We are on a journey to rediscover and walk in the fullness of what it means to be disciples of Jesus. We desire to get rid of the clutter and create space for people to receive the Father’s love, to connect with the Lord and others, and also be intentional about growing and walking in the fullness of the Spirit. It’s time for the church to return and arise…
The following points to our ‘3′ simple majors here at RCL; this will give you an idea to what the Lord is doing in our midst.
Fellowship, Discipleship, Mission – the simple ‘3′
Sometimes we as people can over complex things. We can make things harder than they need to be. It is no different in the church. The Pharisees weighed down the people with law after law, placing a heavy burden on them. When Jesus came, He said “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt.11:28-30) I believe in this season that God wants to simplify things in the church. Not so we can get off lightly and get all comfy, but actually the opposite. Simplify, rather than add more programs and more steps, so we can be intentional, grow and bear fruit in 3 simple areas. This ‘fruit bearing’ as Jesus said, shows that we are His disciples (Jn.15:8). These 3 simple areas are core in our walk with the Lord – Fellowship, Discipleship & Mission. We are called into fellowship with God and each other through Christ. We are called to be ‘Christ like’, growing and being equipped and empowered to be all that God has called us to be. We are called to go and be light in a world of darkness. Let me now explain a little more in a few short paragraphs.
FELLOWSHIP – God is all about relationship. We were created to have fellowship, or communion with Him. Sin broke that communion, but the Lord reminds us in Hebrews 10:19-22 that by the blood of Christ, we can once again enter into a close and intimate relationship with Him. Nothing of us, everything of Him! In John 4, we are reminded that this is not confined to a certain place or time, but a daily, moment by moment walk with the Lord. This relationship where we hear His voice and follow Him should be the norm for every follower of Jesus. We are called to a place of abiding in the Lord and He in us (Jn.15:4). This is foundational for our day to day walk. (Jn 10) It is then a natural flow on from having fellowship with Christ, that we have fellowship with one another (1 Jn.1:1-7). The early church experienced this in a much fuller way than we do currently today (Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-35). After all, Jesus said that by our love the world would know that we are His disciples (Jn.13:34-35). This fuller, deeper fellowship that we can experience both with the Lord and each other is ‘Koinonia’ fellowship, a partnership, a mutual sharing relationship. It goes beyond just having a chat after a Sunday service, to truly caring for and loving one another, sharing our lives and indeed possessions with one another (1 Jn.3:16-18). This is God, by His Spirit at work!! And indeed the answer to Jesus’ prayer in John 17.
Will you answer the call? Let’s go deeper in fellowship with God and each other!
DISCIPLESHIP – When Jesus gave the ‘Great Commission’ as it’s been called, he said ‘Go and make disciples of all nations’, not converts. He clarified this by adding ‘and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you’. Reassurance came also that as we go, He is with us (Mt.28:19-20). We as the church have not been good at this, making disciples, that is fully devoted followers of Jesus. We are called to repent, to turn and follow Jesus, walking as He did by the power of the Spirit. We are not to be people that live in the flesh but by the Spirit (Gal.5:25; Rom.8:14; Phil.3:17-20). We are not to be people who lust after the things of this world, but rather have our eyes fixed upon the Lord and the eternal things (Phil.3:17-20; Mt.6:19-21). This all starts with Jesus’ call that echoes down throughout history ‘Come follow Me’. He added that the only way we could do this was to forsake our life and indeed, ‘to die to self and take up our cross’ (Lk.9:23-24). 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 puts in simply. “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” Not only are we to live after being born again for the Lord, but we are called to become like Him (Rom.8:28-29). Once again, this is not of ourselves, but through fellowship / relationship, beholding the Lord, the Holy Spirit changes us from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor.3:18). Finally, we read in Scripture that each one has received a measure of God’s grace, His Spirit and power at work in and through us. Each one is gifted by God to serve Him in Body ministry with one another (Eph.4:7; 1 Pt.4:10-11; Rom.12:6; 1 Cor.12). We are held accountable by God for this (Mt.25:14-30), and we need to be intentional to be equipped and fan into flame the gift within us – each one (1 Tim.4:14; 2 Tim.1:6). We are called to walk together as the ‘priesthood of all believers’, each one serving according to God’s grace upon our lives.
Will you answer the call? Let’s grow in discipleship!
MISSION – As Jesus sent out the disciples and indeed the 72, He has also sent us! Sent to be salt and light (Mt.5:13-16), sent with His authority and in the power of the Spirit (Lk.10:18-19; Mt.10), sent to be witnesses (Acts 1:8), sent as living testimonies in both word and deed that Jesus is Lord! We are not to play church, doing our thing, feeling great as we gather on a Sunday, but then go nowhere except back into our weekly lives. No, we need to remember that ‘Pentecost went outside’. The preaching of the Gospel in the NT was backed up with signs and wonders, as well as practical expressions of God’s love – might a say, just as equally a sign and a wonder! We are saved not for ourselves, but for God and for His glory, that His Kingdom might grow here on earth. Yes we are to gather to worship, to lift up the Name of the Lord, to encourage one another and so on – but this is just one half. We also gather to go, to carry on the ministry of Jesus by the power of the Spirit. Jesus came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life and His call to us is….’Come follow Me’. We don’t have to go to the other side of the world to be involved in mission. It might be at work, in our neighbourhood, in school, or wherever, but we are called to go. And as we go, we are assured that the Lord is with us (Mt.28:19-20).Will you answer the call? Let’s go, for His glory and His Kingdom!There it is – fellowship, discipleship and mission, 3 simple but powerful displays that Jesus is Lord. It’s not about a program, or the latest method of doing church – it’s about returning to following Jesus, living in fellowship with Him daily and living for Him 24/7. This is the outworking of Jesus’ answer to the question – What is the greatest commandment?
Will you give everything you are and have to the Lord?
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Mt.22:37-40)