The Word of God – The Authentic Relationship Builder. “The Light Group”

Understanding Ourselves – Why “The Light Group”?

Why I (Bro Toks) seem to have ‘lost’ interest in preaching to large congregations?
Why “Relational Discipleship”?
Why I (Bro Toks) would continue on my conviction about “boundary of vision”? 
TV (Through MOMENT OF REFRESHING) and Interaction/Interfacing with Small Groups.

Stated below are the reasons behind my emphasis on “relationship”. 
These are the driving forces behind the now defunct “Light Group”. 
The motives were largely misunderstood by many as usual.
Fatherhood, i believe could hardly be provided at a distance,
hence the reason behind certain ‘Ijede Retreats’ in the past.

Recall –

Father Abraham and his household.
“16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 
19 For I know him, that he will command [INSTRUCTION, DISCIPLINE AND GUIDANCE] his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.”

David and the men of the cave of Adullam.
“… LORD wrought a great victory. 
13 And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim. [THIS IS WHERE DAVID POURED OUT HIS LIFE – GRACE FOR SACRIFICIAL LIVING, FAITH, BRAVERY, FEAR OF GOD AND DEDICATION TOWARDS A RIGHTEOUS CAUSE].
14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 
15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 

Elisha and the sons of prophets. 
“38 And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets. 
39 And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, [WILD DOCTRINES AND REVELATIONS] and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not. 40 So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof. 
41 But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. [HE RE-TAUGHT THEM, CLEARING OUT THE DANGEROUS ERRORS] And there was no harm in the pot.”

Jesus showed us such models in teaching and impacting His disciples.

I wish to refer all to the book “Discipling Nations” by Dr. Delron Shirley.

     “If you tell me, I’ll forget.
    “If you show me (closely), I’ll remember.
   “If you involve me (proximally), I’ll understand.”

Some have influenced many through several innuendoes to learn to complain that 
“oh he tells too many stories” …
 “he wastes our time on the pulpit” …
 “he does not do ‘time management'”!

Those who remember and learn are those who were taught through stories and parables!

The Power of Stories. (Refer to pages 38 – 47 in the Book)
I dare ask –
How easily do you forget or misunderstand Papa Hagin’s teachings? 
How easily do you forget William Branham’s messages?
How easily do you forget and misunderstand Ps Tunde Bakare? 
What gave practical applicability to Jesus’ teachings? 
The Parables and The Stories.

Jesus and His disciples. – The Spiritual Family

My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it
– Luke 8:21

Here Jesus describes his spiritual family members. 

Can you see how the so much touted erroneous claim that Mary is mother of Jesus and therefore ought to wield so much powerful influence in the gospel of His Kingdom falls through?

Many today, and through the centuries since Jesus spoke these words, have claimed affiliation with him. But Jesus’ own words rebuke his would-be, fair-weather, so-called family members.

Not those who gather large crowds in my name, or gain political clout by my name, or salve their guilty consciences with my name are mine, says Jesus, but those who hear and obey God’s Word. Those who have a true and permanent relationship with me are those who are receptive to God’s Word.

What a high view of Scripture Jesus had! Even in the presence of his biological mother and siblings, Jesus starkly reminds us that a true connection to Christ is not made or maintained through family affiliation. For the definition of his disciples Jesus purposefully chose the rock-solid, unchanging Word of God as the meter of true religion.

Good intentions or family pedigree do not define the child of God. Not even philanthropy make one. Rather God’s Word is the simple, sole barometer that Jesus gives us with which to measure our relationship with him.

What is your relationship to Jesus? Do you merely approve of him, or do you obey him? Those who hear God’s Word and seek to apply it faithfully in their lives are assured that Jesus is, indeed, their close friend and true family member.

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“Why Relational Discipleship Has Become My Priority” – J. Lee Grady:
Once when I was traveling in India a pastor made a tempting proposal. 

“If you come to our city, we will stage a big evangelistic campaign and invite thousands,” he said. “You can preach to all of them.” 

This man assumed I would be intrigued. After all, I could take photos of the big crowds and use them to brag later about how many people made decisions for Christ.

