The Five Essentials Of Building Our Christian Life

The Five Essentials Of Building Our Christian Life

The Foundation -- WORSHIP

The essentials of building our Christian life consist of five basic elements. But, worship is the foundation on which we build. Until we learn to worship God for who He is in His Greater sense, and acknowledge His Superiority in all things, and His Holy, Faithful, Loving character, the elemental requirements in our worship relationship consist only of “submissive-humility”. Submissive-humility is found in having only the precursory understanding of whom we are being submissive to, and why. In this condition of recognition of His superiority and domination there can be a fear of God. The reason this condition in the relationship exists is for this dimension only, and resentment can quickly develop and separation can be perceived as the only solution if the anxious condition is not resolved. It is at this moment of time that God reveals Himself as the One True God and the ultimate lover of mankind in His expression of His love in the gift of grace. () ()

Worship has many depths of understanding. Worship is initiated by God Himself, through our understanding of ourselves in relation to God as sinners in need of salvation and rescue. It begins at the first level with the ‘sinners prayer’ where our knowledge and understanding may be minimal: “Where I first saw the Light” experience. Our relationship with God in Christ is by definition a grace gift () and we respond by faith, and this is a gift of God. God calls us we respond. () ()

As we mature we develop a greater platform of understanding and our worship increases to a level of exaltation – level where we see many a soul plateau. God is a God of Goodness and Mercy, who takes care of us in our time of need and is there at “our beck and call”. He has done great things for us and we know He will continue to love us and nurture us. But where the relation extends from there is a mystery to many. God is not here for us, we are here for Him!

To stall at a plateau of mere exaltation, we miss the fullness in the real call of God in Christ. Those who pursue a greater relationship find themselves drawn on by God to a more complete relationship of AGAPE” LOVE – the TWO Great Commandments. Some will by choice expand their relationship and understanding to the next level of Service if they are pursuing their relationship to a real and obedient spiritual affection for the God of the universe to a sacrificial spiritual service of worship. () Authentic worship is found only in moving to the next step. () () () ()

The only way we can resolve the conundrum of our worship relationship experience is to discover information about, and develop a relationship with, the personhood to whom we owe worship and humble submission – God. This comes by experiencing the workings of God in our life and the life of others. Recognizing that it is God in action in the experiences of the world is to be consciously aware of His Word and Prayer.

THE WORD

The Bible is the authoritative and only self-disclosed revelation of God. We are given evidences of His existence (), but to establish faith and hope, as well as our submission is to be grounded in the Word of God. In the Word we find written self-revelation of God, and the explanation of how to get to know Him. We find out the secrets hidden from ages past (), the treasure to hide in our hearts (), the power unto salvation (), and the way to a righteous () eternal () and abundant life ().

The Word will direct our paths (), light our paths (), guide our hearts mind and soul (), lead us into the paths of righteousness (), separate and reveal as a two-edge sword (), reveal Truth (), and bring us to Christ (Isaiah fulfilled). However, it also reveals strict conformity to His law is not His whole agenda; it reveals He is seeking from us a personal totally inclusive relationship with Him. ()

It is not until we are intimately familiar with His Word that we discover the comprehensiveness of the statement:

“IT IS ALL ABOUT GOD”.

READING< STUDYING<MEDITATING<MEMORIZING<ABIDING<PRACTICING

PRAYER

Prayer is the way we reach out to really know God and have a loving relationship with Him. Time spent with Him in prayer completes the relationship and with-in the love we will always find in Him, we find reason and motivation to conform to His will and fulfill His desires in our lives. (,) In prayer we learn what God has planned. ().

4335 proseuch, proseuche {pros-yoo-khay’} prayer addressed to God)

The austerity of prayer allows us to see a glimpse of the magnitude of God and begin to perceive the significance of having Him as our Lord; we begin to understand the opportunity that awaits us in our submission to Him as God. HE IS THE Creator, sustainer, provider, our guide, Ruler King, and He wants to have a conversation with us!

(1783 e;nteuxij enteuxis {ent'-yook-sis} a coming together, a conference or conversation)

Prayer is the way that we submit everything to the Lord. In pray, we invite God to come and work in the things that concern us putting those things under His control rather than our own. The open admission of our lesser condition before the Lord is always needed as we approach His throne. This is not only submission, but the very act of humbling ourselves (, ), acknowledging that God can take care of all that concerns us and that we cannot.

