At the end of a midweek Small Group meeting many years ago I overheard a conversation. A despondent individual had discovered he'd failed to get right the grades for university. A wiser man started talking about being an accountant. Yeah - I know, not everyone's cup of tea! But the vision was being cast. "Every business needs an accountant. Every person working for themselves needs an accountant. Every organisation, charity and church. Good news, often you're trained on the job. That means you can earn money immediately without getting into student debt and your accountancy training will be paid for you." Other incentives were raised.
The man wasn't so sure, he had doubts, mainly regarding himself - self doubts. So now someone else started to speak into the situation, encouraging the young man. "Of course you could do it. You'd be great, it fits your skill base." The young man genuinely seemed to get excited. There was now light in his previous darkness.
But of course, being keen and envisioned doesn't mean he could just suddenly be an accountant. He needed to be equipped. Accountancy training can be quite demanding and 'average' just doesn't cut it. Like other technical professions, you need to prove a high level of proficiency. Nevertheless, once qualified, that piece of paper, that certificate - empowers you to be an accountant.
Did you follow the process? Environing, encouraging, equipping and empowering. Then often during the equipping process, the envisioning and encouragement needs to be refreshed to sustain motivation. God calls us into mission - to make disciple-making disciples. It's not only about evangelism, it involves pastoring people out of their previous baggage and helping them embrace their new identity in Christ. The old has gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).
There's so much to unpack here. But for now, let's just settle for the FOUR main headlines and FOUR accompanying insights:
Envision - without vision (direction, purpose) people will falter, get bored and get distracted.
Encourage - like Barnabas (the son of encouragement, Acts 4:36), do the linguists and the hermeneutics. This was a believer operating in the New Testament gift of prophecy, given to the church for our strengthening, encouragement and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:3).
Equip - this goes to the heart of discipleship; it's not so much head information, but spiritual formation, where those doing the training model from personal experience how to exercise spiritual authority with wisdom, grace and humility. Or alternatively, power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7)
Empower - discipleship involves equipping & releasing. It's a faith exercise, not only to equip, but to allow people to minister. A friend of mine once completed a local church training programme called Equipped to Lead. They loved it. Great teaching, spiritually stretching, three residential weekends away over the course of the two year programme. And at the end? Nothing. There was nothing to lead. They'd taken his money and filled him with excitement, skills and wisdom. If you're going to envision, you MUST be willing to empower.
Colossians 2:6-7
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Don't settle - grow.
Find people who can speak words of life and hope into both your present purposes and your future destiny.
People who can prophetically 'call forth the gold' from the mire of your once messed up life.
Find people of faith. People who trust in and pray into of God's Scriptures.
People full of the Holy Spirit.
People who understand what it is to be loved by God, so they are able to impart this truth to you in order to make you strong in the Lord and confident in His Words.
Don't let the fear filled voices of the world (and those within the church) dilute who you are in Christ Jesus - for you are not a grasshopper, but a giant killer (Numbers 13:33), for in all things you are more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37). Amen!
The Kingdom Academy - helping others to,
envision
encourage
equip and
empower
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