Catalytic Spiritual Practices
In his book No Little People, Francis Schaeffer explains that the primary threat to the church is not other religions, secular governments, or atheist ideologies. The real problem is this: the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, . . . tending to do the Lord’s work in the power of the flesh rather than of the Spirit. The central problem is always in the midst of the people of God, not in the circumstances surrounding them. Francis A. Schaeffer, No Little People If Christ’s church is going to accomplish the mission that He gave us, we will need to do His work in the power of His Spirit. When the church attempts to do the Lord’s work in the power of the flesh it becomes a mere semblance of the church Christ intended. Fleshly churches resemble the true church of Christ in their façade, but underneath, they seem powerless to affect true life transformation and accomplish the Great Commission. Dallas Willard explains that the starting place for discipleship is the “transformed person.” This is not a call for activism. Instead it is a call for deep inner alignment with God’s purposes. The means by which we align our heart with that of God is prayer, which is the primary means of forming character. It combines our freedom with God’s power, resulting in service through love. Transformed hearts produce transformed persons, through and through, and deeds arise from the heart quickened by faith. The deeds of the kingdom arise naturally out of a certain quality of life. We cultivate that life in its wholeness by directing our bodies into activities that empower the inner and outer person for God and through God. Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy Engaging in catalytic spiritual practices can help direct God’s people toward activities that empower them to stop relying on the power of the flesh and release the power of the Spirit. In Acts 1-2 we see Jesus’ disciples gathering together to study God’s word, pray, worship, fellowship, minister to one another, and proclaim the gospel. It was in the context of these spiritual practices that the first missionary movement of the church was launched and the disciples were empowered to live out the call of the Great Commission to great effect. Comments are closed.
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Tony HoffmanCampus Pastor at First Baptist Church in Leesburg, FL where his passion is to help people discover and live out their calling in Christ. Tony regularly consults, speaks, and teaches about discipleship and Christian education. Archives
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