FINAL WORD… For a while.
Augustine said, “I write when I learn, and I learn when I write.” Well, after having done some writing and learning, I feel that I can express my hopes for the Church in the following:
The Church is Christ’s Bride and His institution on earth. The Church spreads Jesus Christ’s eternal and life-giving truths to a lost world.
The Church is entrusted with the good deposit of the faith. The truths of Christ teach us how to live and be satisfied in this life, and these truths have been entrusted to the Church. The Church’s job is to make us into disciples so that we can make disciples of others.
The important thing to realize is that the more you learn about Christ and about God’s revelation of Himself, the more satisfied you will become as you learn about the great joys in imitating Christ. The way we learn about these truths is through involvement in a local Church. Christians learn directly from their elders, who are entrusted with the truths of the faith, and, as Christians continue to learn on their own, they consult with the elders to make sure their learning coincides with the truths of the faith.
Therefore, EVERYTHING SHOULD BE DONE TO ENSURE THAT THE TRUTHS OF THE FAITH ARE ENTRUSTED TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF DISCIPLES WITHIN THE CHURCH.
The Church is so important. And the Church’s truths give us the ability to imitate Christ—which is much better than any amount of money, American Dream, or anything of human imagination.
What can be done to ensure the truths of the faith are passed on:
1. Live near other believers.
a. Living near other believers facilitates discipleship
b. Living near other believers makes life more affordable and bearable, which is important since Christians usually come from the ranks of the poor.
2. Have elders instead of a single pastor.
3. Let every male convert know that he is expected to advance in the faith to the point of eventually having the role of deacon or elder.
4. Focus on staying with your local church or planting new churches, and placing your occupation below the Church.
5. Elders and overseers being willing to be and almost always being bi-vocational in order to plant more churches.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Respond:
Why shouldn’t Christians live near each other? Why shouldn’t Christians participate in life together? Why shouldn’t the good deposit of the Church’s teachings be passed down through elder leadership of churches? Why shouldn’t all men be encouraged to one day be such faithful imitators of Christ that they would be recognized as beneficial to their church in the capacity of elder?
Will we Christians give up all our cultural beliefs about individualism, materialism, and consumerism so that we can do life together, make disciples, and be satisfied in this life? The Church is our mother, and we must place the Church above ourselves. We must do so because the Church is entrusted with teaching us truth. We do not know truth on our own. Truth comes from the Bible, which has been entrusted to the Church. We must come together as Christians and live in community in order to work together for our own joy and the transformation of society.
Will we Christians give up all our cultural beliefs about individualism, materialism, and consumerism so that we can do life together, make disciples, and be satisfied in this life? The Church is our mother, and we must place the Church above ourselves. We must do so because the Church is entrusted with teaching us truth. We do not know truth on our own. Truth comes from the Bible, which has been entrusted to the Church. We must come together as Christians and live in community in order to work together for our own joy and the transformation of society.
CONTACT ME:
You can most easily correspond with me through my e-mail: DLFruge@gmail.com. I greatly desire to be fellowshipping and living among true Christians.
A word of warning: I hope these truths about communal churches encourage you and excite you. However, I must inform everyone that upholding God’s sovereignty is required for every teacher and elder in the healthiest of biblical churches.
I desire to find other men and families desiring to find their fullest Christian fulfillment in living for Christ alongside other Christians through membership in a communal church. The main key is love for God and other believers. Communal living brings Christians into the family God desires for them, and which He desires for the entire world. Life in communal churches is more difficult than “go-it-alone” American Christianity, but it is 100 times more fulfilling. Through communal churches children and the next generation are discipled, elders pass down the truths of the Faith, the lost see our love for one another, poor members benefit from the generosity of others, richer members actually know the people and the plight of those they help, worship and life are more meaningful, God has more dedicated Christians to work through, the thought of complete financial ruin is extinguished by the network of brothers and sisters in Christ, all men are in the process of becoming potential candidates for eldership, churches are being planted by groups of elders, and Christians find full satisfaction in God, through which He is most glorified.
A word of warning: I hope these truths about communal churches encourage you and excite you. However, I must inform everyone that upholding God’s sovereignty is required for every teacher and elder in the healthiest of biblical churches.
