Alderwood Community Church September 22, Everyone and Everything Focused on One Mission Matthew 28:16-20; Ephesians 4:1-16

Transcription

1 1 Alderwood Community Church September 22, 2013 Everyone and Everything Focused on One Mission Matthew 28:16-20; Ephesians 4:1-16 Intro: In light of our Annual Business Meeting and our celebration today of what God has been doing in our church this past year, I want to accomplish two things in my message this morning: 1. I want to paint a picture of what our church can be and is called to be. 2. I want to refocus us on our mission. 1. The Local Church There is nothing like the local church when it s working right! Its beauty is indescribable. In Acts 2 we find a church that was a community of believers who were so totally devoted to God that their life together was charged with the Spirit s power. In that band of Christ-followers, believers loved one another with a radical kind of love. They took off their masks and shared their lives with one another. They laughed and cried and prayed and sang and served together in authentic Christian Fellowship. Those who had more shared freely with those who had less until socioeconomic barriers melted away. People related together in ways that bridged gender and racial chasms, and celebrated cultural differences. In Acts 2 we find a community of believers that offered unbelievers a vision of life that was so beautiful it took their breath away. It was so bold, so creative, so dynamic that they couldn t resist it. Verse 47 tells us that the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. I want Alderwood to be just like that! There is nothing like the local church when it s working right! Its power is breathtaking. There is only one power on this universe that can transform a human heart. It s the power of the love of Jesus Christ, the love that conquers sin and wipes out shame and heals wounds and reconciles enemies and patches broken dreams and ultimately changes the world, one life at a time! And what grips my heart is the knowledge that the radical message of that transforming love has been given to the church, to Alderwood Community Church! There is nothing like the local church when it s working right! Its potential is unlimited. The local church comforts the grieving and heals the broken in the context of community. It builds bridges to those who are seeking and offers truth to those who are confused. It provides resources for those in need and opens its arms to the forgotten, the downtrodden, the disillusioned. It breaks the chains of addictions, frees the oppressed, and offers belonging to the marginalized in our world. Still to this day, the potential of the local church is more than I can grasp. No other organization on earth is like the church. Nothing even comes close when the church is working right. (Bill Hybels, Courageous Leadership, p )

2 2 Grace is the church s great distinctive. It s the one thing the world cannot duplicate, and the one thing it craves above all else for only grace can bring hope and transformation to a jaded world The world can do almost anything as well as or better than the church. You need not be a Christian to build houses, feed the hungry, or heal the sick. There is only one thing the world cannot do. It cannot offer grace. (Philip Yancey, What s So Amazing About Grace?, p. 15) Let s be a church where grace flourishes. That we would welcome people, sinners and outcasts, homeless and homosexuals, divorcees, single, married, old, young, red or yellow, black or white for these all are precious in his sight. When grace flourishes we welcome and accept people right where they are, we love them, receive them and accept one another just as Christ has accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. (Rom. 15:7) And we point them to Jesus and power of his transforming grace that is available because of his death and resurrection. Grace flourishes when it is safe to be real, authentic, where we can take off our masks and let ourselves become vulnerable. Where we can admit we really don t have it all together and that we are desperately in need of God s grace and the power of his Spirit at all times. Where each one of us takes an active part by dispensing the grace that has been freely given to each of us by Christ. Where we all are on the lookout to welcome those new to Alderwood to help them feel welcomed and get connected with others in the church. Where we all demonstrate that grace in our homes, neighborhoods, our schools, our place of work, on the ball field, court, orchestra and in our leisure. Let s create an atmosphere where everything we do would be an intentional act of worship, and in every area of life we would endeavor to bring God the greatest glory. Let s create an atmosphere where we would intentionally engage with others in groups, where we study God s Word together, pray and share our lives in order stimulate one another to greater faith in Jesus Christ, loving and being loved, caring and being cared for, so that we can all grow in our likeness to our Savior and so that the world would see a united Church and they would believe that Jesus was sent by the Father. (John 17:21-22) Let s create an atmosphere that is electrically charged with a passion to see people become followers of Jesus Christ. That we would be focused on the mission that our Savior has given to us, his church. That we would become contagious Christians. That we would be bold in sharing our faith. That we would talk about these opportunities with each other to encourage one other. This morning, I want us to look carefully at the mission of our church. 2. Our Mission *Read Text: Matthew 28:16-20 This is how we have framed it: Our mission at Alderwood Community Church is To become and lead others to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Our mission is fulfilled personally, locally and globally: Personally through personal discipleship/evangelism, locally through community outreach, and globally through world missions.

