Develop

Introduction

Make it so.

COVID: The end of consumer Christianity

Many who study the American church are saying COVID has accelerated change that was already moving in the church.

One: away from consumer Christianity.

We shop for a church with a good children’s ministry, student ministry, weekly worship event that has all the bells and whistles

What does it give me, offer me, feed me, etc.

Come to be served

Entitlement

Consumers are always looking at what’s wrong with the church; the problems are always with someone else

Focus on preferences

Focus on what Jesus gives rather than the cost of following him

bitterness, disappointment, and frustration with the church at large.

The Shift

From produced church with some entertainment value to a place of discovering a taste of life as God means us to live.

From shallow, casual acquaintences to to deep, messy relationships and discipleship.

Most importantly, from consuming to our abilities, strengths, gifts being developed for a purpose bigger than ourselves.

Redefining or reclaiming what Jesus and his followers envisioned the church to be.

Several metaphors for church. Here: Body of Christ

Ephesians 4:11–16 ESV

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.

Ekklesia

Perceived threats to the church:

Biblical times: Wrong teaching, ideologies, desire for influence/power.

TODAY one of the things we’re most concerned about is government overreach taking away our freedom. Low hanging fruit.

IN REALITY TODAY: Polarized society and politicization of the church are the biggest threats to tear the church apart. IDEOLOGIES, DESIRE FOR INFLUENCE/POWER.

God’s Kingdom Cuts Through

Ekklesia - not a local congregation but the church universal.

Part of the unity of all things which Christ's rule represents.

BIBLE: The places where non Jewish people become fellow heirs, members of the same body, sharers of the promise given to the Jews reconciled along with them to God and united with Christ.

The participation of the Gentiles in the promises of God means they are also part of God's plan to unite all things in Christ - things in heaven and things on earth.

TODAY: The place where people of all nationalities, races, colors become brothers and sisters, members of the same body, sharers of the promises of God and part of God’s plan to unite all things in Christ on earth as it is in heaven.

Doesn’t Just Happen

People Gifts to The Church (Leaders)

Think of someone you know or have made the biggest mark on your life.

I’ve had a lot of great mentors, spiritual guides to help me develop, grow, etc.

The people who have left the biggest mark on my life were those who:

Saturated in Love

Make Other’s Lives Richer

Gifts to the Church

Those listed are gifts to the church to equip/help others in the church make their lives richer by intentionally, helping each person discover and exercise their respective ministries.

Equip it for:

Work of Ministry: Every believer has one

katartismos not found anywhere else in the NT.

The related verb means to repair something (Matthew 4:21); of bringing the universe in the beginning into its intended shape and order and of restoring to spiritual health a person who has fallen.

Healing but not as an end to itself but for the purpose of being fitted for the work of ministry.

Moses

Exodus 4:10–12 ESV

But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”

Disciples

Matthew 4:19 ESV

And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

To Prime it to Fulfill its Purpose: Building up the body of Christ

-Like to give testimonies of what God has done but what today's testimonies lack is the second part - how what God did prepared me for ministry and what it looked like.

Building up to Unity of Faith

Faith is not accepting a set of beliefs. Deeper, more personal. It is unity in knowing Jesus Christ in deep sharing of the joy and sufferings of the gospel - the full experience of life in Christ.

Maturity involves unity. The many are to become one new adult - representing all of Christ.

Joints: It is a structured unity that is diverse in every way.

Want to compare your life to something - compare it to all you can understand of the life Jesus lived while on earth.

Every Christian has a work of ministry, a spiritual function in, through and for the body and Kingdom mission.

Bringing People Together

16 - harmos: joint or fastening in the construction of a building or for the shoulder-joint of the body.

Reconciling those who have battled each other

symbibazomenon - bringing things or people together and of reconciling those who have quarrelled, and of putting together facts to teach.

Develop to mature spiritual adulthood

Immaturity - instability in the face of pressures, competing with one another

Immaturity makes us susceptible to deception

Maturity doesn't get nervous, angry, or fearful when the waters of a stormy society rage (like they are now) and attempt to toss us around, make us dizzy, confused.

Maturity keeps a sense of calm, non-anxious presence, not take sides when there is a battle for the narrative. The unsteady and rudderless will lose course.

To Function Properly

Phrases in 12 describe the ongoing process in the life of the church that has the goal of helping travellers arrive at their destination.

Spoiler alert: It’s NOT heaven.

A community living in love, showing truth in love

No anger, no outrage

Telling and showing who we are/identity

Clarifying truth/KOG

This is how the body will be kept from being thrown around

Kingdom penetrating society.

We live responsibly in the world, focusing like Jesus on people and speaking truth respectfully to the authorities when needed.

Often have to do that in unfair, demeaning structures and systems bringing to bear Christ-like love and service.

Everyone gets to play

ILL: body heals itself.

The equipped/maturing people

-Do the work of ministry

-Are the joints, touch points holding the body together

-make the body grow so it can build itself up in love

Point: every person has a place; each part of the body receives the spirit’s power and your distinct role contributes to the well-being of the whole and the unity in diversity and growth of the church.

We grow into Christ when we are equipped for ministry

To the degree that every person is NOT participating is the degree that the church is unhealthy, ineffective, etc

Ministers, elders, etc do not have exclusive responsibility to the building up of the church in love (discipleship). The entire body is involved in the building up of itself.

+intentional

+ongoing

+slow

+discovery