Discipleship in the Family-model Church.
In this Bible study, we consider the similarities between discipleship in the family-model church with raising children in a family; remembering that the purpose of a family is to raise mature adults who can take their rightful place in the world.
Raising children in a natural family.
Raising children is a long-term commitment. When a child is born, the parents give their child a twenty-year lease over their lives; a twenty-year commitment to do their utmost to raise a healthy, mature adult who can take their rightful place in the world.
The parent-child relationship goes through three phases between the child’s birth and independence; the relationship, roles and responsibilities changing as the child grows to maturity.
During the Child Phase, the parent adopts the role of a Loving Instructor; teaching their children the basic values and life-principles for effective living. Children are expected to obey the parents’ rules and follow instructions.
During the Adolescent Phase, the parent transitions from instruction to guidance, a Loving Guide. For as long as a child remains in the home, they are expected to obey the parent’s ‘house rules’ and follow their parent’s instructions. However, a wise parent begins to share the rationale that underpins their values, life-principles and instructions, all the while, encouraging their adolescent child to evaluate these rationales in order to reach their own conclusions with respect to their validity and usefulness. A wise parent helps their adolescent child to start creating their own framework of values and life-principles.
When a parent fulfils their roles and responsibilities wisely, the relationship with their adult child will transition into a loving, lifelong friendship in which the parent serves a Loving Mentor.
The table below provides a rough outline of the phases and a few pointers for the respective roles and responsibilities; both parents, father and mother, create the framework within which they raise their children; what values and life-principles they wish to teach their children.
Raising disciples in the Family-model church.
Raising mature disciples of Christ is also a long-term commitment. When a new believer is ‘born again of the Spirit’, the person who leads them to Christ, the disciple-maker, assumes the role and responsibility of a spiritual parent.
And, while the transitions through the growth-phases may be much quicker than with natural childhood development, the three-phase approach can still provide a useful framework.
The table below provides a rough outline of the three phases and a few pointers for their respective roles and responsibilities.
We can build this framework around three ‘Standing Orders’ that Jesus gave to his disciples at various stages of their development; each standing order appropriate for the disciple’s level of spiritual maturity.
Every disciple-maker who starts a family-model church creates a framework of values, principles and practices, that serves as the ‘fresh wineskin’ for their new ‘family church’. This becomes the framework within which their family church will function; every generation creating fresh wineskins.
The Problem with the synagogue model.
The synagogue model lacks the built-in flexibility of the family-model church.
Unlike the family, there is no provision for ‘fresh wineskins’ in the synagogue model; the same rigid structure, as defined by a sect’s statement of faith or constitution, makes no room for the Holy Spirit’s new wine.
The synagogue’s ‘old wineskins’ become increasing rigid and fragile over time; some synagogue wineskins having held their rigid shape for centuries, even millennia. People may pray for the new wine of revival but their rigid wineskins cannot contain it.
Every time a synagogue wineskins ruptures, the hireling shepherds allow the new wine to escape before patching up the old wineskin. It matters little to them that whatever wine remains in their patched-up wineskin, has turned to vinegar!
Next Bible study.
In the next Bible study we will consider the potential growth-trajectory of the family-model church for our times.
There has never been a better time to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
