What I learned from Evangelist George Whitfield and it's not what you think

The Spiritual formation of George Whitfield helped shape the entire Evangelical era. Whitefield was a influential preacher, who focused on sharing the gospel and inviting people to follow Jesus. Evangelists and most modern pastors implement principles from George Whitefield. In fact, “Most of the well-known evangelists in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries—including Whitefield—experienced dramatic conversions, which affected how they viewed conversion and how they operated as evangelists.”[1] Whitefield focused so much on the salvation message and a response; the follow-on spiritual formation training was lacking. [2]

Whitefield is known for his powerful sermons, but he also had a robust life of spiritual disciplines. Whitefield was known to “pray and sing the psalms three times a day, as Law advocated, as well as to fast each Friday, and regularly received the sacrament of Communion.”[3] Although a passionate evangelism, personal disciplined devotion to God was important to Whitefield. Genuine and impactful people have a high dependency on God.

Prayer was an important part of George Whitefield’s spiritual formation. As mentioned before, Whitefield set aside three times during the day to pray and worship. Nigel Scotland highlights Whitfield’s passion in prayer as he, “Learned the great value of souls, by so often appearing before God as an intercessor for them.”[4] So much is made out of Whitefield’s sermons and personality, his effectiveness was likely formed in his prayer time and not in his sermon preparation.

Reaching people for Jesus and shaping them according to God’s ways was through prayer, according to Whitfield’s model of life. On the surface, I thought Whitefield neglected discipleship and simply wanted people to be converted, however, this is not the case. George Whitefield had a complete dependency on God to do the forming. I am reminded of 1 Thessalonians 5:23, that states, “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We have a role, as God’s servants to help shepherd, but God always brings the growth. “So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” (1 Corinthians 3:7, NIV). We do work and do our due diligence, but God is the one who is the factor in spiritual formation to bring spiritual growth.

I have a few opportunities to relate these ideas to my own spiritual formation. For many years, prayer was a major part of my life. In the last few months, I have slid away from the necessity of prayer. It is not because I do not think I need God, but it is because I have fallen out of practice. As I am writing this, I set my alarm back on my phone to alert me it is time to pray. This practice was critical for me for many years and regrettably, I have missed out lately. I am busy, but the truth is it is about priority. I am inspired by Whitefield’s devotion and I am reminded of the great times I have had in God’s presence. I love worshiping corporately in a church service, but there is nothing quite like the intimacy I experience when I am with God. I am excited about my prayer time with God tonight. When are you spending time with God regularly?

[1] Gerald L. Sittser, Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries, (IVP Books, 2007), 250.

[2] Ibid., 249

[3] Nigel Scotland, George Whitefield the First Transatlantic Revivalist, (Oxford: Lion Books, 2019), 150.

[4] Ibid., 150.

Reformed Spiritual Formation

Introduction

Following the Middle Ages, the next 200 years (AD 1400-1600) is known as the Reformation Era of spiritual formation. The Reformation was a significant turn from previous eras where worship centered around Mass transitioned to pulpit preaching emerging as the central aspect of worship.[1]  The reformation was a rejection of many Catholic teaching and practices that were nearly all human-driven involvement in spiritual formation. The reformers emphasized personal, rather than collective, spiritual formation. Furthermore, individual devotional Bible study and preaching were the two main elements of spiritual transformation.

Theologian #1

The reformer credited with starting the reformation is Martin Luther. He lived from 1483-1546 and he came from poor beginnings in Germany. Luther joined a monastery, but his sinful nature was constantly at the forefront of his mind. While at Wittenberg, Luther’s life changed from Romans 1:17, as he stated, “I was seized with the conviction that I must understand Paul’s letter to the Romans… but to that moment one phrase in chapter 1 stood in my way.”[2] Luther’s spiritual formation was simply reading Scripture and believing what God said. Luther does not describe steps of growth, but he does spend time explaining his conversion, which was a process of unlearning things from Catholicism. After reading Romans with new eyes, Luther said, “This immediately made me feel as though I had been born again and as though I had entered through open gates into paradise itself.”[3] Luther’s spiritual formation was centered around and was driven by the gospel.

Over the years Luther taught Scripture and strongly came against the practice of selling “indulgences, which the popes dispensed in order to reduce the number of years the faithful had to spend in purgatory.”[4] Luther’s view of the gospel gave the Christian freedom. “Martin Luther had much to say on the topic of Christian freedom from his tract from 1520.”[5] It all came to a head when Luther posted his ninety-five theses publicly challenging the Catholic church on October 31, 1517.

Theologian #2

John Calvin is one of the most well-known reformers. He was born in Noyon, France in 1509. Influenced by German Humanists, Calvin become reformed in 1533 or 1534.[6] Calvin was shy and reluctant to lead, but people around him thrusted him into the spotlight. In 1536 the Geneva city council Luther was persuaded to be the cities primary preacher, but he was let go two years later after his attempted changes to the church were unpopular.[7] Calvin was most comfortable serving as a local pastor, but he knew he had a higher calling as the movement’s leader.[8]

Spiritual formation, for Calvin, was primarily rooted in the revelation from the Scriptures. Consistent with reformed theology, Calvin believed God was the driver in spiritual formation, but it was accomplished through faithful reading of the Bible. Additionally, “Calvin believed the Holy Spirit provided inner testimony in the heart of believers to enable them to understand, believe and obey the Word, for there can be no higher or greater witness to God than God himself.”[9] Due to Calvin’s high view of Scripture, preaching God’s Word was the vehicle for bringing about spiritual formation. Sittser affirms, “The Reformers labored to preach well because they had a high view of the Word of God, whether incarnate, written, preached or made visible in the sacraments.”[10] Calvin is known as a theologian who emphasized the reliance on the Holy Spirit for spiritual growth through self-denial.[11]

Theologian #3

            Erasmus was a leader during the Reformation Era, and he is known as the “Prince of the humanists.”[12] Humanism in Erasmus’ day had a very different meaning compared to what one might think it is today. Humanism “encouraged the renewal, a rebirth or renaissance, of an old idea of ‘the human’, which included notions of ethical behaviour in public life, the importance of history, and an ideal of beautiful style in writing.”[13]

