Search Results

1. IRTDMN - Jesus poured his life into developing a small group of disciples to become leaders. The training was very practical and involved modeling, feedback and encouragement and instruction. Many of these elements can be useful today in our task of raising up leaders and workers for the kingdom of God. Let us try and unpack the main elements. a. Identified i. He identified those who were being drawn to him by the Father John 1:38-39 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" 39 "Come," he replied, "and you will see." ii. We must do the same today to those whom the Father is drawing, that is help them to come to Jesus. Remember Jesus is the teacher, mentor and disciple-maker. iii. We need to ask and pray and find out who we are to work on and start the process. iv. What do we look for? 1. Come early, stay late. 2. Ask questions 3. Offer solutions 4. People are attracted to them, listen to them. 5. They are able to envision a future 6. Prompting of the Lord v. QUESTION – Who is the Lord drawing and how do you proceed b. Recruited i. Gave asked them to do a task, explained how it fits in to the vision. He ignited and called out the leadership in them. ii. Vision releases leadership. iii. He explained the need of the task. c. Trained i. Jesus trained but in a very practical way. He modeled it to his disciples. Matt 4:23-25 23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. ii. He publically modeled what he did and then to those who he was training, he clarified in private (Mk 4:10-11). Mark 9:28-29 28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" 29 He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer." NIV iii. In Luke 10 he sends them on short trips and they reported back. iv. You do it they watch, you do it together, they do it, you watch. v. Explain why and how you do things, it is practical not theoretical. The teaching element is mainly when doing the task vi. QUESTION: What sort of things can you do and how would you feed back d. Deployed i. Matt 28 Jesus sent them out with instructions and authority. ii. Mat 10:4-8 we see very specific instructions. iii. QUESTION: What specific instructions might you give? e. Monitored i. He looked at their heart attitudes, motivations and ambitions. Matt 20:25-28 25 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." ii. Stressed servanthood and humility. iii. QUESTION: How would you asses and feedback? f. Nurtured i. Thomas and Peter were tenderly nurtured by Jesus after failing. Failing is never final, just a way of learning. ii. QUESTION: How can we nurture? (Clue Mt 28:20)

Better Together ("If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together.") 1. Introduction. a. Many years of overseeing pastors and leaders has taught me they all usually battle with one main issue, I limits growth, it withholds blessing, and is the cause of many a good leaders failure – Insecurity. b. Insecurity comes along the path initially of shame (you’re not good enough), then to rejection , and eventually gives rise to pride and insecurity. c. Insecurity then leads to: i. Making comparisons (forbidden) ii. Weak self-identity and poor sense of calling in God iii. Divisive and or controlling behaviour (jealousy, gossip, criticism etc). iv. Inability to rejoice in others success and fruit. v. Lack of harmony and love. d. We in the Ukraine need to be free of that. e. This group going forward needs to get rid of any issues of this but it is not an easy task. 2. Some Biblical Perspectives a. Paul is clear we are one in Christ (Gal 3:28). b. Jesus prays for harmony (John 17:21), so that others may believe. c. Act 2:42-46 models unity and growth. d. Mathew 18 gives us a practical model for forgiveness and demonstrates the consequences of unforgiveness. e. Paul in Romans 12 and 1Cor 12 gives a message of the body of Christ and our need for each other. God designed it that way. f. We are called to prefer one another , love one another, and serve one another, that is what the world longs to see. The NT contains that theme all the way through. . g. The resurrected Christ always appears in of for community i. The two Marys are sent back to the disciples having seen the resurrected Jesus (Matt 28), ii. On the road to Emmaus the two disciples return to the community after having met the resurrected Jesus (Luke 24) iii. Thomas doesn’t see the risen Christ until he returns to the community of the disciples (John 20). iv. Peter goes back to fishing in his disappointment, but the other disciples go with him (community). John sees the Lord on the shore, Peter swims to him. (John 21). h. Paul chastises the Corinthian church in 1Cor 1:10-12 because of divisions and quarrels. i. Hebrews 12:15 (NIV84) 15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. – One bitter root poisons a whole plant. 