B.L.E.S.S.IN.G - 7 Steps to Gospel Engagement

GREET EVERYONE-

Good morning Loved ones - Good morning Saints

If I have not had a chance to meet you;  - in person or on live stream - My name is Scott, I am a follower of Jesus and have the fantastic privilege of serving Jesus as the Lead Pastor among the people of Stonewater Fellowship.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1 Next Sunday - Advent Season Begins - 5 biblical frameworks of Keep Christ in Christmas - AS we walk through the promises of Advent - A time of Anticipation

2 - Sunday Dec 10th Prayer Sunday

3- Sunday December 24th - Christmas Eve - Candlelight Worship gathering at 5:30 pm

4 - Let go to Prison - Kairos Prison - Video

LETS GRAB OUR BIBLES IF YOU HAVE ONE AND

Open it to 2nd Corinthians Chapter 5 verse 11 as we enter into the Christmas Season in a culture that continually and more passionately takes Jesus away from Christmas we will expose what God, through His word, might suggest are 7 steps to Gospel Engagement in our twiner teaching message called B.L.E.S.S.IN.G

As we come to the end of 2023 and the last unique message of 2023 based on the over all preaching teaching thyme of 2023 the Church.

We began with our annual church series - exposing from the scriptures, the Gospel Centeredness of God’s design of us as a church.

We exposed the biblical core values - the distinctives of Stonewater Fellowship as a local church.

After Easter, We exposed, from the Scriptures, our personal Identity - understanding the 7 Identity markers that we take on when we take on the name Christian.

We walked though the letter to Philemon and exposed what God says about Relationships we have in Christ that advocate restoration and reconciliation.

We exposed the biblical frameworks of our own adoption as Children of God adopted by His spirit and into His family.

We exposed the aspects of the Theology of Singing and understanding why we sing.

And finally we looked at the 7 biblical principles of living well in the culture of money.

And next week the season of Advent begins

Every year, this season is upon us - The Season of Advent.

Some of us might say the “Holiday Season” the “Christmas Season”.

But Ya know - Language is important - The Scriptures actually say that words have power - Specific kind of power.

Here is what is interesting, in our modern culture, and I just thought about this when I was manuscript this message out earlier this week, we live in a culture that is drifting further and further away from Jesus. (now that is not the new thought)

Here is what came to mind - WE stopped using the name advent for the season - When I say we I mean the church -

Some of us use Holiday Season - which has its roots in the Eastern English usage of Holiday as Vacation. Time off work.

That is what they say about taking vacation - You going on Holiday” meaning vacation.

That got its name from the meaning of Holy Day - or Separate days that were making of days of Rest like a sabbath rest.

We say “Christmas Season” which really is a word that indicated we are focused and thinking about that one day, Christmas Day”

And so the Use off “ADVENT SEASON” has been moved way out of our normal conversation.

Why ADVENT SEASON? - ADVENT means “the coming of a person or event”

Now Many of us go directly to event - Here is what I mean - We assimilate ADVENT the coming of an event with a season of preparation for celebrating Jesus Birth - His birthday - December 25th.

But here is what is more important - ADVENT is also the coming of a person - When an important person shows up - when Jesus shows up.

My prayer this year is that we would step into the season of Advent - The Season of Jesus arrival and let December 25th be a day that is part of the ADVENT Of JESUS not the event that we build up to.

SO as we end this year with a message about the church - know and understand from Scripture that the design, commissioning and orders of the Church are to Make Disciples.

But WHY? Other than Jesus said so - Is there another biblical framework by which the Why's of making disciples is explained -

First off - During this season where the Advent of Jesus is being Celebrated - I’m pretty sure there is not a better gift that we work to bring someone than the gift of Christ -

So this Advent Season I am reminded that We are the church - A People - not an address - not a building or a campus or even an institution. But the church is a people and the local church is an organized people.

The Church is a people.

Who is the Church?

We are the Church - and really we have one overarching function - To proclaim the gospel in everything we do - Because the Gospel is our message.

