GROWING AND LIVING FOR CHRIST . . . TOGETHER

Introduction

-{Colossians 1}

-The sports world has several stories of athletes who touted as the next best thing, but never actually lived up to their potential. For example, Michelle Wie turned to professional golf before her 16th birthday, was the youngest person to qualify for an LPGA Tour even, and even competed in men’s PGA events. The media hyped her up because it made a great story, but she ended up only winning 5 tournaments in her career. She never truly reached her full potential of being the next superstar.

~Then there is the career of quarterback Ryan Leaf. Ryan had an amazing college career which included being a Heisman Trophy finalist, PAC-10 Offensive Player of the Year, and being a first team All-American. In the NFL draft the top quarterbacks were Leaf and Peyton Manning. Leaf was picked up by the (then) San Diego Chargers where he had miserable seasons marred by bad play, poor behavior, and injuries. After three seasons with the Chargers and four games withe the Dallas Cowboys it was over. Here you had stellar athletes with such promise, but it didn’t translate onto the big stage.

-The reason that I bring this up is that too many churches in America are like these athletes—they have promise, but are not living up to their potential. While the church is endowed with the truth of the gospel and empowered with the presence of the Holy Spirit, too many churches are either closing their doors due to dwindling attendance or else they are compromising in order to keep them open.

-In 2019, before the pandemic, Lifeway Research found that while 3000 churches were planted in the US, around 4500 churches closed their doors. While no solid statistics after the pandemic have been shared yet, the pandemic magnified the decline that was already happening. Churches are dying and disappearing in America.

-Unfortunately, many (not all) of the churches that survived or grew did so by way of compromise with cultural trends or pressures, and we hear too many stories of churches watering down truth or using gimmicks to continue “bringing in the people.”

*For example {bring up slide}—a former, famous Southern Baptist women’s speaker left the Southern Baptists a few years ago to go to an Anglican church. Recently that church hosted an interfaith dialogue where they allowed a Muslim Imam to chant from the Quran and pray from behind the pulpit. Let that sink in—they allowed a teacher from a false religion to teach in the context of a church service from their unholy book instead of the Bible.

*Or, another example {next slide}—pastors turned their churches into movie houses and exegeted about truths found in now famous movies rather than giving expository messages from God’s Holy Word. The picture shows some churches that offered so much truth from the Barbie movie, including the required Barbie photo booth. Still other churches uncovered spiritual truths out of Bowser singing “Peaches” in Super Mario, or talked about Optimus Prime transforming into a new creation.

-In a world that is steeped in spiritual darkness and seeming to plummet to the depths of hell, is this what the world needs? No--it needs the church to fulfill its mission in discipling the nations, not finding ways to pacify people’s guilty conscience with entertainment and mental narcotics. As the saying goes: IF YOU KEEP DOING WHAT YOU DO YOU’LL KEEP GETTING WHAT YOU GOT. If the church does not step into the role for which Christ saved it, then the church will face the same disciplines that 5 out of 7 churches in the book of Revelation received when they were found faithless, and have their lampstands snuffed out. The church needs to fulfill mission, not fill its belly or fill its ego or fill its pride or fill its flesh.

-Harvest Baptist Church, we might not yet be all that we can be, but we must be what Christ wants us to be and what the world needs us to be. And that comes by discipling you to be spiritually mature people who in turn serve Christ from an abundant heart. A church is healthy when it provides an atmosphere that encourages spiritual maturity through the knowledge and application of Scripture.

-The days of pew-sitting and excuse-making are long gone. We have not been called to hide ourselves in our holy huddle, trying to shelter ourselves from what’s out there. Instead, we are called to the battle that has raged since the fall of mankind, as Christ calls us to take spiritual ground from the enemy as we not only lead people to Christ, but we disciple them to then be disciple-makers. But that will only happen if we ourselves are growing and living for Christ.

-Today, we get on mission. And when a church fulfills its mission, the people grow and live for Christ and they do it together. This is what Harvest Baptist Church is about from now on. If anyone ever asks you what Harvest Baptist Church is about, you tell them, we are about GROWING AND LIVING FOR CHRIST . . . TOGETHER.

-In the verses that I am looking at, Paul describes what his ministry is all about. And in doing so, he gives the church its mission. And if we are united behind this mission, we will see God use us to expand His rule and reign on earth. So what does Paul say?

