Friday, February 2, 2018 Reflections on Celebration of Discipline—The Discipline of Guidance, Part 4 of 4: The Limits of Corporate Guidance

Friday, February 2, 2018

Reflections on Celebration of Discipline—The Discipline of Guidance, Part 4 of 4: The Limits of Corporate Guidance

Scripture:

Excerpt:

As we all know, dangers exist in corporate guidance as well as in individual guidance. Perhaps the most menacing danger is manipulation and control by leaders. If corporate guidance is not handled within the larger context of an all-pervasive grace, it degenerates into an effective way to straighten out deviant behavior.

There is also danger in the opposite direction. It is possible for a hard-hearted and stiff-necked people to hinder Spirit-inspired leaders. While leaders need the counsel and discernment of the believing community, they also need the freedom to lead. If God has called them to lead, they should not have to bring every detail of life to the community.

Another danger is that corporate guidance will become divorced from biblical norms. Scripture must pervade and penetrate all our thinking and acting.

Finally, we must recognize that corporate guidance is limited by our finitude. We are fallible human beings and there are times when, despite our best efforts, our own prejudices and fears keep us from a Spirit-led unity. Sometimes we simply see things differently….If this happens, my counsel is that we be kind to each other.

Dallas Willard states, “The aim of God in history is the creation of an all-inclusive community of loving persons, with Himself included in that community as its prime sustainer and most glorious inhabitant.” Such a community lives under the immediate and total rulership of the Holy Spirit.

(Foster, Richard J.. Celebration of Discipline: The Path To Spiritual Growth (p. 186-189). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.)

Devotional:

As this study of Celebration of Discipline is drawing to a close, it is so good to see the heart of God in always seeking to balance His people. Seeking guidance is not only an individual endeavor, but neither should we allow ourselves to be controlled by the “groupthink” or manipulation of congregational leadership that does not align with the Word or the leading of the Holy Spirit. We are called to prayerfully test the spirit of the Body of Christ, not to judge harshly or refuse to engage in any fellowship because nobody can agree perfectly with our idea of doctrine, but to be watchful and humbly choose to separate from anything toxic.

I am reminded of an intimate conversation I was privy to be a part of in the women’s Bible study for moms I recently joined at the church we recently began to attend. The group (being moms!!) fluctuates from 15 to, as this week, an intimate 4 women. We were afforded much more flexibility in our time, and able to dig into what the Lord wanted to do in our midst. Each woman represented came from a different religious background. One precious heart had been raised Mennonite, a sect of the Christian church marked by outward appearance of modest dress, removal from many modern comforts, and in many ways strict control of ones’ behavior. Another was raised in Judaism, another Catholicism, and in my case, a Protestant denomination. Each of us had stories of the feelings of shame surrounded by the rules as presented by our congregations.  This is never the heart of God, and certainly not representative of all congregations within these groups. What I loved that came out of this time together was that as we shared, the Lord began to minister to each of us that we need only seek His heart to know that we need not be controlled by these past situations…nor should we judge the congregations we come from, because of the heart of God toward that group.

It is a very serious choice where we plant our families, and we should not remain in any toxic situation. I recommend the book “Toxic  Faith” by Steven Arterburn for any of you who wonder if you might be in a fellowship that is not God-honoring. However, remember to be circumspect, and allow kindness and love to rule any decision to separate.

God is good to open each aspect of the faith to us. I pray this time in reflection is a blessing to you!

Prayer:

Thanksgiving:

Great and loving Father, I bow before You today, excited to be with You and love on you! You are holy, awesome, and wonderful to me. (Allow thanksgiving to flow forth as you worship the Lord.)

Confession:

I bring my heat to You for confession. You are loving, righteous and kind. (Take time to allow the Lord to lead you into Godly repentance. Leave anything He shows you at the foot of the cross. This is not a time to rehash, but if you are struggling to release past sins now is the time to ask the Lord to show You His heart for you, which is mercy, lovingkindness, and absolute forgiveness by the Blood of Jesus Christ as you confess. Remember, our healing comes through confessing one to another, so I again encourage each of us to seek a trusted mentor or Godly friend to bring confession to as the Lord leads.)

Supplication:

God, I lift my needs to You. I thank You that You have made a Way for me to enter Your throneroom to request Your hand in my life. (Journal needs, concerns, doubts, fears, insecurities, goals, dreams, anything and everything you would share with your best friend. God is listening and desires your good! Make note of progress and answers to prayer for markers along the way.)

Intercession:

I lift my family to You today. I thank You that this time of prayer and study are a place of growth and healing for our entire household. I refuse to sit back and allow controlling sin to dominate our home. I give my spouse and my children to You and ask that You will dwell richly and mightily among us. I come against any strife in our home. Any secret sin, reveal and eradicate. You are the King of this home. Your Kingdom come. Your Will be done, in this house as it is in Heaven. As for me and my house, we WILL serve the Lord (Acts 16:33). I will not be silent about Your goodness, Lord. Dominate my words. I give them to You. Teach me to speak life over my family. Let Your goodness be manifest in me and flow forth into each person who touches foot in this home! Flood and saturate us all with Your Holy Spirit that we might be so aware of the absence of the Spirit that we shy away from anything that is not Spirit filled. (Journal needs and requests for each, with progress and answers.)

Thanksgiving and Consecration:

I thank You and I love You. You are worthy of glory and honor, my God.  I bless You, Lord! Seal and protect our family today. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.

Blessing and Benediction:

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

God bless you today!