Many reformers’ discrepancies with the church were so great they typically left, but not humanists. Erasmus of Rotterdam (1469-1536) was no different, staying connected to the church even though he issued many criticisms against it.[14] Erasmus’ view of spiritual formation came about through intellectual and cultural means. In other words, growing into a mature Christian does not exclusive to “spiritual” or “religious” activities such as Scripture memorization or prayer. Erasmus embraced and taught a holistic view of spiritual formation. Unlike most of the other reformers, Erasmus did not see preaching and personal Bible study as the primary vehicles for spirituality. In fact, Erasmus became influential and famous through his writing and not his preaching.[15]

Conclusion

The reformation era covered approximately 200 years and theologians in that time provide various complementary views of spiritual formation. Martin Luther delivered a view of spiritual formation focusing on the Bible and one’s new identity. Luther was certainly influenced by his own conversion. One Luther knew who he was in Christ, he believed spirituality would follow. John Calvin seemed to build on Luther’s spiritual formation by emphasizing the importance of preaching to grow spiritually. Calvin had the heart of a local pastor with a desire to preach God’s Word to his congregation, but his gifts elevated him to cause him to reluctantly be the face of the reformation for a time. In addition to the need for a Christian to hear solid biblical preaching, Calvin also taught the role of the Holy Spirit in spiritual formation. The pure humanist, Erasmus, had a stark difference in practice compared to Luther and Calvin. Erasmus opened the aperture of what spiritual formation encompassed. For Erasmus, spiritual formation included the arts, education, beauty, and culture and not a compartmentalized view of spirituality.

[1] Gerald L. Sittser, Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries, (IVP Books, 2007), 210.

[2] Ibid., 214.

[3] Martin Luther, Freedom of the Christian, (Dillengerger, 1520), 61.

[4] Gerald L. Sittser, Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries, (IVP Books, 2007), 215.

[5] Ibid., 217.

[6] Ibid., 218.

[7] Ibid., 219.

[8] Ibid., 219.

[9] Gerald L. Sittser, Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries, (IVP Books, 2007), 221.

[10] Gerald L. Sittser, Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries, (IVP Books, 2007), 227.

[11] David Kaywood, “John Calvin: Who He Is, What He Did, and Why He Matters,” Gospel Relevance, August 20, 2018.

[12] Gerald L. Sittser, Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries, (IVP Books, 2007), 218.

[13] William Barker, Erasmus of Rotterdam : The Spirit of a Scholar, (London: Reaktion Books, Limited, 2021), 9.

[14] Gerald L. Sittser, Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries, (IVP Books, 2007), 218.

[15] William Barker, Erasmus of Rotterdam : The Spirit of a Scholar, (London: Reaktion Books, Limited, 2021), 11.

The first 1300 years of Spiritual Formation

Introduction

Spiritual formation through the Patristic and Medieval eras covers the first 1300 years of church history. Christians of any era tend to look at their own small view of history and the world causing them to draw inaccurate conclusions about spiritual formations. Sittser explains that, “History can be a valuable resource for us, especially in the spiritual life, for it provides examples of how believers who lived in other times and places understood what it means to seek, know and experience God, which captures the essential meaning of “spirituality.”[1] History has a way of expanding one’s view of the future with a more accurate view of the past.

Theologian #1

The Bishop at Smyrna, Polycarp, is a church leader who brought a way of spiritual formation that fit his context. Polycarp was killed in AD 155 for his faith in Jesus, and it is recorded that as he was put into an arena to be killed a voice from heaven said, “Be strong, Polycarp, and play the man.”[2] As many early Christians, Polycarp’s view of spiritual formation included the strong possibility for martyrdom.

Polycarp’s strong and defiant type of spiritual formation is one of the main driving predominant themes. Sittser explains some of the context in which Polycarp lived by stating, “Not only did he refuse to yield to the power of the state, dangerous enough in itself, but he also challenged Rome’s religious pluralism.”[3] The environment was in violent opposition to Christianity in the second century, so Polycarp’s spiritual formation did not have Christians cowering away from confrontation. Polycarp believed in Jesus, and this resulted in a rejection of sacrifice or worship in honor of Caesar, according to Sittser.[4]

Polycarp’s teachings of bold opposition to polytheism and Caesar worship contributed to a larger view of martyrdom as integral to spiritual formation. In fact, “The early martyrs believed that if Jesus is Lord and the only Savior, then he accepts no rivals—no person or religion or ideology or empire.”[5] Polycarp did not teach that martyrdom earned God’s love, but it was the response, if necessary, to express they already received God’s love.[6]

Theologian #2

Augustine of Hippo was a Bishop of Carthage and he lived from AD 354 to 430. Augustine’s writings about his transformation from sinner to saved is an important early work after the biblical accounts. “Augustine is one saint among hundreds whose stories need to be told, remembered and cherished, for they remind us that we are not alone, that we do not know it all, that we have not exhausted the depths of the Christian faith.”[7]

Augustine’s approach to spiritual formation was often characterized by one’s acknowledgement and not simply adjusting behavior. For example, Augustine’s In the City of God he writes, “Accordingly, two cities have been formed by two loves: the earthly by the love of self, even to the contempt of God; the heavenly by the love of God, even to the contempt of self.”[8] The theme of illustrating the dichotomy between who gives acknowledgement to God. Augustine does not highlight the consequences of sin or struggles to success, but he primarily who gives credit to God and who gives credit to themselves. The inevitable conclusion of the Christian is in a humble is left in a humble place because they realized they take the credit for their achievements and neglect to give them to God.

The next place Augustine seeks to spiritual guide the Christian after being humble is resting in Christ’s finished sacrifice. Augustine states, “Oh! That I might repose on Thee! Oh! That Though wouldest enter into my heart, and inebriate it, that I may forget my ills, and embrace Thee, my sole good!”[9]  Realizing one’s sin, through pride, and then resting in the finished work of Jesus on the Cross is the foundation of Augustine’s method for spiritual formation.

