大使命 39
目的與呼召
我們近來一直在討論大使命的目的是為了帶門徒，而不單是帶人信主而已。門徒活著就是向他們的夫子耶穌學習，變得像祂一樣。要這樣做，他們每天坐在祂腳前，尋求一整天都住在祂裡面。這些讓他們在祂的身體中找到位置，因為我們若不正確與頭連結，就不可能正確與祂的身體─教會連結。我們在教會被教導、訓練與裝備是為著明確的目的和每位基督徒都有的呼召和服事。我們的世界觀也在教會被塑造，好讓我們開始像基督一樣看世界，是從祂要來國度的立場觀看。
真實的基督徒生活是我們所能經歷最大的探險，沒有其他生活像跟隨主那般令人充實與興奮。沒有比宗教更令人無聊的事，真實的基督徒生活並不是一個宗教，乃是與神的關係。
假宗教的靈迫使人用善工來得到神的認同；然而，我們是從祂所認同的身份來做工，那是主在十字架為我們得來的身份。我們實現我們的呼召與目的是因為愛祂，也愛祂透過我們來做的工。
神在地上的工作基礎是做和好事工，尋求所有人都與神和好，這是我們所蒙召的傳福音事工。不管我們在祂裡面變得多成熟，傳福音都是我們要投入的事，直到全世界都完全與神和好。
在和好之後要重建，先從轉離惡行、心意更新變化開始，以致我們想得和祂一樣，看世界的角度也一樣。此過程需要花時間，若你還不知道，花時間是主的基本品格之一。要常在主裡面需要更多的耐心，這即是何以希伯來書告訴我們：『總要效法那些憑信心和忍耐/耐心承受應許的人』(參考希伯來書6:12)。
主在啟示錄五次提到祂必快來，那是二千年前說的！祂對『快』的定義通常和我們不同。很有趣的是，當我在寫『初代教會父老』一書時，他們似乎全都知道離主再回來還要二千年的時間。初代教會父老都是第一代使徒的直屬門徒，因此我們可以推斷他們是從老師那領受此觀點。儘管他們知道還要二千年，他們的焦點與擺上仍是為祂要來的國度預備。處於現在的我們豈不更該為此擺上嗎？
我們先以聖經所建立關於信心的基本教義來建造聖經世界觀，所有基督徒都應該同意此，因為這些經文是我們信心與持守在生命之道上的根基。接著我們再從此根基上瞭解神對我們個人和教會的目的，然後再增加祂對世界救贖性的目的，以及我們要如何成為神完成此目的之工具。這樣做我們就是在為主和祂國度的再來預備道路，也為我們要與祂一同掌權的呼召來預備自己。
教會是神在今日世界所做的主要事情，她是最先要被預備成為基督的新婦，連新郎的真正朋友都想要看到主擁有配得的新婦。我們為祂的緣故全心投入幫助教會成為她所蒙召成為的樣式，這是初代使徒首要的投入，也將是每一位真使徒的投入，亦是以弗所書四章所列出裝備聖徒各盡其職之目的，這正是基督透過祂的五重職事來工作。
我們可以為世界做的最重要之事就是完成我們自己的目的，唯有成為基督身體有功用的一份子，我們才能做成。當我們一起長大成熟，基督的身體將成為她所蒙召的樣式。當我們一起進到成熟，我們將為世界得著從主來的觀點。這將是有效傳揚祂要來國度福音的基礎，然後我們才能藉由完成大使命來為此國度預備道路。
(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week39, 2014)
Purpose and Calling - The Great Commission, Part 39
Week 39, 2014
Rick Joyner
We have been discussing how The Great Commission is to make disciples, not just converts. Disciples live to learn from their Master, Jesus, and to become like Him. To do this, they daily sit at His feet and then seek to abide in Him all day. These find their place in His body, because we cannot be rightly joined to the Head without also being rightly joined to His body, the church. It is here that we are to be taught, trained, and equipped for our specific purpose, our calling and ministry, which all Christians have. This is where our worldview is shaped so that we begin to see the world as Christ does, from the position of His kingdom that is coming.
The true Christian life is the greatest adventure we could ever experience. There is no other life as fulfilling and exciting as being a follower of our King. There is nothing as boring as religion, and the true Christian life is not a religion, but a relationship with God.
The false religious spirit compels people to work to gain God’s approval. However, we work from a position of having His approval, which was gained for us at the cross. We fulfill our calling and purpose because we love Him, and we love His work that He seeks to do through us.
It is basic to the work of God on earth to do the ministry of reconciliation, seeking to reconcile all to God. This is the evangelism that we are all called to, and regardless of how mature we become in Him, it is something we will be engaged in until the world has been fully reconciled to Him.
After reconciliation comes restoration. This begins with turning from our wicked ways and having our minds renewed so that we think as He does and see the world as He does. This is a process that takes time. In case you have not learned this, taking time is one of the basic characteristics of the Lord. To abide in the Lord also requires much patience. This is why we are told that it is “through faith and patience we inherit the promises” (see Hebrews 6:12).
The Lord says five times in the Book of Revelation that He is coming quickly. That was almost two thousand years ago! His definition of quickly and ours are usually very different. It is interesting that in the writings of the “Early Church Fathers” they all seemed to know that it would be nearly two thousand years before the Lord returned. The Early Church Fathers were the direct disciples of the first apostles, and so we can assume that it was from their mentors that they received this perspective. Even knowing this, their focus and devotion was to prepare for His coming kingdom. How much more should that be our devotion now?
We build our biblical worldview first on the basic doctrines of the faith that are established by the Scriptures. About these, all Christians should be in agreement because they are basic to the faith and to staying on the path of life. To those we add understanding God’s purpose for us personally and His purpose for the church. Then we add His redemptive purpose for the world and how we are God’s vehicles for accomplishing this. Doing this, we prepare the way for the coming of the Lord and His kingdom, and we prepare ourselves for our calling to reign with Him.
The church is the main thing that God is doing in the world today. It is first of all being prepared to be the bride of Christ. Every true friend of the Bridegroom will be motivated to see the Lord have the bride that He is worthy to have. For His sake, we devote ourselves to helping her to become what she is called to be. This was the primary devotion of the first century apostles and will be the devotion of every true apostle, and also all of the equipping ministries listed in Ephesians chapter 4. This is Christ working through His ministries.
The most important thing we can do for the sake of the world is to fulfill our own purpose. We can only do this as functioning members of the body of Christ. As we mature together, the body of Christ will become what she is called to be. As we come into this maturity together, we will gain the perspective of the Lord for the world. This is the basis for becoming effective in first preaching the gospel of His coming kingdom and then preparing the way for it by fulfilling The Great Commission.