(1162 de,hsij deesis {deh'-ay-sis} intimate beseeching, need, indigence, entreating; )

In our Praises, Repentance, Adorations, Intercessions, Supplications, and Exaltations we can reaffirm our relationship and learn to rest in His peace. () () The intent of this tradition is to incorporate God into every moment of the day. () Our strength alone is deficient. Our sin separates us from God (), but our confessions give us strength and confidence of God’s presence in the workings of our life. With our Adorations, Confessions, Thanksgivings, we are Supplied. ()

4336 proseu,comai proseuchomai {pros-yoo'-khom-ahee} make prayer, pray for, to offer prayers, to pray

Prayer is a reason Christ died and rose again to life to make intercession on our behalf. () Our response to Christ must by necessity include regular prayer in our relationship. Our weakness in this area is significant to an unknown (beyond our scope of realization ()) level if we fail in it. () It is a condition imposed throughout the Bible that prayer is the way to seek after God, and He will respond. ()

TRANSPANENCY<OPENESS<CONSISTENCY<MALABILITY<HUMBLY

FELLOWSHIP

(2842 koinwni,a koinonia; intimacy communion )

(2266 rb;x' chabar {khaw-bar'} couple together, join together) (very uncommon in the OT)

The koinonea of believers is the opportunity to be accepted and found acceptable through the forgiveness offered to all sinners equally in Christ’s shed blood and the exchanged life. () It is the opportunity to be trustworthy encourager for another fellow believer in their quest to discover the fullness of life in Christ. () It offers the opportunity to be led into a greater intimacy with Christ by maturing believers, to achieve like-mindedness with Christ. ()

Fellowship is founded on the agape love seldom achieved but constantly in need of pursuing. The selfless charity to encourage, shore up, bear one another, and receive the same from others believers without fear of prejudice; an intimacy not found in the secular world () experienced only through the presence of the binding of Holy Spirit. ()

Jesus says continually in John that this life results from His indwelling presence through His indwelling Holy Spirit (; ; ; ; , ; ; ;). The normal Christian life is the life of the Lord Jesus lived within the life of the believer. He is our abundant life. () This is the shared koinonea experience.

HONESTLY<TRANSPARENTLY<RELIABLY<EDIFY<ENCOURAGINGLY<LOVINGLY<SINCERELY

EVANGELISM

This fellowship with God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, and fellow believers is the message of the Gospel. () There is a world full of darkness from sin, lost-ness seeking for the fellowship, hurting from the consequences of sin, looking for answers. The answer we carry as a message from GOD, the Good News of Christ resulting in a changed life. () Freed from the torment of the constant search for meaning, direction, and freedom; a sense of completion and fulfillment; an understanding that there is goodness available, love overflowing, and a joy that emanates from with-in, through the indwelling presence of Jesus Christ. ()

In He says that He is the door into the abundant life (7–9); His sheep belong to Him. He calls them “my own” (14,16). He says His sheep know Him just as He knows the Father (14–15, 27–30). He is one with the Father (30). His sheep are one (but on a different level since they are created beings) with Him. He gives His sheep “eternal life” (27–29). It is God’s life that Jesus has with the Father and shares with His sheep (; ).

We are of course first and foremost commanded to go into the world to make disciples () with a message that can’t be ignored, and we are responsible to share (). It is the one message we can carry to all people anywhere without concern for our acceptance (). For the anxiety it may produce in the listener is far better than the reality of not hearing the Good news at all (). Hold tight to our message for it is the only way to God. () We are to tell people the life they are chasing is the defiance of God, and their stumbling in the dark is the darkness of their lifestyle. () But there is a salvation for those who chose. ()

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.

EMPATHICALLY<LOVINGLY<SERVINGLY<UNCOMPROMISINGLY<HONESTLY<HUMBLY

SERVICE (Agape’ love)

Service to others is the natural/spiritual outcome of a life guided by these four fundamentals. A complete life in Christ can never be realized until we have surrendered ourselves to service to God in Christ for others. It was of course Christ who showed us He came not to be served but to serve. () () He covered His glory for a time and assumed the humble role of a lowly servant (). His self-sacrifice inspires believers to experience the same victory through denying self and obeying the Father. Jesus described the mission of the “Son of Man” as serving others and giving His life as a ransom (). This theme verse of the Gospel of Mark presents the King of Glory, the One whom angels worship, honor, and serve, the One who came to the world with one goal—to serve, even to the point of laying down His life ().

Each believer has a spiritual gift (). Spiritual gifts are given ultimately to serve others, to edify the church, and to glorify the Lord (, ; ). Each believer receives at least one spiritual gift (). All spiritual gifts are to be used for Christian service, not for personal edification ().

Service for and to others is the consequential outcome of our relationship to Christ. () His example is without question – He came to serve (). We see that if we are saved by faith that the consequence is works in service for others. () And He calls us to serve even sacrificially; in fact, we will be compelled to love and serve if we are His. () ()

We are simply called to render service to others! ()

Within these five fundamentals of the Christian walk we will achieve the satisfaction of our calling in Christ and the completion of our search for fulfillment. Submission involves not seeking one’s own interests but rather assuming a willful commitment of service to others. ()

Thomas Nelson, Inc: Woman's Study Bible . Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1995