3. Some Practical Applications a. Your brother is not your enemy. b. Be honest about your issues i. Do you need to confess things/behaviour? ii. Do you need to ask for forgiveness? iii. Do you need to pray for healing? c. Determine at all times: i. Speak the best of one another. ii. Think the best of one another. iii. Always trust one another. iv. Prefer one another. v. Pray for one another. vi. Be honest with one another. vii. Find ways to be kind to one another. 4. How can I overcome Insecurity? a. We are beloved sons and daughters of God – our challenge is to live a life based on that knowledge. b. Imagine your life as a straight line as below c. A small life that passes fast, and two questions dominate; i. Who are we? ii. Who am I? d. We answer that in three ways: i. I am what I do – our feelings reflect our success or failure. ii. I am what others say about me – can be very powerful and also very deeply wounding when negative and critical. iii. I am what I have – when we gain or lose our emotions go with it. e. Because this is wrong, our life goes up and down. f. We survive by trying to stay above the line , but life is a zig zag. The end is death. g. There is another way - We are the beloved of God. i. Before Jesus temptation in the desert, he is baptised and filled with the Holy Spirit, when the Father says “this is my son whom I love, with him I am well pleased” ii. Jesus now faces adulation, criticism, persecution, ridicule, and finally humiliation death – how because he is the beloved, he never lets go of that truth. iii. The voice that calls you beloved, is the voice of first love, you love because God first loved you. iv. Once that truth sits in your heart and life it controls everything. Humiliation, criticism, rejection and pruning only push us deeper into the love of God. The life of the beloved If we live in the truth of we are loved, it is s like a growing spiral fills our entire life.

Richard Nathan - Vineyard Columbus, Ohio Pastors and church planters face enormous demands as we try to juggle family responsibilities, ministry, and often, school and part-time jobs. How can we live sustainable lives? We read of tragic pastoral failures on a weekly basis. Most pastors don’t last in the ministry for five years (perhaps the only way we pastors are like pro football players!). I’ve been a pastor for 25 years. Here are ten practices that have enabled me to pastor for the long-haul. #1 Build a rock-solid daily personal devotional life with God. This simply means that you spend time every day soaking in God’s presence. You can handle an enormous amount of pressure, if your foundation is solid. Pressure is not the problem. Weak foundations are the problem. If your foundation is shaky, you won’t be able to handle very much at all. Maybe you’ve heard the expression: “You can’t fire a cannon out of a canoe.” If you are really going to accomplish something; if you are going to be able to achieve and do the great things that God has in store for you to achieve and do, you need a strong foundation. The cannon of your life needs to be bolted into granite. And the granite of your life is your rock-solid personal time with God every day. #2 Choose a prayer partner, who is a peer and with whom you can be utterly transparent. What I have personally done in my own life for the past 20 years and what we require of every pastor on the staff of Vineyard Columbus is to have a prayer partner. At Vineyard Columbus we take one day every month outside of the office talking and praying with our prayer partner. We have a set of accountability questions that we ask each other such as: a. Are you struggling with sexual purity in any way? b. Have you seen any pornography, or anything on TV or in a movie that you shouldn’t have watched? c. Have you done anything sexually you shouldn’t have done? d. Are there any emotional attachments forming with someone who is not your spouse? e. Have you handled your money and financial dealings with absolute integrity? f. Have you experienced any breach in any relationship? Are you at peace with everyone? g. Have you forgiven everyone for everything? h. Are you experiencing intimacy with God on a regular basis? #3 If you are married, schedule a weekly date night with your spouse. It is really important to stay current and