Theologian #3

            In the year 1225, Thomas Aquinas was born into a wealthy family in Benedictine Abbey of Monte Cassino.[10] Aquinas had a significant experience with God, and this changed his life, which impacted his implementation of spiritual formation. During a Mass, Aquinas took the eucharist and “he was struck blind, deaf and dumb.”[11] Although before Aquinas’ experience during Mass, he wrote significant theological volumes: Summa Contra Gentiles and Summa Theologica.

            Experientialism drove Aquinas’ spiritual formation while it was still grounded in biblical theology. Mysticism was a growing movement at the same time, but Aquinas was not a mystic, according to Sittser.[12] However, similarly to mystics, Aquinas valued his experiential encounter with God weightier than his previous biblical theology. For example, he is recorded as saying, “All that I have written seems to me nothing but straw … compared to what I have seen and what has been revealed to me.”[13]

Conclusion

The spiritual formation is about growing to be more like Jesus, but theologians from the first century to the medieval period emphasized different aspects. 1300 years is a large swath of time, and several different influences impacted the church leaders and how they taught spiritual formation. Polycarp’s spiritual formation of bold opposition to religious oppression from the government was effective in his time. Augustine often presented the two paths to guide a Christian to the path Jesus paved, since Christianity was legal by this point. Aquinas had powerful experience with God, which could speak into the culture influenced by Mysticism. The author of Hebrews said it best, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various way” (Hebrews 1:1). The next verse in Hebrews states God gave his final word through Jesus (Hebrews 1:2). As with each of the aforementioned theologians, spiritual formation is contextualized differently, but it is always based on the final testimony of Jesus. The same goes for modern and future times, spiritual formation will be different than in the past but with the same goal, “to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29, NIV).

[1] Gerald L. Sittser, Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries (IVP Books, 2007), 18.

[2] Ibid., 42.

[3] Ibid., 43.

[4] Gerald L. Sittser, Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries (IVP Books, 2007), 43.

[5] Ibid., 47.

[6] Ibid., 47.

[7] Ibid., 17.

[8] Courtney Brewer, “The Earthly and Heavenly Cities,” (Media Gratiae, September 27, 2021).

[9] Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo, The Confessions of St. Augustine, trans. E. B. Pusey (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1996).

[10] Ibid., 164.

[11] Gerald L. Sittser, Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries (IVP Books, 2007), 165.

[12] Gerald L. Sittser, Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries (IVP Books, 2007), 165.

[13] Ibid., 165.

Die to Live - The Necessity of Suffering for Spiritual Growth

Why would someone say, “For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain” (Phil 1:21)? What could someone possibly gain? Although hard to fully grasp, it makes sense to gain from dying because the follower of Jesus is finally with Him. Peter, however, takes it a step beyond and says suffering is good for you. How can suffering, which is from Satan, be a means to draw you to God? Doesn’t this mean Satan is winning? Maybe it depends on how one goes into it and through it that matters. Peter states, “But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed.… Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear his name” (1 Pet 4:12–13, 16).

Gerald Sittser claimed, "Martyrdom is foundational to our understanding of Christian spirituality, for it highlights what was—and still is—distinctive and essential in Christianity".[1] Sittser’s claim is off-putting since it is not generally a message heard in many Christian circles. However, considering “Missiologist David B. Barrett estimates that 160,000 Christians were martyred in the year 2000 alone.”[2] Potentially the trouble many Christians in the western world have trouble fitting the concept of martyrdom as an essential in Christianity because it is not a lived experience for virtually anyone in the United States. It seems Sittser is saying a Christian must follow Jesus and be willing to die and not that they must die for their faith. If martyrdom was a requirement, then even the Apostle John, one of Jesus’ original followers, would be exempt from being a “true” follower of Jesus.

Although the concept of being willing to die for following Jesus is not always taught, it is certainly not because there is a lack of biblical support. One of the strongest verses for being willing to die for Jesus is found just before the mountain top proclamation of Romans 8:38-39 states, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Paul prefaced his confidence on the person who fits into this category by stating, “If children, then heirs – heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:17).  Jesus plainly told his would-be followers, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Sittser’s claim is a bit broad brushed because theologically there are two nuanced things at play: the willingness to be martyred and the refinement that suffering brings.

The concepts of being willing to die for my faith and suffering have shaped my life. Although I have not faced death for my faith in Jesus, I have faced insults. Of course, being willing to be insulted is not the same as the willingness to die, but the mindset is similar. Jesus said, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” (Luke 16:10). God’s Word teaching us that living for God in the small things gets us ready for the big things, because it is about a mindset. It is the same mindset to be faithful over a little money as it is with being faithful over a lot. The opposite is plainly seen as most professional athletes and lottery winners end up broke, because their mindset never changed.

[1] Gerald L. Sittser, Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries (IVP Books, 2007), 47.

[2] Ibid., 47.

The Role of Preaching in Spiritual Formation

The preaching of the Word of God is one of the most significant guiding elements of spiritual formation in the life of a Christian. Whether a church is geared more toward the unbeliever or the believer it is the preaching, more than anything else, that spiritually forms those in attendance. A biblical example of the formative power of God’s Word was preached by Paul, who was not known as a great speaker. Thompson stated, “Paul’s preaching (1 Thess. 1:5; cf. 1 Cor. 1:18; 2:1–4), demonstrating that Paul did not come as an orator with words alone, but with power.”[1] Paul is not saying he did not preach, but that even though he was not skilled at preaching God’s power still shaped people. Paul said something like the church in Rome, by stating, For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16, NIV).  Preaching the message of the gospel from God’s Word is powerful. Another example is in Iconium as Paul and Barnabas “spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed” (Acts 14:1, ESV).

The church shares part of the responsibility to give messages to build each other. Paul discusses the worship of the believers and “He assumes the active participation of all the members in the service: “Each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation.”[2] In the early church, there was no such thing as a single pastor, who preaches, and everyone else listens. Of course, preaching to the congregation happens, but it is not all that happens. Every follower of Jesus has something to give to another Christian for the purpose “For building up” (1 Corinthians 14:26).

