大使命11

提升肢體相交 koinonia 

當我們談到大使命時，為何肢體相交（koinonia）如此重要？我們無法完成大使命的一個原因，是因為我們傾向帶人信主，而不是帶門徒。大使命是要帶門徒，倘若信徒沒有成為門徒，我們便沒有完成我們的使命。

主已經清楚定義何為門徒，真實的門徒訓練很少在今日的基督教看見，其中的一個原因是沒有肢體相交（koinonia），就不可能有真實的門徒訓練。正如上週在約翰壹書一章7節告訴我們：『我們若在光明中行，如同神在光明中，就彼此相交（希臘文koinonia），祂兒子耶穌的血也洗淨我們一切的罪。』

正如我們曾提過，這節經文也清楚指示，若沒有肢體相交（koinonia），我們根本無法在光明中行，這對我們的潔淨也很重要。我常開玩笑地說，少了教會生活的挫折與惱怒，我們根本無法按著我們所蒙召的方式在基督裡成熟，的確是如此。這些挫折、惱怒、受傷和失望，不過是這些經歷所能成就的極小部分，卻對我們的發展極為重要。經歷肢體相交（koinonia）的正面性絕對遠大過負面性，而這些挑戰將幫助我們長大成熟。

無論是對教會充滿理想主義或拒絕教會，都會引導我們遠離生命的道路，真實的教會生活，肢體之間的彼此相交（koinonia），可能是我們所曾經歷最美好的事情，亦是我們所經歷任何關係中最困難的，任何真實的關係都是如此，包括婚姻關係。正如主在撒種比喻中的教導，當考驗臨到時，許多人會離開。當考驗臨到時，許多人離開教會，甚至離開婚姻。你絕不可能用放棄來通過考驗。

婚姻中的破裂與教會生活的破裂有關，反之亦然。因此其中一個得醫治，另一個也會得醫治。十字架的直木代表我們與神的連結，橫木則代表我們與人的連結。背起我們的十字架其中一個意思是我們必須同時擁有直木與橫木。當然，我們與神的連結超越我們與人連結的重要，必須一直居首位。但倘若我們擁有與主的連結，並且放在首位，我們也會擁有與人的連結關係。正如約翰也寫著，不愛他所看見的弟兄，就不能愛沒有看見的神（參考約翰壹書4:20-21）。 

所以，我們要怎麼做才能提升教會生活中肢體的相交（koinonia）？首先與最重要的是我們必須尋求主的同在超越一切。再榮耀的殿若沒有主在其中，又有什麼益處呢？其次我們需要追求關係，而不單是等著別人。巴拿巴必須去到大數並得著保羅，然後他們需要在他們可以被釋放進入自己終極呼召前先進到正確的地方。

在當時，這是何等大的努力，巴拿巴需要花好幾個月去到大數，然後再回到安提阿。今日，很難找到有人開超過30分鐘的車程去教會。某個東西之所以會成為珍寶，不是很稀少就是很難獲得。肢體之間的相交（koinonia）正是我們這一生所能擁有的最大珍寶，它並不廉價或輕易得到，但會被那些看重它不輕易放棄追求的人找到。神所建造的城，是亞伯拉罕與所有真正客旅所尋找的城，被建造在耶穌以上，並有著肢體之間的相交（koinonia）。

尋求主的同在遠超過尋求祂的祝福，今日太多教會的教導過於強調祝福，祂會祝福許多祂並不在其中的事情。當祂說無論何時若有兩三個人奉祂的名聚會，祂就會在他們中間（參考馬太福音18:20）。聚會並不是單單共處在相同的房間或空間而已，而是『結合在一起』，就像腳踏車的零件被組裝在一起一樣。這即是何以聖經告訴我們『不可停止聚會』（參考希伯來書10:25）。這不單是不可沒有聚會的警告，更是不可不按著我們所蒙召的結合在一起的警告。

要建造真實肢體相交（koinonia）的教會，我們必須特意做一些能提升會友互動的事情，這可能包括小組聚會、教會愛宴、福音隊與各種其他活動。然而，真正帶下肢體相交（koinonia）的聚會將會以主的同在為中心。所有其他活動有助於達到此目的，但聚在一起做一些活動離此目的還很遠。