Colossians 1:27–28 NET 2nd ed.

27 God wanted to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim him by instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature in Christ.

-[pray]

-From these verses (and especially in v. 28), we see what the church’s ministry is all about. This, in turn, feeds our mission. So, we find first, that Paul gives us...

1) The focus of our ministry

-In a nation that centers on people’s every whim being catered to, where a person’s felt need is the driving force behind every decision, this mindset has seeped its way into the church watering it down until its unrecognizable from what Christ intended. Like spectators at a movie theater, people come into the church for their moment of feeling warm fuzzies before they move on to the next thing that they think will fill their empty souls. Churches now are expected to be the place of providing mind-numbing activity to fill the time, another means of escapism from turbulent lives.

-Paul says that this is not what a church’s ministry is about. In v. 27 he says that God wanted to make known the wonderful mystery of Christ in you, the hope of glory. And then he makes this bold statement in v. 28 WE PROCLAIM HIM. It truly is as simple as that. You want hope and peace in your trials? You don’t need a coping mechanism, you need Christ, our healer and sustainer. You want to find meaning and value in your life? You need Christ who gives you your value. You want to know that you matter in the world? You need Christ, because you mattered so much to Him that He died on the cross to save you.

-A church’s ministry is not providing a bunch of programs to fill into your already busy schedule. A church’s ministry is not to give you sound bites of pop psychology or a positive pep talk to warm your heart. A church’s ministry focuses on one thing only—WE PROCLAIM CHRIST. Christ is our Savior. Christ is our Lord. Christ is our peace. Christ is our hope. Christ is the very foundation of everything we do.

-If Christ is not the focus, then it is not Christian. If you think you can learn something about life from an Imam, then go to a Islamic mosque and call yourself Muslim. If you think that Barbie has something to say about life, then start a movie podcast and flirt with the ways of the world. But if a church wants to be a church, then it proclaims Christ who is its founder, sustainer, and bridegroom. A church that focuses on anything other than Christ is not a church. It might be a country club. It might be a spa. It might be book club. Whatever else it might be, it is most certainly not a church.

-Harvest Baptist Church, is we are going to be on mission and fulfill the ministry that God has for us, we must be a church that focuses on Christ. There is nothing and no one else that can help you and grow you. Our reason for existence is Christ. And we are not going to turn our back on Him. But Paul goes on in this verse to give us...

2) The method of our ministry

-Paul says in v. 28 that WE PROCLAIM CHRIST BY INSTRUCTING AND TEACHING ALL PEOPLE WITH ALL WISDOM. The wording actually looks at things from both a negative and positive way. In a negative way it means that the church instructs in such a way so as to correct any wrong behavior or belief. It is to have a corrective influence on someone. Christ died for us not so we can live any old way we want or believe any old thing we want, but so we can live in a Christ-like way, and that involves correction. The word refers to the corrective word of a father to his child. Just as a father warns away aberrant behavior from his son or daughter, so the church is given the task of correcting the behavior of Christians. It also means correcting the bad teaching of false prophets. If you are exposed to the false, you need to battle it with the truth.

-But there is also, obviously, the positive aspect of teaching, showing someone the correct path of life in Christ. The ministry of the church is focused on Christ, and we do so by fulfilling the Great Commission of making disciples through instruction and teaching. We demonstrate to people that this is who Christ is, this is what He accomplished, and this is what He taught.

-But what is the source of this instruction and teaching? Where do go to be corrected but also to be taught and trained? When Jesus gave the Great Commission He said to disciple people by teaching them to obey everything that He commanded. But where do we find what Jesus commanded? The only source is the inerrant, infallible Word of God. If a church is going to fulfill its mission, it focuses on Christ and teaches people through the revelation of Christ as given in Scripture.

-A church doesn’t look to the latest news sources or blogs or podcasts to find material to talk about. A church doesn’t look to social media to find the latest trends. A church exposes people to God’s Word because it is the only inspired source of truth given by God.

-Someone likened this part of the ministry to a lighthouse that is on a rocky coastline. The beacon of the lighthouse shines brightly in the darkness warning ships of the danger of the rocks and also guiding them along a safe path to shore. Likewise, the ministry of a church involves warning others of spiritual dangers and teaching them the wisdom of God’s Word, guiding them on the path to Christ-likeness.