to fuel romance and intimacy with your spouse. My wife and I have a regular date every Monday. It doesn’t need to be expensive. It could be coffee and a long walk through a park or a leisurely breakfast. But schedule a weekly date with your spouse outside your home. #4 Get financial counseling from a professional financial counselor. Strongly consider (if you are married, with your spouse) going to a course like Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. Life is sustainable when your financial house is in order. #5 Ruthlessly avoid all compromising situations with the opposite sex. There are few things that derail people from the plan of God more than sexual impurity. Jim Downing, who is one of the patriarchs of the Navigator organization, was asked some years ago: Why is it that so few people finish well? His response was profound. He said: “They learn the possibility of being fruitful without being pure. They begin to believe that purity doesn’t matter. Eventually, they become like trees rotting inside that are eventually toppled by a storm.” Live a sexually pure life. #6 Take care of yourself physically. Join a gym. Get into the habit of walking with a friend. Watch your diet. It is not enough that you’re involved in ministry. It is not even enough that you grow in internal purity and intimacy with God. You are a whole person. Your life is integrated - body, soul and spirit. You cannot neglect your body or your emotional life and continue to do well. So, take care of yourself physically. #7 Do not confuse knowledge or skills or giftedness for spiritual maturity. You are gifted. You may know a lot. You may help many people. None of those things are the same as spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is a matter of your internal character, your honesty, your willingness to forgive everyone for everything, your joy during trials, your trust in the sovereignty of God, your endurance in hard times, and your unwillingness to compromise integrity. Don’t confuse knowledge or skills or giftedness for spiritual maturity. #8 If you are married, take a great marriage inventory with your spouse and have a professional marriage counselor discuss the results with you. Here at Vineyard Columbus we offer a marriage inventory called LIMRI. We have regular marriage retreats. Do a marriage inventory especially at the front-end of pastoring, and every few years after that. #9 Join a small group (and if married, join with your spouse). Christianity is a team sport. We cannot grow successfully apart from biblical community. Join a men’s group, a women’s group, a coed group, or a recovery group where you can know and be known. #10 Cultivate the fear of the Lord and a fear of sin. We sinners always dreadfully under-estimate the cost of sin and dreadfully over-estimate our ability to manage the consequences after we choose to sin. Sin costs and once you choose to sin, the consequences are out of your hands. We read in Proverbs 14.26-27, He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children I will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death. Deuteronomy 10.12-13 says, And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? Psalm 34.9 tells us this: Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. Psalm 128:1 says: Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. # 9 Приєднуйтесь до домашньої групи (якщо ви одружені - до своєї дружини). Християнство - командний вид спорту. Ми не можемо успішно розвиватися окремо від християнської спільноти. Приєднуйтесь до групи, де ви можете спілкуватись і ділитися своїм життям. # 10 Розвивайте страх Господній і страх гріха. Ми, грішники, завжди жахливо недооцінюємо ціну гріха і жахливо переоцінюємо нашу здатність керувати наслідками після того, як ми вирішили грішити. Гріх руйнує, і якщо ви вирішите грішити, наслідки не в ваших руках. У Притчах 14:26-27 ми читаємо: «Той, хто боїться Господа, має надійну фортецю, і Бог - притулком для Своїх дітей. Страх Господній - джерело життя, що виводить людину з пасток смерти». У Книзі Повторення Закону 10.12-13 йдеться: «А тепер, Ізраїлю, чого жадає від тебе Господь, Бог Твій, як не боятися Господа Бога Твого, ходити всіма Його дорогами, любити Його, служити Господу, Богу Твоєму, усім своїм серцем, і всією своєю душею, і дотримуватися велінь і указів Господа, які Я даю вам сьогодні для вашого ж блага?» Псалом 34.9 говорить нам: бійтеся Господа, всі святії Його, бо ті, що бояться Його ні в чому не мають потреби. Псалом 128: 1 говорить: Блаженні всі, що бояться Господа, що ходять путями Його.

