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To Encounter God and Experience God:
Without God, living and active in this world, our faith is nothing but religious morals and pointless rituals. The apostle Paul says if Christ has not risen from the Dead, that our faith is worthless, and we are most among people to be pitied. (Paraphrase of I Cor 15:17-19) But, He is Risen, and the first section of the vision acknowledges that belief, and that nothing is more important to our faith then to walk in relationship with Him. It is very easy for us to go through the motions of Christianity, but forget to spend time and focus on God himself, but consider the call and warning of Christ found in John 15: "Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing." can you unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." Jesus words here are clear, with Him, we can bear fruit, and without him we will accomplish nothing! Encountering God in every meeting, but also experiencing a daily relationship with him are the rocks of our ministry. Look also at John 10:11-16, where Jesus proclaims: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away-and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd." Since we are His sheep we must also know the voice of the Good Shepherd, and follow Him where He might lead us.
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To Edify and Equip the Body:
The word edify in Greek is Oikodomeo. It comes from the word Oikas, which means dwelling, house, or body. To Edify is to build up the Oikas, such as in a house with a firm foundation, repairing its structural weak spots, and adding to it to make it better. We are called to use our different gifts in the body of Christ to edify one another, what we might be whole and healthy people. (Scripture reference, Romans 12:4-8, Eph. 4:29). We live in a society in which people are expected to be perfect all the time, and where grace hasn't any meaning outside of not caring. The truth is that every one of us is a sinner, imperfect in every way, and that every one of us has doubts and weaknesses that need to be addressed. However, we are not trapped in this with no hope! Jesus Christ came to call us out of sin and into his grace, by his blood on the cross. However, where does that leave us now? As a body of forgiven, empowered, but imperfect people that need to rely on one another to be strengthened where we are weak, in order to create a body that can be healthy. We will still hurt, sin, and be lonely, but together we wait and build one another up in love. However, this is a two way street, meaning that as you come to every cell group knowing that you will be accepted and edified, it also means that you must be willing to share your strengths, spiritual gifts, and self with the group that we may all together be healed. Henry Nouwen called Christians Wounded Healers, and indeed we are that, both hurting and helping at the same time. We must always think of how we can build each other up, as we seek together God's Face. Ephesians 4:11-13: The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.
In the Ephesians passage, Paul speaks of edifying and equipping in the same thought. What then is the difference between edifying and equipping? If edification if the healing, building, and growing of a body to health and strength, then equipping is the schooling, training, and preparation it needs to be successful at what we do as adults. One who is injured can not run even a mile, so must be built back up to strength by the body (edification), but only one who is trained, who has been disciplined through equipping, can run a marathon. Consider Hebrew 12:1-11: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children- "MY CHILD, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, OR LOSE HEART WHEN YOU ARE PUNISHED BY HIM; FOR THE LORD DISCIPLINES THOSE WHOM HE LOVES, AND CHASTISES EVERY CHILD WHOM HE ACCEPTS." Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Praise God that He treats us His children, and not only worries about us coming to faith, but taking the time to grow us up into more faith and understanding. This ministry is deeply devoted to that same process. We do this primarily through the model of discipleship. Jesus modeled throughout His lifetime, as did the apostles and the early church. Jesus spent three years equipping the disciples so that they would be able to continue the ministry after His ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit. How could the disciples have been expected to live the lives they did after Pentecost if Jesus had not spend three years equipping and discipling them to do so?! So then, how are we expected to know what it means to pick up our crosses daily unless someone who has walked down the path before us is daily showing us how to so as well? Therefore, we believe that it is of great biblical importance to continue to disciple in this same manner today, being trained up and taught by those who have walked before us.
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To Follow God into ministry and fulfill the Great Commission:
Matthew 28:18-20: "And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." It is our desire to follow this command in this ministry by making disciples! God has always called us to be mission focused, not just holding on to what we know for ourselves but passing it along to whoever God brings us too. It is important to note that this passage doesn't say go and evangelize, but rather make disciples, teaching them all that I have commanded you. Of course evangelism is a part of this process, but so is discipleship. We refer to it as following God into Ministry in recognition that He is the one who has gifted us differently so that we might serve differently. Not all are called to the same thing, but together, following God, we want to serve others in our world. Missions is major part of our focus at Berkeley Covenant, and that mission expresses itself both in world missions, and locally as we reach out those in our own Oikas (people we interact with). We are the salt of the world and the lamp on a stand, and we are called to reach out to everyone with Christ's message. Let us always remember that we are serving a God who cares for us, AND also for others, and follow the example of our King by giving our lives away to serve God and others.
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