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THE

 SPIRITUAL  LIFE
A  Spiritual  Theology  of  the  Chris<an  Life
Trevor  Garre@
Spiritual  Forma<on  1801  
MDiv  Cohort  7
September  22,  2010
NOTE  TO  THE  READER
I recognize that this effort has gone far beyond the term paper boundaries of being “no longer than 15
pages.” However, upon seeing the possibility of leveraging this spiritual theology to follow up my most
recent sermon series on The Sermon on the Mount with a series detailing the path of spiritual progress, as
well as providing the basis for training leaders this Fall, I determined to do a more expansive effort
including the full text of numerous scriptures for use in these efforts.

I apologize for the additional material and hope it will not be too onerous to review.

The term paper formatting guidelines do not specify a requirement for either landscape or portrait
orientation so this paper is submitted in landscape format to facilitate on-screen projection for training
purposes.
Table  of  Contents
Introduc*on  ...................................................1 4.  The  Means  of  Maturity  .............................25
Method:  The  Redemp<ve  Story   1 The  Individual   25
Measures:  Four  Rela<onships   1 The  Friend   25
Movement:  Progressive  Revela<on   1 The  Small  Group   25
Means:  Four  spaces   1 The  Large  Group   25
Conclusion   2
Conclusion:  Implica*ons  for  Preaching   .........27
1.  The  Method  of  Maturity  .............................3 Preaching   27
Redemp<ve  History   3 Using  All  The  Spaces   28
The  Redemp<ve  Pa@ern   4 Leading  the  Church   28

Appendix:  A  Post-­‐modern  Post-­‐note   30


2.  The  Measures  of  Maturity  ..........................7
Rela<onship  With  The  World   7 Bibliography   32
Rela<onship  With  God   8
Rela<onships  With  Other  People   8
Rela<onship  With  Self/Des<ny   10

3.  The  Movement  to  Maturity  .......................11


World  Revela<ons   13
God  Revela<ons   14
People  Revela<ons   18
Des<ny  Revela<ons   21
Movement:  Progressive  Revela*on
Introduc<on
The movement towards spiritual maturity is presented in terms of a
What follows here is a Spiritual Theology: A description of the
number of progressive revelations related to each of the key relationships.
Christian life, its goal, its motive and it’s progression as I see it. This
While these revelations are not held as strict stage-gates whereby further
progression towards spiritual maturity will be described in terms of the
revelation is not possible until completion of the prior stage, each is
method of maturity, the measures of maturity, the movement to maturity, and
presented as vital for progressing from being in the world into a relationship
the means of maturity.
with God (without of course leaving the world altogether), then moving

Method:  The  Redemp*ve  Story from a relationship with God into community as part of the Body of Christ

The method of maturity is rooted in the Christian story, which is framed (building on one’s personal relationship with God), and finally building on

not just an expeditionary adventure story but as fractal––a story that no only spiritual community to move into one’s personal destiny of transformation

spans the scope of history but recurs throughout history and within our lives. into the likeness of Christ and then back into mission in the world.

The redemptive pattern of revelation, trials, crisis of faith then fulfillment


I have attempted to present salvation as fully trinitarian, a work of all
and celebration is a pattern we find in history, in scripture and in our lives.
three persons of the trinity and not just the Son: A work of the Father as

God’s presence in and through creation; a work of the Son’s saving effort on
Measures:  Four  Rela*onships  
the cross, and a work of the Spirit filling the Body of Christ and fulfilling
The measure of maturity is expressed in terms of four key relationships:
God’s mission in the world. These revelations are presented separately for
A person’s relationship with the world, with God, with other people, and
the sake of clarity knowing this is a singular work.
with themselves in terms of their progress towards their destiny. These key

relationships are not independent but interrelated as will be demonstrated


Means:  Four  spaces
scripturally.
In terms of practical structures that can help our progress, four “God

spaces” are identified, each of which lends itself to different roles in the

disciple’s progression: The personal or individual space, the friend or two,

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the small group and the large group. Each space is proposed as necessary but church, and finally my identification with the “surprising works of God”2 as

not sufficient. a Pastor and participant in the pentecostal-charismatic tradition3 .

Conclusion
Finally, the impact of this spiritual theology is analyzed in terms of

preaching, but also suggests that the larger impact will be on how all the

God spaces work together to advance the disciple, not just the large group

meeting.

It should be noted that as a Spiritual theology this effort is designed to

be a conceptual framework comprehensive enough to include a variety of

religious experiences with all components coherently related to each other.

But it is also recognizes that the world is complex and diverse1 , and this

work is constructed in response to a certain context, namely church-planting

on the edge of one of the largest metropolitan areas in North America at a

point in history characterized by wealth, freedom and intense secular social

forces. Part of that context is also my own affordances: my identification

with sacramental, liturgical and contemplative spirituality through my Jesuit

formation, my identification with evangelical community through a personal

decision for God resulting in baptism and membership in a protestant

1 Simon Chan, Spiritual Theology: A Systematic Study of the Christian Life (Downer’s Grove, Il: Intervarsity, 2006), 36-38

2 Simon Chan, Spiritual Theology: A Systematic Study of the Christian Life (Downer’s Grove, Il: Intervarsity, 2006), 38

3 These statements are a response to Chan who presents the formal criteria for a spiritual theology as comprehensiveness, Coherence and evocability, as well as material criteria the global-contextual criterion, the evangelical criterion, and the charistmatic criterion.

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This broader definition of God’s purpose will become important later in
1.  The  Method  of  Maturity
terms of the articulating the destination of the Christian life and properly
My starting point for a life in God is the redemptive story. History and
positioning personal salvation along the total curve of human spiritual
human life can be seen as an unfolding adventure story, a divine narrative
maturity. It is important to keep in mind that the human race was not created
playing out across history but also across and within history and within our
in order to be redeemed. God the Father had a straight-line vision in mind
individual lives. All the elements of a great expeditionary tale are here: An
from the beginning, God the Son saved that vision and the Holy Spirit is
important goal or quest what will require endurance, skill and courage to
fulfilling it. So my emphasis here is not on what humanity is being saved
complete, loyal companions to rely on throughout the journey, facing danger
from but what humanity is being saved for.
and enduring losses together until the ultimate success of the adventure4.

