Building the Church v. Making Disciples

There is a subtle yet pervasive pressure among church leaders to grow their congregations or ministries. Sometimes the expectation is obvious as when pastors seem to emphasize numbers more than maturity. Believers tend to revere mega-churches and try to emulate their programs or strategies hoping for similar results. However, it is not our job to "build the church". Jesus said he would do it (cf. Matthew 16:18). Our responsibility is to make disciples.

Joel Osteen preaching at Lakewood Church

Jesus is our model for what true discipleship looks like. He submitted himself to the Father and walked in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus taught, healed, and delivered people. He commissioned his followers to do the same. True disciples look like their teacher. When the Church does what Jesus did, growth is inevitable. Jesus never had a marketing strategy or even invited people to come to his meetings, yet he always attracted crowds. As we learn to walk in the authority and power of Jesus, obeying his command to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leper, and cast out demons (cf. Matthew 10:8), there will not be enough room in our churches to handle the masses who come. My prayer is that the Church will focus less on attendance and more on how to be and make good disciples.

"These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also..." Acts 17:6 (KJV)

The Mystery of Marriage

Truth is multifaceted and builds upon itself. If you picture truth as a building, basic level revelation would be the foundation for which higher level truth can rest. In light of our identity, the groundwork of our salvation is that we are sinners saved by grace through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. From this base, God gives us the building blocks of servanthood, friendship, sonship, and ultimately the revelation as the bride of Christ. The Church is called to lead people through these stages so that the Body will become mature, beautiful, and flawless for her groom.


The highest revelation of our identity in Christ is as the bride. The thought of being the bride of Jesus is foreign, confusing, and even offensive to many people. Some Christians reject the Song of Songs from the Bible and cannot grasp how our relationship with Jesus could be viewed as a marriage. If we remember that heaven does not mimic earth but rather earth is a shadow of the reality of heaven than it is understandable how marriage would be the pinnacle of a spiritual relationship. There is no greater intimate relationship than a husband and a wife. Most Christians have not yet attained this level of intimacy with Jesus. This is nothing to be ashamed of because marriage should only come in age-appropriate seasons. Children do not fully understand or seek to get married because they are not mature enough for this type of relationship. Spiritual mothers and fathers are charged with the care of sons and daughters. They demonstrate what a healthy "marriage" relationship with Jesus looks like and help their children grow up to one day experience the same things for themselves. Let us be intentional in our development as Christians and prepare ourselves for the greatest union with Jesus as our groom.

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:31-32

The Stages of Our Identity

People are born separated from God because of sin. They are sinners who, by their nature, are prone to sin. Jesus calls them slaves to sin (cf. John 8:34). Paul teaches that because of Christ we have been set free from sin and are now slaves to righteousness (cf. Romans 6:18). This is why we call Jesus "Master" and "Lord". It is the posture of a servant. This is the first level or stage of our redeemed identity.

Although we always maintain a humble heart of service to the Lord, Jesus invites us to a higher level of intimacy. The second stage of our identity is friendship. In John 15:15, Jesus tells his disciples, "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." A slave serves out of fear, duty, or sometimes even honor but a friend serves out of love.

The third stage of our identity is the revelation of sonship. At the end of the day, a friend goes home but a son stays with his father. Sons and daughters are flesh and blood. They receive an inheritance and are beloved by their dad. They even look like him. It is usually the dream of a son to grow up to be just like his daddy.

The fourth and final stage of our identity is as the bride of Christ. Sons and daughters eventually grow up and leave their father's house but a spouse remains until the end. There is no greater or more intimate bond than a husband and wife. This is the mystery Paul talks about in Ephesians 5:31-32.

The highest revelation of our identity- Bride

The level or stage of identity we view ourselves will dictate how we experience and relate to God. For instance, if we are in the first stage of slave, we will usually experience God as a master. Our connection will most likely be based on trying to please Him through works or acts of service. It is our destiny to progress through these stages until we have a passionate, undying, and mature love for Jesus. I will address the bridal revelation in the next post but no matter what stage we are at, we can grow in our love and understanding. Let us make every effort to experience God not just as a master or friend but also a Father and lover!

"Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave." Song of Songs 8:6

Saints and Sinners

Many churches teach that Christians are sinners saved by grace. They even recite prayers and sing songs that declare they are worms because of their wretchedness before God. What these groups of believers do not recognize is that these are past realities. We were sinners saved by grace but now we are no longer sinners. The Bible calls us saints. We must embrace the truth that our Father does not view us as unholy, unrighteous, or unworthy. In light of the cross, we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ and judged clean.

We are no longer sinners but a new creation (II Cor. 5:17)

How we view ourselves directly affects our behavior. One pastor says, "If you believe you are a sinner, you will sin by faith". Our true identity is one of regal holiness. We are part of a royal priesthood. We are kings and queens. When we see ourselves as royalty, we will begin to act like it. I will write more about the stages of our identity in the next post but let us repent of false self-perceptions and declare the truth that we are indeed saints!

"For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin." Romans 6:6-7

One Thing

A movement is rising that is stirring the hearts of people to turn back to the Lord in pure devotion, fervent prayer, and committed fasting. The International House of Prayer (IHOP) based in Kansas City is at the forefront of this cause, sounding the call for continual worship and intercession as in the days of David's Tabernacle. They host a young adult conference at the end of every year called One Thing but they are also traveling across the country doing regional events. The name is derived from Psalm 27:4 when David prays, "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life". You can check out a brief promo video below.

I just attended the regional conference here in Pasadena and it was awe-inspiring to see hundreds of people, especially youth from all over southern California, cry out for more of the Lord. God is attracted to hunger and He gladly feeds those who draw near to Him with earnest desire. May our hunger for Him far outweigh any other attraction in our lives. Let us return to our first love and make our primary ministry to the Lord.

"My heart says of you, 'Seek his face!' Your face, Lord, I will seek." Psalm 27:8

Offending the Mind

Jesus has a remarkable conversation with the crowds who followed him in John 6. After Jesus miraculously fed the 5000, many of the same people who ate the fish and loaves tracked him down in Capernaum. There they talked with Jesus about bread and manna. When Jesus declared he was the bread of life who came down from heaven, the Jews began to grumble because he claimed to come from heaven even though they knew his earthly father and mother. Hearing their struggle over his words, Jesus decided to challenge them further by announcing that the bread was his flesh. This caused a great argument to arise from the crowd as more people were becoming upset. Jesus did not stop there but added that it was necessary to drink his blood in order to have eternal life. Christians can understand his words because we stand on the other side of the cross, but the Jews could not grasp what Jesus was saying. In fact, many of his disciples were so offended that they turned back and no longer followed him.

It is amazing that Jesus did not chase after his disciples and explain what he really meant by those graphic and strange words. He did not seem concerned that people were leaving. In fact, it appears that Jesus was purposely trying to confuse his disciples. He was intentionally offending their minds in order to reveal their hearts! He turned to the Twelve and asked if they wanted to leave as well. Simon Peter responded, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." In one sense Peter was saying, "Jesus, we don't know what you're talking about but we do know that when you speak something inside of us comes alive". Often the things that God says or does can be mysterious, confounding, and downright offensive. It is our responsibility to get past any mental offense and trust Him. We have a choice when confronted with challenging words or actions from the Lord- we can either stay offended or commit to seeking Him more. When we choose the latter, we position ourselves for greater intimacy and encounters.

"The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life." John 6:63

Beyond Scripture

It has been said that, "All of the Bible is in God but not all of God is in the Bible". That requires some careful thought because blasphemy warnings are being sounded in some minds. The Bible is the authoritative, inspired, and holy Word of God. Most believers would not question this idea. However, is all of God in the Bible? Does Scripture contain everything there is to know about the eternal, omnipotent, Creator of the universe? According to the opening quote, the answer is no. There are those who would disagree because it seemingly violates their high view of the Bible, or as mentioned in the previous post, the principle of "sola scriptura". However Scripture itself teaches that it does not tell the entire story.

The Holy Spirit illumines the Word

John 21:25 declares that, "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." In just three short years of ministry, all the works of Jesus could not be contained in a mere book. There appears to be more that we don't know about Jesus than things that we do. Jesus even tells his disciples near the end of his time on earth, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:12). Jesus wanted to share more with his disciples but they just weren't ready to receive it. He was not worried because the Holy Spirit would guide his followers into all truth. Though the Bible is our standard for salvation, intimacy, and destiny, there is still more we must learn through the person of the Holy Spirit. Let us become friends with the Holy Spirit and familiar with his voice so that we will discover more of the truth!

"The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me." John 16:15