Church on Purpose- TEACH: Speak Up!

Sermon: FCC Afton January 15, 2023 Church on Purpose Series Teach: "Speak Up" Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:11, 14-16; 2 Tim. 2:15-16 Last week, we began our series called Church on purpose, which is a look at how we, as the Church, effectively and tangibly influence the world in the way that Jesus has commanded us to by making disciples, teaching them what He has taught us and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? This series takes a deeper look at the purpose of the Church- and not just the general Church, but you as the Church, your purpose. What does it mean for you to teach others what Jesus taught you, what does it mean for you to be a disciple of Jesus and to make others into disciples, and what does it mean for you to go unto the world for Jesus as readied, disciple-making disciples and to grow the Kingdom of God? Last week, we looked at how before we can teach others what Christ commanded us, we must make sure that we are listening well to what Christ is trying to teach us! We tend to struggle with listening, but this week is a lesson in speaking up- something most of us do well; we are going to examine how to know what to speak and how to be prepared for when we are supposed to speak it. Read Scriptures here: [Pray here] Read Matthew 28:19-20: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them... and teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you." Read Acts 1:8: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be My witnesses..." Main Idea: The Great Commission that Jesus has given us is purposeful, not optional! The Great Commission is not an optional thing that some Christians might do, if they're really good at talking and building relationships- or that some Christians do when they go overseas on mission trips- or that the preacher is supposed to do to grow the Church. It means YOU! [Insert name here], you go and make disciples; you baptize; you teach; you will be My witness to the end of the earth! If you're good at teaching, then focus on teaching; if you're good at showing others how to be disciples, then focus on that aspect; if it is working missionally or supporting others in mission work, then focus your attention there. No single person can do everything! This Christian work requires all of us to active in the areas that God has equipped us. If God has placed you in the ranching world, make disciples there; if its amongst your fellow farmers, teach them Christ's truths; if you spend most of your time in the local pool hall with your buddies, make disciples there. While we are discussing the purpose of the Church at large and this church in particular, we are also looking at what you must do to understand the work that God is calling you to do and how to be prepared for it! Ephesians 6:19 "Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel." Colossians 4:3-6 "Pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the message, to speak the mystery of the Messiah, for which I am in prison, so that I may reveal it as I am required to speak. Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer each person." God has called you to speak- maybe not preach, but God has called you to always have His Words at the ready when you open your mouth! God has called you to speak up for Jesus! Point 1. Prepare yourself! 1 Timothy 4:11, 14-16 "Command and teach these things; do not neglect the gift that is in you; practice these things and be committed to them; pay close attention to your life and your teaching." A. Know what your assignment is: 2 Timothy 4:5 "But as for you, be serious about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry." Be an example of Godliness and effective faith. Fulfill the specific ministry that God has assigned for you to do. God has called you to do a specific work; He expects you to fulfill it. But what is it? Consider two things when seeking to discover what that specific work is: * Gifting - what gifts has God wired into my life? We find options in passages like Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4. Are you a teacher? administrator? exhortor? Do you have the gift of giving, mercy, leadership? Are you a pastor? an evangelist? If you are not sure what your gift is - then start attempting things under the guidance of a leader. Let them help discover and affirm what's there. * Grace - where does God seem to be favoring my efforts? In the New Testament, Simon Peter had the grace to minister to the Jews and Paul had the grace upon his life to speak to Gentiles. There are some in the Church who have a grace upon their life to minister to addicts or to the grieving, some work best with children; others are gifted with working with Hispanic immigrants, some are better behind the scenes and others out front, some to strangers while others to those they build close relationships with, some to those overseas and some to those here at home, etc. B. Always be prepared to preach. Always be prepared to explain and defend your faith: 1 Peter 3:15-16 "Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are accused, those who demonize your Christian life will be put to shame." -You never know when/ where God might call on you to preach/ explain/ share. There will be times when it will be rather inconvenient to give your testimony/ share the Gospel/ speak some truth into someone's life- you do it anyway. You have your testimony prepared and ready to be recalled at a moments' notice; you have personal faith stories ready to encourage someone when they need it; you keep, at the ready, the truths of the Gospel, because you never know what little seed you might plant in someone's life just when they need it that God will cause to grow and bear fruit! C. When you speak, speak the very words of God: 1 Peter 4:10-11 "Based on the gift each of you has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God. If anyone speaks, it should be as one who speaks God's words." The good steward of the spiritual gifts that God provides will open his mouth but let the very words of God speak through Him. You will not see the steward speaking contrarily to the orders or will of the King; such a steward would not be considered particularly good, or may be considered treacherous, and would be quickly removed from his position. In the same way, we are to speak the will and orders of the King when we open our mouths! Point 2. Be a Diligent Worker 2 Timothy 2:15-16 "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the Word of Truth. But avoid irreverent, empty speech, for this produces an even greater measure of godlessness." A. Have an assurance of what you know: Be assured both of your identity in Christ and of the things that He taught and commanded you. Be confident in your knowledge of the Gospel, of the Good News that Christ desires us to take to all men. -Be diligent! That means that you make it a priority, you work harder at this than you would a hobby- this is something you want to get right, because this is so much more important! Be diligent to present yourself to God as the kind of person He can count on, the one that He can turn to when He needs someone to speak, someone who can correctly teach the Word of Truth! Know how you will correctly teach the Word of Truth before the opportunity even arises. How do you do that? You get yourself plugged in and active in church; you spend time exploring and understanding the Word; you do the prep work! How can you do the prep work for this work of teaching the Gospel if you are never plugged in to authentic fellowship? How can you invest the time into the spiritual work that God wants you to do if you are always investing in the temporal things of this world? As a fisherman, you would never go out to the river or the lake with no rod, no bait, no waders, no boat- and then just expect that you're going to be an accomplished fisherman. No, you diligently work to make sure that when you get there, when you finally have the opportunity to fish, that you're going to make the most of it- you make sure that you will be a fisherman that is arriving at the task ready, a fisherman who doesn't need to be ashamed. B. Don't tarnish your witness! 1 Timothy 4:12 "You should be an example to the Believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." Pay attention to your life and the things you're teaching; be above reproach in action and in what you teach, so that people will respond to your teaching and come to life. This is pretty straightforward. You cannot be an unashamed worker, an unashamed teacher of the Gospel if you spend half your time dropping the f-bomb or gossiping or talking with your buddies about their latest sexual exploits. Irreverent, ungodly speech breeds godless behavior. On top of that, the last person that someone with questions about Jesus is going to come ask is the person whose speech and behavior is not different than their own. We must be "in the world, but not of this world" and "not love the things of this world" (1 John 2:15). Being a worker approved by God means that the example that you put forth is one that positively reflects on the God of our salvation. Invitation and challenge: Be ready to speak up! And not just speaking for the sake of speaking but have the really important things ready for when God calls you to speak! If you're sitting there wondering what it is that God might be preparing for you to do with your life, or at this stage in your life, let's talk. Let's dig into the Word; let's go to prayer together to figure this out. But as you walk out of these doors today, prepare yourself. You've got a job to do. You've got a story to tell; God is just waiting for you to tell it.