Chip Brogden CHURCH WITHOUT WALLS

No Fellowship? No Problem!
by Chip Brogden
You will never truly appreciate or benefit from fellowship until you have learned how to live without it.
There already is a fellowship of saints. It is a spiritual fellowship, and it is based on Christ having the preeminence – not the fellowship having preeminence. All this yearning for fellowship and being with others is the result of being hung-over from the religious system. You’re trying to fill a void that religion used to fill.

The purpose of solitude in the spiritual desert is to get you to see that Jesus is Enough. You’re not going to die from lack of fellowship, but if you don’t learn that Jesus is Enough then spiritually speaking you’re dead already. He’s the One you need to be focused on – not starting a fellowship, not finding a home group, not making something happen with other people.

And already I can hear the “yeah buts”...

CONTINUE READING
https://theschoolofchrist.org/no-fellowship-no-problem


PO Box 98733
Raleigh NC 27624
USA

Hello Elaine,

Ultimately, it's not God's lack of power, but our lack of belief, that quenches the Holy Spirit from doing all that He wishes to do.

Join us this week for another exciting excursion into the Scriptures...

THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part 12)
Thursday, September 7, 2023
7:00 pm Eastern Time (New York)

Register here (if you haven't already):
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/bible

There is no charge to attend, but your gift (of whatever you can afford) makes it possible for us to offer this freely.

I hope to "see" you online!

I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org

P.S. If you can't join us live this week, register to receive the audio replay:
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/bible

PO Box 98733
Raleigh NC 27624
USA

Hello Elaine,

(I should probably save this for the teaching, but most of you will not attend the teaching, so I'll say it here...)

Why don't we see more healings and miracles today?

Why don't we see more gifts of the Spirit?

Not because "they aren't for today" - that is a lazy, wimpy excuse.

The reason we don't see them more is because of DOUBT AND UNBELIEF and because we have a MENTAL RELIGION instead of a LOVE RELATIONSHIP.

Sorry to be so blunt, but when the disciples asked why they couldn't cast out the demon, Jesus said, "BECAUSE OF YOUR UNBELIEF" (Mt. 17:19,20).

Not because of some big theological reason.
Not because the devil was too strong.

Not because it wasn't God's Will.

It was just a simple lack of FAITH - an inability or refusal to TRUST that God is Who He says He is and that God will do what He says He will do!

Jesus didn't blame the sick for their lack of faith to be healed, either; He called out His disciples for THEIR lack of faith (all the TV preachers get that wrong).

Instead of asking why God doesn't do more things more often, we should be asking why we have such a hard time believing God to do the impossible.

Ultimately, it's not God's lack of power, but our lack of belief, that quenches the Holy Spirit from doing all that He wishes to do.
The real miracle is that God is able to do anything at all, given our lack of faith!

If this bears witness and you want to hear more, join us this week as we elaborate on the gifts of the Spirit...

Chip Brogden.

THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part 12)
Thursday, September 7, 2023
7:00 pm Eastern Time (New York)
Register here (if you haven't already):
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/bible

There is no charge to attend, but your gift (of whatever you can afford) makes it possible for us to offer this freely.
Thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching.

I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org

P.S. If you can't join us live this week, register to receive the audio replay:
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/bible
PO Box 98733
Raleigh NC 27624
USA

Hello Elaine,

Tonight we're talking about a very special spiritual gift.



With this gift the two that follow it seem to "unlock."


Join us as we explore this interesting gift from Scripture...


THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part 11)
Thursday, August 31, 2023
7:00 pm Eastern Time (New York)



Register here (if you haven't already):
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/bible

There is no charge to attend, but your gift (of whatever you can afford) makes it possible for us to offer this freely.

Thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching.


I am your brother,


Chip Brogden
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org



P.S. If you can't join us live this week, register to receive the audio replay:
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/bible




PO Box 98733
Raleigh NC 27624
USA

Hello Elaine,
 
I lost another one.

She only lasted a few days.

As soon as she found out I believe in the gifts of the Spirit, she bailed.

In her words: "I'm 1000% against it."

No Scriptural support for her opinion.

Not even a conversation about it.

Why do people resist the Holy Spirit?

Why are people so adamant that "that isn't for today"?

Who told you it wasn't for today?

