The Task of The Church

IT was six men of Indostan To learning much inclined, Who went to see the Elephant (Though all of them were blind), That each by observation Might satisfy his mind. II. The First approached the Elephant, And happening to fall Against his broad and sturdy side, At once began to bawl: "God bless me!—but the Elephant Is very like a wall!" III. The Second, feeling of the tusk, Cried: "Ho!—what have we here So very round and smooth and sharp? To me 't is mighty clear This wonder of an Elephant Is very like a spear!" IV. The Third approached the animal, And happening to take The squirming trunk within his hands, Thus boldly up and spake: "I see," quoth he, "the Elephant Is very like a snake!" V. The Fourth reached out his eager hand, And felt about the knee. "What most this wondrous beast is like Is mighty plain," quoth he; "'T is clear enough the Elephant Is very like a tree!" VI. The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear, Said: "E'en the blindest man Can tell what this resembles most; Deny the fact who can, This marvel of an Elephant Is very like a fan!" VII. The Sixth no sooner had begun About the beast to grope, Than, seizing on the swinging tail That fell within his scope, "I see," quoth he, "the Elephant Is very like a rope!" VIII. And so these men of Indostan Disputed loud and long, Each in his own opinion Exceeding stiff and strong, Though each was partly in the right, And all were in the wrong!

MORAL. So, oft in theologic wars The disputants, I ween, Rail on in utter ignorance Of what each other mean, And prate about an Elephant Not one of them has seen!

Old Hindoo Fable John Godfrey Saxe

Hook

In the 1900: 28- Churches for every 10,000 Americans

in 2011 - 11 Churches for every 10,000 Americans

in 2022 - 3,000 openings and 4,500 closings

Newly planted churches are more effective than existing congregations at drawing people who aren’t connected with a church, according to a 2015 Lifeway Research study.

Ingredeance

Mission

All that God is doing to bring the Nations to Himself

Missions

The Pursuit of Sharing an Showing the Gospel to all the corners of the Earth

Missional

Adopting the posture of a missionary - Joining Jesus learning and adapting to the culture around you while remaining Biblically sound.

Cook & Serve

Mission

All that God is doing to bring the Nations to Himself

“I will Build My Church”

God has been calling people to become His followers from creation.

God has been calling people out of their sin and living in darkness to walk in his Marvelous Light for thousands of years

God has been working with many different nations in shaping and forming the times and the day and hour when her would send His Son to make this connection to Himself more clear and complete

Jesus then came into this world and became the Example of what walking with God should Look like.

As soon as His public ministry started He called others to Follow Him.

And others called others and and that spread like a wild fire.

Called out ones - The Ecclacea

The Apostels and Paul proclaimed this message and intrusted it to faithful men who where able to do the same.

And that has been reality that we have lived in and are currently living in.

God is Still bringing the Nations to Himself.

“I will Build My Church”

Missions

The Pursuit of Sharing an Showing the Gospel to all the corners of the Earth

Sharing

Sharing is Caring - Sharing is WAR!

Soldiers of Christ -2 Ti 2:3–4 “3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the commanding officer.”

Marathon Not A Sprint

2 Timothy 2:5 “5 Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”

Tree and Not a Weed

2 Timothy 2:6 “6 The hardworking farmer ought to be the first to get a share of the crops.”

Showing

Christinas should be living different lives than the people of the world.

They know us by our Love - How are we showing

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 5

9 I wrote to you in a letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. 10 I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world.

The Pursuit of Sharing an Showing the Gospel to all the corners of the Earth

Happens in Church Planting

Prayer

Patients

Place

People

Provisions

Preaching

Prayer

Prescribe-able

Missional

Adopting the posture of a missionary - Joining Jesus learning and adapting to the culture around you while remaining Biblically sound.

Joining Jesus - Incarnational Ministry

Jesus became a man and lived with people

He lived with the people he wanted to reach and

Becoming a part of the community that you trying to reach.

Moving into the community

Spending a lot of time in the community

Spending time with the people

Learning and Adapting to the culture around you

Just as Jesus has called Andrew and Peter James and John to be fishers of men

Does a Fish know it is wet?

Like fish are unaware of being in water, many Christians are just as unaware of the postmodern world they live in and the influence it has on their lives.

Learn about the mission field around you

Who is their God?

What are their needs?

Where do they thrive?

What make them diffrent?

What make them special?

No the number of People you have Not how it looks not how it

The Trellis and The Vine--

Remaining Biblically Sound

One Pastor- Do you want you Christianity Exported?

Are you living Holy?

Are You striving to Live Like Jesus?

The Elephant - We know who it is We have a detailed manual to tell us all we need to know

How he wants to be worshiped What he wants us to do .