Spiritual Benchmarks

The Father's Vision: The Power of a Few Disciples

"Kernel of Wheat" John 12:24-26

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Benchmarks PDF files:
Inventory
Genesis 1-3
John 12-17
Colossian 1-4

e-Sword.net

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Useful LinUseful Links
These links were prepared by Bill Wilkie for an Intersection Conference at Baylor Univerity .

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Spiritual Benchmarking will be new to many of you. It is a simple process that focuses people on God's thinking. We have developed four benchmarking kits for you to use. There are downloadable versions that you can read and print in Acrobat PDF format. They are listed on the left sidebar as Inventory, Genesis, John and Colossians.

We have also created a spiritual benchmarking version that is integrated into e-Sword, a free but very sophisticated Bible study software package. It is interactive and you can type in your responses as well as print them. To see a more complete explanation of e-Sword, click on the e-Sword.net link in the left side bar.

"Activate Ordinary People of Peace"

The work of the kingdom is to be done by "laborers." We are to pray for workers (laborers) according to Matthew 9:32-38. In our world, we might call workers ordinary people of peace (Matthew 10: 11-14 and Luke 10: 5-11) who make up the body of Christ. They are not the paid staff of the church. We focus on identifying, training, evaluating and motivating ordinary people of peace called by God to affect their sphere of influence.

"Empower The Next Generation"

Activiting ordinary people of peace called by God to empower the next generation involves four areas of expertise:

"Spiritual Benchmarking God's purpose & a relationship.
"Kingdom Projects"--Built on a person's passions & gifts.
Career or College Decisions for ordinary people.
"Decision Points"--a decision making model.

"Work on the Wild Side" Genesis 1-3	Discovery process foused on mankind's role, our work world and "...being like God" or "who is in control?"
"One with the Father" John 12-17	Christ's summary of God's purpose regarding a special relationship with the Father and all its benefits culminating in a pray for future believers.
"Universal Disciple " Colossians 1-4	Paul calls the mystery, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Then Paul sets forth a moral framework for daily living that we should manifest..

"To Turn Their World Right-Side-Up"

Turning their world right-side-up is based upon the premise that the world was in some sense turned up-side-down after the Fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden. Too often we assume that our world is right-side-up and does not require major changes. The Biblical view, including that of Christ, seems to imply radical change for individuals, families, communities and even nations. In fact, nations are talked about a lot in the Bible. The Great Commission states:

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Mat 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Mat 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."(NASB)

From this passage, who are we to disciple? Matthew says, "nations." How do you disciple a nation?

Disciple Individuals	Change attitudes and behavior.
Disciple an Institution	Transform values, policies & practices.
Disciple a Nation	Create new institutions with new values, policies and structures when the existing institution no longer works effectively.

But what about the "Original Commission" for mankind in Genesis 1:27-28 (NASB), spoken to Adam and Eve? Are we neglecting a God ordained role for mankind that was reiterated to Noah in Genesis 9: 1 and 9:7? God established a covenant with Abraham that made him the father of a nation, Genesis 17:1-6, and later God called Jacob the father of nations and commissioned him to "be fruitful and multiply" in Genesis 35:11. So what is the original commission that was never withdrawn after the Fall?

Mankind's Original Commission from God

Multiply

Fill the earth

Subdue

Rule

Mutiplying and filling nations are pretty obvious. How do I subdue and rule? The most obvious yet most profound interpretation for ordinary people is to, "...day by day leave your world a little better than you found it." By the way, this was mankind's original work. It is holy work.