Redemp*ve  History
I take this great adventure and mission of God in the world to include
In the sweep of the cosmic adventure story, five strategic or kairotic
not only the redemptive work of the Son, as mighty as that is, but the whole
points in the narrative are of specific interest here:
scope of the triune mission of Father, Son and Spirit working in concert to

accomplish the divine purpose: 1. Creation, with God speaking forth a race of people capable of

relationship with Him;


God wanted to have a race of men whose members were gifted
with a spirit whereby communion would be possible with himself,
2. Fall, where God’s children choose a life independent of God
who is Spirit. That race, possessing God’s own life, was to
cooperate in securing his purposed end by defeating every possible resulting in the entrance of sin, death, and difficulty;

uprising of the enemy and undoing his evil works. That was the
3. Redemption, where Christ’s death and resurrection deals not only
great plan.5
remedially with humanity’s guilt and sinful nature, but is also

creative, releasing Christ’s life in a form that can be received by

4 Diogenes Allen, Spiritual Theology: The Theology of Yesterday for Spiritual Help Today (Cambridge, MA, Cowley Publications) 21.

5 Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Life trans. by Angus I. Kinnear (Wheaton, Il: Tyndale House Publishers Inc, 1977) p. 208

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humanity so that Christ’s one life it will emerge as many lives, a transcends our lives, but is also a nearby reality to be experienced. We are

level of life beyond the physical life of Adam and Eve had and not just playing a part in the story, the story is being played out in us:

which we inherit naturally;


We become part of what what once took place for our salvation.
Forgetting and losing ourselves, we, too, pass through the Red
4. Fulfillment, where we are now in history, the Holy Spirit forming
Sea, through the desert, across the Jordan into the promised land.
the many Christian lives into the Body of Christ, an expression of
With Israel we fall into doubt and unbelief and through
the Son’s life and God’s tool for the transformation of the world; punishment and repentance experience again God’s help and
and, faithfulness. 6

5. Eternity, where the Son returns for


God the Father! God the Son! God the Holy Spirit!
his Bride, the Body of Christ and (CREATES)! (SAVES)! (FULFILLS)!

history culminates in a great Creation Sent, Lived Among Us Sent, into The World Eternity!
Relationship Restores Relationship With God Love One Another
marriage celebration. Paradise Teaches The Kingdom Live The Kingdom
Walked with God Equipped His Disciples Make Disciples
The  Redemp*ve  PaPern Multiplication Multiplication Be Fruitful
Dominion Leads Us Leadership
I believe the redemptive story is more Tree of Life Life In All It’s Fullness Fully Alive
The!
Fall!
than merely a macro-description of history. Fulfilling! The
Holy
This story constitutes a redemptive pattern Jesus
Spirit
Holy"
that can be found in the great stories of Adam & Eve Spirit !
scripture, in human events, and in individual Creation!
Cross!
human lives. Like God, this redemptive The
Disciples Body
pattern is both transcendent and immanent: It !
Crisis Redemption !

6 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community (New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 1954) 53.

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While we cannot force the movements of God into any rigid formula, different heights of revelation, different intensity of trials, different depths of

this redemptive pattern appears and reappears consistently in God’s moving crisis, and varying deliverance resulting in variety of celebration.

in history and in the lives of people. This pattern can be expressed more
It is this pattern of progressive revelation, trials, crisis, fulfillment and
generally as:
celebration that is the method of spiritual progression.

1. Revelation, when God speaks, reveals or invites;

2. Trials, where, either by circumstance or obedience to the invitation,


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God’s revelation introduces great difficulty;
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3. Crisis, where we reach the end and even exceed our measure of
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faith, doubting God;

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4. Fulfillment, where God meets us in the crisis, often in a surprising
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or inexplicable manner; and, !"# 3"#45'6''7%+8#
5. Celebration, we rejoice and worship God in celebration for how He ,"#-./('0#
has met us in the crisis and fulfilled His will7.

This is the story of Abraham, Joseph and Moses, of Jesus, and of us. 1"#2./0/0#
And it is not just the overall story of our times, but of our lives, and the

pattern repeats within our lives. In this sense the redemptive pattern is

fractal––a pattern that repeats at different levels within itself. We receive

7 This redemptive pattern is my own synthesis taken largely from various readings but most notably Blackaby’s work in Experiencing God highlighting that God is always the initiator with his revelation, and Nee’s description in The Normal Christian Life of revelation
and experience as “a wicket gate” and “a narrow path”

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Fractals as a Repeating Pattern. The fractal is created by starting with a triangle and then repeatedly adding a smaller and smaller triangles to each resulting side.

!"#$%#&'
()*)+,-./'

!"#$%&'()*+# !"#(,)#-./+# !"#.*#0%1/+#

Fractals in Nature. As demonstrated by this fern, fractals are common in nature. Fractals in Theology. The spiritual theology presented here is also fractal, with the redemptive pattern repeating
within itself .

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2.  The  Measures  of  Maturity Relationship with
God
If this redemptive pattern describes the method of spiritual growth and

progression, with the goal of this growth process is ongoing personal

transformation into the likeness of Jesus according to Romans 8.298 , what

then are the measures of spiritual growth? In what ways do we mature? Relationship with Relationship with

I see spiritual growth as occurring in four vital and interconnected


People The World
relationships: Our relationship with God, our relationship with people, our

relationship with our world, and our relationship with ourselves, or our

destiny. These key relationships are different but not independent of each
Relationship with
other. Growth in one area affects the others; failure to grow in one area will
Self/Destiny
limit the growth in other areas.

