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The 2 First Works and Walking In The Light
3-A: EVANGELISM (see also “Making Disciples”)
Evangelism is the first of what God’s Word calls “the first works”. The power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives is the testimony of our changed lives. We must share the testimony of our changed lives with a hurting world. Why is that testimony so important to bringing souls to Christ? Many people have - for years - seen churches, and religion, and heard preaching. Many unsaved people know a lot of Scripture. And yet they have not been moved to receive Christ. But when a dramatic change takes place in someone else that people have seen for years - the lives of their close friends and family members - it can bring a whole new revelation of Christ to unbelievers. 153 House Churches Network churches encourage new believers to begin ministering immediately after they have received Christ. There is a priority to see new believers rooted and grounded in the faith, but no effort is made to harbor those new believers away from the world, or seek to delay their evangelistic ministry until someone thinks “they’re ready." Many of us in the Body of Christ have erred in the past through seeking to “protect immature, new believers from the world." When it is all said and done, perhaps we were protecting the world from the new believers.
3-B: MAKING DISCIPLES (The 5 characteristics of a disciple):
4 Has received Christ
A disciple has accepted the atoning sacrifice of Christ Jesus upon the cross and
committed to “lose their life” (their own ideas, opinions and plans) and follow Him
4 Has received the baptism of the Holy Spirit
A disciple has received the baptism of the Holy Spirit as described by Jesus and the
Book of Acts, and has purposed to allow the fruits and manifestations of God’s Spirit
to be manifest and practiced in their daily lives
4 Studies the Word of God daily, receiving revelation of it through God’s Spirit
A disciple studies the Word of God regularly, and understands that it is the Holy
Spirit that gives them revelation of God’s rightly divided Word. Disciples practice
Acts 17:11, “receiving with all readiness of mind” the Word that the Holy Spirit
reveals in either personal study or through teaching they receive, and “searching the
scriptures daily to see that these things [that they have studied or been taught] are so.
4 Obeys the Word of God that the Holy Spirit has revealed to them
A disciple obeys the Word of God that the Holy Spirit has revealed to them in either
personal study or through teaching they receive. They realize that God has
graciously provided forgiveness for any disobedience on their part - through the blood
of Christ Jesus - when they confess their sins to God. They also realize that
obedience to God’s Word is not a “suggestion” from God, but rather a commandment.
4 Makes other disciples
Jesus said that He would build His church. The responsibility of God’s people is to
“go and make disciples of all men”. Jesus is all about salvation - therefore God’s
people should be all about salvation, too. The first of the first works - the work of the
ministry (evangelism) - is not just leading people to Christ. It’s helping people to
become disciples of Christ, and then helping them to abide in and exhibit these same
5 characteristics of a disciple that you are reading right now.
3-C: EDIFICATION
God has purposed that the Body of Christ be trained up by eldership (Ephesians 4:11-13) for the work of the ministry and the edification of the Body of Christ. Edification of the Church involves a number of ministries. 3 of them (there are more shared in God‘s Word) are described by God’s Word in 1 Corinthians 14:26, 1 Corinthians 12-13, and Galatians 5:22-23. In 1 Corinthians 14:26, the Word of God tells us that ".....when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying".
This scripture tells us, then, that every member of the Body of Christ has at least one of these things inside of them to share at every service. As discussed above, the anointed preaching of eldership is a fundamental part of the growing and working of the Church. But God has purposed that EVERY member at EVERY service has something from God to share. This is again stated in the Word of God as we read in 1 Corinthians 12-13. In 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, the manifestations of the Holy Spirit are said to be "given to every [one] to profit [all]". In 1 Corinthians 12:12-26, the Word of God shows us that the Body of Christ is ONE, but unique members at the same time, for the purpose of ministering strength to one another (Vs. 22-26).
And in 1 Corinthians 13, we are shown that the very powerful ministries illustrated in Chapter 12 are only effective when ministered through the LOVE of God as well as the POWER of God.
In Galatians 5:22-23, the Word of God lists the "fruits of the Spirit". These 9 fruits are meant to be manifested in balance with the 9 manifestations of the Spirit. This "balance" of the POWER (manifestations) of God with the LOVE (fruits) of God is the key to effective edification amongst the Body of Christ.
3-D: WALKING IN THE LIGHT
Many of us reach adulthood being sensitive to any criticism at all. On the other hand, it is true that churches can sometimes be populated by uncompassionate people who hurtfully apply God’s commandments in one way to those whom they don‘t “like“, while applying His commandments graciously (or not at all) to those whom they “like”. Nevertheless, the Word of God calls us in the Book of John to "come to the Light" that our works may be manifest that they are of God. It tells us that those who are His children love the light. “Walking in the light” doesn't mean openly expressing hearsay or personal opinion behind certain people's backs. What is means is standing together publicly with all believers before God, knowing that we are all the same and need another as we walk through the daily process of personal healing, spiritual transformation, and outreach.
It is easy to betray one another - the world does it all the time. And so it is not human nature to walk in either love or the light. It is difficult to become or act as a spiritual person at times. But we must allow God to teach us to live and grow in love and boldness as one Body. We must come - in a deeply spiritual and sincere way - to love God, one another and the light.
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