The Church - 2025 - A Sent and Spirit Filled People - Part 1 - A Gospel Centered People.
The Church 2025 - A Sent Spirit Filled People • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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GREET EVERYONE-
Good Morning Loved Ones!
If I have not had a chance to meet you; My name is Scott and I am a follower of Jesus and have the privilege of serving Him as the Lead Pastor among the people of Stonewater Fellowship.
Our Vision:
We Desire see every follower of Jesus well equipped and fully deployed on the mission of Jesus.
What mission? - This questions leads us to articulate His mission for His church in a simple way.
Our Mission:
Is to engage people into a multiplying relationship with Jesus!
PRAY FOR DAN TOLLIFSON AND JON SAMPEY
INVITES/EVENTS
1 - Deep Dive - This Thursday 1-9-2025
3 Spots left! APP OR WEBSITE ^ Groups
2- Welcome Home Jan 26th - App or Website ^ Registrations
3- Bible Read through - you Version Card
4- A new Thing - Holy Spirit Message Cards
LETS GRAB OUR BIBLES IF YOU HAVE ONE AND
Open it to Matthew Chapter 16 and verse 13 as we begin a new teaching series exposing what God says about His Church -
The Church - A sent and Spirit filled people!
Who is the Church?
We are the Church!
PRAYER OVER SERIES
Is that every one of us would be
reminded,
renewed
or maybe for the first time
it would be revealed
to us by the Holy Spirit working through the Word what the Church is and we would come to realize what the church is not.
And Through this series the answer we so fervently give “We are the church!” will become more and more of a reality that you and I live out together.
and as we live that out
we would experience an ongoing and possibly huge change in our lives and in the lives of others around us.
and That change is that we would all be changed from consumers of Church to Disciples of Jesus who make up the church.
over the past 70 or so years, we have managed here in in the western church, to make consumers and very few disciples of Jesus.
Jesus, does not call people out of the kingdom of darkness into His marvelous light, just to secure a seat in heaven and between here and there what ever happens happens -
Loved ones that is self preservation Idolatry!
You see Jesus calls us into something much more than “whatever in this life” as we are also secure and safe from His wrath in the next.
He calls us - and Saves us and Fills us with His Holy Spirit to empower us to live for Him as He sends us into the lost and dying world.
MY PRAYER OVER THIS MORNINGS MESSAGE
Is that we would know our identity in Christ.
Part of that Identity is AS His Church -
Collectively AS His church!
and Our Identity in Christ would amplify the Love of Christ we experience and His love would compel us to live for HIM.
AS a Spirit Filled Sent Gospel Centered People -
His Church!
ENGAGEMENT –
WE live in a very interesting time in our culture.
A time like really never before in human history.
A time were the classic rules and rhetoric of logic and reason have been replaced with Scepticism, Speculation and Subjectiveness in everything.
And AS a result - What has happened to us is we have entered a time where self identity has become something that we have grasped onto.
We are in an age where we can self Identify as almost anything, based on anything we want and that identity is now considered real to us.
What is really even more dynamic about all of this self identity is that it does not have to be based on any aspect of reality.
Because reality is now subjective to my own opinion, and based not the objective definitions we have used to several thousands years.
I loved watching a Social Media Post where a Police office pulled a person over for speeding and the person offered the office an animal tag as a form of ID becasue this person Identified as a CAT.
The Officers response was awesome! Calm Cool and Collected the officer asked for a valid state issued drivers license and the Person said
“That is my preferred form of Identification because I am a CAT”
The Officer Responded - We can do this any way you want to. Since you have identified as a cat in this state cats are not allowed to operate a motor vehicle, and so since you are behaving as a cat in an illegal manner and you are not in the domicile of your owner, I will call animal control to come get you and since you are not with your owner, you will be spayed or neutered, which ever you prefer or identify as, your owner will be notified, and when they come get you it will be $150 as well as whatever impound fee there is for the car”
TENSION
Now that is obviously an EXTREME case of identity that is not based on anything other that the personal subjectiveness of that person.
But here is where it gets interesting.
This Idea of Self Identity has crept into the thoughts and minds of people who claim to be christian.