And not just in nature, but God loves all the unregenerated people that
Rela*onship  With  The  World
are in the world as well:
Every person has a relationship with the world in which we live. God is

revealed directly in creation, as beautifully revealed in Psalm 104: “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only
Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have
O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world,
In wisdom you have made them all. but to save the world through him.
The earth is full of your creatures...
God loves the world and never takes his hands off it. So it is important
May the glory of the Lord continue forever!
The Lord takes pleasure in all he has made! to reject any false dualism of “spiritual” things something separate and
(Psalm 104:24, 30 NLT) higher than material earthly concerns. They are inextricably intertwined. To

8 Romans 8:29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

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grow spiritually is to grow in relationship to our world, in engagement with But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love,

both the natural creation and “The World” (kosmon) where we live our daily joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-control. (Galatians 5:22 NLT)
lives and participate in God’s mission.
To grow and mature spiritually is to grow in our individual relationship
Rela*onship  With  God with God, experiencing increasing levels of intimacy and trust, becoming
Through the saving work of Jesus Christ, human beings can relate more and more confident in the unseen reality of God our Father as
directly and personally to God: described by Jesus in His Sermon in the Mount (Matt 5-7), and the Fruit of

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to the Spirit increasingly evident in our lives.

become children of God. (John 1:12 NLT)


Rela*onships  With  Other  People
We can enter into another kind of life by God’s Holy Spirit:
While spiritual life is essentially personal, spiritual life is also

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. “essentially relational without ceasing to be particular9 ”. Our relationship
And just as he raised Christ from the dead, he will give life to your with God cannot be separated from our relationship with other people as
mortal body by this same Spirit living within you. (Rom 8:11 NLT)
clearly shown in James 2 and pointedly illustrated in Jesus’ description of
This life in the spirit is something different and higher than mere human the final judgement in Matthew 25:
life:
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one
Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to
new life from heaven. (John 3:6 NLT) me!’ (Matthew 25:40 NLT)

It is the Holy Spirit that produces the fruit of the Spirit in us, a sure sign “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help
the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help
of spiritual maturity:
me.’ (Matthew 25:45 NLT)

9 Simon Chan, Spiritual Theology: A Systematic Study of the Christian Life (Downer’s Grove, Il: Intervarsity, 2006), 53

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It is vital to emphasize that the ultimate expression of God’s presence

in this age is not the individual, but The Body, the ἐκκλησία, a community

of people formed, led, and together filled by the Spirit:


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 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God )*"',&3"45(2&
and that the Spirit of God lives in you? (1 Cor 3:16 NLT)

All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of
!"#$%"&'(&
it. (1 Cor 12:27)
/#001(')2&

Spiritual growth and maturity is measured not only by securing

the personal relationship with God that is made possible through


!"#$%"&'(&.#-&
Jesus’ salvific work, but in the kind of relationships we have with

each other as a result of Jesus’ commands to love one other: !"#$%"&'(&)*"&+#,%-&


So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other.
Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for
This spiritual love, this ἀγάπη love, is entirely different from human
one another will prove to the world that you are my
love, as Bonhoeffer notes:
disciples.” (John 13:34-35 NLT)

“ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your Human love is directed to the other person for his own sake,
soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest spiritual love loves him for Christ’s sake. 10
commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your
It is maturing in this kind of love that proves to the world that we are
neighbour as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the
Christ’s disciples.
prophets are based on these two commandments.”
(Matthew 22:37-40 NLT)

10 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community (New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 1954), 34

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Rela*onship  With  Self/Des*ny It is important to note here that I am using the widest understanding of

Within the context of relationship and community, the individual spiritual calling to include, as the Reformers did, that any vocation or

appropriates a deeper self-awareness and self-knowledge, a deeper activity and not just specifically religious vocations, that “socially useful

understanding of personal calling, mission and purpose. This personal occupations were fully spiritual vocations. 12” The pinnacle of personal

calling is not individual and separate from spiritual community but is purpose is not, in what I will describe here, to become a religious

directly related to it: professional like a Pastor or a Missionary or to go into “full time ministry.”

The goal is to fully mature as a disciple of Christ, living out the fullness of
Now all of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a
what God has purposed in us in whichever sphere of life we are called.
separate and necessary part of it. (1 Cor 12.27 NLT)

Fulfilling our individual purposes and contribution within the context of

the Body of Christ is part of maturing and growing spiritually:

 Then we will no longer be immature like children…[we will be]


growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head
of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together
perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other
parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full
of love. (Ephesians 4:14-16 NLT)

Sometimes rather than referring to this as a person’s relationship with

themselves, this aspect of spiritual growth is referred to as a person’s

relationship with their destiny11, to include a more missional, outward-

focused and forward-oriented expression.

11 Destiny |ˈdestinē| From the Old French destinee, from Latin destinata, feminine past participle of destinare ‘to make firm, establish.’

12 Diogenes Allen, Spiritual Theology: The Theology of Yesterday for Spiritual Help Today, (Cambridge, MA, Cowley Publications, 2002), 11

