How to Start (or Join) a Christian Group (Part 2)

"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."  Matthew 18:20 NIV

"If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  Romans 10:9 NIV

A Christian Group is a church in a specific context for a specific purpose.  By church I mean "two or three gathered in Jesus' name and Jesus with them."  Again, if two or three believers are together in Jesus' name, He is there with them, and they are a church, or the church, wherever they are.  So we have to know what it means to gather "in Jesus' name."

TO GATHER IN JESUS' NAME MEANS TO BE UNDER HIS AUTHORITY.

The name of Jesus is above every name as far as authority goes. Which person has more authority: An officer who says, "This is the police, put your hands up," or a genuine and true prophet who says, "This is a message from the Lord?"  Actually, both have authority from God, because "there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist have been appointed by God," according to the apostle Paul.  Yet the name of the officer (or the government) is less in authority than the name of the Lord.  Both the officer and the prophet aren't speaking in their own names.  That's the point.  The authority and power behind the name they use is the key to the authority they have. 

In the same way, when two or three are gathered in Jesus' name, they aren't gathering in their own names, individually or collectively.  They aren't gathering in Calvin's name or Armenian's name.  They aren't gathering in Luther's name or the Pope's name.  They gather in the name of the Lord, under His authority, under the authority of His Spirit.  They gather under His authority and for His glory.

TO GATHER IN JESUS' NAME MEANS TO SEEK HIS GLORY.

This means He is the focus and center of attention.  He gets all of the credit for the meeting and the contents of the meeting.  Not Calvin.  Not Armenian.  Not Charlotte Mason.  (Each of these names, and any other name I mention other than Jesus', represent founders of a particular ideology that some Christian groups adhere to.) 

All of this means that when there is a dispute in the group, Jesus has the final word, and His honor is above all.  If what Charlotte Mason says doesn't match what Jesus says, then Charlotte Mason is disregarded, not Jesus.  The group wouldn't submit to and honor Charlotte Mason above Jesus; a Christian group of homeschooling mothers honor Jesus supremely and exclusively, submitting to and obeying Him no matter the cost. 

Yet this is the same for any and every gathering of two or more believers in Jesus's name, which leads us to how we start or join a Christian group.

CLICK HERE FOR PART 3.

How to Start (or Join) A Christian Group (Part 1)

"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."  Matthew 18:20 NIV

I've noticed issues in Christian groups where believers are in conflict with each other.  Fundamental and essential conflicts.  Issues that deal with the essence of who Jesus is and why Jesus came.  This shouldn't be the case.  If we agree on anything, it should be Jesus.  But we don't.  We start or join Christian groups with little to no regard for who Jesus is in various situations.  I feel compelled by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus to address this.  I pray that everyone who reads it will be encouraged and convicted as I am encouraged and convicted.

First, what exactly is a "Christian Group?"  Or more to the point, what is the difference between a Christian Group and a church?  I don't see any difference from the Lord's perspective, other than one is called a Christian Group, and one is called a church, usually by a specific denominational creed.  For example, what's the difference between Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and Alethia Baptist Church in Macon, Georgia?  (I was a member of both, by the way.)  Of course, IVCF was centered and focused on "campus ministry," but so was Campus Crusade for Christ.  Alethia was focused on a particular neighborhood or area in Macon, though its members came from other areas in Macon.  Alethia focused on Bible Study Methods and its minister was a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary.  IVCF had various leaders from various church backgrounds, but their focus, as distinguished from Campus Crusade for Christ, was on small groups and accountability, whereas CCFC focused on outreach. 

So the focus of christian groups distinguish them, whether we deal with churches, campus ministries, or christian homeschooling groups.  But consider this:  though each group has a different purpose or focus, if each is a Christian group, shouldn't they all be gathered in Jesus' name?  Shouldn't Jesus actually be there with them by His Spirit? 

CLICK HERE FOR PART 2.

How to Start (or Join) a Christian Group (Part 3)

"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."  Matthew 18:20 NIV

"If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  Romans 10:9 NIV

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:20-21

Both churches and Christian groups consist of two or three gathered in Jesus' name with Him in their midst.  They are gathered under his authority and for his glory, in obedience to Jesus, for the honor of Jesus.  This is by His Spirit in each of them and with all of them.