Think about it this way - the Church is to be a Gospel Centered people, on a gospel centered mission, doing Gospel centered service, in Gospel Centered community with Gospel Centered Leaders, working together in Gospel centered expressions.

SO that is the WHO - What about the WHY?

We are to be disciple makers Fishers of Men as Jesus would say -

So what I want to do this morning is to look at the Scriptures —Which can both describe for us what happened in the life of the early church and prescribe for us how we should live and move and find our meaning.

And right here in the second letter to the Corinthians that we have the Apostle Paul who is a disciple maker himself - Obedient to the calling of Christ that is extended to every believer.

Encapsulates the Gospel and the Disciple maker / Fisher of men calling of Christ that is extended everyone who is the church.

2 cor 5:11

2 Corinthians 5:11 ESV

11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.

Paul is speaking in the plural when He uses the word “WE” and he is referring to HIs team of Disiple makers that have gone place to place with him to make disciples from among the lost and assemble them into local churches.

and So as Men fishers and disciple makers - We Are to be persuaders - a People that persuade others about trusting in the finished work of Jesus and the call of repentance in the Gospel - because of the way we are to live lives that are as a Gospel Centered people.

WHY as we to live gospel centered lives- because of the Love of Christ! This is what Paul speaks to in verse 14 - Look at vs 14

2 Corinthians 5:14 (ESV)

14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;

It is the Love of Christ that He has for us and that we have for Him that controls us and compels us to fish for men.

And in the very work of our salvation, where the sacrificial love of Jesus saves us at the very same time when it takes away the heart of stone and replaces e it whit a heart of flesh - that very act gives us a love for Christ where we want and desire the thing in our live that he wants in our life. This is why our love for Christ controls us.

Paul tells the Corinthian church that They - meaning Him and His team and by invitation the believers in the Corinthian Church they are persuaders becasue of the Love of Jesus - It is the Love of Jesus for us that compel;ls us to share Him.

Paul says this that He is convinced that since Jesus dies for the Church everyone in the church has died to self - This is why the framework of Living a crusified life where we no longer live the life we want but rather the life, the abundant life that Jesus wants us to live is so very important in the aspect of our live as a Jesus follower

SO in VS 15 the Gospel call is repeated by Paul and is a certain thyme that is repeated in the Scriptures and so important to our life of being the church-

2 Corinthians 5:15 ESV

15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

That because Jesus dies for us - The Call of Christ was that we would no longer live for ourselves but for Jesus Christ , Who for my sake and your sake Dies and for our sake and for our sake was raised form the dead and now sits at the right hand of God in Glory -

We then must ask the practical question - How do we live for God when before Jesus we had no desire for anything of God?

Because in Christ Jesus we are not only saved we are made made new - The old has past and the new has come! Look at vs 17

2 cor 5:17

2 Corinthians 5:17–18 ESV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;

Here is Paul is saying - becasue we have died in Christ we are New Creatures in Christ. and as His new creatures we have a new purpose and a new life's work.

What is that -

2 Corinthians 5:18–21 ESV

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

You see our life and purpose and meaning that we find in this life is not living for ourselves but for the one who dies for us and was raised for us and that purpose and meaning is From God -

What did God do - He reconciled us to Himself -

This is the Gospel!

He mended our broken relationship with Him through the person and work of Jesus.

He gave us the ability to trust Jesus and His work and

by the Power of the Holy Spirit He changed us and made us knew so that we would be able to be in relationship with Him -

And when He fixed our relationship with Himself - he gave us a ministry

Ministry - Interesting word - It is a word that many people in the last few decades have used it to opt out.

What the word means in the language of the new testament - IS a servant with a specific kind of service - Like a waiter at a restaurant waiting tables.

The waiter that waits on you at your table serve you.

As Christians we are put into service to serve Jesus - That is why you hear me say at the beginning of every message I have the privileged of serving Jesus.

Because I serve Jesus.

Every follower of Jesus is to live for Jesus and not for himself as Paul would encourage us all in this letter.

HOW - The service the ministry of reconciliation - Being the instrument that God uses to reconcile people to himself -

That service of reconciliation that ministry of service to Jesus begins with the Gospel .