3 3 A. The Central Command: Make Disciples If a Christian understands all the rest of the gospel of Matthew but fails to understand this closing passage, he has missed the point of the entire book. This passage is the climax and major focal point not only of this gospel but of the entire New Testament. It is not an exaggeration to say that, in its broadest sense, it is the focal point of all Scripture, Old Testament as well as New. This central message of Scripture pertains to the central mission of the people of God. The mission is God s divine plan to redeem the world. That plan began in eternity past, before the foundation of the world. But it did not go into effect until Adam chose to sin, fell from fellowship with God, and was spiritually separated from Him. Since that fateful day in the Garden of Eden, fallen, natural man has been trying to hide from God, and God has been redeeming men back to Himself. From that first time of sin, it has always been God who, solely out of His own gracious love, has taken the initiative to restore men to himself. God has always taken the initiative for man s salvation and restoration, from His first call to Adam, Where are you? (Genesis 3:9), to His last call in Revelation: The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let the one who hears say, Come. And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost (Revelation 22:17). It was not until sinful mankind persisted in withdrawing further and further from God that He divided them into separate nations. When He needed a witnessing nation to the world, He called out Israel as His chosen people through Abraham. When Israel failed in that calling, God chose a remnant from among them to do what the nation would not. When the nation of Israel rejected her Messiah and King, Jesus Christ, God called out the church, His new chosen instrument to redeem the world. Nothing so much glorifies God as His gracious redemption of damned, hell-bound sinners. It was for that ultimate purpose that God called Abraham, that in him all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis 12:3). It was never the Lord s intention to isolate Israel as His sole focus of concern but rather to use that specially chosen and blessed nation to reach all other nations of the world for Himself. Israel was called to proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day and to tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples (1 Chronicles 16:23 24; cf. Psalm 18:49). Like her Messiah, Israel was to be a light to the nations so that [the Lord s] salvation may reach to the end of the earth (Isaiah 49:6; cf. 42:10 12; 66:19; Jonah 3:1 10). It has never been God s will for any person to perish but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). He desires all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). God s heart has always yearned to bring sinful, rebellious men back to Himself, to give them new, righteous, and eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ. He so greatly loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). The apostle admonished the Corinthian believers and all Christians: Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Every time an unbeliever is saved by God s grace, God is glorified.