-So, Paul tells us the focus of our ministry and the method of our ministry. And then Paul goes on in this verse to give us...

3) The goal of our ministry

-Paul says that WE PROCLAIM CHRIST BY INSTRUCTING AND TEACHING ALL PEOPLE WITH ALL WISDOM SO THAT WE MAY PRESENT EVERY PERSON MATURE IN CHRIST. Our goal is for people to grow up in Christ. Just like healthy individuals grow physically and mentally and mature over time, so it is expected that Christians will grow and mature spiritually over time. It is not an immediate outcome, but it is a progressive walk. We don’t expect babies to all of a sudden have the physical and mental capabilities of a 30-year-old, neither do we expect baby Christians to suddenly have all theological knowledge with the capability of practical living. It is progressive growth that comes through instruction and teaching.

-But, here is the thing, Christians will grow. Christians will not stay in the same place if they are devoted to Christ. If you are no more spiritually mature today than you were 10 years ago, it either means that you are not a Christian or it means that you have not been instructed and taught, either through your own fault by not investing in your growth, or it is because you have not placed yourself in an atmosphere conducive to growth. And we, as a church, want to be the atmosphere that is conducive to growth.

-But, how do we know that we are maturing? We know we are maturing when we take on a Christian worldview. That means that the way we look at life and at the issues of life is informed by Scripture, and therefore the actions we take and the decisions we make are informed by Scripture. What drives our choices is not our own desires and wants and dreams, but rather what Scripture says guides our path. And so, no matter what culture might say or what our favorite celebrity might say, we don’t take on those thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes. Rather, we cling to what God tells us in the Bible. And if what the Bible says comes into conflict with what culture says or the world says or what a blogger says or what a podcaster says, then they are wrong and the Bible is right and we choose to follow the Bible.

-But I want you to hear me about this fact of maturity being our goal. Merely knowing the right things is not enough for spiritually maturity. Just because you know some Bible and you know the right answers doesn’t mean you are mature. You are mature when you not only know what is right, but then you live it out. Maturity will show itself in lifestyle. The Bible informs your mind so that you take on a Christian worldview, but then the Bible informs your lifestyle so that you live like Christ for the glory of Christ. Yes, I want you to constantly gain in your understanding of God and Christ and the Holy Spirit and the gospel and holiness, but then I want you to then convert that understanding into your daily walk where you are living for Christ in your home and your job and your school and your sports and your entertainment and every other aspect you can think of.

-Paul says that this is the ministry of the church, and therefore, Harvest Baptist Church, this is our ministry. Harvest Baptist Church: WE PROCLAIM CHRIST BY INSTRUCTING AND TEACHING ALL PEOPLE WITH ALL WISDOM SO THAT WE MAY PRESENT EVERY PERSON MATURE IN CHRIST.

-And so, from this common ministry for all churches comes our mission as a local church body. We cannot afford to just be another church just kind of plugging along, not living to its potential. Our potential is found in proclaiming Christ, instructing and teaching so that we can present everyone that we have any influence over as mature believers in Jesus Christ. So, how does that translate into our mission?

Mission of the Church

-From our mission comes our mandate. We want people to mature and grow, and that means that we not only have the facts, but we put those facts into practice. Again, when you or anyone else thinks of Harvest Baptist Church, we want them to say of us that we are

GROWING AND LIVING FOR CHRIST . . . TOGETHER.

-We are maturing in Christ, and we are building relationships with one another so that we can encourage one another in this journey of faith. And as we go this route, there are certain values that Scripture gives that speak into everything we do to fulfill our mission. Values such as the fact that:

· The Gospel gives Eternal Life (our central message…)

· The Scripture defines our Lifestyle (it speaks into what we think and do and say)

· The Worship of God provides us with our Life Focus (it’s something we do every day)

· The Great Commission declares our Life Purpose (all Christians are disciple-makers)

· The Church promotes Life Together (we can’t be Lone Rangers, but we do life together)

· The Spiritual Gifts equip us for Life Service (we don’t just sit back, but put our gifts to use)

-Notice that our values are all about what Paul told us in v. 27—Christ in us, the hope of glory. It is the life of Christ being lived through us. Christianity is not a passive activity (which is an oxymoron since you can’t be passive and active at the same time), but it is a lifestyle to be lived. It is active. We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, which changes our lives to bear the fruit of good works.