At the height of the People of Jesus movement in the 60s, I became a Christian. I was not a hippie, but I played rock 'n' roll and so I was in some way in touch with the hippie society, which the Jesus People movement had such a strong influence on. Fortunately for me, the person who led me to Christ and had a great influence on me clearly understood the importance and high value of the Gospel. He taught us that there is no such thing as "cheap grace." Becoming a disciple means living completely for God, living a life of righteousness and faith that would exemplify word and deed for a world desperate for salvation. But after two years my mentor left. Over time, we came under the influence of a more popular version of the "gospel" presented by many, but which was somewhat incomplete. His main message was: “Come and get away from reality. Receive Jesus and get ready for the Ascension, because he will return at any moment. " For a while, I became passive, waiting for the Ascension. I had to wait patiently for at least three weeks until I suddenly began to realize that what I had learned in the first two years of my walk in Christ still applied to my life: I had to do something while waited. Perhaps being a Christian is more than I thought. Now I know that this "something" that we have to do is to become the image and likeness of Christ, growing in His character. After more than twenty years of ministry, I became convinced that the most important thing that each of us can do as a Christian is to grow up before we grow old. And if we want to succeed in a big cause, helping men and women find salvation, it is very important that reaching maturity becomes part of our goal - for them and for ourselves.

The inhabitants of God's kingdom resemble one another because in many ways they are like Jesus Christ. John Wimber stressed that being a disciple is more than just making a decision in favor of Jesus; this means a complete change of mind and heart, the transition from the world to the kingdom of God. In Kingdom Life, the author of the following blog series, provides practical advice to help you find the character of Christ in your life. John Wimber is a man called by God to accomplish a much greater task than to lead the church into dynamic revival. He learned - and taught us - to touch God in worship, move in the power of the Holy Spirit, and see the kingdom of God spreading everywhere. During his life, which ended in 1997, this common man became an internationally renowned evangelist, best-selling author, pastor and founder of the Vineyard Association of Christian Churches around the world.

We need to recognize the fact that this is His Church, not ours. We need to remember what belongs to whom, and who is placed above everything. The Church should be returned to its true Owner, so that always and in everything the initiative belongs only to Him. This thought is expressed in the confession by which we should live: "You are the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God." Jesus started it all, and He Himself wants to bring it all to completion. Even if you give Him a 50% chance, He can do great things. Do you doubt Him? Moreover, have you ever thought about the Church that He intended to create? We must become Jesus for this world, no more, but no less. The Bible provides a startling picture of what the Church should ultimately become. But I believe that at this time, Jesus is freeing both Himself and ourselves from the web of numerous plans, programs, rules, committees and dogmas. Many people were overjoyed and tired of the problems and crisis situations inherent in the systems that we ourselves create. Some have left the church altogether, while others are looking for a ghost church, hoping that there they will be able to experience "real" Christianity, and not receive new wounds. A balanced approach, as the existing contradictions in the Church show, lies in our duty, paradoxically, to actively participate and, at the same time, not to interfere. We absolutely need to become His partners because Jesus is building His Church with the help of “saved sinners” like you and me. We are all “living stones”, all together being built into a house in which God will live. Therefore, we need to learn from Him, be led by Him and work with Him in the process of building His Church. For a long time, we either hindered or resisted and interfered with the program of His building. For too long we have erected monuments to His movement. Sometimes we built the Church, believing that these were His plans, or that He Himself was building with us, but then we discovered that in fact we were carrying out our own plans and building our own kingdom. “If the Lord does not build the house, they labor in vain that build it” (Ps. 126: 1). If we do not allow Jesus to be the artist and builder of His house, He will not take part in its completion, and then you will have to answer. God is shaking everything more and more so that the result can be unshakable. We know that what has been said applies not only to the world with its economic and political system, but also, more importantly, to the Church, because the judgment will begin with the house of God (see Hebrews 12: 25-29, cf. 1 Pet. 4 : 17). Only the true manifestations of the Kingdom will be unshakable and indestructible, everything built on a rock named Jesus, and all living confirmation of our resemblance to Him. Everything else will collapse like a house of cards. Since we inherit an indestructible kingdom, we should be grateful to God and worship Him with fear and awe, because He really is a consuming fire. God is a jealous God. Idolatry, like anything done by our hands, will be set on fire (Deut 4:24).