4 4 The great mission of the church is to so love, learn, and live as to call men and women to Jesus Christ. As sinners are forgiven and are transformed from death to life and from darkness to light, God is glorified through that gracious miracle. The glory of God is manifest in His loving provision to redeem lost men. He Himself paid the ultimate price to fulfill His glory. Therefore the believer who desires to glorify God, who wants to honor God s supreme will and purpose, must share God s love for the lost world and share in His mission to redeem the lost to Himself. Christ came into the world that He loved and sought to win sinners to Himself for the Father s glory As Christ s representatives, we are likewise sent into the world that He loves to bring the lost to Him and thereby bring glory and honor to God. Our mission is the same mission as that of the Father and of the Son. Mathēteuō (make disciples) is the main verb and the central command of verses 19 20, which form the closing sentence of Matthew s gospel. The root meaning of the term refers to believing and learning. Mathēteuō carries a beautiful combination of meanings. In this context it relates to those who place their trust in Jesus Christ and follow Him in lives of continual learning and obedience. If you abide in My word, Jesus said, then you are truly disciples of Mine (John 8:31). (John F. MacArthur Jr., Matthew, MacArthur New Testament Commentary) B. The specific requirements Jesus gives for making disciples involve three participles: (1) Going-the church is not to wait for the world to come to its doors but that it is to go to the world. The Greek participle is best translated having gone, suggesting that this requirement is not so much a command as an assumption. (2) Baptizing- To baptize literally means to immerse in water, and certain forms of baptism had long been practiced by various Jewish groups as a symbol of spiritual cleansing. The baptism of John the Baptist symbolized repentance of sin and turning to God (Matt. 3:6). As instituted by Christ, however, baptism became an outward act of identification with Him through faith, a visible, public testimony that henceforth one belonged to Him. (3) Teaching- The church s mission is not simply to convert but to teach. The convert is called to a life of obedience to the Lord, and in order to obey Him it is obviously necessary to know what He requires. As already noted, a disciple is by definition a learner and follower. Therefore, studying, understanding, and obeying the whole purpose of God (Acts 20:27) is the lifelong task of every true disciple. C. The resources to accomplish our mission (Matthew 28) (1) Christ s power and authority (verse 18) (2) Christ s presence. (verse 20)

5 5 3. Every one of us is to be involved in fulfilling our mission. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God s people for works of service Ephesians 4:7, 11-12a A. The role of the pastor-teacher to prepare God s people for works of service Prepare - The Greek word καταρτισμὸν that is translated prepare in the NIV means to make someone completely adequate or sufficient for something. Through the teaching of the Word, the pastor-teacher equips or makes adequate God s people (literally holy ones) for works of service. The question begs to be asked, what are the ministries that God s people are called to do, and what is the pastor to teach them in order for them to be adequately prepared to do that very ministry? Certainly the ministry would include instruction in the area of spiritual gifts and their usage, since the word service in Ephesians 4 is also found in the list of the spiritual gifts found in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12. It would also seem necessary for the pastor to prepare God s people for the ministry of disciple-making that our Savior clearly indicated was the mission for all disciples as commanded in Matthew 28: Back in 2010 we developed five key ministry strategies to better equip and lead you to become fully devoted followers of Christ. (Last year we added the sixth and seventh) We hoped to accomplish these in 5 years ( ): 1. Develop and implement a third Worship Service on Sunday Morning (Began: 9/11/11) 2. Develop a strategy to make Life Groups a primary and significant ministry in our church for the purpose of shepherding the flock, mutual accountability and discipleship. (Began: 1/9/11) 3. Develop a more intentional evangelism strategy to better fulfill the Great Commission. (Launched: 1/25/13) We refined our mission statement into what it is today. We also created goals and objectives for our personal, local and global outreach. 4. Create an intentional Adult Education curriculum (Strategic Preaching Plan) in order to equip our adults so they have a solid handle on the Word of God, theology and a Christian World view. This strategic goal is directly tied into my Doctor of Ministry Thesis-Project. (Goal February, 2014) 5. Plant four daughter churches in the next 15 years. (Begin Research & Discussions to create a church planting strategy: February May, 2014) 6. Begin a facility usage and need study and create a facilities and campus improvement and/or expansion plan. (Begin June, 2014) 7. Develop an intentional Leadership Development Strategy. (Begin January 1, 2015)

