The emerging church

Following the pattern of Christ…

The emerging church is one that is raising up to heed the call of Christ to leave the nets of traditionalism and religious bondage and to come follow Him.  The emerging church will look like the church of Acts—following the doctrines and teachings of Jesus.  The church of Acts was a community of believers who were of one heart and soul. They had one purpose—to further the kingdom of God.  They had a “kingdom” vision.

Before we can go forward as a church into where God is calling us, we must deconstruct the religious mindsets and redefine Christianity according to the pattern of Christ.   We must heed Jesus’ call to “deny yourselves, take up your cross and follow Me” (Matt.16:24) We must be conformed into the image of God.  What does God look like?  Like Jesus.  Jesus was God in the flesh.

Today I will focus on Jesus’ obedience to the Father.  Self-denial and sacrifice are not enough without obedience.   The way to obedience is through the cross. “Without death to our agenda and desires, we will eventually have a face-off between the will of God and the desire of man.” (The Devil’s Door by John Bevere).

In John 5:19, Jesus says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do, for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” And in verse 30 He says, “I can of Myself do nothing.  As I hear, I judge, and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.”

If we are going to follow the pattern of Christ, we must walk in perfect obedience to the Father.  Look at the story of Lazarus.  Jesus had received news that Lazarus was sick, but yet He delayed going to see Him for two days.  If Jesus had a man-pleasing mentality, He would have gone immediately in order to appease the desires of all who were concerned for Lazarus’ health and well-being.  But Jesus only did what His Father said!  When the two days had passed, Jesus said, “Let’s go to Lazarus.”  Jesus knew that Lazarus was already dead, but He also knew it was the Father’s purpose to raise Lazarus from the dead so that He would be glorified and that the faith of many would be strengthened.

“We often get discouraged when God does not follow our lead with His healings and miracles.  God will heal and perform miracles, but it is as He leads and we follow.” (John Bevere) God is not subject to our will. We are subject to His.  We need to begin to pray that His will would be done on earth, even as it is done in heaven.

The blueprint for the emerging church is found in the pattern of Christ.  We are to follow His example in His obedience to the Father.  Authority and power come through submission to the One who has all authority and power.  The early church understood authority and they walked in it.  They walked in power and were witnesses of the gospel of Christ.  Because of this, the word of Christ was spread throughout the world.  

It is time that we as a church take a good long look at ourselves.  We need to forget everything that we know, and seek to have the mind of Christ.  We need to “know nothing, except Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2) Then, we will see the will of God accomplished in our lives.