Jesus firmly declared, "I will build My Church." This is the most confident and strongest statement about the Christian Church. He went on to say: “I will build My Church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). This statement is expressed in the old language. At first glance, it may seem that Christ intended to build a Church that would be able to defend itself from the attacks and attacks of "hell", and hell will not overcome her! But this is not the case! In fact, this statement expresses the exact opposite idea. Jesus was going to create such a community of believers (Greek ekklesia), which would become a means of His heavenly government, with the help of which He could destroy evil in all its manifestations here on earth. And the very rule of the underworld is not able to withstand the onslaught of the Kingdom of God, carried out through the Church. If you understand what is meant by this statement, then you can imagine what prospects are opening up before us! Such an understanding and such a portrait of the Church is confirmed in the next verse by the words of Jesus: "And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven: and what you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and what you allow on earth will be permitted in heaven." Unique and incomparable power was given to Peter, as the pioneer of this vocation, and subsequently to the whole Church, so that with the forces of the Kingdom of Heaven we could defeat the forces of evil on a scale unseen in the world. We will do this through realizing God's nature and His rule in people's lives, by blocking evil, freeing people from the bondage of sin and by binding this sin, depending on people's response to the call of the Kingdom. Jesus wants to establish His ekklesia as the governing body in every city and town, thus ensuring the complete and crushing defeat of Satan. Most importantly, He really planned it, and is already doing it. But how can you become a part of His glorious enterprise?

Affiliation occurs when an existing church senses through its leaders that the Vineyard is their spiritual home. So it was and so it will be in the future. However, we need to be very aware of our calling to plant and build churches, and not seek to grow by incorporating existing churches. The latter option should be an exception to the rule, otherwise most of our time and energy will be spent on integrating with other churches. John has always said that we should give birth to our own kind, because, frankly, it takes a lot of effort to turn a community with an established view, culture and value system into something completely different. Anyway, why do we need to try to change them? That is why John said, "You don't enter the Vineyard, you just find out that you yourself are the Vineyard." In this case, the process of integration will not be painful and painful, and will not distract from our true vocation. We will just need to devote time to building relationships and connections, accepting common values ​​that have already taken root and then, together, go and fulfill the main thing that God has called us to. If God made the Vineyard home to some churches, then we will need to go through a process of adaptation. John talked about it very simply: courtship, engagement and wedding. This is a time for acquaintance and knowledge of the pastor and leaders, communication and joint ministry, so that everyone will open up and show who is who and who wants what. This usually happens through a relationship with the pastor of the nearest Vineyard in your area. If this church belongs to any denomination or association of churches, it is imperative to walk in the light before each other. From the beginning, you need to be frank and honest about your intentions, and then blessings will be poured out on everyone who participates in this process. Otherwise, the actions of the participants in this process will be wicked. At the right time, the denomination letting go of the church will bless it (if possible), and then new commitments will come into play. Later there will be a real adaptation and a change of name. Having clarified the theological principles of the Kingdom and the Church, and having defined some terminology and perceptions of the Vineyard, we need to take a closer look at the philosophy of the ministry of the Vineyard as presented by John in 1982. At this point, I enter the scene as well, presenting you with a forty-five page document that I call Building from the Bottom Up. I talked about this document in the first chapter of this book. First, we will compare three models of community activity, one of which is a model of our approach taken in the Vineyard. We then apply these sociological approaches to the issue of church membership and loyalty, and see how Vineyard applies these approaches in his work.

A Vineyard Friend agrees with our philosophy of service and draws from it, but, for some reason, does not want to join our family and take our name. Friends work with us in the affairs of the Kingdom. They share their lives with us, laugh with us and spend time with us. This happens very often during our conferences, which we have been holding for many years, as well as during other events during which fellowship with other churches and denominations takes place. This was also done through the ministry of renewing the Vineyard within the wider Church. John managed to make many friends! By recognizing the difference between family and friends, we can develop good relationships with many around us. Then it becomes easy to define their aspirations and expectations, and people feel free to choose according to their preferences. There is no need to pressure people or churches to “join” them to the Vineyard. In fact, John was saying, "Why do you have to join, you can get all our privileges anyway." He further added: "You do not need to declare your loyalty to us until God prompts you to do so, you do not even understand what obligations you are taking upon yourself!" These words refer to individuals who have become friends of the Vineyard but continue to attend their churches. This also applies to pastors and churches who become friends with the Vineyard to take advantage of all the good it has to offer. Everything that God gave to the Vineyard, like other churches and other treasures of the Kingdom, actually belongs only to Him, and can be available to all His Church. Well-informed people will agree that John has become an amazingly generous person over time. Not only did he provide unhindered access to the developments and materials of the Vineyard for everyone, but he simply gave out a lot to others.