Because this is true, the two or three shouldn't start a christian group or church unless it is under Jesus' authority for His glory.  In other words, He is actually the one who starts the group or church.  It's his group.   It's his church.  Any so called "by laws" should only be an exposition of the gospel of Jesus Christ, in which Jesus is Lord and Savior.  Each member honors and obeys the Lord, and when any member dishonors or disobeys the Lord, that member is lovingly, gently, yet firmly confronted, first in private, then with two witnesses, finally before the group, according to Jesus' instructions.  There should be only one fundamental problem that ever comes up in the group:  Jesus is somehow being dishonored or disobeyed.  He is Lord.  And because He is also our Savior, from sin and from sinning, we can be reconciled to Him and each other whenever there is a problem, whatever the problem is.  We can be forgiven and the problem forgotten as if it never happened, thanks to Jesus.

Yet in America, and amongst American Christians, it's usually not this simple.  We war and fight over our individual and collective opinions.  We fight about whether we are true to Calvin, Armenian, or Charlotte Mason.  We want to be "Charlotte Mason Purist," allowing no deviation from Charlotte Mason, as if she died for our sins or rose from the dead. 

Our allegiance is to Christ alone, and where our leaders or founders deviate from Christ, we should deviate from them.  After all, Jesus is Lord.  He started whatever group we're in, right? 

But how do we know He started the group?

By His Spirit, as it is written, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."

Let's say the Spirit leads you, the one reading my words right now, to start a group.  How would you know He was leading you, and not you just coming up with a group all willy-nilly, wanting followers?  Because the Spirit is not you, and you are not the Spirit.  It really is that simple.  No one in scripture had to question whether the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was leading someone because God Himself made it abundantly clear.  In fact, that is consistent with God, from Cain to John in the Book of Revelation.  God Himself honored Abel's sacrifice and dishonored Cain's.  This was clear to Cain himself.  God took Enoch so that Enoch didn't see death.  Who else could've done that?  God came to Noah, and He alone could give Noah instructions to build an ark to save his family.  Who else could cause a 100 year old man and a 90 year old woman to have a child?  We can go on and on.  From, Isaac, to Jacob, to Joseph, to Moses, to Joshua, to the judges, to the prophets, to the kings of Israel, to John the Baptist, to the Apostles and early disciples,  God always made his callings known.  The same is true today, because the Lord does not change.  "Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

If Jesus is leading you by His Spirit to start a group or a church, to lead two or three who will gather in Jesus' name, believe me, you will know it with absolute certainly, and so will the two or three.  Can you say that about any Christian group you have started or joined?  Why are you part of the church or christian group that you are a member of?  Can you say with certainty that God called the leader of your group as surely as He called Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt?

"Well, we all can't have burning bush callings," some may say.  No we can't.  But we all can have the witness of the Holy Spirit, as it is written, "The Spirit bears witness with our Spirit that we are the children of God."  It is also written, "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the children of God."  We can clearly see the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit in our lives, and in the lives of those we follow.  So even though we may not have a burning bush calling, we have the same Spirit that came upon Moses, Joshua, and the elders of Israel.  Paul said that if we don't have the Spirit, we don't belong to Jesus.  This is especially true of those we follow in churches or Christian groups; it is true of you and me if we presume to lead anyone in the Lord.
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How do we start or join a Christian Group?  By following the Spirit of the Lord Jesus.

The High School Virgin Boy (A Short Story)

I walked to my next class, focused, determined not to look at the girls butt in front of me.  It's hard.  Her jeans are tight, and I'm very attracted to her.  But I want to wait for sex.  I need to wait.  I have to wait.  I've seen what not waiting did to my mom, my dad, my family.  So much divorce, so much unfaithfulness, so much loneliness.  I have to wait.  So I won't look.

"Come on man," Vincent said.  I didn't notice him beside me.  "I know what you're doing.  What's wrong with looking?  You can look man." About a week ago I was at Vincent's house.  "Hey, Donnie, check this out."  I went with Vincent to his room.  He put a tape in the VCR, and I saw it.  I wanted to vomit.  It was the first time I saw pornography.  Having never had sex, or seen a girl naked, what I saw made me nauseous.  It wasn't what I imagined sex would be like.  The closest I could imagine of course was how it felt to hug a girl, to feel her body very close to mine, the intense arousal.  As far as I knew, that was sex.  But I didn't want simulation or the real thing.  Vincent was convinced when he showed me the tape that I should indulge my desires.  He was convinced on our way to class that I should look at the girl's butt in front of me.

"Just look man.  There's nothing wrong with it.

Of course, in a sense, he was right.  I can't help that I'm a teen aged boy behind a teen aged girl with a nice butt.  I can't help that I like how she looks.  That I want her.  Maybe I should look.  I can't help what I am.  What am I?  A young man, wanting a young woman...wanting a wife...but she's not my wife...that's the issue.  I want to give myself to one woman, and one woman alone.  "Just look man..."  We're almost across the street.  (My school is in two buildings...I have to go from one to the other.)  I had at least a full sidewalk to just enjoy the girl, or I could speed up and walk ahead of her.  "Just look man." 