You know there are counterfeit bills in circulation... but I'm not going to throw away my money just because there is the possibility of getting a fake $100 bill!

This is the kind of ignorance Scripture tries to protect us from:

"Concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you be ignorant."

"Follow love and desire spiritual gifts."

"You may all prophesy one by one."

"Do not forbid to speak in tongues."

What do we do with those Scripture if they are "not for today?

Join us as we put away childish things and go on to maturity!

THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part 11)
Thursday, August 31, 2023 
7:00 pm Eastern Time (New York)

Register here (if you haven't already):
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/bible
 
There is no charge to attend, but your gift (of whatever you can afford) makes it possible for us to offer this freely.
 
Thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching.
 
I am your brother,

Chip Brogden 
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org

P.S. If you can't join us live this week, register to receive the audio replay:
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/bible

PO Box 98733
Raleigh NC 27624
USA

It's a Wonderful Life!
by Chip Brogden
God is Love, Light, and Life. These are the most profound words in the Scriptures. The writings of John are the writings of a man who is spiritually mature. He has found a way to express the inexpressible, a method of summing up all that God is. 
You will never get to the bottom of these depths. You will never see all the way to the end of it. I want to talk about that Life for a moment. God has dealt with me for many years on the subject of His Life, and I have written much about Life and spoken much about Life. Even so, I hardly know what I’m talking about. I have barely scratched the surface. Friends, you have no idea what is yours! The same Life which raised Jesus from the dead is contained there within you! It brought the world into being, and it holds the world together. This Life overcomes sin, death, and hell. We have the Life because we have the Son. He that has the Son has Life! YOU HAVE THE VERY LIFE OF GOD HIMSELF.

Brothers and sisters, why do we – how can we – sit around day in and day out, week in and week out, month after month, year after year, content with just barely getting by, fighting with each other all the time, struggling with the same old besetting sins, arguing over the same old man-made doctrines, rehashing the same old arguments, listening to the same old crusty hand-me-down sermons? We have bigger things to discuss! Dear man, dear woman, if Christ is yours then you are filled with LIFE! And if you will yield to that Life, it will transform you and overwhelm you, eclipsing your selfishness, molding and shaping you into the very image of Him Who has called you! Isn’t that more exciting?

CONTINUE READING
   https://theschoolofchrist.org/its-a-wonderful-life

PO Box 98733
Raleigh NC 27624
USA

 

Hello Elaine,
One of the biggest surprises in last week's teaching was to see how the Holy Spirit flows through us with spiritual gifts in ways that we are not even aware of.

The Word of Wisdom is a wonderful example of just such a gift.

In the first place, we have to move beyond the misunderstanding that spiritual gifts only "flow" within the four-walls of a Pentecostal church meeting.

We saw several examples of the Word of Wisdom in the Book of Acts, and I also shared a few examples from my personal experience.

Many responded to confirm their experience with the Word of Wisdom.

The "surprise" is that what often comes disguised as a "good word" or "sound advice" or "interesting viewpoint" is sometimes a Word of Wisdom specifically for you.

At other times, you are not the recipient, but the giver of a Word of Wisdom, and you don't even realize it.

We are often tempted to let these little revelations go in one ear and out the other; by raising awareness we can cooperate with those Spirit-inspired directions.

Join us this week as we consider the next spiritual gift - similar and related, but unique enough to be a different gift altogether...

THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part 10)
Thursday, August 24, 2023 
7:00 pm Eastern Time (New York)

Register here (if you haven't already):
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/bible
 
There is no charge to attend, but your gift (of whatever you can afford) makes it possible for us to offer this freely.
 
Thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching.
 
I am your brother, 
Chip Brogden 
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org

P.S. If you can't join us live this week, register to receive the audio replay:
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/bible
 
PO Box 98733
Raleigh NC 27624
USA

A Convenient Cult
by Chip Brogden
Many are responding to this call to go “up to Jerusalem” and out of Babylon, out of Churchianity, out of Organized Religion.
 As a result, all the Jeroboams of this world are in a state of consternation! How can we prevent this mass exodus of people from leaving our churches? Jeroboam’s concern is not for the people. His concern is not for the Lord, or for what the Lord requires. Jeroboam’s concern is only for self-preservation: the safeguarding of his leadership, the continuance of his kingdom, the prolongation of his own life.

