Fellowship Vs Discipleship

[Christina]

Fellowship Versus Discipleship Michele AluochIn today’s world it is all too easy to find churches that advertise their church as if it is another hangout, social club, or place to meet friends. Churches have put fellowship and socializing before communion with their maker. Our first love is to be Him, not the church picnic, the singles group, the family church event, or the next great conference. While fellowship is a critical component of a believer’s lifestyle as we see in examples such as the garden of Eden and the New Testament church in Acts fellowship flows out of relationship with the Lord Himself. How can we unite under Christ if we do not even know how to fellowship with Christ in the first place?The church the Lord is returning for is one of great humility who is willing to be discipled. The problem today is that immediately when people see in the word disciple the word “discipline” they writhe, fight, fuss and carry on because they want the fun and the social and relational, the blessings even of the Lord with no discipline. But what people forget is that the blessing of fellowship can only truly come after one has willingly submitted himself or herself to being discipled. Disciplining requires time. It requires energy. It requires prayer. It requires inconvenience. It requires obedience. It requires holiness. It requires dedication. Sadly these are the very qualities so many people mock at and do their best to avoid in relationships. There is this lie that there should be no hard work involved at all. After all, God owes me. If He loves me He will not let me be molded.But when will we realize the utter arrogance in vessels saying to their maker how it is to be! That is just as rebellious as a child saying to his or her earthly daddy, “I want it. Give it to me. I will treat you any old way but just give me all the stuff I want. I do not need any instruction., and shaping or molding, and refining,. Leave me to my own will. I don’t care.” This is rebellion. Now listen up- did you realize that to not submit to discipleship first is akin to witchcraft. Rebelling against the Lord’s roles as Potter, Creator and Author and Finisher alone is pure and utter pride. So why discipleship first, then fellowship? Because even Adam and Eve had to obey the Lord about the tree and His principles or they would not know genuine authentic fellowship with the Lord or each other. After he created them notice he discipled them.It is actually possible that disciplining is good, that the Lord knows what he is doing? Certainly. Our faithful God made the heavens and earth all by himself without consulting us. He shapes things into existence and destroys others. He uproots and replants and grows and cultivates as He alone wills. So then there is no authentic knowing God the father and His revealed self in Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit apart from a disciplined lifestyle. You can sing in every choir with the most talented musicians around the world. You can go on every ministry trip. You can volunteer at every church outing and community outreach. You can show up even at every service. In and of itself there is nothing wrong with genuine Christian fellowship and in fact the Lord desires it. But fellowship without discipleship is lack of submission to kingdom authority and nothing but empytness.The Lord is crying out even now to His people:“My sons and daughters you once were. You once desired me and set aside time and energy for me but it has been replaced by studying me up, dancing and singing me up, event planning me up and boxing me up. I am not a boxed I God. I am a loving God who is waiting for time for intimacy with you. But the clock is ticking. I fear for you, my child because you run to them- the people, the events, the things that stir your emotions but you shun me. You say you are busy but I say back to you, ‘then why is it you have time for the things you call fun.’ I am waiting as tears fill my eyes. I outstretch my nail scarred hands to reach you as I did the children who came to me but very few are coming any more. I watch them turn their backs on me and go even to their pastors, their friends, their fellowship of feel good. But I desire to teach you children truest fellowship that springs out of discipleship. I desire to teach you fellowship of breaking bread with me as you yourself are being broken with the bread. I desire to sit with you in your temptation as I did during my 40 days in the wilderness and to show you how to overcome those things you are wrestling with. I desire to pull veils off your life even while the storms rage around you but meanwhile you are always running to some escape.Have you forgotten that where you run I am too? But I will not force myself on you. I still know. I still seek. My nail scarred hands still reach out but hear my tears now for the time is drawing nigh.I fear for you. Little ones, that some of you may not be ready because you re busy about other things. I cry and my tears have become a deep well now. Gethsemane is again at hand every time I see you turn your back. You think you are going to me because you are going to the church event but I only ever wanted to build my house and temple within you. Latter Rain Healing Streams Ministry