The Rhythms of the Kingdom

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. (Matthew adds to heal the sick and all diseases) Mark 3:13–15

Jesus spent three years in an inward, outward and together process of growth and transformation with 12 regular people who he called to be his disciples and sent out as apostles: INWARD (“with him”); OUTWARD (“to be sent”); and, TOGETHER (“as a community”).

At the end of his time with them, as he prepared to leave them to return to his father Jesus commissioned those whom he discipled to replicate this process, to make more disciples. Matthew, one of the 12 recorded Jesus’ words in his gospel. Jesus told them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

What is a disciple? In short, a disciple is an apprentice: discipleship is apprenticeship. It is a person intentionally learning to be like someone who has mastered something, watching and then trying, sitting with, listening to, learning, and doing. In time, an apprentice grows to resemble his or her master. Apprenticeship, discipleship, is God’s plan for humanity. It is the process of learning to live as citizens of the Kingdom of God. It is the very process of following Jesus, every Christian is called to live as and to make disciples of Christ.

Author Dallas Willard correctly stresses that, “Grace is opposed to earning, it is not opposed to effort,” apprenticeship requires intentionality. Because Jesus is an infinite, our apprenticeship is never exhausted; our growth process never completed. Followers of Jesus must be continually discipling and being discipled, growing and helping others to grow into the INWARD, OUTWARD and TOGETHER rhythms of discipleship.

This rhythm of discipleship must begin with the INWARD journey. We cannot be sent if we cannot hear the voice of the one sending us. We do not have the power to withstand the challenges to our ability to love our community and our world if we are not grounded in our true identity as the beloved child of God. We do this through intentionally learning to hear his voice.

Are you intentional about setting aside time to hear his voice?
Do you even know how to go about this?
How might your life be different if you knew to your core that you were perfectly loved and accepted by God?

If you are involved in an INWARD small group, devote yourself to the process with expectancy. If you are not in a group, read through Invitation to Solitude and Silence and work through the exercises with someone else.

Share your thoughts with me and with others.

Peace, hope and love

Doug

A People and a Promise

Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me. Ruth 1:16–17

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

Labor day is the unofficial end of summer, kids back in school, vacations now memories and photographs. I hope you had a fantastic summer. This past Sunday at Creekside we finished up our summer series – A People Together, A Together People. Next Sunday is our annual kick-off celebration and a sermon that looks at the importance of remembering how God met us in the past year and how he leads us into the year ahead – make sure you come and see all that God has done in and through us as a community. Bring someone along with you.

As we ended summer, we ended our time in the book of Ruth. One person told me, “It was great to see Ruth finally get married.” In the final chapter of Ruth, we caught a glimpse of the import role that community played in those days and in that culture. In the days of Ruth, the men of the village would gather at the city gate and in an unhurried fashion, consider the issues of life that arose among the people and families in the community. The word for this discerning group and process was Ecclesia – the very same word the apostle Paul chose when he wanted to describe the Church. Church was never intended to be a solely individual thing, but a life giving and grace filled community of people seeking to connect their faith in Jesus with the realities of everyday life.

- How does this idea of Church relate to your idea of Church?
- How might this idea of Church change the way you think of Church?
- How might this idea of Church change the way those outside of the Church think of Church?

As a people of God we are the Church. Our local expression -- Creekside Covenant Church – is called to be a people, a sign and a signpost of the Kingdom of God. Does that excite and challenge you? That notion of church is so different from the way most people think of church (as a place that you go to on Sunday). That notion is so small and incomplete. Our invitation as the Church is to partner with God in his redemptive story, collectively and individually. He does not promise that if we follow him life will be easy and financially prosperous (as some wrongly teach). He does promise that he will be with us, that his purposes will be accomplished, and that the more fully we follow him and abide in him – individually and collectively -- we will experience contentment, joy and peace regardless of the circumstances.

God calls us to be a people, he promises that he will never forsake us; he calls us to be a people together, a together people, a shining city on a hill.

Peace, hope and love

Doug