Untitled Sermon

Cultural Commentary

Insightful

Make them want to listen

Whats the point of church?

Who needs church.. I am the church.

What is church anyways 

These are some of the statements you run into when discussing church in our time. 

Have any of you been hurt by the church?

— Those of you that have been attending for decades…. Where do I start.

— Those that are new to the faith… you’re loving it. Just give it time… 

Many in our day hold bleak views concerning the church. 

— irrelevant 

— You’ll hear, spiritual but not religious commonly evoked. 

— David kinnamen book “you lost me, why a generation is leaving church and rethinking faith"

— suspiciousness  of structures, and authority becasue they’ve been let down to often… Tear it down mentality 

Many people, especially the younger folk are getting dissalussiend with church, 

Favorite story ,,. Young men railing against the church… it full of hypocrites. To which the priest says, theres room for one more. 

The response and alternative presented.

Entertain the people. 

Better production Bring out the smoke Blast the lights.  Play catch up In contrast Paul’s view of church is 

The church was meant to thrive. 

Paul gave up his life traveling and starting pockets of Jesus followers throughout the Mediterranean.  Gifts

Unity

One body

Love

— What was the means for the church to grow in unity, and love and the image of Christ?

The goal of gifts is for ___building up________ the body of Christ 

Teaching: Biblical theology

3 sets of gifts that Paul lists

Corinthians — manifestation gift — motivation  Ephesians — ministry gift

Present APEST

Provide profile of each.

Apostle:

-From the Greek apostolos meaning “one who is sent out.” Apostles are visionary and pioneering, always pushing into new territory. They like to establish new churches, ministries, non-profits, Kingdom-minded businesses or initiatives. They come up with innovative means to do kingdom work.

Biblical example— Paul, Pricilla and Acquila 

Jesus’ example—Jesus was the one sent by God ().

Secular examples—entrepreneurs, explorers. innovator, a designer, a builder

Core question Apostles ask: Are we leading the people of God to their destiny?

Apostles enjoy dreaming, doing new and challenging tasks, change.

Prophet:

One who hears and listens to God (prophetes); Prophets are essentially the guardians of the covenant relationship between God and his people. They feel what God feels and speak on his behalf.

He may refer in this case to those who provide divine direction and strategies for Christ’s body in the world, revealing God’s purposes so God’s people can influence their generation in the wisest way

 Keener, C. S. (2001). 

 Often Prophets are able to stand back from circumstances to get a clear picture of what is happening and therefore see creative solutions and develop a vision for situations others don’t see.

 Prophets understand the times and what people should do.

Biblical example: all over. 

Jesus’ example: undoubtedly. A major element of his ministry is to call people to repent and render allegiance and faithfulness to God

Secular example: people who speak out their perceptions. They’re often creative types, musicians, and artists.

Core question Prophets ask: Are the people of God hearing his voice and responding appropriately?

Evangelist:

One who brings good news and shares the message readily (euanggelistes). Evangelists love spending time with non-Christians and often remind other Christians that there are non-Christians still out there in the world.

Biblical example: philip 

Jesus’ example: He embodied the good news. Sharing with the women at well

Secular example: salesmen, politicians, public relations reps

Core question Evangelists ask: Are new people entering into the Kingdom of God?

Evangelists enjoy discussion and sharing their point of view. Wherever they go, they seem to draw others into discussion about Jesus. Evangelists are passionate about sharing the Gospel. They are not timid about their faith and seem to easily share with others regularly.

Shepards:

One who shepherds God’s people (poimen), who cares for others with a tender heart. One who sees needs, provides comfort and encourages others. Pastors spend most of their time with other Christians. Pastors can easily empathize with others and exhibit lots of patience with those in need.

Biblical example—Barnabas in . Barnabas clearly demonstrates a pastoral heart in his defense of Mark.

Jesus’ example—In , Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd who has come to lead his people.

Secular examples—counselors, social workers, nurses and anyone in the care-giving professions.

Core question Pastors ask: Are the people of God caring for and showing compassion for people?

TEACHER

One who holds forth the truth and is excited by it (didaskalos). The Teacher looks for ways to explain, enlighten and apply truth.

Biblical Example: Apollos

Jesus’ example: He was referred to as rabbi.

Secular example: lecturers, trainers, school teachers.

Core question Teachers ask: Are the people of God immersing themselves in Scripture and incarnating it?

They love to study, learn, and share it with others. 

Today we need a fresh recovery of these ministry and gifts. 

People starting movements Prophets calling out sin and  Evangelsit finding fresh ways of ministry to a progressive culutre Sheperd showing grace and care to hurting people  Teachers, 

Maybe some of you have these spiritual gifts. 

A number of scholars believe that every believer has a one of these giftings 

A lot of you have pastoral gifts. The word pastor means shepherd. It means it’s the ability to maintain responsibility for someone else’s spiritual growth. If you’re a pastor, you may not be a good counselor-exhorter, you may not be a good teacher, you may not be the prophetic type, the person who just has that insight and can go right to the root of things, and yet you have this tenderhearted ability to move somebody along, to kind of take somebody under your wing and really see them grow. That’s a pastoral gift

 Keller, T. J. (2013). The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church.

Transition:

Now, why are these spiritual gifts given to the church???

A.P.E.S.T is given to _________ the saints for the work of ministry. 

Equip the saints for the work of the ministry.

Before we speak about that. 

A few words about expectations 

What do you think about that???

Each person came here with a particular background.

Preferences

View of church

Sermon and worship styles. 

Past experiences.