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to move into their destiny, not leaving the world, God, and the spiritual
3.  The  Movement  to  Maturity
community behind, but building on each of these, creating what I will
With the redemptive pattern of revelation, trials, crisis, fulfillment and
describe here as an expeditionary adventure up a mountain.
celebration established as the method of spiritual growth, and with our

relationship with God, people, our destiny and our world established as the And so as a Pastor and church planter, in the process of creating a

measures of our growth and maturity, we can now consider our movement disciple-making and disciple-maturing spiritual community near one of the

along the trajectory of spiritual growth. largest metropolitan areas in North America, this section documents the key

redemptive revelations that I look for in order to help people progress


It is here that we consider more specifically the development of the
spiritually.
individual disciple towards maturity. The disciple moves from the world

into a relationship with God, then moves from an individual relationship While these revelations cannot be said to be strictly serial, they are

with God into spiritual community, then from spiritual community into their progressive: For example, claiming that Jesus Christ is Lord (a revelation of

destiny, and from their destiny back out into the world in mission. Clearly the Son), without believing in God (a revelation of The Father) would be

this movement is not a case of moving entirely out of one relationship and curious if not suspect. Claiming to have a revelation of the Holy Spirit

into the next, but a case of each progression building on and related to the without a revelation of Christ would similarly raise suspicion. These are

others. A person moves into relationship with God but does not, strictly obvious examples. But also a person who has not had a revelation of

speaking, move out of the world. It is now quite common to find Christians Lordship will be subsequently limited in their ability to give, share and

who have a personal relationship with God and carry on with their submit to authority in spiritual community. Or someone claiming to have a

relationship with God in isolation, unaware of the necessity of moving into revelation of their calling, especially a call to leadership, when they don’t

spiritual community in order to deepen their relationship with God. It is also have a revelation about authority and accountability can be dangerous.

quite common to have people who have a relationship with God and who are
Accordingly, the following is a series of progressive revelations of a
committed to a church, but are passive consumers of ministry never
maturing disciple. The associated trials, crises, fulfilling and celebrations
producing any ministry or spiritual live from themselves. These people need
associated with each revelation are implied and will not be discussed within

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the scope of this paper. And I recognize that the possible revelations of God CREATION

are manifold and endless. What follows is merely what I have experienced For as the waters fill the sea, the earth will be filled with an

as the critical path. awareness of the glory of the Lord. (Hab 2:14 NLT)

They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to
World  Revela*ons them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the
If a person is “in the world” or does not not yet seem to have a earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see

revelation of Christ or of God or even of things spiritual, I watch for, expect, his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they
have no excuse for not knowing God. (Rom 1:19-20)
and dialogue about the following revelations:
There is a certain level of revelation of God that is possible simply from
WORLDVIEW
observation of the natural order. Nature is the first, easiest, undeniable clue
Does the person realize that they have a worldview, that they see things
that there is something else going on behind the scenes. Willard observes13:
a certain way, that their worldview was handed to them or created around

them and aspects of it may or may not be true? Do they have any framework Paul himself explains that all human beings remain responsible,
no matter how far they fall, because of the clear way in which God
for spiritual or unseen realities? Are they open for discussion about
stands forth in natural reality. “Since the creation of the world” he
possibilities? This is in accordance with Jesus’ continual asking if there is says, “Gods’ invisible nature is clearly present to their
“Anyone with ears to hear…” (Matt 13:9 NLT) understanding through what has been made” (Rom 1:19-20)

This revelation can continue to increase even in Christians who have FALL

gotten trapped in having all the answers, or have a knowledge of the Gospel All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths
to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
that may be incomplete, biased, or unbalanced.
(Isa 53:6 NLT)

Does the person have a revelation that something has gone terribly

wrong in the world, that there is a human condition and the lust, greed,

13 Dallas Willard. The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering our Hidden Life in God. (San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins, 1998), 327

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anger and selfishness which, if unmitigated, naturally takes hold of human Salvation is often expressed in terms of “believing in Jesus” as if it were

beings and ultimately destroys them? And do they understand that the solely a work of the Son. I have chosen to express salvation as triune, a

problems are not just with “those people, out there, the ones who are revelation of the Father, the Son and the Spirit. This is important because it

interfering with me and my life” but that the problem is in them as well? Do is possible to have a revelation of the Father without having a revelation of

they have a revelation of their personal need? The Son. A great many people “believe in God” without in the least

believing in Jesus. This constitutes a certain level of revelation of the Father.


This is a revelation which often needs to be built on even in Christians

who often fail to understand the segment of redemptive history in which we And even with Christians this revelation can be expanded until we

currently live: Not the Garden and not Eternity––we live in a fallen world, know, as Jesus knew and explained in Matthew 6 and 7 as part of His

and despite its ongoing redemption, one should adjust expectations Sermon on the Mount, what the Father is really like as a statement about

accordingly about how people are going to naturally behave, particularly reality, particularly the truth about unseen reality.

when outside their controls and accountabilities.


The realization that the message is True and not just true for them, that

THE  FATHER this is an objective and not a subjective reality, is important because

 “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in realizing that this is True constitutes a worldview change. And if the
God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned worldview doesn’t change people will put on or take off their relationship
for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.
with God as it suits them. But if something is believed to be true, it is much
(John 5:24 NLT)
harder to put aside.
If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is.
From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” God  Revela*ons
Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”
The next revelations have to do with someone who is a Christian, who
Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet
you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen is “In Christ” rather than “In The World”

the Father! (Jn 14:7-9 NLT)

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THE  SON The scope of someone’s revelation of The Son is a key indicator of their

“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in progress on the journey: Have they made a personal decision or have they
God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned just grown up in the church? What is their concept of salvation? Is it
for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.
oriented around the afterlife or a whole-life commitment to becoming a
(John 5:24 NLT)
student of Jesus?
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in
your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be A key sacrament that recognizes a visible sign of this commitment, and
saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right needs to be mentioned here, is baptism.
with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are
saved. (Rom 10:9-10 NLT) THE  SPIRIT

This is the revelation that is commonly held to be salvation, or “getting They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said,
“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending
saved,” the moment of crossing over from death to life or “making a
you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy
decision for God,” typically in the form of confessing personal sin and Spirit. (John 20:20b-22 NLT)
shortcoming and inviting Christ into one’s heart as Saviour and Lord. This is
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria
the traditional gospel message which recognizes that salvation is essentially had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. As
personal, and that what it means to be a Christian is to have a personal soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive

relationship with Christ. Often here the focus is on forgiveness of personal the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of
them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord
sins, but in light of our highly individualistic culture it is important to avoid
Jesus. Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers,
the kind of “revivalism” where being a Christian is solely identified with a and they received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:14-17)
conversion experience. 14

