Day 77
聖徒的成熟
雷克-喬納 Rick Joyner
翻譯：Kate
轉載/轉寄 請註明出處：國度禱告網
"當那些日子，懷孕的和奶孩子的有禍了。" （馬太福音24:19）
這是主耶穌在描述末世時發出的警告。我認為我們可以用另一種方式來表述："那些使他們的人處於不成熟狀態的牧師有禍了！"
昨天，我們討論了以弗所書第4章中列出的裝備事工的必要性，如果教會要像它應該的那樣運作和成熟。現在我想對這一章的下一節經文，即以弗所書4:14的闡述：
使我們不再作小孩子，中了人的詭計和欺騙的法術，被一切異教之風搖動，飄來飄去，就隨從各樣的異端。
這節經文很好地描述了今天基督身體的大部分。可以準確地說，大多數基督徒仍然是屬靈的孩子。他們被波浪和運動所搖動，但很少成熟，很少有人走在他們的呼召中。那些沒有被波浪和運動搖動的人是被異教之風搖動，把他們從一個重點帶到另一個重點。這些人是做得比較好的！其餘的人被"人的詭計和欺騙的法術 "所俘虜。
正如我們在前面的經文中所讀到的，將裝備事工交給教會的原因之一是為了使這種情況不會發生。然而，這種情況將繼續發生，直到五重事工得到恢復，並在教會中獲得其應有的權柄和影響力。
如果我們認為我們認識一些使徒、先知或傳福音的等，而且我們的教會認可並接受他們，我們就會開始自我感覺良好。這對某些人來說可能是真的，但如果我們要檢查那些自稱為使徒、先知、傳福音的、牧師或教師的人的果實，我們是否看到以弗所書4章這裡所描述的情況？地上有哪個教會的所有成員都像這一章中所說的那樣，真正被裝備成了傳福音的？是否有任何地方的會眾真正成長為有基督豐盛身量的人？
我把我參與建立的教會也包括在這個評估中。我們在裝備人做某些事情方面做得相當好，但是總的來說，我們也遠遠沒有達到這個應該成為所有教會標準的事工水準。因此，我寫這篇文章並不是要譴責任何人的教會或事工，而是要呼籲我們必須甦醒。目前，我們的教會只有幾個裝備事工在運作。我們邀請那些願意訪問並幫助我們的人做我們所缺乏的事情，他們也做了，但是沒有達到那種真正需要裝備人去做事工的深度。
正如我昨天所說，我只知道全世界有少數幾個事工似乎真正理解並致力於裝備信徒做事工的工作。大多數人只是認為，他們的工作就是到處去做他們的事工，如果人們瞭解他們正在做的事情，並且能夠做其中的一部分，那就太好了。很明顯，今天教會中只有不到10%的基督徒知道他們的呼召是什麼，而真正在呼召中發揮作用的不到10%。這是一場屬靈的悲劇。
我看著我的父親經受了多次中風，直到他的一隻手臂只能稍微移動。看到他幾個月來處於這種狀況，是我記憶中經歷的最艱難的事情之一。當主俯視本應是祂榮耀的新婦的教會，而她只能勉強移動一點手臂時，祂會有什麼感受？如果我們受託在教會中進行裝備性的事工，我們難道不應該對此負責嗎？
目前教會中的事工形式，就其理解和運作而言，並沒有完成聖經中的任務。我們對事工的理解必須有一個徹底的改變。俗話說："除非你改變你的方向，否則你將會在你的目的地結束"。我們需要在教會領導和事工現在進行的方式上進行大幅度的路線修正。
我們的狀況不僅僅是教會今天未能理解和接受使徒式和先知式事工的結果。它比這更深。我們也沒有真正理解傳福音的、牧師或教師。似乎那些擁有這些呼召的人甚至很少瞭解他們自己的目的，而不僅僅是表面上的。
耶穌是所有真正的新約事奉的典範。當你想到祂時，你也必須想到祂的門徒。在祂開始事奉後，祂立即開始呼召門徒，祂可以訓練他們做祂所做的一切。這應該是所有從事事奉的人的基本原則。每當我們被派去做事工時，我們身邊應該有那些不只是被召來做助手的人，而是在那裡學習做我們所做的一切，以便他們能出去做同樣的事。
沒有多少人在他們的事工上有足夠的安全感來做這件事。我曾詢問過不少人，他們覺得如果他們這樣做，那麼他們所門徒的人最終會帶走許多 "他們的人"。一個如此沒有安全感的人，首先就不應該從事事奉。如果主真的委託我們事奉，那麼祂會照顧我們。如果我們的生活中沒有這種基本的安全感，那麼我們就需要質疑主是否真的派遣了我們，還是我們只是透過自己的努力佔據了一個位置。
新約事工的偉大典範之一實際上是舊約下的最後一位先知，也是新約下的第一位先知，施洗約翰。他的全部目的是為在他之後到來的那位做預備，指出祂，然後願意隨著祂的增加而衰微。與此相反，教會歷史證明，幾乎每一個運動都會迫害後來的運動，而不是幫助他們預備道路，祝福和委託他們。因此，幾乎每一個幫助教會進步的新運動都伴隨著所有的問題，不僅是一個孤兒，而且是一個不得不生活在父母要殺他的恐懼中的孤兒！這必須改變。這種情況必須改變。
就像主自己一樣，我們必須明白，除非我們幫助預備那些要把我們的事工進行得更遠，甚至做 "更大的工"（見約翰福音14:12）的人，否則我們的果子就不會留下來。除非我們這樣做，否則教會將繼續被折騰，受制於人的詭計，而不是朝著她的命定前進。令人鼓舞的是，現在全地在進行一場偉大的運動，以恢復我們的基本聖經任務，進行事奉。現在是時候了，而且很快就會完成。
Day 77
The Maturing of the Saints
Rick Joyner
"But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days!" (Matthew 24:19)
This was a warning that the Lord Jesus gave when He was describing the last days. Another way that I think we could phrase this is "Woe to those pastors who keep their people in immaturity!"