I desire to find other men and families desiring to find their fullest Christian fulfillment in living for Christ alongside other Christians through membership in a communal church. The main key is love for God and other believers. Communal living brings Christians into the family God desires for them, and which He desires for the entire world. Life in communal churches is more difficult than “go-it-alone” American Christianity, but it is 100 times more fulfilling. Through communal churches children and the next generation are discipled, elders pass down the truths of the Faith, the lost see our love for one another, poor members benefit from the generosity of others, richer members actually know the people and the plight of those they help, worship and life are more meaningful, God has more dedicated Christians to work through, the thought of complete financial ruin is extinguished by the network of brothers and sisters in Christ, all men are in the process of becoming potential candidates for eldership, churches are being planted by groups of elders, and Christians find full satisfaction in God, through which He is most glorified.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Living in Community
There is a tremendous lack of love among churches today. Little or no discipleship is carried on in churches, and the truths of the faith are not being entrusted to the next generation. Current church models are neither solidly biblical nor can they function in a postmodern culture. However, if Christians truly love each other and live near enough to do life together, they will find their fullest satisfaction in God and lead others to enjoy Him forever.
I have found that I have a deep desire to live in community with other like-minded believers. I long to be with other Christians in an environment in which we live in close community so that we can go through this life together.
As Christians we need to return to studying our Bibles and Christians doctrine. We Christian men need to step up and learn to be leaders in the Church. Christ is our Head, and being at His feet in Heaven is our goal. Our earthly jobs do not matter; only our Christian job on earth matters, and that is to glorify God by enjoying Him and sharing His transforming, rejuvenating power with the world.
The rewards of living in close community with other like-minded believers is well worth it. It will take some time due to financial restraints, but living in community with believers is a good as life gets on earth, even though it is much tougher than the average American life.
Christ set up His Church to be a body. There is no need for it to be separated so drastically. If Christians return to doing life together, the Church will expand and Christians will find innumerable joys in imitating Christ together.
I have found that I have a deep desire to live in community with other like-minded believers. I long to be with other Christians in an environment in which we live in close community so that we can go through this life together.
As Christians we need to return to studying our Bibles and Christians doctrine. We Christian men need to step up and learn to be leaders in the Church. Christ is our Head, and being at His feet in Heaven is our goal. Our earthly jobs do not matter; only our Christian job on earth matters, and that is to glorify God by enjoying Him and sharing His transforming, rejuvenating power with the world.
The rewards of living in close community with other like-minded believers is well worth it. It will take some time due to financial restraints, but living in community with believers is a good as life gets on earth, even though it is much tougher than the average American life.
Christ set up His Church to be a body. There is no need for it to be separated so drastically. If Christians return to doing life together, the Church will expand and Christians will find innumerable joys in imitating Christ together.
Calling for Communal Churches:
By communal churches I mean that Christians ought to strive to live near one another and that churches ought to focus on the community in which believers live. Christians must forfeit their earthly goals and seek community with other believers if they are to be truly satisfied in this life.
The position of elder is open to all men in the church once they meet the Bible’s qualifications. Furthermore, all men are encouraged to eventually become an elder. All men should see themselves as future elders who will plant churches. Because they are Christians, the men are charged with eventually being faithful enough to have the Church’s teachings entrusted to them.
Christians need to live near to each other so that they can help each other home school their children through cooperative homeschooling. Living near each other also allows for Christian discipleship and evangelism. Furthermore, Christians can greatly transform their community if they work together.
The position of elder is open to all men in the church once they meet the Bible’s qualifications. Furthermore, all men are encouraged to eventually become an elder. All men should see themselves as future elders who will plant churches. Because they are Christians, the men are charged with eventually being faithful enough to have the Church’s teachings entrusted to them.
Christians need to live near to each other so that they can help each other home school their children through cooperative homeschooling. Living near each other also allows for Christian discipleship and evangelism. Furthermore, Christians can greatly transform their community if they work together.
Points on the Communal Church:
1. Christians ought to live near each other and be members of an elder-led community church.
2. Communal churches provide the best model for stewardship. As more converts come from the lower class, it is important that Christians learn to love and rely on one another. Only by being willing to share their possessions will Christians be a transforming force in this world.
3. All Christian men should have the goal of being an elder and planting churches.
4. Communal churches provide the best model for evangelism because they show Christian love to the world and prevent a coherent worldview to the lost.
5. The communal church is the only fully coherent Christian worldview because it displays the love by which the world will know we are Christ’s disciples.
6. The communal church model provides the best forms of discipleship because it is Christians doing life together often with the purpose of glorifying God and reaching the lost.
7. The communal church model saves everyone a lot of time from commuting back and forth.
8. The communal church model makes cooperative homeschooling possible for everyone.
9. Communal church members will live close enough to each other to help each other with home construction, house maintenance, athletics, and other group activities.
10. Christians must be willing to look for ways to live near one another and participate in a communal church. They must be seeking God’s will for when the church is large enough to send members out to start a new communal church in another community.