It is difficult to express salvation as a triune event. While all three

persons of the Trinity work in together, there do seem to be special works

14 Diogenes Allen. Spiritual Theology: The Theology of Yesterday for Spiritual Help Today (Cambridge, MA: Cowley Publications, 2002), 15

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emphasized by each: The Father in creation, The Son in redemption and The And so, the extent of someone’s revelation becomes important: What is

Spirit in fulfilling. the role of the Holy Spirit in their spiritual life? Is it merely to bring

revelation through scripture? To provide promptings? Do they speak in


And so, while the Holy Spirit is clearly involved, for example, in
tongues? How open are they to surprising works of God? Or works of God
someone making a decision to give their life to Christ, there is a separate
that may marginalize them or affect their worldly reputation?
and subsequent revelation of the Holy Spirit we recognize as part of the

pentecostal-charismatic tradition that is subsequent to salvation, described as DISCIPLESHIP

follows by Chan: Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you
how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and
Pentecostal spirituality is characterized by an awareness of and an followed him. (Matt 4:19-20 NLT)
openness to the “surprising work of God.” It seeks the intimate
After the threefold revelation of the Father, the Son and the Spirit, that
presence of God, which usually involves an initial “baptism in the
Spirit.” This baptism represents a sort of quantum leap in spiritual there is a God, Our Father in the Heavens, and by grace alone Jesus has
consciousness, evidenced by, among other things, glossolalia and made a way for us to live under His Kingdom reign, transforming us into the
a new boldness and urgency to engage in the mission of God. 15
likeness of the Son, what comes next is the revelation of discipleship: The
Being filled with the spirit in this way represents a crisis of separation. invitation to be a full-time apprentice to Christ in how to live life.
These surprising works of God have a high chance of being perceived as
Within the revelation of spiritual discipleship is the revelation of
weird, irrational or unacceptable in a culture where rationality and intellect
spiritual disciplines––the activities of a disciple. Since we cannot simply
and the values of the enlightenment are held sacred. And there is the
“make ourselves like Christ” and produce the fruit directly, we do other
potential for significant marginalization not just within Western secular
things like pray, study, read, intercede, worship, fast and spend time in
society but even within the Christian community.
silence and solitude which produce the fruit of the spirit indirectly. The

expected result of apprenticing ourselves to Christ, studying Him and being

15 Simon Chan, Spiritual Theology: A Systematic Study of the Christian Life (Downer’s Grove, Il: Intervarsity, 2006), 38

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in his presence is the ongoing transformation of our character into the So the question will arise regarding someone on the path to spiritual

likeness of Christ as evidenced by the fruit of the spirit in our lives: maturity: Do they consider themselves a disciple? A full-time apprentice to

Jesus? Do they practice any of the spiritual disciplines of a disciple? If so,


But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love,
which ones? When then comment on the church direction, or the sermon or
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-control. (Gal 5:22-23a) the worship, are they doing that out of a consistent prayer life and ongoing

revelation or is it their opinion? Have these efforts produced the fruit of the
In the gospel of grace this is where effort finds its place. Since we
spirit in their lives? What is the state of their character? Do they demonstrate
cannot produce the fruit of the spirit directly in our lives we produce it
virtue?
indirectly by applying the disciplines. This is part of what it means to be a

disciple. The distinction between being a disciple and being a Christian is LORDSHIP
important because in our culture it is possible to be a Christian without being  Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your
a disciple: heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ (Matt 22:37)

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple


Non-discipleship is the elephant in the church. It is not the much-
must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For
discussed moral failures, financial abuses, or the amazing general
whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their
similarity between Christians and non-Christians. These are only
life for me will find it. (Matthew 16:24-25 NLT)
effects of the underlying problem. The fundamental negative reality
among Christian believers now is their failure to be constantly Similar to the discipleship question is the lordship question: Has a
learning how to live their lives in The Kingdom Among Us. And it
person made Christ their Lord as well as their Saviour? Are they at the
is an accepted reality. The division of professing Christians into
those for whom it is a matter of whole-life devotion to God and disposal of their Lord? Are they prepared even to “waste” themselves on

those who maintain a consumer, or client, relationship to the Him if so required? Have they given over the whole of their life to Christ?
church has now been an accepted reality for over fifteen hundred Their time? Their talent? Their treasure? Their attention? Their energy? This
years. 16

16 Dallas Willard. The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering our Hidden Life in God. (San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins, 1998), 301

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is the natural result of being with Jesus. What evidence is there of lordship? COMMUNITY

In what ways has this been tested? All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of
it. (1 Cor 12:27 NLT)
The natural result of this lordship decision is worship.
Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special
function,  so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one
People  Revela*ons
body, and we all belong to each other. (Rom 12:4-5 NLT)
The next set of revelations deal with interpersonal relationships and

being in community as part of the Body of Christ. While salvation is He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does
its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the
personal in nature, “spiritual life is essentially relational without ceasing to
whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
be particular.”17 It is here that we recognize, in a culture of deep (Eph 4:16 NLT)
individualism, that God’s expression in this age is not the individual but the
Despite the reality of the Body of Christ, within our highly
Body:
individualistic society it is possible to be a Christian and decide not to

The vessel through which the Lord Jesus can reveal himself in this participate in any corporate life or spiritual community. However this kind
generation is not the individual but the Body. True, “God hath of approach is prone to failure:
dealt to each man a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3), but alone in
isolation man can never fulfill God’s purpose. It requires a It can become too individualistic and can be turned into a system
complete Body to attain the stature of Christ and display his to support self-indulgence. The corporate life could become a
glory. 18
purely voluntary and dispensable matter. The all-important issue is
“my own personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” All other
relationships become secondary. 19

17 Simon Chan, Spiritual Theology: A Systematic Study of the Christian Life (Downer’s Grove, Il: Intervarsity, 2006), 53

18 Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Life trans. by Angus I. Kinnear (Wheaton, Il: Tyndale House Publishers Inc, 1977), 216

