Georges Boujakly continues his series on the key principles to spiritual transformation. These eight “keys” include the following:

1. Spiritual transformation is an inside job.
2. Spiritual transformation requires deliberate effort.
3. Spiritual transformation has a specific goal.
4. The goal of spiritual transformation is conformity to Jesus Christ.
5. The progress of spiritual transformation is always slow.
6. Spiritual transformation is the “business” of the church.
7. Spiritual transformation is not a luxury for the spiritually elite.
8. Spiritual Transformation is plural. 

Today Georges elaborates on #6:

Spiritual formation is the business of the church

Dallas Willard has challenged the church to come up with a comprehensive process and curriculum that would take seriously the mandate Christ gave when he said in Matthew 28: “train them to do everything I have told you to do.”

Whatever training Jesus did with his disciples, he was entrusting to them (and to us) to pass on the training to do everything; ad infinitum!

One way to see this command is to understand Jesus’ words this way:

“You have one main business in the church; duplicate all I did with you. You heard me teach and you saw me practice many things. Some you won’t remember, but the Holy Spirit will remind you.”

The church should have one occupation, one profession, one process: That of the formation of the Spirit of Christ in his disciples. If that is not the business of the church whatever could it be? Willard, however chides the church for not taking this “everything I have taught you” most seriously. I agree, don’t you?

I have labored in local church ministry for all my Christian life, as both an ordained and lay leader of the church (I don’t like the terms but they are easy to use). I have served as pastor, deacon, teacher, committee member, board member, and janitor.

However, one more thing there is left for me to do is to be a member of a team that takes the teaching and training of “whatsoever I have commanded you” challenge seriously. To come up with the vision and the means of implementing it in a local church and watch what happens in our midst. To see every aspect of church life dedicated to learning and living out “the everything” Jesus has commanded would be a dream-come-true; perhaps worth the cost of all else we do in church.

If you were on such a team, what would your implementation plan of “teach them whatsoever I have commanded you” look like?

What would the gospel message sound like?
What would the work of the ordained look like?
What would the laity be engaged in doing?
What might a week look like?
What changes do you think would be most resisted in your setting if the spiritual transformation of people became the business of your church?