The environment matters
Matthew 9:17 Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved." NIV
God created environments for His creation to thrive and display vitality in.
Anytime you see something that God created removed from its environment you will see that organism lose its vitality, or ability to function by design.
For example when you put a lion in a cage or a killer whale in a tank for an extended period of time they begin to lose their instinctive functions; How to hunt, protect the pride, or the pod, becomes lost in the captive environment because they are not free to be who they were created to be. Therefore, those who are effective caretakers in these false environments begin to do what they can to try and emulate or create certain aspects of the true environment.
Once these animals become institutionalized it is very difficult to release them back into the world.
The animals have forgotten or lost the ways of their habitat.
So if God created us in Christ, then what is the best environment for us to grow in as Disciples of Christ?
The environment that is called the Ekklesia as it is referred to in Scripture, as a body, a living organism, it is a transformative environment. This environment does represent a new kingdom that has been on God's heart since the beginning of time.
This kingdom has a King but it does not have the structures of the "world" with political hierarchies.
It functions with people who are aliens and part of a new race where new creations come together and live a new way of life together.
If you were to ask God what is the most beautiful creation upon the earth I believe he would say “the local Ekklesia functioning as the body of my son or the bride of my son is the most beautiful creation on the earth.”
The problem is that we have turned His bride into some kind of monster, like Frankenstein if you will.
We have allowed our culture and our traditions to dictate what Gods body looks like. The apostolic patterns that were set by Jesus and the original 12 that was followed by the apostles and prophets that Jesus gave to us as gifts to the body have been forgotten.
Paul describes in his letter to Corinth three foundational tasks that the Ekklesia of God should fulfill:
One, make kingdom decisions because you have the mind of Christ.
Two, participate in the Lord's Supper together.
Three, experience body life together and this includes the desire to prophesy over one another. He describes prophesying over one another as simply, building up one another, encouraging one another and comforting one another.
These forgotten ways serve as a three legged throne that our King Jesus sits upon to reign and to rule; to connect to and direct His people. When God’s people are rightly connected to Christ as the head and the foundation is free from man-made toxins and interferences then it functions with vitality and produces incredible fruit from the Vine.
When the environment we call church is geared towards consumers then we produce consumers, but when the environment is about the Vine it produces the Holy Wine.
Like the Passover prayer that Jesus prayed over the wine, "Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine."
Our job as His follower is to be wineskins that will take the fruit of the vine to a world that is thirsty for, and in need of, the Fruit of the Spirit.
When we produce Disciples of Christ and not just members who are committed to the vision and values of an organization, then we will see cultures transformed.
The best environment to make disciples in is the habitat of God, His family, His body, that is gathering and going, expressing His life.
In this family children are raised to maturity as following Jesus is modeled for them by those who are mature.
Like Jesus trained His disciples by providing for them an example.
He did while they watched, then He did while they assisted, then they did while He assisted, then they did while He watched.
This process can’t be caught in most of our western church models because we have no modeling! “It’s caught more than it is taught.”
Jesus Himself referred to the environment being a field where there is good soil (disciples) that reproduces 30, 60 and 100 fold!
Good soil is a good environment for the Gospel to take root and grow.
Environment matters…
I love this! So true!
Your reflection connects deeply with truth not only about the physical world but also about the condition of the human heart.The article highlights how the environment around us is being damaged by human ignorance greed and carelessness and how the balance of nature is being disturbed.It reminds us that what God created in harmony is now suffering because of human actions.From a biblical perspective this is not surprising because Scripture already tells us that creation itself is affected by human sin.For the creation was subjected to futility and the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now Romans 8:20 22.What we see in the environment is not just a physical crisis but also a spiritual reflection of a broken world.God originally created the earth good and gave mankind responsibility over it.Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it Genesis 2:15.This shows that caring for the environment is not a modern idea it is a divine responsibility.But instead of stewardship humanity often chose exploitation just as the article points out through greed and wastefulness.The root issue is the heart.When people turn away from God they also misuse what He has given.The earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness Psalm 24:1.If we truly understand this we will treat creation with reverence not abuse.At the same time the message is not only warning but also hope.The Bible calls people to repentance and restoration.If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land 2 Chronicles 7:14.So the environment matters because it reflects both God’s glory and man’s responsibility.When we care for it we are honoring the Creator.When we neglect it we reveal how far we have drifted from Him.True change will not come only through efforts but through hearts that return to God and live as faithful stewards of what He has entrusted to us.