2. Communal churches provide the best model for stewardship. As more converts come from the lower class, it is important that Christians learn to love and rely on one another. Only by being willing to share their possessions will Christians be a transforming force in this world.
3. All Christian men should have the goal of being an elder and planting churches.
4. Communal churches provide the best model for evangelism because they show Christian love to the world and prevent a coherent worldview to the lost.
5. The communal church is the only fully coherent Christian worldview because it displays the love by which the world will know we are Christ’s disciples.
6. The communal church model provides the best forms of discipleship because it is Christians doing life together often with the purpose of glorifying God and reaching the lost.
7. The communal church model saves everyone a lot of time from commuting back and forth.
8. The communal church model makes cooperative homeschooling possible for everyone.
9. Communal church members will live close enough to each other to help each other with home construction, house maintenance, athletics, and other group activities.
10. Christians must be willing to look for ways to live near one another and participate in a communal church. They must be seeking God’s will for when the church is large enough to send members out to start a new communal church in another community.
Happiness/Satisfaction:
There is true satisfaction and happiness in serving God from a communal church environment. We as humans desire to be happy, we desire to worship God, and we desire to be loved by others. The communal church meets all our god-given needs and puts a stopper on all our fleshly desires because a godly community will approach others about their sins.
Red Flag!:
Whenever someone says something about the Church reforming its ways a red flag ought to go up in your head. You ought to check it out and see what it’s saying. Many people claim to desire to get back to the Bible, but nearly none actually do desire it.
Why Now? Why Not?:
Why ought we to fight for a communal model now? Why wait? Others have waited a long time. They have chased materialism and fallen prey to doubt. It is time to serve God together in love. Perhaps God as appointed us for such a time as this and if we do not step up then surely another will.
Why has it not happened to this point? Well, it has happened in the past (and it is probably happening right now in many parts of the world). It definitely happened in the past with the Swiss Brethren, but they were exterminated by those who feared their commitment to Christ.
However, today we have great opportunity. America is safe in many ways to start communal churches, but life is still just as dangerous for committed disciples as it has always been. Secondly, today we have the internet; we can communicate.
Not only is the world ripe for beginning communal churches, the world is ripe for Christ to spread His message through dedicated churches. The fields are white (However, it is not an easy road, but it is a joyful one and the only one for committed disciples).
Why has it not happened to this point? Well, it has happened in the past (and it is probably happening right now in many parts of the world). It definitely happened in the past with the Swiss Brethren, but they were exterminated by those who feared their commitment to Christ.
However, today we have great opportunity. America is safe in many ways to start communal churches, but life is still just as dangerous for committed disciples as it has always been. Secondly, today we have the internet; we can communicate.
Not only is the world ripe for beginning communal churches, the world is ripe for Christ to spread His message through dedicated churches. The fields are white (However, it is not an easy road, but it is a joyful one and the only one for committed disciples).
“First among Elders”:
As far as eldership goes, Mark Dever has noted in his Nine Marks of a Healthy Church that the great increase in conversions and churches on America’s frontier caused ELDERSHIP to DISAPPEAR and the single pastor to takes its place (p. 229). According to Dever the elder pattern just couldn’t handle the influx.
However, that was maybe 200,000 to 2,000,000 people coming into churches. Today we’re talking about 300,000,000 lost people in America! Do you honestly think the elder pattern can handle it? IT BETTER! It’s the only biblical pattern there is, and it is the only form of leadership that will spread correct doctrine and true, sustainable growth.
Eldership is the way the church entrusts the deposit of the church to new converts. The best form of eldership is having the understanding of a “first among equals” in eldership. There ought to be the idea of a leader, one who has equal power but is recognized as the eldest elder.
Having a “first among equals” among the elders is crucial for when the church begins to grow. This will help ensure that churches can grow with just one elder at the start, but converts must be encouraged to strive for eldership once the congregation realizes they meet the biblical standards and would be helpful for the church.
However, that was maybe 200,000 to 2,000,000 people coming into churches. Today we’re talking about 300,000,000 lost people in America! Do you honestly think the elder pattern can handle it? IT BETTER! It’s the only biblical pattern there is, and it is the only form of leadership that will spread correct doctrine and true, sustainable growth.
Eldership is the way the church entrusts the deposit of the church to new converts. The best form of eldership is having the understanding of a “first among equals” in eldership. There ought to be the idea of a leader, one who has equal power but is recognized as the eldest elder.
Having a “first among equals” among the elders is crucial for when the church begins to grow. This will help ensure that churches can grow with just one elder at the start, but converts must be encouraged to strive for eldership once the congregation realizes they meet the biblical standards and would be helpful for the church.
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