 

The solution he came up with was quite resourceful. He created what I am calling “A CONVENIENT CULT.” This convenient cult has three characteristics: 1) a convenient place; 2) a convenient priesthood; and 3) a convenient feast to bind the worshippers together. Let us look at each one particularly, and see if we can find a prophetic application to the time and season that we are a part of...

CONTINUE READING
   https://theschoolofchrist.org/a-convenient-cult
 
 
PO Box 98733
Raleigh NC 27624
USA

Hello Elaine,
 
Often, the Holy Spirit is flowing through us and exercising spiritual gifts without us even realizing it - out in the "real world" of everyday problems and difficulties.

I'll share many Scriptural examples of this tonight...

THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part 9)
Thursday, August 17, 2023 
7:00 pm Eastern Time (New York)

Register here (if you haven't already):
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/bible
 
There is no charge to attend, but your gift (of whatever you can afford) makes it possible for us to offer this freely.

I hope to "see" you online!

I am your brother, 

Chip Brogden 
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org
P.S. If you can't join us live this week, register to receive the audio replay:
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/bible
 
PO Box 98733
Raleigh NC 27624
USA

Hello Elaine,

If you have been subscribed to my list for longer than a few months you may remember me asking for prayer regarding a family situation with my daughter and grandson.

The court has ordered her to move back to New York this month.

We were warned this might happen. It's not the outcome we wanted. Nevertheless, we are making those arrangements now.

Please continue to pray for Divine Intervention in this situation, that the simmering legal mess would become more favorable.

Also, please pray for safety from her abuser, and supernatural provision as she sets up a new home and looks for a new job.

Even though this isn't what we wanted, we trust that God will still use it to work out a greater purpose.

Thank you for your encouragement and support.
I am your brother,

Chip Brogden
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org

PO Box 98733
Raleigh NC 27624
USA

Hello Elaine,
 
While discussing spiritual gifts, Paul refers to speaking in tongues as "speaking mysteries in the Spirit."

But there should be no mystery about whether or not the gifts of the Spirit are for today!

So long as the Body of Christ (you and I) needs edification, exhortation, and comfort, we need these spiritual gifts.


The challenge is if we have any experience with spiritual gifts at all it is usually in the context of CHURCH.


If you have ever visited or regularly attended a Charismatic church then you have probably witnessed the gifts of the Spirit in operation (setting aside the obvious fact that there are always some counterfeit expressions out there).


But those of us who have traveled "outside the camp" on the belief that WE are the Temple of the Holy Spirit don't need a church service or meeting for the gifts to flow!


Perhaps the church service and the meeting contributes to this pressure to perform. Someone is always giving a "word" in these settings; but what about elsewhere?

I'm saying that if WE are the Temple of the Holy Spirit then WE are not limited to exercising spiritual gifts ONLY in the context of a church service or meeting.


Often, the Holy Spirit is flowing through us and exercising spiritual gifts without us even realizing it - out in the "real world" of everyday problems and difficulties.

If we only have a platform-based, public-performance perspective on spiritual gifts then we have completely missed it.

So it makes sense for us to go back and take a fresh look at how these spiritual gifts flow and view them from an "out-of-church" perspective - because that is where it makes the most difference.

Join us this week for...


THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part 9)
Thursday, August 17, 2023 
7:00 pm Eastern Time (New York)

Register here (if you haven't already):
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/bible
 
There is no charge to attend, but your gift (of whatever you can afford) makes it possible for us to offer this freely.
 
Thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching.
 
I am your brother, 

Chip Brogden 
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org

P.S. If you can't join us live this week, register to receive the audio replay:
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/bible
 

PO Box 98733
Raleigh NC 27624
USA

Don't Look Back!
by Chip Brogden
He who puts his hand to the plow, and looks back,
is not fit for the Kingdom of God. 
Lk. 9:62
I want to share an experience with you that taught me to never go backward, never compromise with what God has shown you. I think it has some prophetic significance for you as well.
A few years ago I was briefly involved with a television ministry. I say briefly because six months after they hired me to coordinate their discipleship program and lead their fellowship they decided they had made a mistake and I was the wrong person for this job. They started out saying this was not a religious thing but in the end it turned out to be a religious thing, and putting me in a religious thing is like trying to mix oil and water.