19 Simon Chan, Spiritual Theology: A Systematic Study of the Christian Life (Downer’s Grove, Il: Intervarsity, 2006), 47

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Accordingly, in a society of consumer Christians, church shoppers and Central to the maturity of a disciple is the attitude of a servant: The

church hoppers, key questions about maturity arise around a person’s ability to apply their gifts, talents and capabilities to the needs of others in

revelation of community: Have they committed to a particular fellowship of community. Specifically here is a revelation of spiritual gifts as a gift to the

believers? What is there level of commitment? Are they known in that body and not for personal gain.

fellowship? Do they have accountable relationships in that community or are


It is not only important for the individual that they serve, it is vital to
they effectively anonymous? What has been their response to being pressed
the survival and success of the community:
or held accountable? How do they trade off their individual desires with the

greater good of the group? In a Christian community everything depends upon whether each
individual is an indispensable link in a chain. Only when even the
The natural result of the revelation of community is membership and the smallest link is securely interlocked is the chain unbreakable. A

sacrament of communion as the ongoing sign of this relationship. community which allows unemployed members to exist within it
will perish because of them.20
SERVING
Questions include: Does the person demonstrate the attitude of a
But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader
servant? Are they passive or active in their serving? Do they passively wait
among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first
among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man until asked or do they actively look for ways they can contribute? When

came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a there’s problems in the community do they hold back and critique or jump
ransom for many.” (Matt 20:26-28 NLT) in and help sort it out? Are they able to regularly lay down their own agenda

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the to serve the agendas of others? Or do they come with their opinions,
source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we preferences and their own vision of how things should be? Can they serve
serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the
outside of their known gifts when required? Have they experienced the
same God who does the work in all of us.
A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. empowerment of the Holy Spirit to serve in ways that are outside their

(1 Cor 12:4-7 NLT) experience and comfort levels?

20 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community (New York: Harper & Row, 1954), 94

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SHARING for the creation of individual kingdoms and personal cocooning that leaves

And all the believers met together in one place and shared the individual undisturbed in the midst of extensive personal preferences.
everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and The side-effect of this is tremendous isolation and loneliness as we live
shared the money with those in need. (Acts 2:44-45 NLT)
more technologically connected but without real community and authentic
Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or relationships. We ignore those around us and their needs at our peril:
clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm
and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or The exclusion of the weak and insignificant, the seemingly useless
clothing. What good does that do? (James 2:15-16 NLT) people, from a Christian community may actually mean the
exclusion of Christ; in the poor brother Christ is knocking at the
But even as a person serves and helps, there remains the question: Are
door. 21
they open to a common life with other people? Do they share their life with
AUTHORITY
others in the community? What do they share? Are they over-protective of
Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought
their own time/money/assets/leisure/comforts/life? How do they practice
against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle,
boundaries? Where are they strict on their boundaries and where are they and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great
loose? Are they strict with church but loose with work? Do they distance dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one
deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all
themselves from members of spiritual community but dedicate themselves
his angels. (Rev 12:7-9 NLT)
unreservedly to other unhealthy relationships?
 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior
This idea of being together can be daunting in our culture. It means officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say,
sharing our lives and opening oneself to others who may ask for something ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my
slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”
we have, who might impose on us, perhaps repeatedly, who might infringe
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were
on our much-treasured personal wants and freedoms. The previously
following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith
unknown levels of private wealth we enjoy have created the the opportunity like this in all Israel! (Matt 8:9-10 NLT)

21 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community (New York: Harper & Row, 1954), 38

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 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like
who love me. (John 14:21 NLT) children. (Eph 4:11-14a NLT)

Even if a person has committed to living in accountable relationships, BEING  SENT

and serves and shares in that spiritual community, there is a question of their “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending
you.” (John 20:21b NLT)
heart and attitude that is a pre-requisite to any sort of leadership or

responsibility: How do they respond to authority? Can they be lead? Are But Jesus said, “You feed them.” (Luke 9:13 NLT)

they open to correction? Are they open to correction from an imperfect The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them
leader or Pastor? Has this ever been tested in a meaningful way? How did ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit.

they respond to that correction? These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the
workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the

Des*ny  Revela*ons harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.
(Luke 10:1-2 NLT)
Movement here is movement into one’s individual destiny, but as we

have pointed out, one’s individual destiny is not isolated from the whole but Serving, giving and and successfully coming under the authority of

emerges as part of the collective destiny of the Body of Christ together another leader begins to qualify the disciple for a vision and responsibility of

fulfilling God’s mission in the world. It is here that the disciple’s ministry their own. Increasing levels of responsibility are a key aspect of maturity.

begins to shift to equipping and possibly into the various levels of We expect children to grow and take responsibility first for themselves, then

leadership: for their assigned work, and then perhaps ever-increasing circles of

responsibility as they are capable. The same applies to the disciple: Are they
Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the
willing to take ownership and responsibility for some task or call? Are they
prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their
responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up able to cross over from “just helping out” to taking ownership for the work

the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come that needs to be done to fulfill the vision? It should be emphasized here that
to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will God’s call is not limited to strictly religious activities, like taking ownership
be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete
of the Children’s ministry at church or taking responsibility for the vision

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for a new building project. Maturity develops as we embrace and take REPRODUCTION

responsibility for whatever God has called us to in the church or in the “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same

world. works I have done, and even greater works…” (John 14:12a NLT)

