from the word Ecclesia, but rather the Greek word Kuriakon, meaning "dedicated to the Lord." By either word in Greek, the concept of the Church as a building is glaringly absent. The Church is the collective gathering of those that Jesus has saved from the world, not the place they gather together. One has well said that the Church is not the building, but the people in it. The clear implication here is that the Church is a place of relationship, not rules.


The original group of about 3000 believers that were saved out of the world that first day the good news of Jesus was proclaimed abroad didn't have a building to go to, but a budding relationship with their risen Lord. It was a natural extension of their personal practice to come together and practice these things corporately as well. THEY continued steadfastly. Together. As the very BODY of the risen Christ. And like a body, the different members needed each other to grow.


I have spoken over many years to people that think they don't need to "go to church" to be a Christian. Although they are correct, they are missing out on the very mechanism that God has provided to bring us to maturity in Christ. I once heard a fellow say that "Going to Church makes you a Christian about as much as going to McDonalds makes you a hamburger." He is right! Faith in Jesus, God made flesh to die for our sins and set us free from sin's power makes us Christians. However, if we're talking about growth, the Ecclesia is the place that happens. It has been well said that "no one is an island."


In fact, I read posts and emails from and speak with Christians who struggle with sin in their lives, who are depressed all the time, and have no prayer life to speak of, don't read the word, don't worship, don't fellowship with God on a daily basis. When I ask them where they attend regular worship, they say "nowhere." It is no mystery to me that they have no real maturity as Christians, absent from others who could help them in their walks with Christ just by being there together with them. Why is that? Why do we need the corporate gathering of ourselves?


The very first reason (and I suspect this is what people are trying to escape naturally) is that it gives an accountability to your walk with Christ. It is very easy to claim Christianity as your banner if there is no one to tell you what that means. There is no context for your behaviour, and no one to challenge you if you are going astray. And it is our fallen nature to go astray...even the Apostle Paul, arguably the greatest disciple of the first century, siad that of himself.


The second reason (and people also run from this, they feel vulnerable) is that you actually have other people in relationship that are going in the same direction. It says in Ecclesiastes that where one falls, another will pick them up, and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. We need others to relate to, and we need them constantly. If we don't have them, we go astray (again, see the life of the Apostle Paul).


Individual practice is the basis for corporate exercise. We need to be in a strong place of fellowship where they practice the study of the Word, Fellowship with god and with each other, Worship of God collectively, and Corporate Prayer.


As always, if you have questions, please message me.


Gerry Brinkman
Administrator
The Christian Disciple

Original article here:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Christian-Disciple/241608885901471?sk=notes#!/notes/the-christian-disciple/discipleship-101-corporate-implications-for-the-disciple/267027620026264

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"You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
-John 8:32 (NASB)

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