Temple: Pretty. (Clean, Sterile, Nice) |
Discipleship system: Not pretty. (Messy, Bloody, Human, Alive) |
Pretty. Not as pretty. |
Mat 16:24 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life? Mat 10:24 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master; 25 it is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. 1 Cor 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. |
The church with an institutional worldview fails to thrive because it is more focused on rebuilding the temple, an unchanging institution, than on providing the spiritual nurture necessary to make disciples who make disciples who make disciples. This nurture requires personal sacrifice. The transition to spiritual nurturing involves moving from an exciting but shallow ministry with many people to calm, deeply nurturing relationships with just a few people who have names. These people who have names are called disciples. Jesus indicated in John 2:19-22 his intention to replace the temple, an institution, with the body of Christ, a relational disciple-making network. The potential threat to the institutional temple is the motivation for his execution. --- Seminar One, www.disciplewalk.com/resources |
Snail photos courtesy of Lisa Danilko. ©2008 All Rights Reserved Temple photo by James Emery Cross photo by Bob AuBuchon Permission via Creative Commons License Press Backspace key to exit |
Places to go ... things to do! |