6- A focus on the Father: Jesus was always in the bosom of the Father and was described from the beginning as being with God (John 1:1-18), both these verses reveal how intimate Jesus was with His father. He also said that He and His father were one (John 10:30) and that He only speaks what His father gives Him and always does what pleases His father (John 8:28-29). Consequently, the “Jesus driven” church will walk in a spirit of adoption as sons of the living God and cry out of the abundance of their heart “Abba father” (Romans 8:15). This kind of church runs counter to the orphan spirit in the world and ministers healing to the brokenhearted and disenfranchised of society.
7- Prayer is a priority: Jesus made a regular practice of arising before dawn to pray (Mark 1:35). His disciples realized that the secret of His power was prayer which is why they asked Him to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1). It describes the days of His humanity as a time when He offered up prayers with loud cries and tears (Hebrews 5:7). Since Jesus was a man of regular, fervent prayer, the “Jesus driven” church will also be a community of much fervent prayer.
8- Patience and perseverance is an attribute: The bible tells us that Jesus endured with patience the cross because of the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). Even though He was born God the Son, He did not minister or do any miracle the first thirty years of His life which took great patience (Luke 3:23). Any church that conforms to Christ Jesus will be a church with a strong ethic of patience in the midst of tests and suffering.
9-They adopt a way of life, not a religion: Jesus said, “I am the Way” … He did not say, “I am the religion” (John 14:6). The early church described their journey in Christ as a life and a way (Acts 5:20; 24:14). Churches that are overtly legalistic, ritualistic and religious (attempting to follow Christ based merely on rules and regulations) are not mimicking Christ but man made religion (Galatians 3:3; Colossians 2:16-23). Obviously, the “Jesus driven” church will express their relationship with Him in an organic, relational way.
10-They speak truth to power: While the goal of many contemporary pastors and leaders is to avoid cultural conflict to become “relevant”, the Lord they claim they follow spoke truth to power. Even a cursory reading of Scripture demonstrates how He purposely healed people on the Sabbath which was an affront to religious leaders (Mark 3:1-5, John 5). He spoke about His Kingdom to a Roman leader named Pontus Pilate (John 18:36-38), and He rebuked religious leaders for putting their traditions ahead of the word of God (Mark 7:1-23). The “Jesus driven” church will never water down the truth but reflect adequately the whole council of God in their values, their words and in their mission.
In conclusion, there are many other things we can say in regards to being conformed to the image of Christ; however, if we attempt to walk in the ten points above, we will leave a powerful imprint on the world around us.
10 Traits of the Jesus Driven Church