Right here in VS 19 - The Ministry of Reconciliation is to proclaim namely that it is God in Christ Reconciling the world to Himself and not counting their trespasses against them -

and what God has done is He has entrusted you and me with this task of service.

with this message of reconciliation.

VS20

Therefore which is just a different way of saying “becasue of that fact” becasue of the fact that God has intrusted you and me with the message of reconciliation - by putting us to task of serving Him with the work of reconciliation, to proclaim the mode of being reconciled to God namely it was God in Christ doing the reconciling.

Because of all that - WE are ambassadors for Christ -

Here is our identity in what we do -

We are Children of God, Heirs and co-heirs with Christ of the kingdom, Adopted by His spirit New creatures - God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus for Good works -

All wrapped up in the Job title we all hold - Ambassadors for Christ!

What does our ambassadorship look like -

God making His appeal to all of man kind through us -

Through the church - Through the assembly of the called out ones - Through His body - The Living breathing reality of the Body of Christ called the church.

SOOOOOO - We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

WHY?

Because he (GOD) made Him (his Son Jesus Christ) to be sin , even though Jesus did not know sin, God did this so that we might become the righteousness of God -

Folks - That is the Gospel -

We are saved By the Work of God -

We are Saved From the Wrath of God -

WE are saved TO God and for HIS purposes and

WE are saved for the Glory of God.

This Christmas season - This advent season - One of the things that God always calls us to do is to Keep Christ in Christmas.

And what I see is us striving to do that in possibly the wrong way - We are looking at the lost world and getting frustrated at them for acting like lost people - Lost people will take Jesus out of everything.

Loved ones - lost people will even try to take Jesus out of the Bible - The Very words of God what tell us of Jesus.

Jesus must be central to our lives - Central in everything - as a people who love Jesus and who love our neighbors we must take Jesus to them.

We wanna keep Christ in Christmas — Christ must be in the heart of People And the Holy Spirit of God must indwell them and the only way that happens is God saves them and the instrument that God has designed for Him to us to save them is you and me the church.

SO what we did is we put this simple pocket guide on the 7 Biblical Steps to Building Gospel Centered relationship with people who are far away from God and are christless in their life. Headed wot a Christ-less eternity -

in Short 7 Steps to Gospel Engagement.

Let me Give some credit here - Part of these 7 steps to Gospel Engagement were written by a Pastor of a local church named Dave Ferguson. He wrote the BLESS part and so we have adding the ING part -

Here is what the Acronym bless stands for

Begin with Prayer

Eat with someone

Serve someone

share with someone

Invite someone in

Grow with someone.

Lets look at them one at a time.

Colossians 4:3 ESV

At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—

and in his 2nd letter to the Thessalonians Paul would pray that the Gospel would spread in advance.

B BEGIN WITH PRAYER

So Begin with Prayer -

Pray for People - Pray for Places and Pray for Relationships.

When you pray for people - Pray for people you work with - Pray for people you live with in the market place - Pray for people you play with all who are far away from God — Pray that God would creat a spiritual curiosity in them

When you pray for places -

Pray for healing in places where pain exists

Pray for integrity in places where discussions are made.

Pray for spiritual community in places where events or parties happen.

Pray for provision where pennies are spent and dollars are dreamed of.

When You Pray for Relational Connection - PRay for that open door Pray for God spirit to Go in advance of you

L LISTEN WITH THE LOVE OF JESUS

In John Chapter 4 there is this story that I would encourage all of you to read. It is the Story of the Woman at the well.

There are many things about that historical narrative that are important.

But there are a couple that are oh so important loved ones.

1st is that the woman was a samaritian person - To a Jewish man she was WAY WAY WAY below him and He should have never ever even though of engaging her in conversation - In fact She would have been part of a community of people who would have been highly discriminated against.

But you see Jesus - The gospel removes a recial barriers and distinctions of who’s in and whos out. Jesus engages her and listens to her.

So L - Listen with the love of Jesus.

