A Message for the New Year!

[Life Fellowship]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

Grace, mercy and peace be yours in abundance!

 

We have entered into 2012.  On man's calendar, the figure may be insignificant- a mere number which marks the completion of one year and the commencement of another.  But on God's timetable, it is a further advancement towards the consummation of His purposes for mankind and the formal closure of history as we now know it. 

 

With the final phase of our salvation drawing ever nearer, the exhortation to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us” could not have been more true and necessary. In an age of increasing godlessness, wickedness and lukewarmness, it is vital for us to be alert and fervent. 

 

My firm conviction is that the Body of Christ must return and be rooted in the basic truths of God's Word if it is to prevail and progress in times such as these.  First of all, there must be a huge shift in focus from “external abundance” to “inner transformation”. For unlike today, we do not find in the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles, or the pattern of the early Church an emphasis on material prosperity. While earthly needs were taken care of, believers in those days knew very clearly that “godliness with contentment is true gain” and that they were to “store up treasures for themselves in Heaven”.

 

The “strengthening of the inner man” must become our aim and purpose so that Christ is fully formed and revealed through our daily lives. Our preaching and prayer must have at its core a stress on “the building up of the believer in order that he may grow up in all things into the stature of Christ”.

 

Secondly, we must have leaders who “practice accountability and servanthood”. Godly leadership is a matter of integrity, transparency and openness to correction. A position of leadership is a placement for serving. 

 

According to the Bible, a truly great leader is not one who is “served by all” but one who is willing to “serve all”.  It is not a 'throne' and 'title' that he is after, but a 'towel' and  'basin'!

 

A third crucial element to wholesome growth and functioning of the Body of Christ is “the equipping of every believer for works of service”.  Every disciple of Christ must realize that they have a vital role to play. And the ministries outlined in Ephesians 4- apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher- must be focussed on raising and releasing believers for the harvest.

 

Teaching itself is not enough. We also need to meaningfully train, mentor, release and send the people of God. Our best model for this is Jesus Himself. He called His disciples, spent time with them, took them with Him as He preached, taught, healed the sick and cast out demons, then encouraged them to do the same, by sending them out to do the works of the Kingdom.

 

 

 

In keeping with these various foundational aspects of life and ministry, we have decided to observe 2012 as the “Year of Servanthood” at Life Fellowship. 

 

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."  (Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV)

 

PASTOR SAM VARGHESE.