Well, to make a long story short, after six months I said you know, I believe we are at a crossroads here, and I suggest we take a week to just fast and pray and seek God about what our next steps should be. That was Sunday. On Wednesday the owner called me in and fired me. So it didn’t even take a week and I had my answer, although it wasn’t the answer I expected.

So I spent the rest of that week, not seeking direction, but coming to terms with the direction we had received.
https://theschoolofchrist.org/dont-look-back

Hello Elaine,
 
We need spiritual gifts TODAY more than ever!

But we also need the wisdom to recognize and flow in these gifts.

Join us tonight as we discuss these things...

THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part 8)
Thursday, August 10, 2023 
7:00 pm Eastern Time (New York)

Register here (if you haven't already):
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/bible
 
These online studies are offered on a "whatever you can afford" basis.
 
I hope to "see" you online!
 
I am your brother, 
Chip Brogden 
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org

Hello Elaine,
 
Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthians where he said, "Concerning spiritual gifts, I would not have you to be ignorant."

They were NOT ignorant about the Spirit-filled experience and the gifts of the Holy Spirit - not the way cessationists ignorantly claim that tongues and other spiritual gifts have "ceased."

No, they haven't.

Believe me when I say we need these gifts TODAY more than ever!

And even though they were carnal and immature, the Corinthians still experienced spiritual gifts.

But their ignorance surrounded the proper use and purpose of those gifts, which we will explore in detail this week.

Isn't it interesting that Paul names nine gifts of the Spirit and also nine fruit of the Spirit?

Is there a correlation?

Perhaps, perhaps not.

But we will dive back into the discussion this week...

THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part 8)
Thursday, August 10, 2023 
7:00 pm Eastern Time (New York)

Register here (if you haven't already):
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/bible
 
These online studies are offered on a "whatever you can afford" basis.
 
Thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching.
 
I am your brother, 
Chip Brogden 
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org


P.S. If you can't join us live this week, register to receive the audio replay:
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/bible

PO Box 98733
Raleigh NC 27624
USA

Meeting Together: What's Missing?
by Chip Brogden
I once met regularly with some people in a house church that had adopted the philosophy of “no leaders.” Everyone just came together once a week and talked about whatever occurred to them.  Supposedly this was what it meant to be “led by the Spirit.”
After a few weeks of this I noticed that the “Spirit” always seemed to “lead” them to talk about sports, or wine, or the churches they came out of.  Nothing of any spiritual consequence ever happened.

That all changed one evening when...

CONTINUE READING
  https://theschoolofchrist.org/meeting-together-whats-missing 
 
PO Box 98733
Raleigh NC 27624
USA

See next Post.
I once met regularly with some people in a house church that had adopted the philosophy of “no leaders.”  Everyone just came together once a week and talked about whatever occurred to them.  Supposedly this was what it meant to be “led by the Spirit.”
After a few weeks of this I noticed that the “Spirit” always seemed to “lead” them to talk about sports, or wine, or the churches they came out of.  Nothing of any spiritual consequence ever happened.

That all changed one evening when I was able to steer the conversation around towards something of spiritual significance.  I was able to ask some questions and generate interest in a particular topic.  Then, when I was asked, I opened my Bible, threw caution to the wind, ignored their unwritten rules about having “no leadership,”  and taught without interruption for forty-five minutes.  They listened in rapt attention.  When the meeting concluded, someone commented how good the meeting was – that they felt like we had actually fulfilled some purpose and learned something that would help us grow, as compared to previous meetings where nothing seemed to happen.

Did it occur to anyone that I had simply exercised spiritual leadership?  Not by lording over, or pushing them somewhere they didn’t want to go, or using a title or gift in order to bend them to my will.  I only shared my heart and gently guided the discussion towards a particular goal: that Christ would be increased, and the people would be brought one step closer to spiritual maturity.

Anyone could have done that.  The point is that no one else did.  And so I did.  The act of providing some leadership in this situation did not put me in charge.  It did not make me their pastor.  It did not give me any special privileges or say-so.  It was a simple expression of the heart of God for His people to make some progress towards a worthy goal of spiritual maturity.  And when it was presented to them in this manner, they naturally and eagerly responded to it without even realizing I had broken their rules.

