“Counting the
Cost” ( The Life Blood of the NT Church)
Counting the Cost as Individual
Believers
Discipleship
Matt 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me
is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
·
To have real
weight or clout with Jesus. Having a
greater affection for anything in this life makes a believer unfit and
unprepared to follow Jesus. He is
unable to adequately respond to his life and the call of Jesus. The spiritual
power necessary to please the Lord will not be there. There will be a lack of
balance between the believer and Jesus himself
Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy O Lord, to receive
glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy
pleasure they are and were created.
1 John 2:15 Love not the world,
neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love
of the Father is not in him.
·
All verbs are in the present tense, showing that it is a scripture
of proportionality. Love
for the world proportionally robs the believer from the love of God and the
things of God within their hearts. Our hearts have a limited space. Any space
taken by the things of this world, is space gone for the things of God.
Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he
will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise
the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
·
Greek: You cannot be a slave to two lords…
You will hate one, and love the other one unconditionally…you will embrace one;
and think little of the other…Ye cannot be a slave to God and to material acquisitions.
·
To the extent that we embrace material gain
for the wrong motives is to the same extent that we will think little of, and
hate the Lord. By hating the Lord, I
mean to say that we will hate what He requires from us that regard the yielding
up of the material wealth that we dearly embrace. Our ability to obey the Lord,
as Lord, will be restricted likewise to the extent that we are submitted to the
lordship of material gain.
Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
He that comes
upon finds delight and holds on to his own selfish life, shall bring himself to
ruin, destruction, uselessness and misery through the corruption that his
selfish life creates. He that ruins,
destroys, and wastes away his selfish life for the sake of the Lord shall
discover, recognize, acquire and procure real life from the Lord for himself.
The next two
scriptures use the same root word for the word to lose in the above scriptures.
This shows us the seriousness of holding on to our selfish life.
Jude 1:5 I will therefore put you
in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the
people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed
them that believed not.
Jude 1:11 Woe unto them! for they
have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for
reward, and perished in
the gainsaying of Core.
Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any
man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
We observe that Jesus commands His disciples to “Follow
Him” in the above scripture. He
chose this word very carefully. In actuality
the word “follow” is defined as a union in traveling the same road. It is a oneness with the pattern of Jesus’
life, His ministry, and even of His death, if necessary.
·
This is why
the apostle Paul said,
·
“Be a
mimic of me, even as I am also a mimic of Christ ”as found in
1 Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
·
Secondly is the notion of “forsaking”.
This is the act of our
biding farewell to, and renouncing all that will not glorify God. The scriptures in Luke and Mark use the very
same Greek word for forsaketh.
·
Luke
14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of
you that forsaketh not
all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Luke 9:61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow
thee; but let me first go bid
them farewell which
are at home at my house.
Mark 6:46 And when he had sent them away he departed into a mountain to
pray.
·
Thirdly is the notion of “our ability to be a
disciple”.
Luke 14:26 If any
man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children,
and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and
come after me, cannot be
my disciple.
·
Luke
14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of
you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
·
It means to
have the capacity or ability or power to accomplish something. We all know that
dunamis is the dynamite power of God, that we as believers seek to obtain. In addition dunamis is an enabling
power. God’s dunamis enables the
casting out of demons and brings forth the operation of spiritual gifts. These scriptures inform us that the
Christian who does not bear the cross, forsake all that he has, and put his
family and his life behind the Lord, will not have the “dunamis power “ or
capacity, or ability, or power to be a disciple of our Lord. The inherent power that he o she needs to
change will not be there and be a worthy or spiritually influential disciple
with the Lord will be absent.
·
The “cannot”
is constructed in grammatical phrase called an “absolute negative”. Simply expressed it tells us that “under no
circumstances”, or, “never”, or, “it is impossible” for the Christian who is
not willing to do these things to ever be disciple of Jesus. The spiritual
capacity or ability simply is present.
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the
Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
·
They
overcame Satan by means of the blood of the lamb and by means of the word of our martyrdom.
·
The word of
our testimony is not a simple spewing out of scriptural verses upon the
enemy. It is a confession of what the
cross has done and doing in our lives.
Only then, will our words be backed up with the authority of a
resurrected life that emerged from martyrdom. The devil cannot touch
resurrection life and will back away from us.
John 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for
the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
·
Hath nothing (Greek absolute negative) “The devil has absolutely nothing in me
or nothing in common with me.”