6 6 B. The role of God s people to do the works of service The works of service is a broad term that would include any kind service toward one another. It would certainly include the use of ones spiritual gift in serving the rest of the church. It would also include participation in the mission of making disciples. The N.T. uses the term one another multiple times expressing the significance of each person in the church caring for the other members. It is impossible for a pastor, or even in a large church, multiple pastors to meet the needs of all the people. It is the responsibility of the God s people in the church to love, encourage, pray for, bear one another s burdens, strengthen the weak, stimulate one another toward love and good works, and hold each other accountable. It is precisely for this reason, that we created Life Groups. It is only in the context of knowing others and being known that we can serve one another s needs. It is important to note that every one of God s people is to have an active role in the church. Not only does verse 12 describe God s people, plural to identify all who are part of the church, but at the end of verse 16 Paul says that the church builds itself up in love as each part does its work. Each and every one of God s people are to have a part in the disciple making process. The gospel is to be shared so people can be introduced to Jesus Christ and hopefully believe in him and become a follower of Christ. Those who become followers of Christ are to be encouraged to be baptized to obey Christ by making their faith a public proclamation. Followers of Christ are to be involved in encouraging and challenging one another toward greater obedience and faithfulness to the words of our Master, the one we follow, Jesus Christ. Sometimes this takes place in formal ministries, like Bible studies and Life Groups. Other times it is casual and spontaneous. I read an article by Pastor Erik Raymond in which he said, Disciple making is simply ordinary Christianity. He goes on to give some great examples: Discipleship happens when a guy wants to be married but doesn t have a game plan for how to go about it. He asks another brother for guidance and help. This brother takes him out to lunch and talks through some biblical and practical principles. He then commits to pray for him, to be available for questions, and to meet occasionally to talk about his progress. Discipleship happens when a mom with two toddlers drops something off that she borrowed from another sister at church. During the exchange they get to talking and the young mom expresses her feelings of fatigue and failure to measure up to her perceived standards of motherhood. The other woman listens to her, reminds her of Scripture, prays with her, and then continues to come alongside of her for encouragement in the gospel. Discipleship happens when a dad points out a scantily dressed lady and tells his teenage sons that what they see in not beauty. He explains to them what beauty is as it relates to God s character and will. He continues to tell, show, and emphasize the true beauty that God delights in.

7 7 Discipleship happens when a brother notices another brother is running hard after his job and neglecting his family and ministry. He comes alongside of his brother to remind him of the true and lasting treasure, and the proper perspective on work. Discipleship happens when a mom is at the park with her children. At one point the kids become unruly and she patiently, graciously but faithfully, disciplines her children. There are many watching eyes around her. Both the believing and unbelieving women are intrigued. Conversations begin and soon the fruit of the Spirit points to the matchless worth of Christ. Discipleship happens when a high school student makes the conscious choice to use his lunch break to make new friends and open doors for sharing the gospel. Discipleship happens when a single woman senses another single woman s discontentment in being single. She makes a point to come alongside of her for encouragement in the goodness of the gospel. (Erik Raymond is pastor at Emmaus Bible Church in Omaha, Nebraska, his blog is Ordinary Pastor.) These are just everyday, ordinary circumstances, demonstrating that discipleship is simply the ordinary practice of believers seeking to fulfill God s will in Hebrews where we are told, But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin s deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:13 4. The results when each person does their part. to prepare God s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:12-16 A. The church is strengthened and expanded. so that the body of Christ may be built up. B. The church grows in unity. until we reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God. C. The church grows in maturity. become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son Romans 8:29a D. The church fulfills its mission.

8 8 The church that is united is a powerful witness. Jesus prayed in John 17:20-22, My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The church that is mature, like Christ, shares in his passion to fulfill his mission. My prayer is not that you would take them out of the world but that you would protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. John 17:15-18 This is Jesus supreme purpose for coming to earth, likewise it is the supreme mission of the church. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. Luke 19:10 Since people matter to Jesus then they will matter to us, his followers. Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Matthew 9:35-38 Our mission at Alderwood Community Church is: To become and lead others to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. This requires everybody and every resource be focused on this one mission. Conclusion: My prayer for each of you is that you would: 1. See people as Christ sees people. That you would have compassion on them and see them as spiritually harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:35-38) 2. Think Mission. In everything that we do, so that it intentionally contributes toward leading others to become fully devoted followers of Christ. 3. Engage in our Mission. Initiate spiritual conversations, looking for opportunities to introduce people to the love, grace and truth that is found in Jesus Christ. Grow in your own faith and obedience, and encourage and stimulate others to do the same.