I know that this group is not unusual, but is typical of many meetings and many groups I have experienced. Without a purpose – and without leadership to keep people aligned to that purpose – home fellowships are as spiritually unsatisfying as the institutional church services they aspire to break free from.

Fellowship, or Companionship?
“Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?” (Amos 3:3, NLT)

To walk together, we have to agree on what the goal is.  Before we discuss how to meet, where to meet, who to meet with, or what to do when meeting, we must answer the question of why meet at all?  What is the purpose?  What is the reason?  For many, the reason is fellowship.  This sounds like a spiritual motivation but it is largely self-seeking.  What we really  want, need, and crave is companionship with others.  We call it fellowship because it sounds spiritual and not as self-centered.  But there is a world of difference between fellowship and companionship.

The distinction is important, because if companionship is the goal, it is very unlikely that spiritual growth will occur.  Companionship is often mistaken for fellowship, and fellowship is often mistaken for spirituality.  That is a very deceptive notion.  If mere companionship was the goal, and spiritual growth was the end result of meeting together, then let us meet together as often as we can: let us stack the meetings one right after the other; and let us look to those who meet the most as being the most spiritually mature!

But in actual practice, we know that there is no correlation at all between the number of meetings attended and the spiritual maturity of the attendees.  It seems instead that the spiritually immature are the ones most in need of a meeting, and the quickest to fall away when the meetings are not available.

People will gather, and people will meet, and people will seek out the company of other people.  This is the human condition; it is not a spiritual requirement, and the meeting itself will not lead to anything of spiritual value, unless we decide and agree with one another, from the very beginning, as to why we gather.

Why do we meet?  What is the purpose?  What is the goal?  Without establishing this from the beginning, the meeting meanders.  Nothing of any spiritual consequence takes place, and the meeting itself is usually dominated by whoever is the loudest, or the most talkative, or the most needy.

So why should we gather? The real purpose for meeting together should be to grow spiritually; and as we grow spiritually together, true spiritual fellowship with one another is the inevitable outcome.

Only Carnal Christians Reject Spiritual Leadership
“I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us” (3 John 9).

How interesting that those who reject all forms of leadership will also say that it is best to gather with no agenda, with no purpose, with no plan, with no goal, apart from a general notion of “fellowship,” trusting that the Spirit will simply lead and direct the meeting.  Again, this sounds so noble and spiritual!  But in the real world, these heady ideas simply fall apart.   Why?  Because it assumes that everyone who gathers is “in the Spirit.”  It assumes that everyone attending the meeting is able to be led by the Spirit.  Actually, most people who attend a meeting are carnal. They are not in the Spirit when they gather, they are in the flesh.  They are not spiritually mature, they are spiritually immature.  That is not a statement of condemnation, it is just reality.  But that reality must be recognized and acknowledged before anyone can grow beyond it. That is one reason why both the carnal and the spiritual must meet together – to grow, to learn, to be encouraged, to receive something that will help them in their journey.

But the carnal must cooperate with the spiritual.  Without spiritually mature people to assist and facilitate spiritual growth, the carnal simply remain carnal.  The meeting is an exercise in futility – the blind leading the blind.  Or refusing to be led at all, believing that “Jesus is our leader,” and not understanding that the carnal mind is enmity against God, and those who are in the flesh cannot be led by the Spirit.

The carnal shun leadership, thinking this will somehow make them more spiritual than more organized believers.  Or, thinking that anything smacking of leadership must mean an institutional hierarchy.  While rightly rejecting the hierarchy, they go to the opposite extreme of having “no leaders”  – as if leadership itself is evil.  This reflects a lack of experience with what real spiritual leadership is all about.  It is understandable, given all the poor examples of leadership and all the abuses that have come from carnal religious leaders.  But the solution is not to disavow the principle of leadership, but rather, to understand what true spiritual leadership is.  What does it look like?  How should it function?

What if we could have all the benefits of spiritual leadership without any of the negatives we have come to associate with leadership?  What if we could welcome those gifted by God to guide, facilitate, serve, help keep things on track and on target, and assist when problems arise – without being self-serving, arrogant, or unapproachable?