Not everyone should teach (preach) or be a pastor, but if you do there are some guiding principles to help give impactful sermons. If someone preaches a topical or an expository sermon based on a passage, which Jesus did both, there are a few ideas that may help you. Maybe you are not a pastor but you are considering being part of a church and wondering what should a sermon have. Objectively, it should have God’s Word as the foundation and the Word should be used for a few things (2 Timothy 3:16, 4:2). Many pastors have different styles, such as some use props, stories, illustrations, humor, and many other things that are not important unless any of these things remove the main thing: God’s Word. In the letters to Timothy we get an inside perspective of a pastor training another pastor as Paul passes on some essentials. In those letters, we see the Scriptures are not there to add credibility to the pastor’s idea, but it is the very thing everything is hanging on. The first basic question to ask is if the passages referenced in the sermon were removed, would it substantively change the message? If the answer is “No,” then leave. But wait, there’s more.

Assuming the sermon was foundationally based on Scripture, was it presented with the same intent the original biblical author had for the original audience? This is known as Exegesis. It is pulling the original meaning out and explaining it. This takes some investigation and study on your part. This is incredibly important because we underestimate the ability someone has to overcome their lack of biblical accuracy with their style, delivery, or personality.

Did the sermon point to Jesus as the absolute focus? The power is in the Gospel of Jesus and that is it (Romans 1:16). Another clear example is found in a call to all Christians, which includes pastors as it states, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20). Tips for getting a better life is nice, but it is not a sermon.

Did the sermon teach me to be like Jesus, did it correct sinful behavior, or did it train me to use my gifts for the kingdom (2 Timothy 3:16)? The point of all of that is, did I fall in love (again) with Jesus? Of course, this part is also on the hearer and a heart issue, but the intent to do that must be there.

[1] James W. Thompson, The Church according to Paul: Rediscovering the Community Conformed to Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2014), 25.

[2] Ibid., 230.

Connected for Growth

            The stories Jesus told brought the truth to life for those who wanted to know the truth. The parables of Jesus were certainly a hallmark of his teaching to the masses. Jesus spoke directly to his disciples but primarily spoke in parables to most people. A parable is a fictional story, presented with plausible scenarios, to give one key spiritual truth.

            The parables of show growth in the physical world that are meant to illustrate the reality of spiritual growth. Lowe states, “Peter draws a straight line between how “the newborn infant grows physically on the basis of milk” and how “the believer grows spiritually on the basis of the word” in 1 Peter 2:2.[1] Plainly stated, the spiritual world, in principle, works the same as the physical world. In many ways, physical and spiritual realities also correspond to one another. For example, Moses had spiritual encounters with God, and his face physically changed causing him to put a veil on his face (Exodus 34:33). Paul explains, “Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away” (1 Corinthians 3:15-16, NIV).

The ecology of spiritual formation is illustrated by the natural environment and how it is designed to grow. Jesus told a parable of a farmer who planted the seed and the elements that allowed it to grow. It is important to note Jesus does not focus on individual growth, but the point of the parable is to show “This is what the kingdom of God is like” (Mark 4:26, NIV). In other words, Jesus shows the intertwined nature of the spiritual kingdom of God and individual spiritual growth. Lowe explains, “The parable teaches us that we cannot make anything grow on our own.”[2] Jesus shows that spiritual growth, like natural growth, is not an exact formula, but if the conditions are right things generally grow. God is the one who brings growth, not simply following steps.

The parable of the Sower teaches the ecology of spiritual formation about the person letting the seed sink in and God brings the growth. “The other soil environments did not allow the seed to sink into the soil, germinate, and grow. As with most parables, the storyteller avoids extraneous details, but we can assume that the original audience filled in the details as they heard the story.”[3] The Sower does his job and the seeds do their job, but the environment was the determining factor. The seed attempted to grow in every environment, but it only succeeded in good deep soil. Jesus gives the parable of the Sower explaining the key truth that the environment, God, and the willingness of the soil, to let the seed sink in, all factor into the scenario. The other truth is that the environment is not neutral, but hostile. There is an active enemy and a fallen world that fights against growth. The seed that grew and multiplied did so because of the ecology of spiritual formation.

The parable of the mustard seed is another message Jesus gave that shows the ecology of spiritual formation. This parable is also Jesus’ explanation of the kingdom of God and not only about personal spiritual growth. Of course, personal growth is evident, but Jesus is showing the ecology of growth as it encompasses the entire kingdom. Although the parable of the mustard seed is short in length, it gives a massive spiritual truth regarding spiritual formation.

To illustrate the important spiritual truth, Jesus uses one of the smallest seeds to do it. Jesus said, “It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches” (Luke 13:19, NIV). Again, the ecology of spiritual formation involves the environment, but the big idea is that it starts small and grows large. Many times, Jesus spoke about spiritual formation by using agricultural analogies, but Paul often used the analogy of the body.

The body of Christ is the means and exercise of spiritual formation for the individual Christian as they are mutually dependent on the collective church. The church, or the body of Christ, is the environment for growth for the Christian. The New Testament paints a clear picture that a follower of Jesus is spiritually grafted into Christ’s body. Therefore, there is no room for thinking a Christian is following Jesus but they just do not need the church. The first letter from John explains why it seems people just leave the church. John states, “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us” (1 John 2:19, NIV). John is not talking about people who left their church building, but he is talking about people who claimed to follow Jesus but then left the association with the body of Christ completely.

The connection of the Christian to the church is spiritual, which means each part of the body can inflict both growth and damage. For example, 1 Corinthians 5 is Pauls’s response to sex outside of marriage, a husband and a wife in a covenant, and the impact it has “among you.” James Thompson states, “Paul responds to reports of sexual immorality (porneia) at Corinth with a concern for the integrity and holiness of the entire community: “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality [porneia] among you” (5:1).”[4] In this case, and many like it, there is a temptation to believe there is an individual sin. Unfortunately, since followers of Jesus are spiritually part of a body, the individual’s sin has a ripple effect on the church. Conversely, the choice to encourage someone, give good advice, pray with someone, mourn with a person, give to the poor, or share the good news of Jesus will also have a corresponding ripple.

