大使命37

各盡其職

除非我們知道我們在地圖上的位置，並知道要往哪裡去，否則地圖將無法幫助我們。在我們可以完成我們的目的前，首先我們必須知道我們在何處，要往哪裡去。然後我們才可以輕易地看見下一個階段。   

讓我們稍微來想一下，若與初代教會的領袖相比，教會未來的領袖目前是如何被預備。大部分神學院在建造健全教義方面做得不錯；然而，今日的事工多半建造在知識與如何呈現上，例如擁有好的教導和講道原則。當然這些都很重要，但根據以弗所書四章，符合新約事工所要具備的遠比此來得多，就是要裝備聖徒各盡其職。何為各盡其職呢？

各盡其職的基礎就是我們蒙召成為基督身體的一員，這身體是基督今日在地上的延伸。祂的身體是祂現在做工的媒介，正如當祂在地上時，祂用真正的身體來工作。祂想要透過祂子民來做當時祂在地上所做的每件事。

當耶穌在地上時，祂教導、醫治病人，使被綑綁的得自由。祂訓練祂的跟隨者來做祂所做的事，然後再把他們差派出去。今日，教會大部分的事工忙於教導，也做一些慈善工作，少數事工還有醫治與趕鬼。那些做醫治與趕鬼的人多半是自己來，很少讓其他人做。有些人還會訓練別人為病人禱告、發預言和傳福音，但有沒有哪個地方的事工，是每一個人都被裝備並被釋放來各盡其職呢？

溫約翰可能是其中一個最有效率的領袖，他打破這種傳統模式，訓練和釋放人們來各盡其職。他所興起的葡萄園運動為世界各地的基督身體帶來激烈的撞擊，許多人在其中被訓練、受裝備並被釋放來做耶穌曾做過的工。當如此的事發生時，能參與葡萄園運動成為世上最令人興奮的事。

當時的葡萄園運動的確是一團亂，就像主自己的聚會想要成為的模式，人們在其中學習與長大成熟。有一件事是葡萄園沒有的，就是無趣。我不只一次在聚會中目睹被鬼附的人尖叫，不斷踢打。但每一次，他們總是得到自由釋放。在許多聚會中，我們見證非比尋常的神蹟奇事。從神而來的恩典臨到葡萄園一段時間，在他們當中的敬畏與奇妙遠大過世界的娛樂所能相比。

沒有比神更令人有趣的，也沒有比看見神作為更令人興奮的。沒有比宗教更令人無聊的，我們即將從宗教中得釋放來跟隨主，而不是跟隨人。我們也可以確定，祂會再次將好酒留到最後。

 (摘自喬納 word for the week, Week37, 2014)


The Work of the Ministry - The Great Commission, Part 37
Week 37, 2014 
Rick Joyner 

A map will not help us unless we know where we are on the map and where we want to go. Before we can get to where we’re going in fulfilling our purpose, we must first know where we are and where we are going. Then we can easily see the next step.

Let us briefly consider how future leaders of the church are now being prepared compared to those in the early church. Most seminaries do a good job of laying a foundation of sound doctrine. However, ministry today is built mostly on knowledge and how to present it, such as good teaching and preaching principles. Certainly this is a necessary element of ministry, but there is far more to being a New Testament ministry according to Ephesians chapter 4, which is to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. What is the work of the ministry?

The basic work of the ministry that we are called to as members of the body of Christ is first to be the extension of Christ on the earth today. His body is what He works through now, just as His literal body was what He worked through when He walked the earth. He wants to do everything through His people now that He did when He walked the earth.

When Jesus walked the earth, He taught, healed the sick, and set the captives free. He trained His followers to do what He did and then sent them out to do it. Today most of the ministry of the church involves teaching, with some charitable work, and a few that also include healing and deliverance. With those that include healing and deliverance, it is something they do, but rarely release others to do. Some do a little more by training people how to pray for the sick, prophesy, and be the evangelists we are called to be, but where is there even one place that all are being equipped and released to do the whole work of the ministry?

John Wimber may have been one of the most effective leaders to break this mold and train and release people to do the work of the ministry. The Vineyard Movement that he raised up sent great shock waves throughout the worldwide body of Christ as multitudes were trained, equipped, and released to do the works that Jesus did. While this was happening, The Vineyard Movement was the most exciting in the world to be a part of.

The Vineyard Movement was messy as the people learned and matured, just like the Lord’s own meetings tended to be. One thing The Vineyard was not was boring. I was in more than one meeting in which a raging demon-possessed person would come screaming and thrashing about. Yet each time, the person left “in their right mind,” free. In many meetings, we witnessed extraordinary miracles. Such grace from God was upon The Vineyard for a time that there was a sense of awe and wonder greater than the world’s entertainment could match.

There is nothing more interesting than God and nothing more exciting than watching Him move. There is nothing more boring than religion, and we are about to be delivered from religion to follow the Lord, not just men. We can also be sure that He has again saved His best wine for last.