Let us pray for our eyes to be opened to those servant-leaders who are sent to us for our spiritual edification.   Every meeting has an agenda, stated or not.  Every group has leaders, recognized or not.  Pretending there is no agenda and no leader is naïve.  Far better to acknowledge the reality, and then come to a mutual understanding and agreement as to what the agenda is going to be, and who is responsible to facilitate things and keep them on track. It is not unspiritual to decide in advance, “This is the purpose for which we are gathered; this is the goal we are working towards; this is the result we seek.”  Let us be in agreement about this before we come together.  Then, when we come together, there is no question or difficulty about the purpose.  It automatically puts everyone on the same page.  It helps to keep things from drifting, or meandering, or disintegrating into meaninglessness.  And it automatically filters out the ones who have ulterior motives or different goals.

Jesus might have said “make fellowships,” or “build churches,” or “conduct meetings.”  But He said “make disciples,” which is more labor-intensive than anything else He could have said.  Spiritually mature disciples of Jesus will not be made without setting spiritual maturity as a goal, and then working towards the fulfillment of that goal.  If we have this goal in mind when we meet, and if we welcome the assistance of true spiritual leaders, the meeting can provide something of tremendous value to the Kingdom of God and to each member of the Ekklesia.

Hello Elaine,
 
I've been saying that being Spirit-filled makes it possible for someone to walk in the Spirit - but it is not a guarantee that they will.

Just as someone can receive Jesus as Savior, it is possible that they will not submit to Him as Lord.

They might just join the majority of religious folk who claim to have entered the Gate, but they refuse to walk the Path.

In the same way, a lot of Spirit-filled people have begun in the Spirit, but they do not finish in the Spirit.

This is not a new phenomenon... the Corinthians were filled with the Spirit, and they even exercised spiritual gifts, but Paul said they were carnal.

One reason Paul wrote a letter to them was to clarify the gifts of the Spirit: "Now concerning spiritual gifts, I would not have you to be ignorant..."

Their ignorance was not in the absence of spiritual gifts (that is the kind of ignorance manifest in people who say the baptism and gifts of the Spirit are "not for today").

Their ignorance was not in the absence of spiritual gifts, but in the exercise of spiritual gifts.
How so? 

Their presumption was that spiritual gifts were signs of spiritual maturity.

That particular ignorance is found in today's Charismatic movement and among Pentecostals in general; whoever has the most gifts and strongest "anointing" are esteemed to be spiritually superior.

How can carnal Christians exercise spiritual gifts? Isn't this a contradiction?

And if spiritual gifts are NOT given to prove someone's spiritual maturity, what are they given for?

Join us this week as we seek answers in Scripture and in real-life experience...

THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part 7)
Thursday, August 3, 2023 
7:00 pm Eastern Time (New York)

Register here (if you haven't already):
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/bible
 
These online studies are offered on a "whatever you can afford" basis.
 
If you can afford to give, please do; if you cannot afford to give, please join us anyway!
 
Thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching.
 
I am your brother, 
Chip Brogden 
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org

 

TheSchoolOfChrist.Org
The Abundant Life 
by Chip Brogden
When I become a disciple of Jesus I am starting out on a Path in which I am learning how to depend upon the Life of Another.
And in order to live that way, I have to give up living the way I am accustomed to living – according to my thoughts, my mind, my will, my opinions, my understanding.

All that pertains to “me” is very limited. As a disciple of Jesus, I am learning just how untrustworthy “I” am, and I am becoming more and more cognizant of my need to depend upon the Life of Christ, CHRIST IN ME, THE HOPE OF GLORY (Col. 1:27). There is no hope in me. “I know,” Paul says, “that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwells no good thing” (Rom. 7:18). That is the key. There is a man who is beginning to grow spiritually. He has learned something – “I KNOW.” 

How does he know? Through a lot of trials, and sufferings, and problems, and mistakes, and difficulties, he has learned not to depend upon himself anymore...

CONTINUE READING
https://theschoolofchrist.org/the-abundant-life


https://theschoolofchrist.org/the-abundant-life
The Abundant Life
by Chip Brogden
Christ & The Kingdom of God
There are two aspects, two sides to this glorious truth: first, that I AM IN CHRIST; second, that CHRIST IS IN ME. If the first is true, and I am living in Christ, then the second follows naturally – Christ is living in me.
“Yes, I am the Door. Anyone who goes in and out through Me will be safe, and will find a beautiful pasture. The thief only comes to steal, kill and destroy. I have come so that the sheep will live, and will have Life in abundance! I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His Life for the sheep” (John 10:9-11, TIL).