I didn’t accept the offer. Instead I gave the man a second option. “Let me spend three days with a small group of pastors,” I said. “Let me encourage them, and then they can go out and preach at the big meetings. They will do a much better job than I could.”

I’m not against mass evangelism. I’m not criticizing people who organize big meetings. But I’m learning that the best way to impact a large number of people is to focus on a few.

This was Jesus’ method of ministry. Most of his conversations in the Gospels were with His small group of handpicked disciples. Even when He did mass meetings, He used them to instruct the people He was mentoring. For 3.5 years He invested in His closest followers in a deeply personal way—not as an instructor but as a friend. Jesus did not mass-produce legions of followers. He hand-carved a few—and they became the pillars of the early church.

Jesus calls us to do ministry His way—by making disciples. Yet in today’s performance-based culture, we think bigger is better. We put all our money and time into splashy events while IGNORING RELATIONSHIPS. We want the sensational, not the simple. We crave big meetings, bigger platforms, noisy sermons, hyped-up altar calls and instant results. It may look spectacular on opening night, but THE SHOW FADES FAST.

This shallowness is killing us. Christianity in so many parts of the world is a mile wide and an inch deep because we think faith is best transmitted to people by preachers standing behind pulpits. Preaching is certainly important, but without personal discipleship leaders aren’t formed and Christians don’t develop true character. If this vital relational aspect is overlooked, our faith becomes programmed, superficial and horribly fake.

I’ve changed my priorities as I have grasped this truth. I’m not as interested in flashy conferences or huge crowds as I am in making an indelible mark on people who can then disciple others. And as the Lord has shifted my paradigm, I have become more intentional about making discipleship a part of my daily life. I’ve done this by following what I call the Five “I’s” of Discipleship:

1. Identify. Jesus prayed carefully before selecting those who would travel with Him. Paul selected people like Timothy, Silas, Aquilla and Priscilla to be his ministry companions. Who are you called to disciple? God connects people in discipleship relationships.

2. Invest. Don’t look at discipleship as a program. It must flow out of love and genuine friendship. It is a precious investment of your time into a younger Christian. Paul told the Thessalonians: “We were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us” (1 Thess. 2:8, NASB).

3. Include. One of the ways I disciple young men is by taking them with me on ministry trips. I would have fewer hassles if I traveled alone, but my privacy is not that precious. In the last couple of years I’ve invited emerging leaders such as Jason, Steven, Vitaly, Khuram, Donnie, Felipe, Lyndle and Ryan to accompany me to various events. Investing in a disciple, to me, has become more exciting than preaching to a multitude!

4. Instruct. Jesus didn’t lecture his disciples; He artfully wove His teaching into the events of daily life—a storm, the death of a friend or an encounter with a needy beggar. His teaching flowed out of His relationship with His companions. Discipleship does not have to happen in a classroom setting. It can happen at a doughnut shop, during a bike ride or in a car. Expect “teaching moments” to flow naturally when you are spending time with those you are mentoring.

5. Intercede. Paul told Timothy that he constantly remembered him in his prayers “night and day” (2 Tim. 1:3). The most effective discipleship occurs when the discipler invests time in prayer for those he or she is mentoring. After some of my young disciples gave me an iPad last year, I decided to return the favor by using it to help me pray for them. I now have a “visual prayer list” with photos of the people I intercede for regularly.

Floyd McClung, a former leader of Youth With a Mission who now lives in South Africa, says he wishes he had spent more of his time making disciples when he was younger. He recently wrote: “I’ve been blessed to do many things: books, conferences, television, etc. But that’s nothing compared to pouring into others and seeing them go for it.”

Leaders all around the world are coming to this same conclusion. They recognize that today’s fatherless generation is looking for more than the hottest music, the coolest stage lighting or the hippest techno-pastor. They just want authentic role models who will spend time with them.

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of The Mordecai Project. He is ministering in San Juan, Puerto Rico, this week. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady.

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The Liteman T
Ps Toks Oshokoya,
Lagos, Nigeria