Filling In The Gaps (Of Our Faith)
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Scripture To Read:
Sermon Scripture To Read:
2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
Introduction- Actual Vs. Desired Performance
Introduction- Actual Vs. Desired Performance
Harvard Business School’s December 10, 2024 blog post by Brad Einstein: HOW GAP ANALYSIS CAN DRIVE STRATEGIC CHANGE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION”
When leading a company, a comprehensive understanding of your operations is vital. Whether you’re planning for the future or reviewing current operational conditions, it’s imperative to identify:
Where your company is
Where you want your company to be
The space between is called a gap.
“A gap occurs when there’s a difference between your strategy and your actual results,” says Harvard Business School Professor Mike Tushman, who co-teaches the online course Leading Change and Organizational Renewal with Stanford Graduate School of Business Professor Charles O’Reilly.
Gap analysis is the process of measuring the difference between a company’s present operations (current state) and its ideal performance (desired state).
By properly analyzing gaps, you can perfect processes, surpass goals, and overcome common organizational barriers. While there are several factors to consider when conducting a gap analysis, each brings you closer to closing that gap and achieving your objectives.
What Are Common Organizational Barriers of The Church (Body of Jesus Christ)?
Transition To Body- Filling In The Gaps Within The Church
Transition To Body- Filling In The Gaps Within The Church
Do Not Neglect To Meet Together
Do Not Neglect To Meet Together
25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Jesus Did Not Neglect To Meet Together
Jesus Did Not Neglect To Meet Together
46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48 And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”
49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.
Apostle Paul Did Not Neglect To Meet Together
Apostle Paul Did Not Neglect To Meet Together
1 After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them,
3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.
19 And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.
Priscilla & Aquila Filling In Apollos’ Gaps
Priscilla & Aquila Filling In Apollos’ Gaps
24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures.
25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.
26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
Apollos was eloquent
Apollos was competent (expert) in the scriptures
Apollos was instructed in the way of the LORD
Apollos being fervant in spirit, he spoke & taught accurately the things concerning Jesus.
Body
Body
Identify As Jesus Christ’s Followers
Identify As Jesus Christ’s Followers
1 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples.
2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Found-
to learn the location of something, either by intentional searching or by unexpected discovery—‘to learn the whereabouts of something, to find, to discover, to come upon, to happen to find.’
Believe-
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 31.102 πιστεύω; πίστις, εως
to believe in the good news about Jesus Christ and to become a follower—‘to be a believer, to be a Christian, Christian faith.’
They had to have heard something about the Holy Spirit (Ps 51:11; Is 63:10), though they had not heard that the Spirit had come (cf. Jn 7:39). In most of ancient Judaism and in Luke-Acts, the *Holy Spirit is the Spirit who inspired the prophets. Paul can somehow tell these disciples lack this measure of inspiration, despite much sound knowledge (18:25).
Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition. (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2014), 382.
Psalm 51:11 “Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.”
Isaiah 63:10 “But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them.”
{
Identify As Jesus Christ’s Followers
Identify As Jesus Christ’s Followers
}
Experience A Complete Change Of Life
Experience A Complete Change Of Life
3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.”
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Baptized-
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 53.41 βαπτίζω; βάπτισμα, τος; βαπτισμός, οῦ
to employ water in a religious ceremony designed to symbolize purification and initiation on the basis of repentance—‘to baptize, baptism.’
Repentance-
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 41.52 μετανοέω; μετάνοια, ας
to change one’s way of life as the result of a complete change of thought and attitude with regard to sin and righteousness—‘to repent, to change one’s way, repentance.’
21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,
20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus,
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.
8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
3 And this we will do if God permits.
{
Identify As Jesus Christ’s Followers
Identify As Jesus Christ’s Followers
Experience A Complete Change Of Life
Experience A Complete Change Of Life
}
Receive Power Of The Holy Spirit
Receive Power Of The Holy Spirit
5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.
7 There were about twelve men in all.
8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.
Boldly-
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 33.90 παρρησιάζομαι
to speak openly about something and with complete confidence—‘to speak boldly, to speak openly.’
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 33.90 παρρησιάζομαι
In some languages the equivalent of ‘to speak boldly’ is ‘to speak regardless of who is listening’ or ‘to speak without fearing’ or ‘to speak without worrying.’
Reasoning-
to engage in speech interchange, converse, discuss, argue
Persuade-
to convince someone to believe something and to act on the basis of what is recommended—‘to persuade, to convince.’
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.
{
Identify As Jesus Christ’s Followers
Identify As Jesus Christ’s Followers
Experience A Complete Change Of Life
Experience A Complete Change Of Life
Receive Power Of The Holy Spirit
Receive Power Of The Holy Spirit
}
Be Committed To Sharing The Word
Be Committed To Sharing The Word
9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.
10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
Stubborn-
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 88.225 σκληρύνομαι
to be stubborn, in the sense of refusing to believe—‘to be stubborn, to be obstinate.
Unbelief-
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 31.107 ἀπειθέω; ἀπείθεια, ας
to refuse to believe the Christian message—‘to refuse to be a believer, to reject the Christian message, to refuse to believe.’
The Way-
behavior in accordance with Christian principles and practices—‘Way, Christian way of life.
{
Identify As Jesus Christ’s Followers
Identify As Jesus Christ’s Followers
Experience A Complete Change Of Life
Experience A Complete Change Of Life
Receive Power Of The Holy Spirit
Receive Power Of The Holy Spirit
Be Committed To Sharing The Word
Be Committed To Sharing The Word
}
Transition To Close- Jesus Fills In The Gaps by Rachel Dee
Transition To Close- Jesus Fills In The Gaps by Rachel Dee
https://wellwateredwomen.com/jesus-fills-in-the-gaps/
Weekly, daily, and every hourly, we lean into our Heavenly Father to help us. He fills in these gaps left by our sins and failures—the short tempers, the unkind words, the attitudes left undealt-with, and the unintentional hurt too. These gaps are filled by our Savior’s love for our children and His great power to overcome.
He makes up for all of it, because he already made up for all of it on the cross. Father, Son, and Spirit come and heal where there seems to be no hope, comfort when no one is there, soften hearts when sin has hardened them, and make us new—to a life more abundant than we can imagine.
So now, rather than feeling hopeless as this sinner raises two more sinners, I see Jesus filling in the gaps. I pray for God, in His good grace, to use my attempts, my good intentions, even my bad intentions, to work mightily in the lives of those around me.
I may one day realize that my dentist-approved sippy cup has caused my kiddos to need braces. My carefully timed introduction to peanuts may, in fact, still cause allergies. Or worse, my attempts to teach Scripture may not be accepted by their little hearts.
But Jesus fills in the gaps, as he wills and works in the lives of his children for his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).
Close- God Fills In The Gaps (Of Our Faith!)
Close- God Fills In The Gaps (Of Our Faith!)
9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God,
10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?
11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you,
12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you,
13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
God Fills In The Gaps In Our Faith
God Fills In The Gaps In Our Faith
10 Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith.
Jesus Helps Our Gaps In Belief
Jesus Helps Our Gaps In Belief
21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.
22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
Jesus Will Complete His Good Work In Us
Jesus Will Complete His Good Work In Us
6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
God Works In Us Both To Will & Work For His Good Pleasure
God Works In Us Both To Will & Work For His Good Pleasure
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
All Have Sinned & Fall Short Of The Glory Of God
All Have Sinned & Fall Short Of The Glory Of God
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
The Wages Of Sin Is Death, But The Free Gift Of God Is…
The Wages Of Sin Is Death, But The Free Gift Of God Is…
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