·
The next three scriptures are exactly the same as the above one, in
that the fear of the devils was that they knew that there was nothing in common
between Jesus and them. The Lord had
effectively bound the devil out of His life, thus giving Him absolute power
over him. This is what the demonic
shuddered at, and was the cause of their torment.
Matthew 8:29 And, behold, they cried
out, saying, What have
we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to
torment us before the time?
Mark 1:24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee,
thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art,
the Holy One of God.
Luke 4:34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee,
thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art;
the Holy One of God.
·
Herein lies the true meaning of Biblical binding. To bind is not to allow or permit something
to occur. Genuine binding of the demonic only occurs within a pure life, which
has no defilement with what is common with Satan and his cohorts. At every
point of our lives in which purity reigns and the devil shares nothing in
common to us, he has been bound. Now
mind you, we will never experience absolute purity and sinlessness on this side
off heaven. Please let us be assure
that if we live in habitual disobedience and chronic bondage our vocalized
confessions of binding the enemy is scorned and mocked by him who will continue
to afflict and latch on to us wherever he finds sin.
·
Binding the enemy is very
similar in nature.
1 John 2:14 I have written unto you, fathers,
because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you,
young men, because ye are strong (SPIRITUALLY STRONG), and
the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to
the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the
spirit that now worketh
(ENERGY) in the children of disobedience:
·
The Greek word for worketh is defined as giving energy to.
·
This particular verse is in the present
participle. Simply speaking it
signifies that the sons of disobedience energize the scheme of the devil
on a continuous basis. Disobedience gives energy for the devil to work
in our lives.
·
The word for disobedience is being
non compliant.
·
Non-compliance or
compliance holds both for unbelievers and believers. The sons of disobedience
are simply not the unbelievers, but any one who chronically resist God in their
hearts.
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of
God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
§
We are encouraged here to take the whole armor of God and having
done all to stand, to stand therefore. "Having done all" is the word "katergazomai.'
Paul tells us, that after having completed, accomplished all things that God
has given to us and gotten the victory over all things, remain standing.
§
The Christian life is one of accomplishing all things that God
gives us to an utter completion and victory.
No stone must be left unturned.
§
Simply stated, “having done all, to stand,” is wonderfully depicted by the cartoons
of the coyote and the roadrunner. In
one of their many scuffles, as a ball of dull is kicked up, both of these guys
always got lost in their dusty fights.
When the dust finally settles, the roadrunner usually remained
standing. This is exactly what it
means to “having done all, to stand.”! We must fight by the Spirit without compromise, or without
discouragement, until we remain standing victoriously; as Satan, sin
and the world lay scattered at our feet in full visibility, once our ball
of dust finally settles!
Phillip 2:12 ¶ Wherefore,
my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much
more in my absence, work
out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
·
Work out
Carry out all
things that pertain to my salvation to absolute completion, resulting in
success and liberty. To work out is in the middle Greek tense
signifying that the responsibility to complete our salvation is ours.
·
Utterly
accomplish, finish and achieve to completion everything that has to do with
your salvation. Utterly finish it! Do not leave anything lacking! (Therefore
growing up into Christ in all things.)
Mat 12:29 Or else how can one enter into a strong
man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil
his house.
·
Greek
(paraphrase) No one will have the dunamis power to come into the strong one’s
house in order to change the situation, thoroughly plunder his goods until they
are laid waste, and then occupy. (Like the USA is
doing in Afghanistan.) He must bind the
strong one first and then he will be able to thoroughly plunder.
·
After twenty-two
years of serving the Lord Jesus, He is finally dealing with the strong man in
my life. I am of the belief that every
believer has a strong man that afflicts him or her. The strong man is the demon that is last to be bound from our
lives. He is the one that we can
discern constantly standing before us face to oppose and withstand us every
second of our lives in a variety of deceptive measures.
·
The Lord has
allowed the strong man to afflict me until I have bound every major area of sin
in my life through obedience to Him, which has led to liberty in those
areas. After completing this process,
the Lord is now dealing with the strongman in my life. Let us now look at the next set of
scriptures.
Luke 11:21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace,
his goods are in peace:
·
Greek: When the strong one fully furnished with
weaponry guards his palace, his goods, wealth, and property lie in peace.
22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon
him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted,
and divideth his spoils.