[1] Stephen D. Lowe and Mary E. Lowe, Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age: Spiritual Growth through Online Education (Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2018), 42.

[2] Stephen D. Lowe and Mary E. Lowe, Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age: Spiritual Growth through Online Education (Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2018), 43.

[3] Ibid., 45.

[4] James W. Thompson, The Church according to Paul: Rediscovering the Community Conformed to Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2014), 68.

Ecology of Spiritual Growth

Paul’s writings affirm the importance of the ecology of spiritual formation, but it has been God’s plan from the beginning. Ecology in the physical world reveals the natural order of things grow in the context of community. To say is stronger, nothing grows without the assistance of something outside of itself. Furthermore, “Biological, social, and physical scientists all agree that we live in a universe more akin to a spider’s web or power grid than to telegraph or telephone lines strung between poles.”[1]

God’s original design for human development was ecological as people developed and flourished in the Garden of Eden. Creation grows and it moves in a particular direction. An apple seed grows into a tree with many apples with seeds. All things in nature multiply into something like themselves but into something greater than themselves. The directional growth indicates God’s design to grow together in an intertwined web. Paul writes to the Roman church and reminds them, “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). Stephen and Mary Lowe present five areas God uses to spiritually form the Christian. Lowe shows the five areas of spiritual formation in ecology are moral, social, emotional, intellectual, physical, and spiritual.[2]

The perfect design of ecological spiritual formation was broken by rebellion, but God is still forming people toward His original design. God uses the Church as the epicenter of spiritual formation as it is connected to all other areas of ecology. Paul stated, “in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19, ESV). The body of Christ is God’s plan to reconcile, bringing broken things together, and relationships to God and to other people. In fact, the way God brings healing is through Christians, whom Christ “gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (1 Corinthians 5:18, ESV). The larger implication is that the church is not meant to be relegated to a peripheral position, but it is the source of healing of all relationships. God’s Word is not suggesting people from the church go out and solve social, political, and other relational problems, but that healing can happen as all those areas connect to the church.

The reality is the church has not successfully been the healing entity for the community. Lowe affirms that “the Christian community has yet to formulate a robust theology of networks and ecosystems.”[3] Many churches have tried to heal the community or be the ones who bring the message of reconciliation between God and humans. However, many churches often shift from the mission of the church to accomplishing the goal.

The topic of social justice in the church is a hot-button issue now, but Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert cover the topic in their 2011 book What is the Mission of the Church. They tackle how a church should respond to sin and dysfunction in the world around the church. DeYoung et al, state, “To put this in terms of a principle, generally speaking we would suggest that a local church should tend toward doing those activities and spending its resources on those projects that more directly, rather than less directly, further its central mission.”[4] DeYoung et al, suggest the way the church is Christ’s instrument to reconcile all things by focusing on Christ’s mission for the church. To use an example from ecology, a seed only works on growing into a tree, instead of making sure deer have equitable access to eat the fruit on the tree that will one day grow. The church must focus on the mission Jesus gave it, and the community will reap the benefits while Christ reconciles all things to himself. The way the church grows is together first and then the branches reach the community.

The unity of the mission is the practical way to impact the community. Jesus empowers the church to impact the world, through the Gospel, in an unconventional way. For example, Jesus states, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35, NIV). Jesus gave an ecological growth strategy that directly commanded unity in the church. The church is called to reach the world around them, by being complementary to one another.

Ecology of spiritual formation is the idea that individual Christians mature in the context of the church and its interaction with the surrounding community. In other words, “Thinking ecologically about spiritual growth involves a number of propositions that collectively offer convincing evidence for reframing spiritual growth from an ecological perspective.”[5] The perspective of the Christian must change to think in terms of growing collectively with the church that is reaching out to the community with the good news of Jesus. The prevailing view is that Christians come to church to be “filled” or “fed.” However, this notion is remarkably absent from Scripture, at least in the way this is the goal. Christians with the mission in mind will mutually build each other up in the church. The Thessalonian church is told to “encourage one another and build one another up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV). The author of Hebrews implores the church to “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24, ESV). The paradigm shifts from a consumer perspective to being a contributor as the church grows collectively (Colossians 3:16; Proverbs 27:17; Romans 14:19).

[1] Stephen D. Lowe and Mary E. Lowe, Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age: Spiritual Growth through Online Education (Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2018), 11.

[2] Ibid., 18.

[3] Stephen D. Lowe and Mary E. Lowe, Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age: Spiritual Growth through Online Education (Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2018), 207.

[4] Kevin DeYoung and Gilbert, Greg, What Is the Mission of the Church?: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission, (Wheaton: Crossway, 2011), 194.

[5] Stephen D. Lowe and Mary E. Lowe, Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age: Spiritual Growth through Online Education (Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2018), 210.

What is biblical Spiritual Formation?

A biblical theology of spiritual formation is not self-evident, because it is not natural, but it is taught by God Himself. Jesus, during his earthly ministry, brought spiritual formation into full view, but the concept and practice were around before the Son of God became flesh. Jesus was not teaching a new thing, but the correct version of an old thing. Since Jesus is the exact representation of God’s being, Christians are being shaped into Christ’s image (Hebrews 1:3). The reason for spiritual formation is not to make moral beings, but to make human sinful nature, conform to spiritual nature.  Christ’s redemption of humanity exchanges the sinner’s consequences for Christ’s perfection and Jesus offers a full life now (John 10:10). Paul explains, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 9:29, NIV).

