God’s Vision for the New Testament Church
'You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. '
John 15:14-16
This vision is key to the success of being God’s Church. The success comes from pursuing the vision and not from the pursuit of success.
The vision for the New Testament Church today comes from the most fruitful man, who was also at the beginning of creation, and clearly knows God’s vision, is God made flesh, Jesus. A man of no natural birth but has exemplified the vision of fruitfulness. This is the re-establishment and fruition of the original vision. Redeeming Adam and Eve’s epic fail & the consequences of casting off vision.
The Vision cast by Jesus himself: 'You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ' John 15:16 This is your vision and mission. Jesus has appointed you to multiply yourselves into the lives of other people, but you cannot do that. You cannot do it unless you abide in Christ.
The vision isn’t the success of a large dynamic church or some type dynamic ministry or lifestyle. It is the opposite. It is setting aside the vision of success for fruitfulness. The vision is not success; the vision is fruitfulness. The vision isn’t a happy marriage. The vision is fruitfulness. The vision isn’t a successful life and career. The vision is fruitfulness, true image bearers.
This tree is a dwarf apple tree. It was breed to produce a tremendous amount of fruit on a small, insignificant tree. The apples are easily harvested. Perfect for a backyard.
I firmly believe that if we as true disciples commit ourselves to reproduction, commit ourselves to the fruitfulness of discipleship we will be successful. Because that day will come if we are vision and mission oriented.
My small group has just started a new study that is more than a review. It is disciple training. Multiply Movement I have been challenged, and I am growing as others in my group have expressed. If you have a small group, I encourage looking into this. If you don't have a small group, get one.
Wouldn’t you like to go and meet Jesus knowing there is an orchard because you understood and obeyed God’s vision?
--Michael Walker and Zine Smith
John 15:14-16
This vision is key to the success of being God’s Church. The success comes from pursuing the vision and not from the pursuit of success.
The vision for the New Testament Church today comes from the most fruitful man, who was also at the beginning of creation, and clearly knows God’s vision, is God made flesh, Jesus. A man of no natural birth but has exemplified the vision of fruitfulness. This is the re-establishment and fruition of the original vision. Redeeming Adam and Eve’s epic fail & the consequences of casting off vision.
The Vision cast by Jesus himself: 'You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ' John 15:16 This is your vision and mission. Jesus has appointed you to multiply yourselves into the lives of other people, but you cannot do that. You cannot do it unless you abide in Christ.
The vision isn’t the success of a large dynamic church or some type dynamic ministry or lifestyle. It is the opposite. It is setting aside the vision of success for fruitfulness. The vision is not success; the vision is fruitfulness. The vision isn’t a happy marriage. The vision is fruitfulness. The vision isn’t a successful life and career. The vision is fruitfulness, true image bearers.
Below are pictures of two apple trees. One is beautiful and large. One is small and looks kind of sad. The large tree may appear to be successful in the eyes of trees but not in the eyes of fruit. The large tree was not bred to grow fruit. It bears no fruit. Ever. An orchard of these trees will never produce apples.
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By AntanO (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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| By Aomorikuma (Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H3) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons |
This tree is a dwarf apple tree. It was breed to produce a tremendous amount of fruit on a small, insignificant tree. The apples are easily harvested. Perfect for a backyard.
I firmly believe that if we as true disciples commit ourselves to reproduction, commit ourselves to the fruitfulness of discipleship we will be successful. Because that day will come if we are vision and mission oriented.
My small group has just started a new study that is more than a review. It is disciple training. Multiply Movement I have been challenged, and I am growing as others in my group have expressed. If you have a small group, I encourage looking into this. If you don't have a small group, get one.
Wouldn’t you like to go and meet Jesus knowing there is an orchard because you understood and obeyed God’s vision?
--Michael Walker and Zine Smith
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