Snap shots of a church
Snap shots of a church
Philippians 1:1-2
A view of a healthy church
The to examine itself and see where it needs to improve
Read scripture
Intro
Church is in trouble
Secret service counterfeit
(prop, monopoly money, play money, real dollar.)
Church is like this Polaroid photo.
Takes time to develop
White then forms and colors
Things sharpen
Finally the image.
In the same sense, every church needs time to develop into a healthy church. Some churches develop faster than others for a variety of reasons. As we look at GVB church, do not become discouraged if it appears to be unimpressive and incomplete in the beginning. Christ has made an eternal commitment to the church until it becomes fully mature. Look closely, and you will begin to see Him bring shape and color—a glorious maturity—to GVB church.
Images of a healthy church.
1. A healthy church disciples young people (v.1).
Paul and timothy
Relationship
Elder to younger
Matt 28:19
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
make disciples μαθητευσατε (mathēteuō)
most key on all nations
but Jesus commissioned His followers.
He commissioned not only the eleven apostles,
but all who were present, more than five hundred disciples.
it was impossible for that generation to reach the whole world in its lifetime. Therefore, the commission given to the first generation of believers extends beyond to all generations of believers.
The very same charge given to them is given to us. Our Lord charges us with the very same words,
Think about the word "mathēteusate" (make disciples). What does our Lord mean by "make disciples"?
Does it not mean that we are to do what He did:
make disciples and do things with them as He did.
Is He not telling us to do exactly as He did?
What did He do?
Christ "came to seek and save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).
When Christ found a person who was willing to commit his life,
Christ attached Himself to that person.
Christ began to mold and make that person into His image.
The word attach is the key word.
they were able to observe His life and conversation; and in seeing and hearing,
they began to absorb and assimilate His very character and behavior.
They began to follow Him
and to serve Him more closely.
In simple terms this is what our Lord did. This is the way He made disciples. This was His mission and His method, His obsession: to attach Himself to willing believers.
attaching Himself to committed persons,
and through attachment, the persons absorbed and assimilated the Lord's very character and mission.
They in turn attached themselves to others and discipled them.
They, too, expected their disciples to make disciples of others who were willing to commit their lives to Christ.
There is no question what our Lord's commission is: we are to go; but more than that, we are to make disciples, to attach ourselves to those persons who will follow our Lord until they in turn can make disciples
Are you in a discipleship relationship
Have you attached yourself to anyone?
It is your responsibility to find someone to attachment to.
2. A healthy church serves Christ (v.1).
Burnout.
If you are burned out then you have been serving for the wrong reason
δουλοι
means slave some translations have it as servant
difference between servent and slave. The servant is free to work for whoever he wants to
a slave is bought and paid for by the master
1. The slave was owned by his master; he was totally possessed by his master
2. The slave existed for his master and he had no other reason for existence. He had no personal rights whatsoever. The same was true with Paul: he existed only for Christ. His rights were the rights of Christ only.
3. The slave served his master and he existed only for the purpose of service.
4. The slave's will belonged to his master. He was allowed no will and no ambition other than the will and ambition of the master.
Paul does not feel tat being a slave is a bad thing look at all the great slaves throughout the Bible
Moses was the slave of God
Joshua was the slave of God.
David was the slave of God.
Paul was the slave of Jesus Christ
James was the slave of God
Jude was the slave of God
The prophets were the slaves of God
Christian believers are said to be the slaves of Jesus Christ
The great need today is for men and women to become slaves of the Lord Jesus Christ. We must become His slaves and do what He says. Then and only then will the world be reached with the glorious news of eternal life. Then and only then will the desperate needs of the world be met
2. A healthy church is full of true saints (v.1).
The New Testament word for saint is hagios, which is also commonly translated holy. Its basic meaning is different. The Temple was hagios because it was different from other buildings;
the Sabbath was hagios because it was different from other days;
the Jewish nation was hagios because it was different from other peoples;
and the Christian was called to be hagios because he was called to be different from other men.
There was always a distinct cleavage between the Christian and the world. In the Fourth Gospel Jesus says, “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19). “I have given them thy word,” said Jesus in his prayer to God, “and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14).[1]
The word saints refers to the sanctified or holy ones. It simply means to be set apart and to be separated. Therefore, every believer who has truly trusted Jesus Christ as his Savior is separated from the world and set apart to live for God. Every true believer is a "saint," a person set apart unto God
10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Heb 10:10 (ESV)
You might say there is 3 stages of sanctification
1. There is initial or positional sanctification. When a person believes in Christ, he is immediately set apart for God—once and for all—permanently
3. There is progressive sanctification. The true believer makes a determined and disciplined effort to allow the Spirit of God to set him apart day by day. The Spirit of God takes him and conforms him into the image of Christ more and more—for as long as he walks upon this earth
3. There is eternal sanctification. The day is coming when the believer will be perfectly set apart unto God and His service—without any sin or failure whatsoever. That day will be the great and glorious day of the believer's eternal redemption.
We are the property of the Lord Jesus, set apart as His holy possession. Let us, therefore, live as the possession of the Lord. Let us walk as the separated people of God, living holy and righteous and pure lives
4. A healthy church has leaders who lead by example (v.1).
The word "bishop" means to oversee, look after, manage. The instructions in the Epistle of Titus say that his duties included primarily exhortation and overseeing the lives of the believers. The bishop was the person whom we call the minister of the church
2. The deacons (diakonois) were spiritually minded men who had dedicated their lives to the Lord to minister to the saints of God. They were persons who were chosen to minister to the widows and widowers and to the poor and sick of a church in order to free the minister to concentrate on prayer and preaching
a healthy church organizes for ministry and has leaders who lead by example.
If you are a leader are you exhibiting any of the previous examples in your leadership?
5. A healthy church experiences grace and peace (v.2).
The word undeserved is the key to understanding grace. Man does not deserve God's favor; he cannot earn God's approval and blessings. God is too high and man is too low for man to deserve anything from God. Man is imperfect and God is perfect; therefore, man cannot expect anything from God
Man has reacted against God too much. Man has...
| · rejected God· rebelled against God· ignored God· neglected God· cursed God | · sinned against God· disobeyed God· denied God· questioned God |
Man deserves nothing from God except judgment, condemnation, and punishment. But God is love—perfect and absolute love. Therefore, God makes it possible for man to experience His grace, in particular the favor and blessing of salvation which is in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Peace means to be bound, joined, and weaved together with God and with everyone else. It means to be assured, confident, and secure in the love and care of God. It means to have a sense, a consciousness, a knowledge that God will...
| · provide· guide· strengthen· sustain· encourage | · deliver· save· give life, real life both now and forever |
A person can experience true peace only as he comes to know Jesus Christ. Only Christ can bring peace to the human heart, the kind of peace that brings deliverance and assurance to the human soul.
The point is this:
Paul is wanting everyone to experience the grace and peace of God.
Maybe today you are not experiencing the grace and peace of God.
Maybe you have fallen away.
Maybe you are seeking out that which is not in your life
· the grace of God by coming to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.
· the peace of God as they walked through life confronting all its struggles and trials.
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[1]The Letters of John and Jude, ed. William Barclay, lecturer in the University of Glasgow (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 2000, c1976), 4.