Are we willing to go deeper than the obvious, surface level explanation of what Jesus said here?

The “word of faith” people, the “name it and claim it” people, have always taken the “abundant life” in verse 10 to mean that God is going to give us the “abundant life” of this world – money, and the things that money can buy. To them this is a proof-text for prosperity, for material things. I know it is a stretch. It’s hard to understand how people can lift this verse out of the passage and teach it that way, but carnal people manage to teach it and believe it. That’s why the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit because they are spiritually discerned.

Well, let’s go deeper. “The Good Shepherd gives His Life for the sheep.” In one sense of course, in the most commonly interpreted sense, Jesus is speaking of his death on the Cross. He lays down His life for the sheep so they can be saved. Well, that is the natural side of it, I suppose. I’m not saying that’s incorrect. But is there a deeper meaning that can apply? Oh yes, I believe so, because you see the word here is present tense: The Good Shepherd GIVES His Life. If He were only referring to His death on the Cross, He might have said – “The Good Shepherd WILL GIVE His Life for the sheep.” And now, since He has already died on the Cross, it would (to us) be past tense.

But He said, “The Good Shepherd GIVES His Life.” It is present tense. It is always present tense. He is always the Good Shepherd. We are always His sheep. And so He always gives His life. In what sense does He give it? Is He constantly crucified? No, that is the natural. What is the spiritual implication? He is giving His Life that we may have that same Life. And because He IS the Life, this Life is an abundant life, and this abundant life leads to spiritual fruitfulness.

Just as the Good Shepherd gives His Life for the sheep, so the True Vine gives His Life for the Branches. Do you see the connection? It’s the same thing. It’s exactly the same thing. The Good Shepherd gives His Life for the sheep; the True Vine gives His Life for the Branches. This Life He gives is not for the purpose of making my life better; it is given so that I can exchange my life altogether, and rely upon the Life of Another.

There are two aspects, two sides to this glorious truth: first, that I AM IN CHRIST; second, that CHRIST IS IN ME. If the first is true, and I am living in Christ, then the second follows naturally – Christ is living in me. He is giving His Life for me on a continual basis. We call this the exchanged life. It is a function of learning how to let Jesus live His life through me.

This is why the denial of Self, as typified by the Cross, is so essential to the spiritual life. “The carnal mind is against God” (Rom. 8:7). The Self-Life interferes with the Christ-Life. Why? Because “No man can serve two masters” (Mt. 6:24).

And so you have those Two Universal Spiritual Principles that we have discussed elsewhere: the Law of Increase and the Law of Decrease, found in John 3:30. “He must increase.” That is the first principle. It is a spiritual law, that Jesus must increase. But there is something that hinders, something that resists this increase of Jesus. That brings us to the second principle, “I must decrease.” Me, Myself, and I – the Self. I must decrease in order for Christ to increase.

This has global implications, universal applications, but let’s bring it right down to everyday life. Let’s make it personal. It means, in a very practical sense, that when I become a disciple of Jesus I am starting out on a Path in which I am learning how to depend upon the Life of Another; and in order to live that way, I have to give up living the way I am accustomed to living – according to my thoughts, my mind, my will, my opinions, my understanding.

All that pertains to “me” is very limited. As a disciple of Jesus, I am learning just how untrustworthy “I” am, and I am becoming more and more cognizant of my need to depend upon the Life of Christ, CHRIST IN ME, THE HOPE OF GLORY (Col. 1:27). There is no hope in me. “I know,” Paul says, “that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwells no good thing” (Rom. 7:18). That is the key. There is a man who is beginning to grow spiritually. He has learned something – “I KNOW.” How does he know? Through a lot of trials, and sufferings, and problems, and mistakes, and difficulties, he has learned not to depend upon himself anymore.