 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority
FRUITFULNESS
in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the
When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and
brings great glory to my Father. (John 15:8 NLT) the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the
commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you
A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad
fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:18-20 NLT)

produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit As reproduction is a natural outcome of maturity and intimacy in the
is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can
physical realm, so it is spiritually. The next question facing the mature and
identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their
fruitful disciple is whether they produce that fruit in and through others and
actions. (Matt 7:17-20 NLT)
not just in themselves. Can they pass it on? Can they raise up other fruitful
As the disciple takes responsibility for something, whether it is a call, a
disciples? Other fruitful leaders? Can they train and equip other people who
need, a project or a ministry, the question emerges: Are they fruitful in that
do what they do and be what they are? Do they mentor people? Do they
task? If so, what kind of fruit and to what degree? In many cases the
invest themselves in the lives of others? If so, what is the extent and quality
disciple moving into his or her destiny will have a great passion or desire to
of the reproduction?
do or accomplish something for God. There can be many motivations for

this, seen and unseen. Unbeknownst to them they may be motivated by a SACRIFICE

past wound, a desire for attention, or some other inner need that God may Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say

want to meet another way. As people move into their authentic destiny we good-bye to my family.” But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a
hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of
can expect fruitfulness. If there is no fruit this is cause to step back, re-
God.” (Luke 9:61-62 NLT)
assess, pray and seek God for insight and direction.

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“If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are happiness, the question needs to be asked: What has our apprenticeship to
not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more Jesus cost us? What sacrifices have we made? In what ways have we
than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up
suffered for the sake of the Kingdom and our call? Life is measured not in
your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you
cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for what we have accomplished, amassed or achieved, but in what ways we

me, you will find it. (Matt 10:37-39 NLT) have given of ourselves in love.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of DEATH


many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith
I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil
develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that
and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new
you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James
kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life
1:2-4 NIV)
in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be my
We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am.
but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are And the Father will honour anyone who serves me.
not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in (John 12:24-26 NLT)
the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our
 Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill
bodies. (2 Cor 4:8-11 NLT)
Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting
While I am personally unfamiliar with these levels of discipleship, it is there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and
held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is
clear both from the life of Christ, church history, and the lives of the saints,
finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.
that increasing levels of discipleship means increasing levels of sacrifice and
(John 19:28-30 NLT)
suffering as required. The process of sanctification involves not a
Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who
eradication of unique personality but a total laying down of the will, the self
believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me
and preferences in favour of God’s will, God’s mission, God’s preferences. and believes in me will never ever die. (John 11:25-26)
In our culture of comfort and in light of our highly held pursuit of personal

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 I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never kind of person have we become? Have we passed through our various deaths
die!” (John 8:51 NLT) into an eternal kind of life?

At the end of the day, the mission will take everything we have. “No
Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be
one is getting out of this alive” as the old saying goes. We honour the raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were
martyrs for valuing God more highly even than their physical life. But death crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives.

as expressed here is nothing like what is commonly meant by death, not We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we
were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ,
“ceasing to exist” or “The End” but merely the door to a different level of
we know we will also live with him. (Rom 6:5-9 NLT)
life. We experience all sorts of of deaths in our lives, losses, changes, all

generating grief and requiring mourning. But these too are doors to a

different level of life that help shape us into the image of Jesus. The

pinnacle of discipleship is the kind of person we become, the kind of person

who, as Jesus explained in Luke 19:17 and Matthew 25:21, is the kind of

person who is the “good and faithful servant” transformed and equipped to

reign with Him.

LIFE

Death is not our end. That is the great and fractally repeating message

of the story. There is life on the other side. It is not Jesus’ death that is our

hope, but his death and resurrection.

And so we must ask ourselves these questions: Have we given our lives

for the mission? Have we valued God more highly than anything? And what

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problems the dynamic is entirely different than our personal devotional time
4.  The  Means  of  Maturity
with God. This is the ideal space to practice fellowship, accountability and
While the scope of this paper prohibits extensive discussion, some
confession as well as prayer and study.
mention needs to be made of the means of maturity, as this has direct

relevance to how we structure our spiritual communities and church planting Jesus highlights the unique dynamics and potential of this space in

efforts. I see four “God Spaces” that are essential for facilitating the Matthew 18:

movement to maturity: The individual or personal space, the friend or two,


“I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning
the small group and the large group. The failure to have any of these spaces anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For
will limit the ability of the disciple to progress. Each of these spaces will where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there
among them.” (Matt 18:19-20 NLT)
lend itself to certain activities and efforts as follows.

The  Small  Group


The  Individual
The small group of 10-12 believers is the ideal space for “doing life
We have recognized that salvation is personal and implicit here is an
together.” This size of group is still small enough that everyone can talk, but
ongoing, moment-to-moment interactive relationship with God. This is an
there is also a diversity of personalities, gifts and resources that create the
appropriate space for most of the spiritual disciplines, silence, study, prayer
possibility for community and not just relationship. Here the disciplines of
and fasting, and by definition, solitude and secrecy require individual space
fellowship, service, worship and celebration emerge more fully in addition
with God.
to prayer and study together.

The  Friend
The  Large  Group
An important part of our maturity and development is the need to
Larger groups naturally become more gift-based and when the Body of
process the specifics of what we are learning in our lives. When we meet
Christ gathers in larger groups it gives rise to a different experience, as the
with a spiritual friend for mutual encouragement and to discuss our

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larger group creates the opportunity to exercise spiritual gifts that pertain to

large groups, for submission to leadership, for a wider fellowship, a different

level of worship in terms of “Kingdom Immersion22 ” and the experience of

being part of something much larger than ourselves. These large group

opportunities range from the weekly meeting of a local congregation, to

trans-local conferences, to regional, national and global gatherings.

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and


good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some
people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day
of his return is drawing near. (Hebrews 10:25 NLT)

22 Donald Goertz, Toward A Missional Theology of Worship (Toronto, ON: Tyndale Seminary, 2009), 3

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Second, I think there’s going to have to be some clear communication,
Conclusion:  Implica<ons  for  Preaching
not once but ongoing, about the nature of spiritual progression and the role
This view of the method, measures, movement and means of maturity
of effort in the spiritual life. It has been my experience that a good portion of
has direct implications for preaching and also how the church is organized
evangelical community is constantly on the lookout for heresy in general
and mobilized.
and anything they perceive might undermine salvation by faith in particular.

