Church - Part 7
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 44:11
0 ratings
· 92 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
Welcome...
Introduction…
Continuing our series on what is the church
Pray
Heavenly Father, please give me clarity in the words I speak.
Please fill us with the truth of your word and grant us
repentance where there is sin,
understanding where there is confusion, and
wisdom where there is foolishness.
Open our ears and our hearts,
Turn our affections towards you,
And make yourself our greatest joy and treasure.
In Jesus name, Amen.
[[SLIDE]]
Without a correct view of the church, a person will not have a correct view of what it means to follow Jesus.
[[SLIDE]]
At Abide Church, we believe that
(1) the Bible is our final authority in all matters,
(2) the nature of the church is a theological issue, and
(3) that both the Universal Church and the Local Church are divinely instituted.
We are going to continue to use Retro-Christianity’s essential “marks” and “works” framework.
These essential “marks” and “works” are both
Biblical (supported by scripture)
Historical (largely recognized throughout church history)
[[SLIDE]]
Framework:
Marks
Ordinances
Order
Orthodoxy
Works
Exaltation
Edification
Evangelism
Of the people I encounter who call themselves Christians, I am noticing two flavors (types):
Convictional vs. Cultural
Convictional vs. Cultural
Convictional = real deal
Convictional = actually believes everything the Bible teaches
Cultural = Moralistic Therapeutic Deist
Moralistic Therapeutic Deism
Moralistic Therapeutic Deism
What is “evangelism?”
What is “evangelism?”
To proclaim a good message.
What is that message?
God is good
Because of my sin and your sin we are separated from God
Jesus came down from heaven to bring us back to God
Jesus died, was buried, rose from the dead demonstrating his power over sin and death
God offers us eternal life if we turn from our sin and believe in Jesus.
A sample of what the Bible teaches about evangelism:
Evangelism is central in Jesus’ Teaching
Evangelism is central in Jesus’ Teaching
Because it’s central in his teaching, it’s central to being his disciples
Because it’s central to being his disciples, it’s central to being a functioning church
While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Jesus entire life and ministry was built around proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. That is evangelism.
Jesus came to free captives and give sight to the blind
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
How can we talk about evangelism without talking about the great commission:
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Evangelism is passive AND active
Evangelism is passive AND active
An example of passive evangelism...
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
OR
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
Maybe you’ve heard the quote:
“Preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words”
I love and hate this quote.
The heart of the quote is that your life should be a testimony to the gospel. Great.
But the implication is that the way you live your life can be enough. USE WORDS!
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Look what Paul has to say...
I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
Evangelism extends out of Orthodoxy, Order, and Ordinances
Evangelism extends out of Orthodoxy, Order, and Ordinances
Orthodoxy
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.
Order (Membership)
“know you are my disciples by your love for one another...”
How we function as a church is a testimony to the world...
Order (Elders)
Look how Paul describes who this ought to work:
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Ordinances
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
All Christians are called to evangelism
All Christians are called to evangelism
Jesus teaching about discipleship is talking about everyone who calls themselves a disciple of Jesus!
Most of the books of the New Testament are letters written to churches, filled with Jesus disciples!
To follow Jesus is to be an evangelist.
Christians proclaim, Jesus saves
Christians proclaim, Jesus saves
A neat little reference...
The church in Corinth was experiencing strife and following men… (Paul & Apollos)
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
Evangelism is simple
Evangelism is simple
It’s powerful because of the message
We are proclaiming the cross of Christ!
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
This message is enough.
The gospel is enough.
The question is have you received it?
Do you believe it?
Has it transformed you to your very core?
Pray for that.