-We might ask what is the road map or the GPS that will guide people in their growth? We could maybe divide it into 3 different steps:

· DISCOVER (where we want people to discover Christ and discover the church—some aspects of this entail:)

o Pastoral Worship (where the worship service is used to pastor people’s souls—we evangelize the lost to shepherd them to Christ but we also care for God’s sheep and help them in their growth)

o Harvest Vision (one-day class to give visitors/seekers a quick intro to Christ and HBC)

o Harvest Discovery (three-week class to dive deeper into HBC with the intent of leading to a commitment of membership if God so leads)

o Harvest Connect (ministry team to help guide visitors or new members into what we have for them—to get them connected to the church and the people of the church)

· DEEPEN (where we as a church give you every opportunity to grow and mature—learning truth and then living that truth out)

o Life Groups (our version of Sunday School where you grow in Christ and in relationship with one another)

o D-Groups (These are discipleship groups of 3-4 people with the intent that the people will grow in the walk with Christ, and then eventually in turn they will start their own D-Groups and the multiplication goes from there. We have started some D-groups and as they multiply there will be more opportunity to be involved.)

o Expository and Theological Preaching / Worship (Where God’s Word and its implications are allowed to impact lives and challenge people in not being stagnant, but being actively involved in living out Scripture)

o Children / Youth Discipleship (Our staff are committed to the maturity of our children and youth. While children and youth still have their fun times, that is not what is central—we don’t entertain just to draw people in. We feel an obligation to confront children and youth with the truth of the Word and we are obligated to instruct and teach them as Paul says. Parents, we might not have all the fancy programs or doo-dads, but I can guarantee you that we will give your children and youth God’s Word. But, this is with the understanding that we are supplementing your ministry to your kids. We are not a substitute for what they should be getting at home—we are the reinforcements.)

o Fellowships (We believe that the stronger the relationships are within the church, the more we are going to be able to fulfill the mission that God has for us. We want to build unity and cohesiveness in the church body. But that means you have to get out of your shell and your pew and meet people. This entails events, but also entails just going to talk to people....)

· DEMONSTRATE (where we offer you opportunities to live out your faith through the church)

o In-church ministries (shut-in ministry, bereavement ministry, music ministry, etc.)

o Community ministries (HOTH, Always Endure, FCA, etc.)

o Outreach (events, Saturate USA, etc.)

o Evangelism (Personal Evangelism training, Gospel tract ministry, etc.)

-So, what does this look like—how are we going to role this out?

6 months – 1 year

· Formation of ministry teams (teams that assist staff in fulfilling mission; [examples], committees do church business, teams assist in ministry)

· Harvest Vision Class

· Harvest Discovery Class

· Internal audit of church processes

· Gospel tract ministry

· Saturate USA via families

1-3 years

· Audit of church processes by state mission board

· Personal evangelism training

· Reinstitute REACH THE HARVEST (door-to-door evangelism)

3-5 years

· Ministry internships that help train the next generation of leaders

· Have an outside agency help re-evaluate the vision

5-10 years

· Discipleship Beyond: (our discipleship of the nations will go out of the four walls in the church to make an impact on the Christian community wherever God blesses us to have an influence)

o Partner in planting discipleship-focused churches

o Theological Institute to train members and lay leaders of churches in disciple-focused / worldview-building ministries (including partnerships with apologetic ministries such as Stand to Reason, Reasonable Faith, and Reasons to Believe)

o Build or join a network of likeminded discipleship-focused / worldview-building churches

Conclusion

-With the world the way that it is, churches can no longer just go with the status quo. We Christians cannot just do church like normal. All of us need to band together on mission. We can’t be on auto-pilot anymore. WE MUST PROCLAIM CHRIST BY INSTRUCTING AND TEACHING ALL PEOPLE WITH ALL WISDOM SO THAT WE MAY PRESENT EVERY PERSON MATURE IN CHRIST.

-Christian, will you pray for our church and for yourself to be growing and living in Christ. Pray that we can be on mission. Also, invite someone to church to join us in our mission. We need as many hands on deck as we can.

-If you haven’t joined our church yet, please join us and help us be a place that provides an atmosphere that encourages spiritual maturity through the knowledge and application of Scripture.

-But if you are religious or a church goer but have never trusted in Jesus Christ, He died to give you eternal life, and there is no other way. Believe in Him today...