I sped up.  Vincent followed, of course.  (Why do some teen aged boys feel it their duty to harass other boys about their sexual decisions?)  "What's wrong with it?"  I realized that Vincent must need my approval or something.  I heard in his voice the tone of persuasion, but who was he trying to persuade?  I had made up my mind.  She was behind me.  I was going to wait to have sex...I was going to wait, even to look at a girls' body.

How to Find Your Personal Calling (Part 1)

"...we all need to be aware of our personal calling.  What is a personal calling?  It is God's blessing, it is the path that God chose for you here on Earth.  Whenever we do something that fills us with enthusiasm, we are following our legend."~Paulo Coelho

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” ~ Howard Thurman

Today I had one of the purest experiences of intuition I've ever had in my life; I knew with perfect certainty what was going to happen before it happened; I knew what a young man was going to say before he said it.  He raised his hand after a student spoke, and I knew what was on his mind, what was on his lips.  But the group therapist didn't call on him.  So he put his hand down.  A few minutes later, the therapist said to the boy, "Were you going to say something?  Did you have your hand raised?"  "No," said the boy. "Alright, said the therapist."  "Wait, I did have my hand raised," the boy said.  (He tended to be absent minded.)  Then he said it: the very thing I knew without doubt he was going to say.  I smiled.  I wanted to share this revelation with the therapists, to see if each of them had experienced the same revelation.  I'd hoped they had.  I didn't want it to be unique, or some kind of super power for me alone.  I wanted to know if they knew what I knew.  If they did, I would've found joy.  If they didn't, I would've found joy.  A shared or unique revelation equally brings me joy.

Revelations fill me with enthusiasm.
Revelations make me come alive.

The feeling (A Short Story)

I realized that I hate God.  I wouldn't admit it at first, but I can't deny it now.  This is how I came to know the truth about myself.

One day I was home alone and my house was quiet.  Silent even.  I was in bed, about to get up, but not quite ready to get out of bed.  So I couldn't turn on any noise.  I needed the noise.  TV.  Music.  Something.  It was just too quiet.  All I could hear were my thoughts.  And something else actually.

I don't know if I can describe it, but I'm sure you've felt it too.  It's like the clichéd sound of silence, the silence behind the silence, the stillness behind the stillness.  That's what I hated.  That feeling behind the feeling, like someone was watching and listening. Not like a criminal or stalker or anything.  Someone worse.  Worse isn't a good word.  I felt watched and heard and known.  Exposed.  Alone, but not alone.  I realized that this feeling never really leaves.  Not really.  Even when I put on all the noise, it's there, but I can ignore it better.  But "it" is not an it...I came to see.  Because an it can't listen to me or watch me or know me.  I didn't hate an it.  I hated the eyes that see what I really am and hear what I'm really saying...even what I'm thinking.  In fact, all I was doing was thinking lazily in my bed, and I knew that He was in my head...seeing me, knowing me.  I wanted him to leave me alone.  To be really left alone.  To just enjoy being by myself in my house for once.  Maybe that's it.  When He's around, which is all the time, I don't feel like it's my house, or my life, or my head...not really.  I don't feel like I'm a slave or anything...but I do feel like He's...well...God.  Everywhere.  Knowing everything.  I can't make Him leave.  And I hate Him for that.  I realize that I hate Him for being Him.  Why is He so free?  Why can't I be that free?  Why does He get to be the only God?

So I hate Him...which makes me evil...but what is evil any way?  Whose to say.

The Listener (A Short Story)

I saw a man with pale skin and dark hair sitting on a park bench alone.  He sat still and peaceful.  I watched his face, intrigued.  What was I seeing?  He focused, but on nothing that I could see.  He seemed in deep thought, but not exactly.  He didn't have any ear plugs in as if listening to music or talking on the phone.  Ear plugs.  Music.  Phone.  These gave me clues to what I thought I saw.  Focused, yet not on trees or people or squirrels.  Focused, yet not on thoughts or memories.  His face didn't betray the worry of someone thinking about the future, nor the anger of a conversation gone wrong, nor the sadness of a conversation that never happened.  But his look had the same feel as one deep in thought, or as one who had ear plugs in.  Then I knew.  I made the connections.

The man listened.

But to who?

His face had the look of understanding, of connecting with someone.  But there was no one there.  He resembled someone with earplugs in that he seemed to listen to some internal source.  Of course.  Whoever he listened to was inside of him.  That's exactly how it looked.  It's like someone in him spoke to him, and it was also as if he spoke back.  The serenity and clarity on his face gave me the clue.  But I think I always knew who he spoke to.