The mission Jesus gave the church was spiritual formation. Jesus told his followers, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20, ESV). Jesus gave three major areas to act as milestones of transformation. The power to accomplish the transformation and spiritual formation are by the Holy Spirit. “It is actually the Holy Spirit who does the transforming of a person’s spirit and life.”[1]

The Bible is the primary catalyst God uses in spiritual formation. “God’s revelation has come through the inspired writings of Moses and all the other prophets in the Old Testament and, most importantly, through God’s own divine Son, Jesus Christ, the ultimate prophet, priest, and king, and revealed in the New Testament.”[2] The foundation for the theology of spiritual formation is rooted in Scripture. In fact, Averbeck affirms, Psalm 119:105, where God’s word is described as “a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”[3] The Scriptures are act as a lamp and a light. In one way, the lamp of Scripture gives the next step of spiritual guidance. On the other hand, Scripture is a light providing a long-term direction for how God will eventually shape the Christian.

The Scriptures are critical for spiritual formation because the path is illuminated by the correct things. God knows the way his children are meant to grow and He lays out the path in His Word. Averbeck cites events in the life of Saul and David to highlight the importance of correct biblical theology of spiritual formation to know what occurred. For example, “The Holy Spirit came upon one king and departed from the other, and was replaced in the latter by an “evil spirit from the LORD,” which, in turn, tormented him in his human spirit.”[4]

The Bible is needed for spiritual formation into the likeness of Christ, according to Averbeck. Spiritual truth is in the Bible about who God is and how a Christian ought to live. A person could not omit the Bible and gain correct information to grow. Transformation happens when a person understands and believes correct information about God to renew their mind (Romans 12:2). The importance of the Bible for spiritual formation is seen in 2 Timothy 3:15, as Paul tells Timothy “From infancy you have known the holy Scriptures.” In other words, Paul explained the Scriptures were the means God used, in partnership with Timothy, to form him spiritually. “The point is that, whether directly or indirectly, the whole of Scripture contributes to the understanding and practice of spirituality and spiritual formation.”[5] According to Averbeck, the Bible is necessary for spiritual formation. Averbeck states, “The Bible is God’s special revelation, so we need to rely on it and align with it as we study, practice, and teach spiritual formation.”[6] The Bible is not a supplement for spiritual formation, but the Bible is absolutely imperative for it. “The goal of spiritual formation as revealed in the Word of God is the (trans)formation of our hearts and lives into the very image of Jesus Christ Himself, which is the will of God the Father.”[7]

The Holy Spirit is the one who gives the revelation to understand the Scriptures and empowers the believer to live it out. The Holy Spirit develops Christians through individual understanding, but that is not all. God’s spirit draws Christians into a community, which is essential for full spiritual growth. “We do not appreciate ‘community’ as we should, and often we do not really understand how important it is to engage personally in fellowship and the building up of the local and universal community of faith.”[8]

[1] Richard Averbeck, “Spirit, Community, and Mission: A Biblical Theology for Spiritual Formation,” Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care, Vol. 1, No. 1, 27-53, 2008.

[2] Richard Averbeck, “The Bible in Spiritual Formation,” in The Kingdom Life: A Practical Theology of Discipleship and Spiritual Formation, Allen Andrews (Ed.), NavPress, 2010.

[3] Ibid., 205.

[4] Richard E. Averbeck, “Spirit, Community, and Mission: A Biblical Theology for Spiritual Formation.” Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care 1, no. 1 (Spr 2008): 31.

[5] Ibid., 30.

[6] Averbeck, Richard. The Kingdom Life : A Practical Theology of Discipleship and Spiritual Formation. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress Publishing Group, 2010. Accessed October 26, 2022.198.

[7] Ibid., 199.

[8] Richard E. Averbeck, “Spirit, Community, and Mission: A Biblical Theology for Spiritual Formation.” Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care 1, no. 1 (Spr 2008): 35.

There is a WAY to do Discipleship

The way my brain works is it is always trying to answer questions. Most of my messages, sermons, podcasts basically answer questions. When I observe something I wonder, why did that happen and also what was not said. For example, Jesus commanded his disciples to make other disciples and to disciple them (teach them to obey), but he didn’t seem to tell them how.

Since Jesus did not give us a systematic course in discipleship, I think we have a lot of freedom in how. I am going to share something with you that might be developed as a system in your church. If you are not in a position to implement a system, it will still bless you and provide some focus to your own discipleship journey. Hey, if nothing else, its interesting and it will help you fall back in love with Jesus!

It fascinates me Jesus made the claim he is “THE WAY.”

·       “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, ESV)

The description of the term “Christianity” was predominately called “the Way” by the first church. It wasn’t until the Jesus’ disciple-making movement outsiders noticed behavior of “the Way” when people started to call them Christians. In other words, people noticed some kind of pattern or close enough similarities to associate Christ with the “way” people were living, so they called them “Christians.” It seems modern Christianity have attempted, knowing or unknowingly, created the categories of either a Christian or a Disciple. This distinction is nowhere in the life and teaching of Jesus. Moving on…

This brings me to the question, why were they called “the Way.” I don’t think it is as simple as, “well that’s just what they were called back then, but now we call the Christians.”

Offer a Map, Not a Menu (Eric Geiger)

·       I spent 15 years Active in the Marine Corps. In that time, I deployed a few times. Some deployments were more combat related but in other cases, we were more of a contingency force waiting in case something happened. These were most of the time I was on ship deployments. Its not always fun being stuffed on a ship with a few thousand other people in very close quarters. Those are some of the times when things look better in hindsight and you appreciate it looking back. We did get to go to many different countries when we stopped on port calls.

·       I remember my first ship deployment we went to various places. One of those places was Greece and I just wanted off the ship to wonder around. We docked in a placed called Thessaloniki, which is referred in the Bible in the book of Thessalonians. Right there in the town there is a church built and a statue to remember the Apostle Paul. I know people who paid extra for a tour to places like Athens. I thought, I should do that, but it costs money and, hey, I will figure something else out. There is plenty to see. It wasn’t until I saw the pictures and heard people’s experiences of all they saw and learned with memories they will have for the rest of their lives, I realized I made a big mistake.