This has worked itself out in some pretty interesting ways -
one way is just the definition of what it is to be a Christian.
The Term as an identity has so many definitions today that in many circles and in many ways people would say there actually is more that one definition.
SO much so that if you knew the historical and biblical definition of what it is to be a Christian and you saw or heard of someone not using the term in an accurate way, and self identifying as a Christian in accurately, and out of love and care and concern for their soul you said something to try and help them -
There are other who would claim Christ who wold say “how dare you question another persons identifying as a Christian”
Another way is that there are many who claim Christ as savior and Lord - The One who saves and the one whom they are supposed to serve and they rebel against being the Church. and in some cases they say they hate the church.
Loved ones here the word this morning!
If Jesus has saved you by His grace through faith, adopted you by the Spirit - Regenerated you unto new life by the Power of The Spirit that raised jesus from the dead, making you a new creature, alive in Christ Jesus.
Your Identity is now not yours to define -
The reason is Because You have been supernaturally united with Christ - and you are not your own -
You are His brother or sister, you are God’s child,
You are the salt and light of the world -
You are the Spirit Filled send ones -
You are Ambassadors of Christ
You are a part of His body, the church, which is THE Bride of Christ.
And it is this bride that Jesus gave up his life to save and it is this bride that God the father is gathering and will give to His son as a weeding gift at the marriage feast of the Lamb.
SO loved ones - If you are hear this morning and you have any aversion to the the local church. My prayer is that you would hear from the Holy Spirit - who is the Church!
You see loved ones - The Church - The assembly of the called out ones - is a people - A Spirit Filled, Sent and Gospel Centered People.
This morning we will hear from the Scripture what it is to be United with Jesus as a Gospel Centered People.
Jesus is going to begin to reveal this to us in our passage from the Gospel of Matthew this morning.
BACKGROUND
in the story line of the Time of Jesus as God walking among us. This is a MAJOR turning point in Jesus teaching and messaging.
Up until this point Jesus has been confronting religious leaders for their religiosity,
Preaching about the Kingdom,
Healing both Physically and spiritually and teaching on what living a the new life He came to give looked like.
Jesus NOW takes a Turn with those closest to Him and begins to teach them in several things -
1st thing is the fact that He will be leaving soon as this part of the Story line of Jesus happens about 6 months before His death.
2nd He was Preparing them for their leadership roles in his absence.
3rd - Jesus intention to execute His Eternal plan for the ages that being the introduction of the Idea of the Church.
This Assembly of the Called out ones -
This Assembly of called out ones that Jesus will build!
Jesus takes His disciples to a retreat Type setting far from the distractions and interruptions from the desperate crowds wanting something from Him.
Ceasera Philippi is about 25 miles north of Copernican and a place LONG associated with Idol worship of Pagan Deities.
UNPACKING
So as we unpack - Place ourselves in the Scene -
Jesus Standing beneath the Idol of a false god names Pan that is carved into the cliff side - and the first thing that Jesus wants to get clear with His closest followers is His identity?
You see one of the truths that Jesus wanted to solidify is You cannot be united with Him if you don't know who He is.
And so He asks questions:
VS13
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
We must again not rush through the story line-
When we read the word ASKED in the English it is really easy to think that Jesus asked ONCE - and all these answers started flowing out -
This more than likely was not the way this conversation went.
More than likely Jesus was asking repeatedly in an on going way
“who do all say that the people say that the Son of Man is?”
Jesus was asking for lots of feed back - and HE got it.
Vs14
14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
And they - The they is who - The they are his disciples - His disciples replied to the question - Some people say John the baptist?
BAck in Luke Chapter 9 - Jesus was drawing large crowds becasue of His working miracles -
And Harod the Tetchrach, who was then the Religious King of the Jewish People because curious about Jesus and different people were telling Him different things
SOME people said that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead when he heard of the works of Jesus.
Some of Harrods servants who were attempting to help Him identify Jesus claimed that He was Elijah returned and
Other people during that time that Harrods was trying to assess who this Jesus was said He is The Prophet - in other words Jeremiah and still others at that time were identifying Jesus as another prophet whom God had sent.
Just like in our culture today - Jesus true Identity was ALWAYS in question
IN His home town that called Him the Son of Joseph
- WHO IS THIS MAN WHO FORGIVES SINS?