Yesterday, we addressed the need for the equipping ministries listed in Ephesians 4 if the church is to function and mature as it is supposed to. I want to now elaborate a little on the next verse in this chapter, Ephesians 4:14:
As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves,
and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.
This verse is a good depiction of much of the body of Christ today. It is accurate to say that most Christians remain spiritual children. They get tossed about by waves and movements, but seldom mature, and few ever walk in their calling. Those who are not tossed about by waves and movements are tossed about by winds of doctrine that carry them from one emphasis to another. These are the ones who are doing relatively well! The rest are captured by the "trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming."
As we read in the previous verses, one of the reasons the equipping ministries are given to the church is so that this will not happen. It will continue to happen, however, until these ministries are restored and given their rightful place of authority and influence in the church.
We begin to feel good about ourselves if we think that we know some apostles, prophets, or evangelists, etc., and that our church recognizes and receives from them. This may be true of some, but if we are to examine the fruit of those who call themselves apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers, do we see what is described here in Ephesians 4? Is there any church on earth where all of the members are really being equipped for the ministry as it states in this chapter? Is there a congregation anywhere that is really growing up into the measure of the stature that belongs to the fullness of Christ?
I am including the congregations that I have been a part of planting in this assessment as well. We have done fairly well in equipping some of the people to do some things, but overall we too fall far short of this level of ministry that is supposed to be the standard for all churches. I am therefore not writing this to condemn anyone's church or ministry, but rather as a cry that we must wake up. We only have a couple of the equipping ministries functioning in our church at this time. We invite those who would like to visit and help us in what we are lacking, and they do, but not in the kind of depth that it really takes to equip the people to do the work of the ministry.
As I stated yesterday, I only know of a handful of ministries throughout the world who really seem to understand and are committed to equipping believers to do the work of the ministry. Most just think that it is their job to go around performing their ministry, and if people catch on to what they are doing and are able to then do some of it, great. It is apparent that less than 10 percent of the Christians in the church today even know what their calling is, and less than this are actually functioning in their calling. This is a spiritual tragedy.
I watched my father endure a number of strokes until he could only move one arm a little. To see him in this condition for several months has been one of the hardest things I can ever remember going through. How does the Lord feel when He looks down on the church that is supposed to be His glorious bride and she can barely move an arm a little? If we have been trusted with an equipping ministry in the church, are we not responsible for this?
The present form of ministry in the church, as it is understood and functioning, is not accomplishing its biblical mandate. There must be a radical change in our understanding of ministry. As the saying goes, "Unless you change your course you will end up where you are headed." We are in need of a drastic course correction in the very way that church leadership and ministry is now conducted.
Our condition is not just the result of the church failing to understand and accept apostolic and prophetic ministries today. It is deeper than that. We do not really understand evangelists, pastors, or teachers either. It appears that those who have these callings seldom even understand their own purpose in more than just a superficial way.
Jesus is the model of all true New Testament ministry. When you think of Him you must also think of His disciples. Immediately after He began His ministry He started calling disciples whom He could train to do everything that He did. This should be fundamental to all who are in ministry. Whenever we are sent out to do ministry we should have around us those who are not just called to be assistants, but who are there to learn to do everything that we are doing so they can go out and do the same.
There are not many who are secure enough in their ministry to do this. I have questioned quite a few who feel that if they do this then those whom they disciple will end up taking many of "their people." One who is this insecure should not be in ministry in the first place. If the Lord really commissioned our ministry, then He will take care of us. If we do not have this fundamental security in our lives, then we need to question whether the Lord has really sent us, or if we have just assumed a position by our own efforts.
One of the great models of New Testament ministry was actually the last prophet under the Old Covenant, as well as the first under the New Covenant, John the Baptist. His whole purpose was to prepare for the One who was to come after him, to point to Him, and then be willing to decrease as He increased. Contrary to this, church history testifies that almost every movement persecutes the succeeding movements instead of helping to prepare the way for them, blessing and commissioning them. Therefore, almost every new movement that arises to help the church advance also comes with all of the problems of not only being an orphan, but one who had to live in fear of his parents trying to kill him! This must change.
Like the Lord Himself, we must understand that our fruit will not remain unless we help prepare those who are to carry our ministry further and even do "greater works" (see John 14:12). Until we do this, the church is going to continue to be tossed about and subjected to the trickery of men instead of advancing toward her destiny. The encouragement is that there is now a great movement across the earth to recover our basic biblical mandate for ministry. It is time, and it will soon be accomplished.