In Philippians, Paul says, “We are the circumcision, who worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” No confidence in the flesh. Why? Because Jesus said the flesh is weak. The flesh is fallible. The flesh is limited. I know that it seems as if the flesh is very powerful, and that you can do anything. It sometimes seems easier to just press on ahead and do what seems right; make something happen. Oh, it takes too much time (we say) to wait on God, to know the mind of the Spirit, to just watch and pray and abide in Christ. But those are the words of the immature, the babes. Spiritually mature people have lost all confidence in the flesh, in their ability to do anything, apart from Jesus.

Now I have just shared with you the secret of abiding. It means to have no confidence in the flesh, to wait instead for the Life of Another to lead. Always take that position. Always allow the Lord to lead, to initiate, to work, and don’t do anything of yourself. Now, that is easier said than done, isn’t it? What a battle it is! The flesh does not want to decrease. But as I am decreased, Christ is increased. Stated differently, the measure of Christ in a person will increase in exact proportion to the measure that their Self-Life is decreased.

Well, how does that happen? It happens quite naturally, as we keep hitting our head against the same impossible situations, the same besetting sins, the same difficulties and disappointments over and over again – and eventually we come to the place of saying, along with Paul, “I know that in me – that is, in my flesh, in my Self – dwells no good thing. I no longer have confidence in my flesh. I have learned that the Branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the Vine. So I cast myself upon the Lord, and I trust in His Life to raise me up, to work a miracle, to do what I cannot do myself.” That is spiritual maturity. Now Jesus can do something, and He takes up right where we leave off.

Related Posts:
One Flock, One Shepherd The Law of Life To Him That Overcomes The Most Basic Lesson
About the Author
CHIP BROGDEN is a best-selling author, teacher, and former pastor. His writings and teachings reach more than 135 nations with a simple, consistent, Christ-centered message focusing on relationship, not religion. 

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Hello Elaine,
Join us tonight as we explore.

THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part 6)
Thursday, July 27, 2023 
7:00 pm Eastern Time (New York)
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Being FILLED with the Spirit is entering the Gate, but being GOVERNED by the Spirit is the Path.
We'll continue down that Path tonight.
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Hello Elaine,

It only takes a moment to enter the Gate, but it takes a lifetime to walk the Path.

We usually think of the Gate and the Path in terms of discipleship, but what is discipleship anyway? It is a journey from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity.

The ministry of the Holy is all about being your Helper along this path of spiritual maturity.

We see this illustrated with Peter and the early Believers.

Once they were filled with the Spirit in Acts 2, was that the summit of their spiritual growth?

Not at all - it was only the beginning.

So being FILLED with the Spirit is entering the Gate, but being GOVERNED by the Spirit is the Path.

It is a Path we see people like Peter following.

You can be filled with the Spirit and still have religious junk that you need to get rid of.

Even apostles have religious garbage!

And we see how the Spirit challenged Peter and the early Christians, helped them get rid of their religious mindsets, and enabled them to be truly GOVERNED by the Holy Spirit.

Of course, not all went along with the program.

NO ONE preached Jesus to the Gentiles in the very beginning.

And when they did, too many of those early believers were more zealous to convert Gentiles to Judaism than to Jesus.

We see how the Spirit did more than give them spiritual gifts and power to witness - He also thoroughly refined them in the fire, confronted their hypocrisy, blew their mind, expanded their horizons, and led them to places they were not always willing to go.



It's all there for us in the Book of Acts, and it's still happening in our lives today, provided we are willing to be adjusted to the Spirit!

Join us this week as we explore...

THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part 6)
Thursday, July 27, 2023
7:00 pm Eastern Time (New York)

Register here (if you haven't already):
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/bible

** A REMINDER ** These online studies are free to all, but your gift (of any amount) helps make them possible.

Thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching.


I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
https://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org

The Most Basic Lesson 
by Chip Brogden
It is a great day for the Lord when a disciple of Jesus learns this most basic lesson: that in “me”, in myself, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. This is a very difficult thing for people to learn.
Jesus says that without Him we can do nothing. This verse is very well-known. Even so, Christians still attempt to do many things apart from the Lord. We feel like we simply must do something, anything. And even though the Bible says there is nothing good in our flesh, and the flesh profits nothing, we spend a lot of time doing fleshly things apart from the Spirit of Jesus, thinking they are good and profitable. It is impossible to say for sure just how many of the things we “feel led” to do and say are actually just things we feel like doing and saying. A lot of the time the Lord has very little to do with it...

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