·
Greek: But when a stronger one than the
strong man comes upon him with a hostile intent, attacks him, and conquers him,
he takes from the strong man the armor which he trusted in and thoroughly
distributes out (to others) the strong one’s weapons and goods.
·
Jesus is
obviously the stronger one. My friends,
the strong man must be defeated in two ways. His binding by us is the point in
which there is not one significant area of unrepentant sin left in our lives.
Secondly, it is only the revelation of the Lord Jesus laboring in us by His
grace, and attacking the strongman as the stronger one, that is effective
·
With
the strong man is finally bound and conquered we find ourselves running,
leaping forward, and plundering for the Lord!
Mark 1:25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
·
Rebuked him – Greek “ To
heap something upon someone’s honor.”
·
All created things have an honor
that makes them up. Allow me to explain. An honor that belongs to someone, or
something, is the glory that makes it into what it is. Even sickness and sin has a glory, though
perverse, that identifies it as a particular sickness or sin, and gives to it
its substance and power.
·
When we rebuke a sickness with
faith in the name of the Lord Jesus, we destroy the very substance and power of
the sickness.
Hold thy peace – From the word to muzzle something. Effectively the Lord Jesus commands the
demon to be reduced to silence and his activity to be placed in check.
Ephesians 4:27 Neither give place ( a space which has been marked off) to the devil.
The
New Testament Believer
Mat 11:12 And from the days of John
the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent
take it by force.
·
The kingdom of God is taken by spiritual violence and
spiritually strong and forceful people must from moment to moment snatch, seize
it, and take it away as a precious bounty.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed( don’t follow the schematic drawing or the
blueprint of this world system) to this world: but be ye transformed( metamorphosis; or attain to a complete and radical
inward change and becoming a totally different individual) by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove( only when we are radically changed can we then test, approve
and possess for ourselves the mature, well pleasing, and good will of God)
what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
·
Transformation is the same word used for the metamorphosis of a tadpole
to a frog or a caterpillar to a butterfly.
If we do not pay the price to affect that transformation, we will never
be free.
Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself,
so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have
received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
·
Of no
account do I make my life or hold my life in honor, so that I may complete my
course on the horse track on which I am racing upon with joy, and the ministry
that I received from the Lord to testify fully and thoroughly of the glad tidings of the grace
of God.
Philippians 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either
were already perfect: but I follow after ( BIBLICAL WORD FOR PERSECUTION) , if
that I may apprehend (GRASP AND SEIZE)
that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
·
I
persecute, pursue, and overtake, in hope that I can grasp, seize, and make my
own, all of what is contained in what Christ originally grasped and seized me
for.
Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself
to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are
behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
·
Therefore I neglect and no longer care for what is behind
me. I stretch myself out and towards, and run swiftly after what is before me.
The direction being, the mark of the goal of the high price of unbroken
fellowship of Christ’s resurrection life, and the hope of His calling for me.
1 Timothy 6:19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the
time to come, that they may
lay hold on eternal life.
·
Seize and grab
to, pull in, and make it our own possession.
Eternal life while we are on the earth is the resurrection life. It does not come magically to us but must be
seized and pulled in though obedience.
Matthew 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of
heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the
bridegroom.
Matthew 25:3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
·
Took from the Greek word to receive. To obtain, posses and
make my own. The foolish virgins did not obtain, and possessed the fullness of
the Spirit.
Galatians
4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in
birth again until Christ be formed in you,
Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth(inward strength and force, to have strength to overcome
health, ability, capacity) any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. Only
Christ being formed and birthed in us is of any capacity or ability for us to
overcome and get the spsiritual victory.
Counting the Cost
as Corporate Believers
1.
God
blesses in proportion to the accurateness that we use upon the earth to build in
accordance to the pattern for His church already set in the heavens. This
universal rule stands for that , God does through out all the dispensations of
times.
2.
The church is not a gathering of believers
who come together to simply praise and worship the Lord, hear a teaching, send
their kids to Sunday school, meet for coffee and pie after church, and have a
mid week Bible study or cell group. The church is the most powerful human
entity ever created by the Lord with the capacity and ability to fill the earth
with His glory.
·
The Greek and Hebrew system
·
The church was built originally on the Hebrew family system of all
being team players. Shortly after the
death of the Lord, the Greek system of independence and passivity that we see
to day in our churches came in. This is
totally the opposite of what the NT Testament pattern is supposed to be.