·       Thankfully, on my next ship deployment, I would not make the same mistake. We got to go to Israel and I did every tour I could. This was a great decision.  It was really the first time I have been on a tour, and I loved listening to the tour guide. He had Jewish heritage like me, but he had something I didn’t, he had been to the places I had only read about. It is quite possible I knew more about the material in the Bible, but he had literally walked in the steps of Jesus. I never would have found any of the things he showed me, and I certainly wouldn’t have known the order they happened. I notice people probably do not intentionally do discipleship because they have never been there themselves.

·       In a 2014 Article by Eric Geiger wrote  “Offer a Map, Not a Menu”

·       He said, “Travel agents offer menus and say, “Here are all the options. Best of luck.” They don’t join you on the adventure. They may never even experience the options they are putting before you.”

·       Tour guides offer maps and say, “Let’s go on this journey together. We know the way. We have been on this journey before, and we are in this with you.”

Jesus didn’t say he would tell us the way, but that he was the way. Maybe discipleship, is about the ordered way fulfilled in Jesus

·       Luke 4:17-21 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners  and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

·       Let’s quickly go through the key points of Jesus’ message that is his fulfillment

o   “the Spirit of the Lord is on me…” Found (chosen) - Position

o   “Proclaim freedom for the prisoner and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.” Opportunity - Purpose

o   “The Year of the Lord’s favor” Renew your life to favor - Pursuit

One of the things I learned from the tours is its not just about the information or even the places, but it is often about the path.

Communion - Not just juice and crackers

·       Without a spiritual tour guide, we cannot fully understand the depth of what God is telling us in the Scriptures and sometimes we miss things completely.

·       My introduction to communion is probably similar to yours.

o   The Pastor stands up and says something like, now we are going to partake in communion or some reference to the last supper. Interestingly, this is not actually Jesus’ last supper since he lived and ate with his disciples for 40 days after the resurrection. It also seemed strange to me that Jesus apparently only had a piece of bread they all shared and a cup of wine. Or grape juice and don’t ask too many questions because Christians don’t drink… or at least not much in public because they could cause their brother to stumble or something. At least that was the extent of instruction I got from decades attending church.

o   There are a few primary passages read: Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:7-22, and Matthew 26:17-30. Mark’s account is very brief, and we get most of the details of the event from Luke and Matthew. It is repeated for the churches in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.

o   Jesus didn’t do communion, but he celebrated the Passover with the Disciples (Luke 22:7-22 ESV)  - Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you da large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of Man goes pas it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!”

The Passover meal was a progressive meal where four cups of wine are drank and each cup symbolizes promises God gave after He freed the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery. Notice, the gospel writer keys in on one scene in this meal. Jesus picks up one of the cups and draws attention to it. What cup is this and why did Jesus stop and talk about this cup? Paul gives more details to the Corinthian church.

 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 ESV - For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

“The Cup after the meal is the third cup. Jesus calls this the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Paul also references it as “the cup of blessing and the cup of the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 10:16, 21.

The four cups of Passover are anchors of the Passover meal celebration. They stand for each of the four promises the Lord makes to His people in Exodus 6:6-7, but what do the cups mean?

The 1st Cup: The Cup of Sanctification

“I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.”

·       Found – Position in God’s family and his care

The 2nd Cup: The Cup of Deliverance

“I will rescue you from their bondage.”

·       Opportunity – Purpose and freedom to carry it out.

The 3rd Cup: The Cup of Redemption or Cup of Blessing

“I will redeem you with an outstretched arm.”

·       Renew – Pursuit is the life because God is the one redeeming. God takes missteps, abuse, oppression, personal sin, and he also gives you supernatural spiritual gifts to redeem all that was and propels you into what will be.

·       Romans 4:17 – “the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.”

The 4th Cup: The Cup of Praise

“I will take you as My people.”

·       Jesus, on the night of the last Supper, he did not drink the fourth cup of the Seder. Once I realized there were four cups and I noticed the Bible only mentions the third cup, I couldn’t figure out why the fourth cup isn’t mentioned. Jesus is God in the flesh, he fulfilled the law and he would not just miss this. It was very important to Jesus to fulfill the final passover

·       Jesus did not share this cup like in the old covenant. This cup of praise is to be thankful to God even though the Jews still did not fully have freedom in their land. In other words it was still bitter, which is why this final cup of wine in the Passover seder is bitter wine. This was practiced in Jesus’ time on earth because the Romans lorded over the Jews.

·       Jesus did drink the cup, but he did not share this bitter cup. Luke 22:42 Jesus is in the garden of Gethsemane praying ““Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

·       Matthew 27:33-34 “And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.”

·       John was the only disciple to stay right by the cross and witness Jesus’ death. He notes, in John 19:28-30, “After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

·       This new covenant is where we get to participate in the first three cups of reconciliation. In fact, this is why Paul explains we now have been given the ministry of reconciliation to invite people into the family of God, who Finds us, gives us the freedom of opportunity, and renews us to live out our calling.

·       We could use different words but the church, as disciples can break our ministry down into doing three things involved with the cups of Sanctification, Deliverance, and Redemption. This could be developed into a process to walk people through the promises of God in discipleship.

o   Since God is not trying to get something from you, but he has something “FOR” you, It is fitting to use the acronym “FOR”

F – Found (Sanctification)

O – Opportunity (Deliverance)

R – Renew (Redemption)

Make it Count

I loved playing sports when I was a child, and I still love playing. Now as a parent, it more fun watching children play. Well, it is different, but there is a joy accompanied I did not have as a child. There is no greater joy seeing my children score or succeed in some way. However, on the other hand, it is very difficult to see them fail. One thing I repeatedly tell them is “successful people don’t fail, they learn.”

It is also reminiscent of a Michael Jordan commercial where he says, “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed” I’ve missed more than 9,000 . . . Michael Jordan - Forbes Quotes. I know this is very little help in the moment, but when they succeed down the road, they will recognize it is because of some lesson they learned through defeat.

Watching a four or five year old play soccer is filled with mixed emotions. It is by pure chance your child scored, but the excitement is like they won the championship. I remember watching a game and another child scored, and you can imagine the exuberance radiating throughout their body. Smiling from ear to ear, chest puffed out, and running with an embolden confidence. The only issue is this child scored on the wrong goal. As parents, we just say “well at least they are happy.” Even if you know it’s a little off, there is something exciting and contagious about seeing someone believe they are winning.