HE Drives out demons he must be or have a demon! - Some even called Him the Devil.
VS15
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Jesus,
Standing beneath a graven image used for Idol worship - The False God of PAN,
Jesus asks His closest followers,
the ones He was fixing to prepare for His departure,
The ones who will go out and take this Gospel Everywhere.
That is all fine and good and really is irrelevant to me what others say it is really most important as to what you all say about who I am.
There is NO frustration response from Jesus.
You don't see Jesus or read Jesus saying
“Really some people think I am the Devil?
Some people think I am John the Baptist -
Jesus never skips a beat by being sidelined about Everyone else Reply to the question!
Jesus wanted His closest followers to stand against the crowd.
TO go against popular opinion -
TO clearly enunciate with their mouths his divine identity.
Jesus Turns to His disciples and Says “who do you say that I am?”
in other English usage “you all”
Jesus is asking all of His disciples - “Who do you all say that I am”!
Each one of you has answered my call to follow me -
You have followed me for the last three years or so.
And you can imagine the Pause cause we have all been there and the ONE the THAT GUY, the one that cant stand silence, Peter speaks up -
VS16
16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
It is important to understand what Peter was declaring about Jesus when he responded like He did.
You are the Christ - The Anointed one - The Holy One of Isreal - The Zeal of YAWHAY, The Promised Messiah, The fulfillment of all prophecy, The Promised redeemer, and then He declares Jesus divinity with clarity and without hesitation, reservation or ambiguity.
The SON of the Living God.
Jesus Responded with a response that somehow doesn't seem to fit a yes or no, right or wrong kind of answer.
You see Jesus could have responded to Peter by simply saying “your right”
VS17
17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
Jesus is not surprised by Peters Answer -
What Jesus does affirm is that all of us,
All the Peter, Paul's, Marys, Bob,s Scots Sally or Cindy,
No matter what our names are or where we are from, The father in heaven has to reveal Jesus to us all.
In our natural state we are incapable of coming to that conclusion simply by means of flesh and blood.
And what the Whole council of Scripture will tell us is that HE will use the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to us, convict us of our need of salvation and regenerate us to new life and repentance.
Jesus then does what Jesus does - He makes all who follow Him and understand in the same way what Peter just declared about Jesus -
Jesus makes us all NEW -
and at that Very Moment He began the process of Making Simon Barjona New by Giving Him a New Identity.
There is some confusion in this massage of Scripture - As the word in our Bibles that is used is ROCK -
VS18
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Jesus Says you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hades will not over power it.
We must read this in the view of the rest of the New Testament.
Jesus said Simon you are now a Stone and from these other rocks I will build my church. In other words Peter you will be first stone among many rocks that I will be building my church out of.
Jesus is the Corner Stone -
Jesus is the Foundation The Large Rock of our salvation:
Jesus did not and will not and will not build His church ON Peter -
Jesus will build his church out of the many stones and Rocks that make up the rock quarry of everyone through history who believe and trust in Jesus the same way Peter believed in and trusted in Jesus.
This is what is know as the Universal Church!
People are Gods building and the Foundation is Christ Jesus - Jesus builds His church out of people and He does not dwell in temples made with hands.
Jesus says it is out of these Stones that I WILL build my CHURCH -
Loved ones - - In the simplest way to un-pack that is - when Jesus used the term Church what Jesus said was
His Assembly of the Ones Called out.
Called out by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
The Church is a People - A particular and peculiar, and unique people...
Who is the Church?
And the Church is a people - a Particular people - A peculiar people - And a unique people that have been regenerated from death to life -
Saved by the washing of regeneration and Renewal of the Holy Spirit.
4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Here is what is going on Here in this letter.
Paul - The Apostle Paul who was formerly known as Saul.
A religious Zealot - A Pharisee of Pharisees - A serial Killer of Christians.
Who was the Chief of Sinners - Saved by Grace through the Gift of The holy Spirit called faith.
Regenerated and renewed unto new life Himself - And Made a New creature in Christ and This guy even got a new Name.
Jesus saves us, by the washing of regeneration - Regenerating us from dead in our trespasses and sin and made alive in Christ.