3.
The
church is the only human entity, that as His body, completes the Christ (FULLNESS
) who is simply the Head, and makes the invisible God in the heavens,
visible in His (GLORY) upon the earth.
·
As Christ’s
body who completes Christ who is the head (FULLNESS), the church is the only
human entity, which possesses the attributes, qualities; and the very essence
that makes Christ Himself. The responsibility of the church through the
ministries of all is to reveal the fullness of the Lord upon the earth.
Ephesians 1:23
Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Ephesians 3:19 And to know the
love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
·
The fullness
of God is revealed or made visible by the glory of God. This is then the next function of the
church.
Eph 3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and
length, and depth, and height;
·
That you will have the fullness of spiritual strength needed to
seize and possess with all the saints as to what is the breadth, and length,
and depth, and height,
·
19 And to know the
love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the
fulness of God.
·
And to
progressively know the love (Of Christ) that hits a homerun over all
knowledge (that pertains to Christ Himself) so that as a body you may be
filled with the all the qualities and attributes that makes Christ to be Christ
as to His essence exclusive of anything or anyone else. (and as body who is
filled with the very essence of Christ, being able to manifest Him and bring
His glory into all the earth.
·
In the verses
above we see that part of the required strength, and the fullness of
the breadth, length, depth, and height of Christ which is required to manifest
all of Christ’s very attributes, qualities, and essence (fullness) and
bring forth the totality of His glory by the church, can only transpire through
all of His saints.
Eph 3:21 Unto him be glory in the
church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
·
The church’s most important job is to
bring forth the glory of the Lord into all of the earth, and through out all
eternity.
Ephesians 3:21 Unto him
be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.
Amen.
·
Glory is defined as the end product
of the invisible God becoming visible. The Lord accomplishes this through His
Word, His attributes, and righteous deeds.
Isaiah 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it
together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
·
The glory of God is of supreme
importance. Through it, men are ushered
into eternal salvation, physical healings take place, people are set free from
demonic oppression, spiritual gifts are displayed, and revival of cities and
nations that ultimately change civilization are started and carried out.
Mark 6:56 ....and
as many as touched him were made whole.
·
Civilization’s
most essential requirement, and its most desperate need, is to be capable of
beholding an invisible God, who desires to make Himself plainly evident,
through Jesus Christ in His glory.
·
The key to
all of humanity’s needs, past, present, and future, lie locked in the Person of
Christ. To the proportion that the
invisible Christ becomes visible to mankind by His glory, is to the exact
proportion that all of mankind’s needs will be met and answered forever.
5.
There is a
time of judgment, discipline, chastisement, coming upon the church, call it
what you will. The time is here as a matter of fact. The chastisement
constitutes a separation.
Revelation 19:7
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of
the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
·
Greek: “His wife
did make herself ready.”
·
Ready To make the necessary preparations and get everything ready. Hath
made herself ready is in the Greek aorist active indicative tense which tells
us that it is the responsibility of the wife of Christ out of her own will to
make all things ready.
·
This verse
tells us that the Lamb has come and His wife made herself prepared. Both of these events are in the past
tense. They are accomplished events. It could either mean that Christ did come,
and His wife, the church, as the result of His coming prepared herself
fully. The other scenario is that
Christ’s wife, the church, accomplished her preparation out of her will and
obedience, and Christ out of His will came. I favor the second scenario in that
it is the only one that in my spirit bears witness.
·
The wife
will be unable to make herself prepared until the full restitution of the
apostolic office is welcomed and made active in the church of Jesus
Christ. The apostolic office brings
with it the revealed pattern or blueprint of the NT church that the wife of
Christ must build upon to make herself ready. The apostle brings forth the
blueprint for the NT church pattern out of the written word, and the prophet
out from the rhema word. Together they lay they revealed foundation upon which
the wife of Christ builds to make herself ready.
Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
·
The judgment
of God is that the days of building according to man made doctrines such as
seedtime and harvest, prosperity messages, and others, and the expectation that
the blessings of God will continue, are over. God is requiring that the
building of the church be done according to the heavenly pattern as He further
introduces the apostolic office back into the church. Those that persist in
building by man made doctrines once that the revelation of the pattern of the
NT church is fully here, will be eventually left behind by the Lord
·
The NT
church’s success in its growth and building depends upon what the apostle Paul
terms as “fitly
joined together” and
“compacted,
or knit together.”
