Eschatology and Discipleship

What powers our discipleship pursuits?  Why is the church in America so anemic in following the Master's call to be and make authentic disciples.  I maintain that the primary reason for this phenomenon is our failure to grasp Jewish eschatology.  Rather, Greek thought emerged in the second and third century church, dominated by a view of an immaterial heaven emerging when we die.  I invite you to view this John Harrigan teaching on Eschatology and Discipleship.  

Easy "believism" runs rampant in our churches today.  Missing is a proper fear of God.  Here are some scriptures which redirects our thinking toward a historical Jewish end of age narrative:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.  Proverbs 9:10

This is the Lord’s declaration. I will look favorably on this kind of person: one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and trembles at my word.  Isaiah 66:2

Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Matthew 10:28

Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.               Philippians 2:12-13  

Harrigan believes, and beautifully demonstrates, that our problem with eschatology is not that we don't have one.  Rather, we are operating under the wrong paradigm.  The end game for the vast majority of the American church is the American dream, with emphasis on our best life now in this age, rather than on our eternal lives in the age to come.   Try as we might, Jesus clearly tells we can't have it both ways! 

Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it.  Luke 9:23-24

In this video, John demonstrates that having a proper view of God's coming judgement on all peoples and the eternal blessings of the age to come will properly ground His church to follow Him, and only Him, in this present evil age (Galatians 1:4).        

   



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

About This Blog

My faith walk has taken a significant turn over recent years.  It all began with a book recommendation from my son, Will.  The book is entitled  Gospel of Christ Crucified, a Theology of Suffering Before Glory  by John Harrigan.   I've poured through the book three times in an attempt to take it all in.  Subsequently, I read John's doctoral dissertation entitled Extending Mercy to the Gentiles, The Jewish Apocalyptic Trajectory of Pauline Discipleship .  Over the last year, I attended two of John's conferences here in Tennessee.   Sometime during this period I was introduced to the Apocalyptic Gospel Podcasts which has broadened my faith a great deal.  Through these podcasts and John's conferences, I was introduced to Bill Scofield, somewhat of a mentor of mine, whose ministry resides in Redding, California.  Through an online Bible study, one of the participants shared with us a Messianic Jewish ministry called ...
Read more

What is the Gospel of the Kingdom?

Jesus used the phrase, "the Gospel of the Kingdom",  five times in the new testament.  And, perhaps most notable, the following verse: This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.  Matthew 24:14 It's an interesting comment, but what did he mean?  To Jewish believers, it would not have been a foreign concept.  You see, in Jesus's day, they were anticipating a time when their messiah (the Davidic King) would bring forth a kingdom era, overshadowing all the kingdoms of the world.  However, many Jews of that day were shortsighted.  They had in mind supplanting Roman oppression, rather than the much broader view supported by the following verses:  The kingdom, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the holy ones of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey him.  ...
Read more

The Priceless Find

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure , buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field. Matthew 13:44 Have you ever asked yourself, what am I living for?  Perhaps it's a job, your family, or  earthly wealth and what all it can buy.  But think about it.  All of these are quickly passing, aren't they?  What is left at the end of our lives is what supremely counts!  Jesus described the kingdom of heaven (a material age after this one) as a priceless treasure .  And all the gold in the world cannot buy it.  But what does it take for us to experience the everlasting joys of this coming kingdom?   Let's look at what Jesus said about the kingdom in the book of Luke.  Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able...   Luke 13:24a In the same way, if you want to be My disciple, it will co...
Read more