Chapter 10 Christian education

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Permalink Reply by Gordon Brock on July 18, 2009 at 10:42pm

There's a bible college here in Sacramento that advertises on the "christain radio" station, telling people how they need to come to learn for that 'ministry' that they feel called to....they say "we are what the body of Christ should look like, multi-denominational, multi-ethnic, etc etc...". I laugh, cuz they aren't even close to what the body (ecclesia) should look like. And, since when do we need to get man-made, man-led instructions for what the Spirit's gifting is suppose to be within us?
Now, as far as your question of Jesus' command about "teaching all nations"...I'm curious as to what command you are referring because that doesn't sound familiar..?

Permalink Reply by William Boland on July 18, 2009 at 11:21pm

Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Permalink Reply by Cindy Skillman on July 19, 2009 at 4:15pm

It's not enough to train the mind--even assuming that's happening at the average IC, and listening to a lecture with no interaction is a notoriously poor way to impart knowledge anyway. We do need to know and understand what the bible says (those of us blessed to have access to a bible or two or three).

Training the heart (or the spirit, if you will) is the important part. Without this, you just make Pharisees. And of course, no sermon or Sunday school lecture or similar is going to accomplish the discipling/mentoring of the heart. This is a task for our group of legendary friends to accomplish together, for one another and with one another. Yes, we need to know what the bible says and means, and yes it's important to have people who dedicate their lives to studying out what Paul really meant when he said . . . to that culture and in that language. However, without training the heart--without that connection at the deep-down spirit level with God's Spirit, all the head knowledge in the world isn't good for much.

This is a vitally important point to make in our culture of worshiping rationality. It is the heart that matters. It is the heart that matters. That is what God looks at.

Permalink Reply by Nigel Fareed Mohammed on March 1, 2010 at 3:02pm

I left the IC as you folks call it about four years ago but never bought into it as it killed my heart and killed me spiritually. And it was because my experience of church was lived only in the head. Apparently it was after the Puritians that the Reformed conservative camp ditched deep matters of the heart and the conservative camp has not ministered to the heart ever since so i understand. But embracing the other extreme where it is overly subjective and existential while neglecting the Word is no good either. The church is so polarised between these two extremes and this is why i am drawn to the bottom up grass roots organic perspective. I imagine it allows for the development of relationships that are more real than IC yeah? But how do people in an organic church engage with culture? Does it address the problem of the sacred-secular divide so deeply ingrained in the IC? Is it holistic ie creation, fall, redemption and consummation in interaction and application? Would love to hear from you. I have just joined this set up. Been in Adullams Cave for too long fighting alone. Am looking for an Organic church and willing to relocate in the UK or abroad. Any advice, comments, contact details? Nigel

Permalink Reply by Nigel Fareed Mohammed on March 3, 2010 at 5:43am

Hi Ryan, thanks for your reply. No not Plato, Adullams Cave is where David spent some time after being stripped to the core as God prepared him for his calling. 1 Samuel 22v1 but looked at in the context of chapters 19 to 22 we can see what David lost, his job, his wife, his mentor, his closest friend. But these 400 guys came to him who were in debt, in distress and discontented. He became their leader and he went on to pursue his calling. I think we can get stuck in a metaphoric cave especially as men cos we isolate ourselves. I think the holistic calling as far as i can understand it is for us to work on and develop our manhood, our working lives, our relationship with women/wives, local church (whatever appropriate expression of church is to us in the season we're in), community, and missions. But yeah how does Organic Church engage this? I think it has to start with just working on making real connections that we don't get in a professionalised institution and work from there. I think men who have worked out their gifting and calling can initiate and energise toward lasting change. I'm not saying I'm one of those guys cos I was never spiritually mentored or fathered but i think that it has to be more than filling a vacuum just for the sake of alleviating loneliness/isolation. Hope you can hear what i am trying to say Ryan. Where do you live man? Nigel

Permalink Reply by Scott McCrae on February 22, 2011 at 10:10pm

This chapter on training is one of the key problems of the IC. We learn by doing not just by being able to reproduce a list.

Faith has to be exercised and in this work of faith is the true learning. This was a very good chapter.

 

Teaching by discipleship of working together and learning together. This takes real love. To work with someone on his problems at his house, burns time so to speak. Yet if we are motivated by love it is not burning time but is time well spent. It is demonstrating that we really care about the other person.

 

Don't get me wrong. I study the Bible a lot.  We should study the Bible to live by faith and love others. Not to tell others how much we know.

 

Spiritually we learn by going. Matthew 9:13