選擇 21
雷克-喬納
2022.10.11

上週我們研究了裝備聖徒做事工的前兩個步驟：1）教導和2）培訓。下一個步驟是裝備。在軍隊中，當你圓滿地完成教導和訓練並獲得自己的武器時，裝備就開始了。如果你是步兵，你會得到你自己的步槍。如果你是一名飛行員，你會得到你自己的飛機。

裝備完畢後，在做你被指派的工作之前還有最後一步--部署。你會被分配到一個單位，在那裡你會在部隊中佔有一席之地。在新約教會生活中，這時我們開始作為我們被呼召的身體的一部分在事工中發揮作用。這是令人興奮和滿足的，但這不是結束，只是開始。

在軍隊中，一旦你被部署到你的單位，如果你不在實際行動或爭戰中，你將不斷學習和訓練，以提高你的知識和技能。在基督的身體裡也是如此。我們是終身的門徒。沒有人可以從祂的軍隊中退役。祂最終呼召我們變得像祂一樣，做祂所做的工，甚至做更大的工。在我們做更大的工之前，我們應該在祂裡面成長。正如以弗所書4:15所說："凡事長進，連於元首基督"。

主賜給教會的事工是使徒、先知、傳福音的、牧師和教師，以帶領祂的身體成員經歷這個過程。這個過程一直持續到 "直等到我們眾人在真道上同歸於一，認識神的兒子，得以長大成人，滿有基督長成的身量"（以弗所書4:13）。地上是否有一個教會團體已經完成了這個目標？如果沒有，我們仍有一些要成長。

在軍隊中，隨著你對工作的熟練程度提高，你會被提升到與你的知識、技能和經驗相稱的更高等級。在基督的身體裡也是如此。如果我們忠於我們所得到的，主應允將更多的東西交給我們。這不僅僅是為了讓我們得到更多的尊重和榮譽，而是為了讓我們能夠完成更多的工作。

正如我們已講過的，在基督裡成長就是在我們做更多事情的能力上成長，成為像祂一樣的人。我們的呼召既是做事，也是成事，而這兩件事是一起完成的。在基督裡，做是成為的自然結果。如果我們在他裡面，我們就會結出果子。就像一棵果樹不需要努力去結果，而是通過自己的本性去結果，我們也會自然而然地結果，因為我們作為枝子住在生命之樹--基督裡。

主說祂的軛是容易的，祂的負擔是輕省的。如果我們的工作變得過於繁重，我們就背上了祂沒有給我們的軛。這可能是我們自己的野心造成的軛，或者是別人為了幫助我們達到他們的期望而加在我們身上的軛。我們可以透過承擔這些其他的軛來完成事情，但只有透過承擔主的軛，我們才能結出真正的、持久的果子。當我們負起祂的軛時，我們將永遠發現我們的靈魂得到了提振，而不是壓力。這是分辨我們是否住在祂裡面的一個方法。

Choices, Part 21
Rick Joyner

Last week we looked at the first two steps to equipping the saints to do the work of the ministry: 1) teaching and 2) training. The next step is equipping. In the military, equipping begins when you have satisfactorily completed your instructions and training and are given your own weapon. If you are in the infantry, you are given your own rifle. If you are a pilot, you are given your own aircraft.

After equipping there is one final step before doing what you have been assigned to do—deployment. You are assigned to a unit where you take your place in the forces. In New Testament church life, this is when we begin functioning in ministry as part of the body we are called to be. This is exciting and fulfilling, but it is not the end, only the beginning.

In the military, once you are deployed to your unit, if you are not in actual operations or combat, you will be constantly studying and training to improve your knowledge and skills. The same is true in the body of Christ. We are disciples for life. There is no discharge from His army. He ultimately called us to become like Him, do the works He did, and even greater works. Until we are doing this, we should be growing in Him. As we are told in Ephesians 4:15, “We are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.”

The ministries the Lord gave to the church to take the members of His body through this process are the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. This continues “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). Is there a church body anywhere on earth where this has already been accomplished? If not, we still have some growing to do.

In the military, as you become more proficient at your job, you will be promoted to a higher rank commensurate with your knowledge, skills, and experience. The same is true in the body of Christ. If we are faithful in what we have been given, the Lord promises to trust us with more. This is not just so we will be more respected and honored, but so we can get more done.

As we have covered, growing in Christ is growing in our ability to do more and become like Him. Our calling is both to do and to become, and these are accomplished together. In Christ, doing is the natural outcome of becoming. If we are in Him, we will bear fruit. Just as a fruit tree does not have to strive to bear fruit, but bears fruit by being what it is, we too naturally bear fruit as we abide as a branch in the Tree of Life, Christ.

The Lord said His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. If our work becomes too burdensome, we have taken a yoke He did not give us. It may be our own yoke resulting from our own ambitions, or yokes others have placed on us to help meet their expectations. We can accomplish things by taking these other yokes, but only by taking the Lord’s yoke can we bear true, lasting fruit. When we take His yoke, we will always find refreshment for our souls, not stress. This is one way to discern whether we are abiding in Him.