PREVIEW: The Rejuvenation of the Church

Chapter 1

Do not Get It Twisted Whoever Did Not Mean those that we as Christians think are Worthy of Eternal Life.

John 3:16,17 NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

John 3:15-17

New King James Version (NKJV)

that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Webster’s defines the church as

1:a building for public and especially Christian worship

2: the clergy or officialdom of a religious body

3: a body or organization of religious believers: as a: the whole body of Christians b:denomination<the Presbyterian church> c:congregation

4: a public divine worship <goes to church every Sunday>

5: the clerical profession <considered the church as a possible career

Many members of organized religion believe that John 3:15 only applies to their particular religion or sect. When we look closer some believe that Christ died for those that go to church and appear to live a holy life. They believe that they can good deed their way into the kingdom of heaven. The ideology is that whoever did not apply to alcoholics, drug addicts, thieves, adulterers or anybody outside the will of Christ. Many individuals have been disregarded as worthless or undesirable

When God created man he created him in his image. Perfect in his eyes. He breathed life into his spirit making each individual unique and filled their spirit with his will for their life. Creation is like a huge puzzle. It is intricate in its pattern with many interlocking shapes and patterns. If you have ever put together a jigsaw puzzle you know that if you lose one piece then the puzzle is not complete. Sometimes when a child is putting a puzzle together they will pick another piece and try to make it fit but no matter how hard you try the puzzle is still not complete. The will of God is for all parts of his creation to fit together and his universal plan to unfold.

Some of you might think that because you have strayed far from God, or never had a relationship with him he couldn’t possibly have given you a purpose. If he truly knows everything that you have done then why would he even want to use you? Even your mother said you were worthless. How can he love you?

I could tell you a thousand times that God loves you and wants to use you but you may not believe me so we will do a background check on the 12 disciples and see if they met today’s standards of Christians when Jesus called them to work for him.

“1.Andrew was the brother of Peter, and a son of Jonas. He lived in Bethsaida and Capernaum and was a fisherman before Jesus called him. Originally he was a disciple of John the Baptist

According to tradition, it was in Achaia, Greece, in the town of Patra that Andrew died a martyr. When Governor Aepeas' wife was healed and converted to the Christian faith, and shortly after that the Governor's brother became a Christian. Aepeas was enraged. He arrested Andrew and condemned him to die on the cross. Andrew, feeling unworthy to be crucified on the same-shaped cross as his Master, begged that his be different. So, he was crucified on an X-shaped cross, which is still called Saint Andrew's cross and which is one of his apostolic symbols. A symbol of two crossed fish has also been applied to Andrew, because he was formerly a fisherman.

2.Batholomew Nathanael, son of Talmai, lived in Cana of Galilee.

Tradition says he was a missionary in Armenia. A number of scholars believe that he was the only disciple who came from royal blood, or noble birth.

He died as a martyr for his Lord. He was flayed alive with knives.

3.James, the Elder, Boanerges, son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of John the Apostle; a fisherman who lived in Bethsaida, Capernaum and Jerusalem. He preached in Jerusalem and Judea and was beheaded by Herod, AD 44 (Acts 12:1,2)

He was a man of courage and forgiveness-a man without jealousy, living in the shadow of John, a man of extraordinary faith. He was the first of the twelve to become a martyr.

4. James, the Lesser or Younger, son of Alpheus, or Cleophas and Mary, lived in Galilee. He was the brother of the Apostle Jude.

According to tradition he wrote the Epistle of James, preached in Palestine and Egypt and was crucified in Egypt. James was one of the little-known disciples. Some scholars believe he was the brother of Matthew, the tax collector. James was a man of strong character and one of the most fiery type. Tradition tells us that he also died as a martyr and his body was sawed in pieces. The saw became his apostolic symbol.

5. John Boanerges, son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of James, the Apostle, he was known as the Beloved Disciple. A fisherman who lived in Bethsaida, Capernaum and Jerusalem, he was a member of the Inner Circle. He wrote the Gospel of John, I John, II John, III John and Revelation. He preached among the churches of Asia Minor. Banished to the isle of Patmos, he was later freed and died a natural death.

John mellowed with time. At the latter part of his life, he had forgotten everything, including his ambition and explosive temper, except his Lord's command of love.

6. Judas Iscariot, the traitor, was the son of Simon who lived in Kerioth of Judah. He betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and afterwards hanged himself (Matthew 26:14,16).

It is said that Judas was a violent Jewish Nationalist who had followed Jesus in hope that through Him his nationalistic flame and dreams might be realized. No one can deny that Judas was a covetous man and at times he used his position as treasurer of the band to pilfer from the common purse.

7. Jude, Thaddeus, or Lebbeus, son of Alpheus or Cleophas and Mary. He was a brother of James the Younger. He was one of the very little-known Apostles and lived in Galilee.

By character he was an intense and violent Nationalist with the dream of world power and domination by the Chosen People.

8. Matthew, or Levi, son of Alpheus, lived in Capernaum. He was a publican or tax collector. He wrote the Gospel that bears his name. He died a martyr in Ethiopia.

In the minds of many honest, Jewish men, these tax collectors were regarded as criminals. In New Testament times they were classified with harlots, Gentiles and sinners (Matthew 18:17; Matthew 21:31, 33; Matthew 9;10; Mark 2:15,16; Luke 5:30). Tax collectors had been known to assess duty payable at impossible sums and then offer to lend the money to travelers at a high rate of interest. Such was Matthew. Yet, Jesus chose a man all men hated and made him one of His men. It took Jesus Christ to see the potential in the tax collector of Capernaum.