Provide some of them

-English

-friends.

 View of Sermon:

Not too long, but not short either.. Like 25 min. Funny but not a comedy club funny Insightful, and deep but practical  And relevant  And can throw in a greek word occasionally, but not to often because this isn’t rosetta stone

Reading a book on church planting by a pastor in New York

Around this time I started to pick up on words that were beginning to dominate conversations — words like options, convenience, church shopping, excellence, being “better” than other churches, and the need to “compete.” On one occasion, between services, I met with someone who had been attending our church for a while. This gentleman told me he had been visiting several churches, in fact, and while he liked different components of all of them, he wanted me to make the case for my church — why should he stop visiting the others and commit to ours?

His question took me aback. And I started to look around at the people joining our church. I realized they were almost all Christians from other churches. They had come because we were the new flavor of the month

Rarely does a person enter a church thinking, “How can I honor these people as better than myself?” or 

“I wonder what ministries are struggling so I can use my gifts to help build up others?” 

Instead, most people come in with a subconscious rating and review system. We evaluate, grade, and critique every aspect of the service — from how convenient the parking and location are, how good the preaching is, how friendly the people are during the greeting time, how good the worship makes us feel, to how much we connected with the programs.

Sacred Roots. (n.d.).

We have been swimming in the sea of consumer culture for so long, that it almost doesn’t faze us..

We intérêt church through those perceptions 

If Genesis church just becomes the latest thing.

— hear a good word

— plays into our consumer tendencies 

— 

Then we fail. 

If we’re not challenging 

Apest

To equip every single person.

Equip the saints for the work of the ministry.

Few words about equip and a few words about ministry 

 Lets look at the word equip

T O  R E S T O R E  A  B R O K E N  B O N EThe verb means to train or prepare people. It is also a medical term for the setting of broken bones and thus can be understood as restoring people to their God-given task in the body of ChrisThe body can be out of joint. Focused on just a few parts. T O  O U T F I T  A  S H I P  F O R  A  J O U R N E YT O  T R A I N  A  S O L D I E R  T O  F I G H T

Ministry

What does it look like to for everyone to be a minister and practical steps to implement. 

Start the conversation 

Doesn’t mean that we need a church program every night of the week so that people will serve. Minstering isn’t just serving a few hours on a Sunday. We honor those that assist, but that is not the end all of our faith,  Theres a  Monday to sat that we get to be minsters.

More expansive view of ministry      — Sending people off to mission trips around the world.

What if we layed hands and sent them off to work at chase bank?

People don’t go to church on Sundays to support their pastors in their ministry. The pastor goes to church on Sunday to support the people in their ministry. And their ministry, the ministry that really counts as mission, is outside the walls of the church, in the world, being salt and light in the marketplace.

 Wright, C. J. H. (2010). The Mission of God’s People: A Biblical Theology of the Church’s Mission (p. 272). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Some of you are like,,, I didn’t sign up for this… 

If you’re a follower of the way. You did. 

It sounds radical now. Imagine back then. When you had a priest, 

And it was centralized around the temple.

Paul says, everyone is a minister

You cant reduce it two a few hours on a weekend. 

-Peter and royal priesthood.

Closing

Application

How can we practically start living as ministrers in our sphere of influence?

One thought to start the conversation

Its isn’t a few tricks.. but about the person you’re becoming.

We live in a rapidly changing world.

Anxiety, fear worry and stress fill the landscape

Why does it feel like we’re swimming in it??

Depression is sky rocketing

What are its symptoms?

Data creates anxiety- Change creates anxiety because the security of the old creates the facade that life is about safety vs. risk and adventure.Conflict creates anxiety because we do not want to be disliked.

Many of you hear this and you’re anxious because you never considered that each member of the body has such a responsibility.

Friedman: non anxious presence

Among the anxiety and nervousness.

What people need is a non-anxious presence.

What our kids need are parents who are composed. 

Coworkers 

How to do this???

Must learn to withdraw.

Draw from a reservoir 

You can be a non- anxious presence if you’re leading the same lifepase as everyone else.

Build in rhythms of rest and solitude. 

If you’re a mom— you have to find moments for peace and quite. In between naps. Where you can center yourself. Journal,   

Try it for 15 min

If you’re a student.. not reading to study… but get open the Bible, a good book

If you’re a leader… moments of silence and solitude.

It through these means that we’ll have something to give. 

And bring healing to your sphere of influence

_______ member has a gift

As a result of an exercise such as this, I’ve witnessed fences repaired (Restorer); houses remodeled to make more space for people in need of places to stay (Hospitable); an empty lot that was used for drug and sex trafficking transformed into a community garden (Redeemer); debts paid off (Forgiver); college tuition raised (Provider); fatherless children cared for by men (Father to the fatherless); and many other displays of the character of God. Small and big activities alike can display what God is like, as we’ve come to know him in the gospel.

We are blessed by God to bless others. Physical displays of what God is like show his glory in tangible form.

 Jeff Vanderstelt. (n.d.). Gospel Fluency.

Application of this passage requires nothing less than a reformation of Christianity.

We have strayed from the gospel as surely as if we had sold indulgences. Our

individualism, ecclesiastical hierarchies, and lack of integrity do not match the

calling with which we were called. We have lost our sense of the body of Christ...Be

good stewards of his grace and fulfill your role in his body. Live the truth in love. It is

not beyond you, for it is enabled by being attached to Christ.

Klyne Snodgrass

May we come to understand their is one spirit, one lord and one father. 

May we come to understand that the spirit gives gifts.

May we appropriate them in our time