Discipleship Crisis: stop imitating ordinary people
Introduction
A global prayer figure was recently accused of sexual improprieties, https://ministrywatch.com/international-house-of-prayer-relieves-mike-bickle-of-duties-begins-formal-investigation/. True of false, what I have noticed is that he shares a cultural trend common in Pentecostal-Evangelical circles, tolerating imitation. Whether this is of rocking back or forth in prayer (cf. Bickle>Briggs), quoting others favourably in the same circle (NCTM), personal mannerisms (DB), modelling “noticeability” (P.L-J), or, in my opinion, sub-biblical prayer forms (VLC), such a disposition is common amongst “key leaders”. The intense adulation that once accompanied the ministry of Brian Houston at Hillsong, now follows Mark Varughese of Kingdom City. That’s “just how humans are”, you might think, but Christ’s disciples are not “just human” (2 Cor 5:16-17). Whilst leaders are not responsible for the decisions of their followers, the issue has profounder foundations than generally acknowledged.
Great Commission or Great Commissioner?
“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” (Matt 28:16-20)
The passage listed above is famous as the “Great Commission”, this is a mistaken emphasis, for it is more a revelation of the Great Commissioner! Whatever the prior resurrection appearances of Jesus, this one alone, in Matthew at least, drew out spontaneous worship. His assertion: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”, marks Jesus out as the heavenly “Son of Man” one in glory with “the Ancient of Days” (Dan 7:13-14). To be commanded with such unlimited authority by someone recently dead, but now raised into glory, was a stupendous experience (cf. Rev 1:17-18). Christ’s command, “teaching them to observe all that Ihave commanded you” directs the Church to make disciples of Jesus alone. To make disciples of anyone other than Jesus, was in New Testament times, inconceivable. (On “disciples of Paul” see http://hypotyposeis.org/weblog/acts-925-his-disciples-or-the-disciples/ ) Yet what happens when a Church, like our Western Christianity, has been long living outside of the sphere of the miraculous? For miracles are pointers to the one exclusive great miracle of Christ’s resurrection from the dead.
Prophets?
Since it is the express call of prophets to uphold “the testimony of Jesus” in the Church (Rev 19:10), the current malaise of imitating the flesh of corruptible humanity points to a “despising of prophecy” (1 Thess 4:20). Despite common claims about honouring biblical authority the opposite is the real problem we are faced with today! Whilst godly king David accepted prophets of rebuke, Nathan, and Gad (2 Sam 12; 24), Solomon began the decline of Israel unto exile through lacking such witness. The prophet Agabus may have been confused in warning Paul not to go up to Jerusalem (Acts 21:10-14), but he certainly had the liberty to do so. Irrespective of their own personal or theological approaches to prophecy, those currently functioning as “icons of imitation” arrange the culture around them in ways that do not allow personal or public prophetic rebuke of their leadership. To remedy this we must desperately return to the measure of Christ in the gospel (Rom 12:3ff; Eph 4:7, 13).
Back to the Gospel
In teaching about leadership Paul speaks bluntly to the Corinthians, “Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Cor 1:13). His pointed question is intended to shame them, and us, into repentance (cf. 1 Cor 15:34). To another difficult church, Paul appeals with pathos, “let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.” (Gal 6:17). Doubtless he refers to the visible wounds and scars he endured in preaching the gospel (cf. 2 Cor 11:23-33). Having acted on the basis of the Spirit’s constraint (cf. Acts 20:22, 21:10) to challenge non-biblical actions by brothers set above me in the Lord, I do appreciate that this is a difficult business. But it is a part of sharing in the way of the cross as the means of glory. The resurrected Lord, who never hid his wounds (John 20:27), openly proclaimed to foolish disciples, “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”” (Luke 24:26). Human beings made in the image of God are destined to reflect the divine likeness, and this likeness is fully and finally revealed in Jesus “the visible image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15) made perfect only through faithful suffering. What much of the contemporary Western Church fails to understand is that any likeness that falls short of the crucified-and-raised Lamb of God (Rev 5:6) necessarily, if accidentally, partakes of the image of the beast (Rev 13:14). This is the heart of chronic spiritual warfare.
Another Image
The root of idolatry at the core of sin is to have “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man” (Rom 1:23). Luther accurately taught there were only two possible theologies, “theologies of glory’ and “theologies of the cross”. The theologian of glory ‘does not know God hidden in suffering. Therefore he prefers works to suffering, glory to the cross, strength to weakness, wisdom to folly, and, in general, good to evil.” This prophetic teaching provoked a Reformation in Western Christendom, and in an age that has chosen the way of natural glory to the cross, the same is needed today. When Paul testifies, “I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling…before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.” (1 Cor 2:3; Gal 3:1), he meant that when people saw him in his humility, they saw the likeness of the Son of God. There was a real revelation of Christ dying through the ministry of those who actually saw Jesus raised from the dead (1 Cor 15:3-9). The apostle needed to command, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Cor 11:1), because naturally speaking his life and ministry had become incapable of imitation. That is, the form of his life was miraculous (Phil 2:5-13).
Conclusion
It’s time to step back into the realm of the miraculous where unless God acts things don’t happen. An apostolic Church lives by death-and-resurrection. We are being called back into a space awaiting the coming of the Spirit like the apostles did in perfect unity prior to Pentecost (Acts 1:14). The Church in Perth, and elsewhere, needs to stop elevating anyone other than Jesus (John 12:32), for it is a dangerous and fearful thing to be a Christian leader who may lead others to follow one’s own uncrucified flesh (Gal 5:24; 6:14). As Jesus himself “through suffering was made perfect” (Heb 5:8-9), so it must be with those he has appointed apostolic leaders today. This is to obey the central command of our Great Commissioner. Here is the revival we have been seeking.
“Lord have Mercy, Christ have Mercy. Lord have Mercy.” (Pss 6:2, 9:13, 31:9, 86:3,123:3; Matt 15:22; 17:15; 20:22)