Matthew was unlike the other Apostles, who were all fishermen. He could use a pen, and by his pen he became the first man to present to the world, in the Hebrew language, an account of the teaching of Jesus. It is clearly impossible to estimate the debt that Christianity owes to this despised tax gatherer. The average man would have thought it impossible to reform Matthew, but to God all things are possible. Matthew became the first man to write down the teachings of Jesus. He was a missionary of the Gospel, who laid down his life for the faith of his Master.

9. Simon Peter, son of Jonas, was a fisherman who lived in Bethsaida and Capernaum. He did evangelistic and missionary work among the Jews, going as far as Babylon. He was a member of the Inner Circle and authored the two New Testament epistles which bear his name. Tradition says he was crucified, head downward, in Rome.

Among the twelve, Peter was the leader. He stands out as a spokesman for all the Apostles. It is he who asked the meaning of the difficult saying in Matthew 15:15. It is he who asked how often he must forgive. It is he who inquired about the reward for all of those who follow Jesus. It is he who first confessed Jesus and declared Him as the Son of the Living God. It is he who was at the Mount of Transfiguration. It is he who saw Jairus' daughter raised to life. Yet, it is he who denied Christ before a maiden. He was an Apostle and a missionary who laid down his life for his Lord. It is true, Peter had many faults, but he had always the saving grace of the loving heart. No matter how many times he had fallen and failed, he always recovered his courage and integrity.

10. Tradition says that Philip preached in Phrygia and died a martyr at Hierapolis. Philip came from Bethsaida, the town from which Peter and Andrew came (John 1:44). The likelihood is that he, too, was a fisherman. Although the first three Gospels record his name (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13), it is in the Gospel of John that Philip becomes a living personality.

Philip was a man with a warm heart and a pessimistic head. He was one who would very much like to do something for others, but who did not see how it could be done. Yet, this simple Galilean gave all he had. In return God used him. It is said that he died by hanging.

11. Simon, the Zealot, one of the little-known followers called the Canaanite or Zelotes, lived in Galilee. Tradition says he was crucified.

From this background, we see that Simon was a fanatical Nationalist, a man devoted to the Law, a man with bitter hatred for anyone who dared to compromise with Rome. Yet, Simon clearly emerged as a man of faith. He abandoned all his hatred for the faith that he showed toward his Master and the love that he was willing to share with the rest of the disciples and especially Matthew, the Roman tax collector.

Simon, the Zealot, the man who once would have killed in loyalty to Israel, became the man who saw that God will have no forced service. Tradition says he died as a martyr. His apostolic symbol is a fish lying on a Bible, which indicates he was a former fisherman who became a fisher of men through preaching.

12. Thomas Didymus lived in Galilee. Tradition says he labored in Parthia, Persia, and India, suffering martyrdom near Madras, at Mt. St. Thomas, India.

Thomas became certain by doubting. By nature, he was a pessimist. He was a bewildered man. Yet, he was a man of courage. He was a man who could not believe until he had seen. He was a man of devotion and of faith. When Jesus rose, he came back and invited Thomas to put his finger in the nail prints in his hands and in his side. Here, we see Thomas making the greatest confession of faith, "My Lord and my God." Thomas' doubts were transformed into faith. Thomas was always like a little child. His first reaction was not to do what he was told to do and not to believe what he was asked to believe. The good news to him was always too good to be true. By this very fact Thomas' faith became great, intense and convincing. It is said that he was commissioned to build a palace for the king of India, and he was killed with a spear as a martyr for his Lord. His symbol is a group of spears, stones and arrows.”

There are many examples of men and women in the bible that we would not consider worthy of eternal life that God used for his good. We read that Abraham was an adulterer and Moses a murderer and yet God’s purpose for their life was fulfilled.

Regardless of their background there are two common characteristics of all of these individuals. The first is that they were a willing vessel and the second is that they were willing to sacrifice their life for their beliefs.

Gail Forbes youth minister of St. Stephens gave me this analogy. Take a piece of paper and crumple it up then jump on it and step all over it. When you unfold the paper it is filled with wrinkles.

No matter how much you try you cannot get the wrinkles out. The wrinkles represent the person’s spirit that has been beaten, abused, and bullied. The wrinkles will never come out.

I will take it one step further. I know someone that can heal the wrinkles, and restore the paper to its natural state and his name is Jesus.

There are those that will read this and think how dare she suggest that everyone has an opportunity for the blessings of our Savior. If you are one of the few of us that has not faltered and come short of the grace of God then may God continue to bless you, but if you have prophesized death over a child or have a child that is loss and doesn’t know Christ or has walked away from God then I implore you to pray that God will intercede on his/her behalf, that he will reveal his divine destiny and make crooked roads straight.

The catch is you must be prepared to welcome the prodigal child home knowing that they are one of the whoever mentioned in John 3:16 and that he was created in the image of God. Let him know that he is part of the puzzle and that he has a destiny that cannot be filled by anyone else. From the time that that child grew up he began to share his dreams with you. He talked about it and then suddenly stopped. He stopped dreaming and he sought his answers and love in the world. God has not given up on your child and neither can you. He has a unique mission in this world that will give God glory. It is time for the church to reach out to the lost with love and the word. I believe that many of us are unable to reach out to our children because we too are broken and battered. I implore you to accept Christ as your savior so that you can begin to heal. God gave you a job to raise his child in his image and to guide him into walking into his destiny. The church must step in when parents cannot. We must be warriors of the world in our quest to reach our youth.

In the following chapters I will profile Youth Ministers leading our youth. These youth are warriors for Christ. In the final chapters I will outline workshops that you may conduct for Youth.

Bibleinfo.com” Biblical History: Who were the twelve disciples?, pages 1-7

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