Preaching The great worry being that they might fall into some sort of salvation by

The first thing that needs to be recognized in light of everything written works. From what I can tell there is little or no actual danger of people

here is that preaching will have to be less like putting gas in everyone’s tank trying too hard in their spiritual progression, but the concern runs deep. A

every week so they can keep on going as they always have, and more like solid and communicable linkage between effort and spiritual progression

inspiring and motivating people to move on from where they already are under the Gospel of Grace will need to be held at the ready.

into further stages of spiritual maturity. Third and perhaps most challenging is recognizing the heterogeneous

First, the people will need to be clear on what the bargain is. There are nature of the maturity of the congregation. Spiritual maturity varies widely.

all sorts of conceptions of what church and preaching should be, what they Somehow the message is going to have to move everyone: Educating them

want, and what they expect when they turn up at church. Being clear about about the path, encouraging them along the way without presuming any

this will sidestep confusion when, for example, you try to hold someone specific level of revelation, and without putting anyone above anyone else.

accountable for their actions only to realize they have not agreed to be held In my current congregation there is typically a widespread revelation of the

accountable and don’t recognize you as any sort of accountability-holding Son, but even then we often have visitors who may not have that revelation.

authority. There must be agreement on what is going to happen. We will Perhaps the secret is to have something for everyone, always having some

need to be clear about the revelation, trials, crisis, fulfillment and celebration elements of the basic gospel for those that are in the world, discipleship and

that we expect. lordship elements for those who are in God but not in the church, and then

missional and leadership challenges for those moving into their destiny.

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What is important to consider is the question, “Where are these people at?” cater to their own interests and spirituality, self-focus, isolation and

and go from there. cliquishness can occur to the detriment of the mission.

Using  All  The  Spaces The role of preaching then is to cast vision for the adventure, engage

Nevertheless it seems clear that preaching will not nearly be enough. people on the journey, motivate them, and encourage them by highlighting

It’s unreasonable to expect to meet everyone where they are at and move the progress of their peers and betters. In this way the large meeting

them to their own next level all in one big meeting with one message. For becomes the hub which provides access to all the other opportunities and

sure the large group meeting has the atmosphere and opportunity for relationships required for progression.

revelation and celebration, but the trials, crisis and fulfilling rarely occur in a
Leading  the  Church
church service. For these the other God spaces are required: Personal
The impact of thinking of the spiritual life in terms of progression and
disciplines being practiced in individual lives; a spiritual friend or two to
maturity will have a significant impact on the overall leading and managing
lean on, to talk through the trials and to take the phone call in the crisis of
of the church, as the question changes from how we produce services and
faith; and a small group to support in the crisis, to come around and pray
programs to how we move people into increasing maturity as disciples.
through to fulfillment.
As shown in the diagram on the following page, everything the church
Leveraging the personal, friend and small group spaces also helps
does can be geared to moving disciples forward in their maturity, whether in
manage the heterogeneous nature of the congregation’s spiritual maturity.
big or small groups, in relationships or in individual lives. Measures can be
Rather than 100 people together in a service, 10 groups of 10 people creates
applied to the the different stages of maturity and our efforts to move and
the opportunity for customization based on where people are at, to split up
mature people who are in the world, in God, in community or moving into
for example, into a seeker group, a new Christians cell, a ministry team, and
their destiny.
a leadership team. My one concern here is that when the the Christians who

self-perceive themselves as “mature christians” make their own group to

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sheets, clear overlays for tracing routes, and notched pages for capturing
APPENDIX:   stories, places, legends, names, faces, encounters, art, books, movies, wines,

and meals. It is a journal that is also a guidebook, or rather a self-guidebook,


A  POST-­‐MODERN  POST-­‐NOTE   or maybe even a guidebook in the middle voice: It gives insight into a city in

such a way that the traveller finds their own route through the city and

While spiritual progress has been presented here a linear, we know that accumulates their own experiences.

life is characteristically dynamic, complex and non-linear. Accordingly,


When I saw this I thought that spiritual growth and progression is like
some consideration was given to a non-linear metaphor appropriate to
exploring a city. There are insights and maps that can be given, but the
express spiritual growth and progression as described here.
traveller must find his or her own route through the city, travelling through

It was this thought that I came across a certain Moleskine product. different zones, with different goals, perhaps taking different routes,

Moleskine is a manufacturer of the type of journal used by Vincent Van capturing stories, places, faces names, encounters, books, revelations, trials,

Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Ernest Hemingway, characterized by an elasticized crises, fulfillments and celebrations as they go.

closure and an inner pocket. More recently Moleskine has marketed what
As a subsequent effort it would be interesting to express the revelation
they describe as a “City Notebook”: A journal that is designed around a
and relationships described in this spiritual theology non-linearly as a city to
certain city (for example Venice or Paris), and is made up of journal pages
be explored, and perhaps even create an interactive Moleskine journal to
interspersed with city maps, subway guides, zone indexes, detachable
help guide people in their exploration.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Allen, Diogenes. Spiritual Theology: The Theology of Yesterday for Spiritual Help Today. Cambridge, MA, Cowley Publications, 2002

Blackaby, Henry, Blackaby, Richard, and King, Claude. Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Nashville, TN: B&H 2009

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 1954

Chan, Simon. Spiritual Theology: A Systematic Study of the Christian Life. Downer’s Grove, Il: Intervarsity, 2006

Goertz, Donald. Toward A Missional Theology of Worship. Toronto, ON: Tyndale Seminary, 2009

Kelsey, Mark. Progressing People. Oxford Falls: C3 Church, 2003

Nee, Watchman. The Normal Christian Life. Translated by Angus I. Kinnear. Wheaton, Il: Tyndale House Publishers Inc, 1977

Willard, Dallas. The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering our Hidden Life in God. San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins, 1998

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