Sermon Tone Analysis

In our discussion about flourishing churches and communities…much of the focus is placed upon how disciples of Christ impact the community — especially in the area of the economy.

What do we mean by economy, in our context?

The economy is social system through which people organize their work and disperse its fruits.

It includes employment and pay, property ownership, exchange, business, and investment.

- Charlie Self

God created us as stewards of his world.

God bestows daily opportunities for delighting in creation’s beauty, discovering its wealth, and multiplying blessings.

A just economy with opportunity for all will respect the rule of law and be built upon the foundations of personal liberty, moral virtue that is concerned for the community, and transcendent truth.

To keep this discussion in balance…we need to understand that we don’t want to try to force the Bible and economics to fit our own ideas or our cultures ideas, or to reduce life to economics (Marxist/materialist)

Our life in Christ is not 2-d — it is 3 dimensional — there is much more than we often think about because we compartmentalize between secular and Christian — between Sunday and the other six days

We should not view work as simply a means to an end (I only work in order to tithe and give to the ‘really important’ work at the church”)

The goal is to elevate all believers (whether ministers that are called to equip and lead, or any other person in the Body)

1 Pet 2:9

How does the Bible view work?

Includes all meaningful activity, apart from recreation and rest, where people fulfil their purpose…which will naturally contribute to the common good

Work is intentional activity that fulfills Great Commandment while directly or indirectly contributing to the Great Commission

As followers of Christ, our work is what happens as we daily offer our whole lives as worship to God

Calling and Work

What is the common calling of all people?

Repent, believe, and enjoy a relationship with God through the Good News of Jesus

Repent, believe, and enjoy a relationship with God through the Good News of Jesus

Repent, believe, and enjoy a relationship with God through the Good News of Jesus

In more general terms…it is the call of all people to worship the Creator and be stewards of God’s world

All believers have a clear calling to be witnesses of the Good News - messengers of grace to a needy world

More specific callings include: leadership in the church, the mission of the church, 5-fold

Vocation and Calling

…we are affirming a distinction between a personal sense of vocation (calling) and the current occupation that fills our waking hours.

Sometimes occupation (how we work) and vocation are the same, or at least very closely aligned in a person’s life.

Other times they are more distinct.

— Self

Example: A church planting pastor may be a UPS driver while pioneering a new work (Tent-Maker).

His or her “calling” is pastoral, while his days are filled with meaningful work, some of which may even be described as “pastoral” toward workplace colleagues.

God also calls people into one or more domains of influence - whether it be in the arts, education, or media influence

All work is important - God sends His people as salt and light into the world

As a Christian considers the possibility of being the Christian glorified...often his reaction is, “I am so limited.

Surely it does not matter much whether I am walk-ing as a creature glorified or not.”

Or, to put it another way, “It is wonderful to be a Christian, but I am such a small person, so limited in talents—or energy or psychological strength or knowledge—that what I do is not really important.”

The Bible, however, has quite a different emphasis: With God there are no little people — Francis Schaeffer (No Little People)

The Pentecostal Perspective - ALL believers empowered for spreading the Good News

of being

the Christian glorified

Pentecostals:

Expect to see the delivering, healing, and reconciling work of Jesus Christ

(a topic I

Pentecostals:

have discussed in

True Spirituality

Are Bible-centered, passionate, and practical

Affirm the empowering work of the Holy Spirit - enabling all believers for the work of God

), often

his reaction is, “I am so limited.

Surely it

Enabling them to live holy lives

Enabling them to live holy and empowered lives as a community

does not matter much whether I am walk-

Expect the virtue of the Holy Spirit to be present in their lives (fruit of the Spirit, Godly character, joyous experience of the manifestations of the Spirit)

ing as a creature glorified or not.”

Or, to

The work of the Holy Spirit…takes place in the real world of commerce, raising families, politics, and all other expressions of human life.

As we “connect the dots,” we discover that a biblical worldview empowered by the Spirit will foster discipleship that will create, refine, and sustain wise participation in the economy within the ethos of stewardship and the fulfilment of the Great Commission.

— Self

put it another way, “It is wonderful to be

Five Guiding Principles to guide our discipleship philosophy and implementation (Charlie Self)

a Christian, but I am such a small person,

Work is good

so limited in talents—or energy or psy-

chological strength or knowledge—that

Although sin has scarred human nature and work, it has not erased the divine nature in people and the ability to bring good to the world

God has reconciled the world to himself in Christ and is now working through the church to express the life of the kingdom in the present age

what I do is not really important.”

The Bible, however, has quite a differ-

The Holy Spirit actively energizes compassion for the poor and wealth creation for community flourshing

Cultural, economic, and social institutions are built on transcendent moral foundations

ent emphasis: With God there are no little