在每一個屬靈追求上，我們都必須將此原則謹記在心：在我們領受神的應許/應許之地到完成應許之間，幾乎都會經歷與應許完全相反的曠野。曠野是為了預備我們進入應許之地，當你開始追求肢體相交（koinonia），在肢體關係上似乎發生相反的挑戰，不要因此被搖動。這不過是你真的在這條道路上的一個徵兆。

(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week11, 2014)


Promoting Koinonia - The Great Commission, Part 11
Week 11, 2014 
Rick Joyner 

Why is koinonia so important when we are talking about The Great Commission? One reason we have failed to fulfill The Great Commission has been our tendency of making converts rather than disciples. The Great Commission is to make disciples. If disciples are not being made, then we are failing in our commission.

What a disciple is has been clearly defined by the Lord. True discipleship is rarely found among Christians today. One reason for this is that true discipleship is not possible without koinonia. As we read last week in I John 1:7, “If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship (koinonia) with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

As we have covered, this Scripture makes it clear that we simply cannot abide in the light without having koinonia. This is also essential for our cleansing. I often say jokingly but truthfully that we simply cannot mature in Christ the way we are called to without all of the frustrations and irritations of church life. The frustrations and irritations, the hurts and disappointments, are only a small part of what this experience is meant to be, but they are essential to our development. There are certainly far more positives to experiencing koinonia than negatives, but the challenges help us to mature.

Either idealism about church life or rejecting the church will lead us far from the path of life. True church life, koinonia, can be one of the most wonderful things we ever experience and one of the most difficult, as is true of any relationship, including marriage. As the Lord taught in the Parable of the Sower, many will depart when testing comes. Many depart from church, and many are now even departing from marriage when the tests come. You can never pass a test by quitting.

The breakdown of marriage is related to the breakdown in church life and vice versa. The same thing that heals one will heal the other as well. The cross is a vertical post that represents our connection to God and a horizontal one that represents our connection to one another. One thing that taking up our cross means is that we must have both of these in our lives. Of course, our connection to God eclipses the importance of our connection to one another and must always be kept first. But if we have this and keep it first, we will also have the other. As John also wrote, we cannot love God who we do not see if we do not love our brother who we can see (see I John 4:20-21).

So, what can we do to promote koinonia in church life? First and foremost we must seek the presence of the Lord above all things. What good is the most glorious temple if God is not in it? Then we need to pursue relationships, not just wait to be pursued. Barnabas had to go and get Paul. Then they needed to get in the right place before either of them could get released into their own ultimate calling.

In those days, this was a supreme effort. It must have taken months for Barnabas to travel to Tarsus and then back to Antioch. Today it is hard to find those who will drive more than thirty minutes to church. What makes something a treasure is that it is either rare or difficult to obtain. Koinonia is one of the greatest treasures we can have in this life. It is not cheap or easy to find, but it will be found by those who value it enough not to give up on its pursuit. The city that God is building, that which Abraham sought and all true sojourners seek, is built on Jesus with koinonia.

Seeking the presence of the Lord is far more than seeking His blessings, which so much of the present emphasis of church teaching is based on today. He will bless many things He will not inhabit. When He says that wherever two or more are gathered in His name He will be in their midst (see Matthew 18:20), the word “gathered” does not mean merely occupying the same room or space. It is where they have been “assembled together” like the parts of a bicycle have been assembled together. This is why we are told to “not to forsake the assembling together” (see Hebrews 10:25). This is not just a warning not to miss meetings, but to not fail to be assembled together as we are called to be.

To build a church where there is actually church life, koinonia, we must do things to intentionally promote interchange between members. This can include small groups, church fellowship dinners, mission trips, and various other activities. However, gatherings that really lead to koinonia will center on the presence of the Lord. All others can be helpful in getting to this, but just gathering together for activities can fall far short by themselves.

In every spiritual pursuit, we must keep in mind this principle: Between the place where we receive the promise of God and the promised land, or the fulfillment of the promise, there is almost always a wilderness that is the exact opposite of what we have been promised. This wilderness is meant to prepare us for the promised land. Do not be shaken when you start to pursue koinonia and the opposite seems to happen with relationship challenges breaking out everywhere. This is just a sign that you are indeed on the path.