Born again - New Beginning - New Genesis -
and Renewal -
The Original Language means - To cause something to become new and different.
You see we are saved - By being Born again - By the holy Spirit -
We are made new and Different by the Person of the Trinity The holy Spirit of God - and We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God -
ARGUMENT
And it is the Gospel - This movement of the Spirit of God to regenerate dead men to life that is most important and what our lives are to be centered on
This is what Paul was declaring in
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
The Gospel -
1st Importance -
Christ - The Anointed of God - The Holy one of Isreal died FOR OUR SINS according to the Scriptures - Was buried and was raised on the third day according to what?
According to the scriptures!
This is of FIRST importance -
Here is what is so very interesting - Paul says “what I also recieved”
Paul Received this - He was given this information from someone else.
And HE says :1st importance
What is most important - Primary importance -
Of all the things in this life of following Jesus - The is the one that is primary in its importance.
The Gospel - That Jesus Christ the anointed of God the Holy one of Israel Died for our sins - According to the Scriptures
He was buried and raised - According to the Scriptures.
WHY - is this of primary and 1st importance?
Of all the things in this world that are important, Why is the Gospel the First?
Because of its power -
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
The Power of God to do or accomplish what?
Paul would have understood that this power of God was to
To make People new - move us form the Kingdom of Darkness into his marvelous light.
To Renew and Regenerate people by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
TO make us alive in Christ even though in our natural state we are dead in our trespasses and sin.
And to give us a new identity as the Children of God, adopted by His spirit.
This is what Paul would articulate so very well in His letter to the Romans Church.
and unfolds for us all who claim to follow Jesus, who are identified with Him and united with Him.
Paul calims in multiple places and in multiple ways that His life.
The Life He leads is a Gospel Centered Life.
And there is no where that he more clearly articulates this than in Romans Chapter 1
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Watch Loved ones what the Text Declares -
I am not Ashamed - IN the original Language it means to feel shame or embarrassment -
I am NOT ashamed of the Gospel -
The Gospel - The Good News that Jesus dies for our Sins according to the scriptures was buried and raised on the their day according to the scriptures.
The Even though we were enemies of God - Christ dies FOR us as to satisfy the wrath of God that was against us because of our sin.
That Jesus came and Died and rose again to save a people to himslef from the very wrath of God.
and AS those people - Everyone who is and ever will be saved, was dead in their trespasses and sin and made alive in Christ -
Save from the wrath of God, Gods workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works that God pre-planned for us that we should walk in them - Good words that God planned from the foundation of the world.
This is the Good news This is the Gospel -
and it is the Power of God to make men new - It is the power of God to give men new life - It is the Power of God to make dead men alive.
For in it the Righteousness of God was revealed by Jesus Christ form Faith From Trust FOR faith or FOR Trust.
Jesus trusted his heavenly father and was obedient unto death - Jesus faith Jesus Trust in the father was given for our faith and our trust in God and in the finished work of Jesus on that old rugged cross.
For those who believe are the righteousness of God and the Scripture says the Righteous shall live by FAITH - The Righteous shall live by Trust.
This is what it is to be a Gospel Centered People.
The Gospel, the Finished work of Jesus is of 1st importance.
THE GOSPEL CONNECTION
This morning you may be hear or watching on live stream and you do not consider yourself a follower of Jesus.
Here the hear of Goodness of God this morning in the Gospel -
Hear the Gospel - This good news - that is calling you to trust in nothing but the finished work of jesus on the Cross of Calvary to fix your broken relationship with God.
You could be hearing the words this morning - New Creature - Brought from Dead to being alive in Christ -
Transformed into a new person - New identity - New Life -
You might be hearing of the salvation from the wrath of God himself -
You might be hearing that while we were enemies of God Christ dies for us. This Powerful Gospel that is the Power of God - The First if importance
The Power of God unto salvation for all who believe -
Is God stirring in you a love for Him?
A love for Jesus?
Do you feel your heart pierced by the truth of the Gospel - That Jesus died for you?
IF so, know this loved ones - God is calling you to trust Him for everything. How do you respond - Repent, be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and be saved.
COMMUNION
PRAYER TEAM
