“God’s has a basic pattern for creating: Typically from a centrifuge…”
As we have become students of the formation of the Church body in God’s Kingdom, we have noticed how the work of the Spirit begins with a manifestation of God’s power, then spreads through that which was created by that manifestation – all that comes out of it being shaped and empowered by the ground zero event.
The Five Rhythms are expressions of this process – The manifesting of God’s power creates a community of all who witnessed it, who then form more close-knit groups, each of whom support the individuals whose lives were transformed in meaning, purpose, and destination. The order created accomplishes its work, down to each individual “body” which lives in the gravitational pull of the system created by the one, “ground-zero event”.
This event is thereafter repeated in each “spin-off system” – an echo of the original creative power of God. These are what we refer to as Revivals, or Awakenings. They occur at a wide variety of magnitudes – from individuals, to communities, to global.
It was in reading a new book I picked up called “Influencer” that my understanding of discipleship was actually reborn. I have referred to discipleship often, and tugged on what it is, and what it looks like for the past 35 years In reading this book, I stumbled onto what I think is the heart and soul of discipleship as defined by the life of Jesus. First, I should review what I have thought it to be in the past – making clear that, at its core, I DON’T believe it is any of these things:
- it is not about meeting
- it is not friendship, as we know it
- it is not a class where we get information
- it is not mentoring someone according to a specific agenda
What I do see, after being challenged to go back and look at the Testimony we have of Jesus, the great disciple-maker, is that everything He did had one purpose: The success of His disciples – and not narrowly defined, but based upon what THEY needed to be successful. It was the same heart that told Peter to “throw your net on the other side..”, as also warned him about being “sifted” by Satan, and encouraged him to “strengthen the brothers”, not if you are restored, but when. In the end, His going to the cross was not His agenda, but necessary for OUR success with God. He asked that it not have to be, but accepted it as the ONLY solution.
We live in a culture that promotes investing in and shaping others lives only if it meets our goals, or what we have in mind for people. It is ultimately centered around our limited understanding of what people need. But not until we are willing to take responsibility for the success of others, as defined by them, are we truly discipling as Jesus did. I beleive that this is an essential part of the irresistable love of Christ that has the power to change our world. Who could say “No” to someone truly committed to his or her personal succes? May we abandon our control-based, self-centered notions of discipleship, and embrace the way of Jesus in committing to the success of just a few other people in our lives.