“Fitly
joined together”
Ephesians 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and
compacted by that
which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure
of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
·
To build the church by being fitly joined together is to fit the church properly together
through the giftings, ministries and callings of each member. If there are to be
pew sitters in the NT church it is simply because they are there during a time
of preparation comprising of healing, deliverance, and being raised up by the
Lord. A NT fellowship, as the completion of Christ’s body on earth, will never
be fitly joined, or properly fitted together, as long as part of the
congregation is not manifesting the glory of Christ needed to complete His body
and properly fit the church through their giftings and ministries.
·
The glory of God manifested through the spiritual giftings within a
local body properly fits and completes the church, making the church into
perfect Man who is Christ Himself.
Eph 4: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto ( INTO) a perfect man, unto the measure of the
stature of the fulness of Christ:
·
Upon becoming the revealed Man, Christ, in His glory, a local fellowship
can then fill the earth with the glory of God.
·
Do your remember in elementary school our teachers using the example of
an apple pie cut into eight pieces?
They would use this to help us comprehend fractions. Every piece of the sliced pie would now
become 1/8 of the pie. Four pieces
would be equal ½; seven pieces would be 7/8; and the eight pieces together
would make the whole of the pie.
·
I describe the fullness of the Lord and His manifested glory in just
the same way. The church is the apple
pie. If only one member of the church
displays the fullness of the Lord, the assembly will manifest only 1/8 of his
glory. I know that it is a simplistic
example, but it really holds true. If
half of church’s members are holding to their responsibility to be filled with
the Spirit, that local body will manifest 1/2 of God’s glory. Displaying the fullness of the Lord takes
the active participation of every member in a local body.
Ephesians 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and
compacted by that which every
joint supplieth,
according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying
of itself in love.
·
The word “fitly
framed together” pertains to as a local assembly increases, and
grows, as each parishioner within the local body supplies his or her part in
accordance to the gifts and ministries, which the Lord has given to each of
them. This is what Paul means in verse
sixteen when he employs the term “every joint supplieth.”
·
“According
to the effectual working in the measure of every part” .
Here, he tells us, that “EVERY” parishioner has the responsibility to
work within a congregation at his or her “PEAK LEVEL OF SPIRIT LED PERFORMANCE
Col 2: 19 And
not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having
nourishment ministered, and
knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
·
Holding
the Head A local fellowship must
seize Christ, the head for their growth. This Christ, is the revealed Christ,
whom fellowships with His body out of His revealed presence of glory. (The fellowship of the mystery;
Ephesians 3:8,9)
·
We get into problems when we seize the blessing, the miracle, the
ministry, or the prosperity message instead. This is why our churches grow
lopsided.
·
Christ, the head, is revealed, and His revelation is transferred to
us so that we can seize it. However,
the revelation of the Christ in His glory, and His transference from a mystery
form in the supernatural, into His revealed glory in the natural world, are
both accomplished through the vehicle of the church by giftings, ministries and
callings.
·
All the
body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered Only through the
joints and bands that make up each member’s gifts and ministries within the
particular fellowship is this revelation furnished, and amply supplied
so that it can be seized.
Compacted,
or knit together.”
Col 2:2 That their hearts might be
comforted, being knit
together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of
understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father,
and of Christ;
·
Compacted or
being knit together must be done through the knitting together of the members
within the fellowship. Knitting together basically means to keep in step one
with another. Only when there is
commitment, dependency, and a getting to know one other by spending time with
one another, will love grow one for another, that will result in trust,
transparency, and realness one with the other. Only when people are knit
together can they attain to the same focus of mind, which comes out of that one vision that they
acquired as they spend time one with another.
Col 2:2 That their hearts might be
comforted, being knit
together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of
understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father,
and of Christ;
·
That may be
encouraged their hearts by being knit together in love. The result of this knitting together brings
the body into the acquisition of all spiritual riches. These riches are the
fruit of the full and confident understanding of the precise knowledge of the
mystery comprising God, and the Father, and the Christ.
·
Only by being
knit together and the resulting trust, love and transparency that ensues within
each member, can a fellowship reveal the mystery of God by glory into the
world. This once again is the great
mission of the church. The church is
the most powerful human institution created by God to fill the universe with
His glory.