Gaining by Losing, Conclusion
Gaining by Losing, Bible study based on the book by JD Greear • Sermon • Submitted
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· 12 viewsAs we wrap up this study, let us take a few moments and remember what we have covered. This is an excellent time to ask questions you may have had along the way but forgot to ask.
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Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
What are we willing to give away?
What are we willing to give away?
Are we willing to lose our kingdom for His?
Are we willing to lose our kingdom for His?
Plumb Line - “When you are tired of saying it, they have just heard it.”
Plumb Line - “When you are tired of saying it, they have just heard it.”
Two questions about what God has given us stewardship over:
— Whose kingdom are we actually building: ours, or God’s?
— Do we really believe that Jesus grows his kingdom most as we “give away” what he’s given to us?
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Fairlawn’s greatest kingdom potential lies not in our ability to gather and inspire our people at a weekly worship meeting, but in our capacity to equip them and send them out as seeds into the kingdom of God.
“Plumb Lines”
— key phrases that we can use at our church to keep our ministries and our lives centered on sending.
Plumb Line - “The “Ordinary Believer” — is the tip of the gospel spear.”
Plumb Line - “The “Ordinary Believer” — is the tip of the gospel spear.”
The greatest gospel movements in history have been facilitated by ordinary people like you, not church leaders like me. And the Great Commission will be completed only when we church leaders get serious about sending you out to do what God has called you to do, and you get serious about doing it.
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
Plumb Line - “Our primary obligation is to the Gospel.”
Plumb Line - “Our primary obligation is to the Gospel.”
His obligation was not primarily to the church in Rome, it was to the Gospel.
His obligation was not primarily to the church in Rome, it was to the Gospel.
Our obligation is not primarily to Fairlawn Baptist Church, it is to the Gospel.
Our obligation is not primarily to Fairlawn Baptist Church, it is to the Gospel.
Maybe our focus has become on self-preservation rather than Gospel multiplication.
Aircraft Carriers, Cruise Liners, and Battleships
Aircraft Carriers, Cruise Liners, and Battleships
Plumb Line - “Our church should be more like a aircraft carrier and less like a cruise liner”
Plumb Line - “Our church should be more like a aircraft carrier and less like a cruise liner”
Greear, J.D.. Gaining By Losing (Exponential Series) (p. 25). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Plumb Line - “The Gospel Is Not Just the Diving Board, It Is the Pool.”
Plumb Line - “The Gospel Is Not Just the Diving Board, It Is the Pool.”
Plumb Line - “Everyone Is Called.”
Plumb Line - “Everyone Is Called.”
Plumb Line - “The Week Is As Important As The Weekend”
Plumb Line - “The Week Is As Important As The Weekend”
Attractional (Come and See) Vs. Missional (Go and Tell)
Plumb Line - We do not need to grow an audience, we need to grow an army.
Plumb Line - We do not need to grow an audience, we need to grow an army.
Plumb Line - A church is not simply a group of people gathered around a leader. It must be making leaders from the gathered group.
Plumb Line - A church is not simply a group of people gathered around a leader. It must be making leaders from the gathered group.
How awesome would it be to move people from “paying consumer” to “enlisted soldier”?
I believe there are four ways we become a leadership factory.
I believe there are four ways we become a leadership factory.
WE MUST CHALLENGE OUR PEOPLE TO BE LEADERS.
WE MUST EMPOWER OUR PEOPLE TO BE LEADERS.
WE MUST HAVE THE COURAGE TO SEND OUT OUR PEOPLE AS LEADERS.
WE NEED A NEW METRIC FOR SUCCESS.
Plumb Line - “The Point in Everything Is to Make Disciples.”
Plumb Line - “The Point in Everything Is to Make Disciples.”
Remember General McClellan
Remember we said he wouldn’t fight.
Southern Baptists claim 16 million adherents in 42,000 churches, and we have a problem finding 500 qualified planters?
and we have a problem finding 500 qualified planters?
Only 1 of every 320,000 Southern Baptists — 1 planter out of every 840 churches — needs to become a church planter in order to have more planters than we can support.
Only 1 of every 320,000 Southern Baptists — 1 planter out of every 840 churches — needs to become a church planter in order to have more planters than we can support.
If faith, study, programs and events are the strategy of how we do ministry, then evangelism is the actual fight.
Only 1 of every 320,000 Southern Baptists — 1 planter out of every 840 churches — needs to become a church planter in order to have more planters than we can support.
Plumb Line - “Every Pastor is a Missions Pastor, Every Believer is a Missionary.”
Plumb Line - “Every Pastor is a Missions Pastor, Every Believer is a Missionary.”
Plumb Line - “The Church Makes Visible the Invisible Christ.”
Plumb Line - “The Church Makes Visible the Invisible Christ.”
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galati
If you have been crucified in Christ, do people see more of you or more of Him in you?
Plumb Line - “The church is God’s demonstration community.”
Plumb Line - “The church is God’s demonstration community.”
Plumb Line - “When you are tired of saying it, they have just heard it.”
Plumb Line - “When you are tired of saying it, they have just heard it.”
Changing the DNA of the way we view discipleship will require constant conversation, constant evaluation and constant prayer.