Remember - They really don't care what you know until they know how much you care. You and I, the proclaimers of this good new - we must be humble enough to earn th right to be heard.

E EAT WITH PEOPLE

Luke 5:27–32 ESV

After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

JEsau’s love to eat with sinners and tax collectors - IT was the religious who saved their dinner parties for people they knew. Jesus would go one and say when you have a dinner party dont invite the people you know - donot invote your friends and relatives Becasue they can pay you back - Instead Jesus would say - Invite the poor and the blind and the lame Becasue they cannnot pay you back -

Heere is what is interesting about thone narritives about jesus actual life - This is what Jesus does - he invites all who cannnot pay him back and all Thales who know they never could to his table of salvation - So EAT with people.

Eating toget her is one of the fastest ways to get to know someone -

So begin to ask the Lord in prayer - Holy Spirit open up to me what WHO i am supposed to have a cup of Joe with or share a meal with or invite into my home to eat with?

Ask God in prayer to open the oppportunties to eat with tax collectors and sinners as Jesus did so that you too can build a relationship with those who are far away from God.

S SERVE THEM

Mark 10:42–45 ESV

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

NOW - before you jump out there in serving somewhere or someone - Take time to pray and Seek the Lord - Ask him about those you have been listening to and eating with - Those you are in a BLESSING relationship with how and when to serve. Here is what I have seen - When you ask God it is usually right infront of you and it will be something you are not all that comfortable with.

I hear someone say not all that long ago who was in relationship with a single mom - I really not called to work with Kids and my response was “are you sure? That is what God has placed right in front of you”

So ask “who an you serve this week and how”

Sometimes the best place to begin developing Blessing relationship is in places of service - In our ministry partners. So Pray and ask GOd “who and where can I serve.

You cannot have BLESSING without a second S and so the Second

S SHARE THE STORY

Mark 16:15 ESV

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

Jesus said “Go and Proclaim” GO and Share

Paul tells timonthy to be ready in and out of Season. 2 Tim 4:2

2 Timothy 4:2 ESV

preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

And Peter says

1 Peter 3:14–15 ESV

But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

So the Two things - The Story of Jesus in our life - How we came to Faith - How Jesus saved us and changed us -

the second thing is a Gospel narrative - We MUST be able to answer the question “What is the Gospel”

So - in order to be prepared and to be ready we have to practice - Get in a small group - Practice there -

Go to you tube and look up the you tube channel No place left and in there you will find 411 training and in that will also contain the 3 circle gospel presentation p

The three circles is what we use to equip you in a small group and what we use to equip your kids in kids on mission.

So - Be prepaid be Ready to share the story and when your blessing relationship gets there - Share the sptory

IN INVITE PEOPLE IN

1 Thessalonians 2:8 ESV

So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

Paul shares with the Church that He shared His life with them in addition to the Gospel /

So Share your life itch them - Invite them in to community -

Invite them into your small group -

Invite them into you life to learn what it is to be a follow of Jesus

invite them into the larger community of Stonewater Fellowship for Sunday mornings. Invite them into your life.

Life on Life is how jesus made disciple - Life on Life is how Paul and Peter and the boys made disciples - Incarnate work - Flesh to flesh - Face to face - Hand to hand and a jesus follower embracing with the love of Jesus those who are far away from God.

And Lastly the G

G GROW WITH OTHERS

Paul tells the Ephesian Church

Ephesians 4:15 ESV

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

and He uses the word WE

2 Peter 3:17–18 ESV

You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Grow in the GRace and the knowledge of Jesus.

Meet with people in a blessing relationship one on one -

Mett with them in small groups community

Meet with them and walk through some basic curriculum with you bibles for the basics of Christian life

STICKY POINT PRAISE TEAM AND PRAYER TEAM

Next Steps

Take this booklet into a small group and discuss -

Develop personal and family - a strataguy even as a couple of how to Be a BLESSING this season to Someone who is far away from God and Taek Jesus to them this Advent Season and we celebrate the arrival of Jesus himself -

BAPTISM

APPLICATION OR IMAGINE

PRAYER TEAM!