Some people look for a fairytale church because they are afraid of falling under the control of a church or an entire denomination and are afraid of experiencing new pain and resentment. The phantom (ghost) church (see sociological models below) is not a real church. It should be remembered that the reformers agreed with a biblical measure that defined the essence and qualities of the true church. There are five clearly presented biblical signs or characteristics of the true church of Jesus Christ. So, the church is a place: where the born-again believers come together in the name of Jesus Christ for fellowship, worship, prayer, service and mission; where the truths of the Word of God are preached; where the care and education of believers is carried out correctly; where the church sacraments of Christ are performed correctly (baptism and communion "; where the universal Church is treated with respect and reverence

Doing Church - Alexander Venter All believers are aware of their common belonging to the family of God, and are faithful to it, nevertheless, John used the expression "to be in the family", contrasting it with another phrase - "to be a friend of the family." These two approaches expressed the difference between those who belonged to the Vineyard and were completely loyal to him, and those who simply loved the Vineyard and enjoyed his experience and revelations. Being part of a family Being part of a family means knowing for sure that God has placed you in this particular part of the Body of Christ. But how can you be sure of this? God must speak to you in one way or another, and in one way or another the leaders of a particular church must confirm this revelation from God. In no case should such a decision be taken unilaterally. From a human point of view, the person within himself simply knows that this is his home, because he identifies himself with the vision and values ​​of this church. How to find out? Through mutual connections. Sometimes a person just instinctively realizes that he has come home. But this does not mean that you do not need to research leaders and people in order to understand what they are and, as a result, make a conscious and responsible decision. Some of the Vineyard churches help people go through this process through a course called "Church Acquaintance." However, the main goal of the course is to connect people with each other through relationships. When a person joins a family, he adopts the family's last name, which symbolizes loyalty to that family and a decision to take responsibility for it, enjoy its privileges, inherit its property, and recognize blessings and disciplinary requirements. This applies both to individuals who join local Vineyard churches and to pastors and churches who become part of the Vineyard Movement. (When a local church joins the Vineyard, we call it affiliation, and this will be discussed below.) Before we begin to discuss what it means to be a friend of the Vineyard, we must reiterate that, from a biblical point of view, no one can consider himself part of the universal Church unless he is part of the local church. There can be no doubt that the very last disciple of Christ must be a devoted and faithful member of the local community of believers. God is a family person, and that is why He calls Himself Father. He is the Father of orphans, and He brings the lonely into His family, and “the rebellious remain in the sweltering wilderness” (see Psalm 67: 6-7). The lonely, we believe, must respond to God with their consent to join His family, otherwise they too will fall under the category of "rebellious." In this regard, I involuntarily remembered the unclean spirits that come out of a person, their “home”, and then walk through waterless places, seeking rest (see Luke 11:24). Sadly, this is how many and many resentful, wounded, disillusioned and homeless Christians behave, a product of modern consumer Christianity. How sad! But what applies to the individual also applies to the local church. Independent churches should be part of the family of churches for their own good, so that they have someone to report to and someone to take care of them. https://fddf9b0b-4bef-40b8-9294-d503b4c34cba.filesusr.com/ugd/ec1af6_a7284aacddfd49448ece0c0f4f7be1e3.pdf?index=true