It reminds me of the moment when I realized, maybe that was me. Maybe I was part of a church that thought they were winning, succeeding, making a difference, but we scored on the wrong goal. Technically, the ball went in the net, but the score did count for the intended team. We were making decisions, but not making disciples. The strange thing is we know this. We know Jesus did not call us to get people to make a decision for Christ, but to make disciples, who continue to make decisions to follow Jesus. But people are so excited to make a decision, but does it count?

Although, I like to think this next point is well-known it is probably lost on people who say, “but it’s working.” According to the person who basically started the current model most churches use, it doesn’t work. Bill Hybels began the church movement known as “seeker sensitive” said, “We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become self feeders.' We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own” (Willow Creek Repents? | CT Pastors | Christianity Today. Pastor Bill Hybels came to this conclusion after his mega church reviewed the work of an independent study to see if their church was successful, which essentially asked the questions if they were making disciples. The model popularized by Hybels has evolved into “attractional church” but the core “counting” remains the same.

Jesus told us, the church, to make disciples because he will have a kingdom of priests. That’s right, every follower of Jesus, all Christians, are priests and not just the person who talks on stage. Have we told people that? Do we train them to live up to that? John said, “and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests. . . (Revelation 1:6). Peter told the entire church on earth, you are a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9). What are we counting? John Doers helps us focus in on what we think matters, by stating, ‘what matters gets measured, and what gets measured gets done” (What Matters).

I recently did a podcast focusing on David and Goliath (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unnaturally-leading-leadership-that-counts/id1482591395?i=1000509215071). Borrowing from insights from Malcom Gladwell’s book David and Goliath, David and Goliath (Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants): Gladwell, Malcolm: 4708364221388: Amazon.com: Books, I discovered how we count shapes what we care about. Gladwell explains many of us got this famous underdog story all wrong. In fact, it is not really an underdog story. Effectively, we count the wrong things. Everyone thought David was crazy because they counted the difference in him and Goliath’s height, military experience, age, and so on.

What you count, reveals what you: Value

What you count, reveals where you find: Security

What you count, reveals what you thing is: Strength

Maybe we keep counting decisions in church only because its something we think we can win. The truth is, that is not all that matters to us. We also count staff, attendance, viewership, and so on… but not disciples. Granted, this is very difficult to count, but it is the only thing God counts. We need to make disciples. we need to renew discipleship #renew-discipleship.

Bridging the Gap - A Great Divide

We need to bridge the gap between the pulpit and the pew. I know we do not have pulpits or pews in most churches, but it sounds better than bridging the gap between the bistro table and the cushioned interlocking chair. I am willing to bet, most pastors want to motivate their congregation to action and many Christians know there is more to their spirituality than the Sunday service. When did this great divide occur?

Continental drift is as real in Christianity as it is in geology. Church history gives some indication when the slow gradual shift happened from the church we see in Acts to the reality in how our church acts. The church history recorded by Luke in the book of Acts was not a flash in the pan event, but it recorded highlights over about three decades.

A product of the first church was a man named Ignatius (AD 35-107) of Antioch, Syria (modern day Turkey). He thought there should be only one pastor of each church. He wanted to centralize the church under one leader. Ignatius seemed to lean toward extreme oversight with this quote, “It is not lawful either to baptize or to celebrate a love feast without the bishop, but whatever he approves of, that is also pleasing to God” (Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans, Chapter 8). Then Evaristus, the Bishop of Rome AD 99-107, divided Rome into parishes with a supervising priest. Fabion about 100 years later divided the cities and districts led by a deacon. By the fourth century a centralized congregational framework was accepted to unify the church under one leadership. The reformation helped decentralize teaching to the individual, but leadership structure remained. A priestly class developed and then a laity class of Christians. The professionals giving a service to the consumer who attended. The divide from the first to the fourth century came from leadership structure to manage the church rather than enable the church (Christian disciples) to carry out their mission. These structures and behaviors shaped minds away from the biblical model.

The current reality in most churches is there are a few people held responsible for “doing ministry.” The ripple effects from the great ministry divide are felt today as Christians do not see themselves as disciples and they drift further from their purpose. National Geographic gives a good synopsis of “continental drift” now the theory is known by the science of tectonics.[1] The theory of continental drift was modified because it “lacked a mechanism for how it works – why did the continents drift and what patterns did they follow?”[2] Just like centennial drift, we need to see what is happening.

Most people inside and outside the church recognize there is a problem. People outside the church do not want to have anything to do with “organized religion.” People who tell me this usually cite their experience or a general understanding of abuses of power that lead people astray. On the other hand, people inside the church often feel like they are not growing enough. I have heard people say things like “I wasn’t being fed,” “I didn’t get anything for worship,” or “they didn’t have enough for my kids.” Many people can recognize a problem, but we need to find a solution. Part of that is what we are trying to do to identify the mechanism causing the divide.

The Apostle Paul wrote to a group a Christians in Ephesus, a city located in modern-day Turkey, and he noticed the same issue of the church getting out of order. In the fourth chapter of Paul’s letter to this church he noticed a drift and tells them, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3, NIV). He recognizes the divide and the current reality they are “infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14, NIV). As any good leader, Paul leads with vision for what they should be and does not leave them to figure it out themselves. Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, writes, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:15-16, NIV).

Paul noticed the problem at Ephesus, and maybe your church, is people expected something from the pastor he cannot give. God made His church a body that is meant to work in concert with each other and not co-dependency. God does not just show us the problem, but He gives us the solution.

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13, NIV).

The healthy church is operating effectively when it is organized according to God. When people say they do not want organized religion, they are really saying they do not want the disorganized religion they see. We can start reorganizing and lead with the vision to move in the journey of discipleship!

[1] Caryl Sue, Continental Drift, (National Georgraphic, 2015), https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/continental-drift/

[2] Ibid.