John Wimber Sounds tempting, doesn't it? We become Christians and completely break with all these nasty worldly authorities - the greedy crooks we dealt with, the ambitious politicians, the reckless bosses we work for, the bloodthirsty tyrants who oppress most people. In the world we replace all this with leadership as a service: to help other people, to be responsive, to do what the Lord wants, to serve. Seems easy? No, not at all. It must be difficult. Not many of us serve the way Jesus did and then told us to do it. Personally, I don’t. In church, I see few people doing this. Most of us do some worldly work in the church and call it “ministry,” take on a worldly role, and call it the “servant” role. But the Lord's radical transforming power is not being applied. We don't want this. Когда Господь стал радикально менять мое пасторство еще в конце 70-х, Он начал с моего представления о том, что значит быть слугой. В то время меня считали специалистом в вопросе церковного роста. Я летал по всей стране, рассказывая служителям, как увеличить количество прихожан и удвоить прибыль церкви. Я был успешен в том, что делал. Люди хвалили меня за это. Я думал, что это также нравиться и Богу. Я много чего делал для Него – как Его слуга, конечно. И этот труд хорошо оплачивался. Я не был жестоким тираном. Я не навязывал деспотически свою волю. Я не считал себя саддукеем или римским правителем. Я считал себя слугой церкви. Однако, я был молодым человеком в развитии. Я выставлял себя как того, кто может показать церквям, как расти – и семо по себе это не было плохо. Приобретение людей для Христа и приобщение их к поместной церкви – это хорошо. Проблема была не в том, что я делал, а в моей мотивации. Я хотел иметь успех и найти себя в своем успехе. Я служил себе, а не моему Господину, и духовно это ослабило меня. Из-за этого я был поглощен мыслями об измерении количественного и финансового роста. Я думал, что чем больше людей и денег имеет церковь, тем я более успешен. Но, в конце концов, Господь показал мне, насколько это было неправильным. Я был изнурен, потому что служение, мотивированное личными амбициями, осуществлялось человеческими усилиями, а не божественным помазанием. В знак послушания Ему я престал проводить семинары о церковном росте. Я упаковал все папки и лекционные плакаты, пошел домой и ждал появления своего следующего служения. Все ждал и ждал. «Время проходит впустую, Господь. Когда я начну обращаться к людям, рассказывать им о Тебе?» - спросил я. «Стань предо мной», - сказал Он. «Господь, я христианин евангельского исповедания. Разве ты не знаешь, что это означает? Я призван благовествовать. Это самая большая потребность церкви». «Покинь свой офис и отключи телефон», - сказал Он. «Поклоняйся Мне. Плачь». Господь напомнил мне историю о Марфе и Марии. Мне всегда не нравилась эта история. Мария была самым менее мной любимым персонажем в Библии. «Она безответный человек, Господь», - пожаловался я. «Я не люблю людей, которые сидят и ничего не делают. Я активист. Я много чего делаю, и люди это видят». «Вхожу ли я в их число?» - спросил Он. «Ну, конечно же, Господь. Ты среди них. Я делаю все это для Тебя». «Нет, это не правда. Ты это делаешь для себя. Ты хочешь иметь успех». Это меня ужалило. В тот момент Божье слово поразило меня до глубины души. Я понял, что Господь был прав. Я хочу достичь успеха в том служении, которым я занимался – в служении выдающегося благовестника. Я оглянулся на свою жизнь и начал осознавать, что Господь сделал для меня, и где я нахожусь по отношению к Нему. Он спас меня. В возрасте 29 лет я был на пути в ад. Господь встретился лицом к лицу со мной и позвал меня к Себе. С тех пор укрепился мой брак, мои дети исправились, моя семья процветала, и были даны другие благословения в большом изобилии. Но ничто из этого не было обещано мне в тот вечер, когда я стоял на коленях в гостиной своего лучшего друга и рыдал горькими слезами из чувства благодарности. Этого было достаточно для получения спасения. Я не думаю, что кто-то в тот вечер упоминал небеса. Они просто сказали, что мне больше не придется нести свой грех. Я был так рад, что избавился от него. Как произошло это чудо? Я осознал, что не могу больше управлять своей жизнью. Я попросил Иисуса стать Господом моей жизни. Что это означало? Это означало, что Он Господь, а не я. В этом заключалась вся суть. Я попросил Его стать Господом моей жизни, потому что я провалил все дело, я не хотел этого делать, я не мог этого делать. Я был слугой, подчиненным, человеком, который получал инструкции и надеялся на силу господина в исполнении этих поручений