Release

Our theme for 2021 is “Redeeming the Time”

I thought it was time to articulate a vision for the church, not just an annual theme, but an overall vision.

Vision is not just a logo and a tagline. It how we perceive our church and how we talk about ourselves.

It’s not just a picture of who we are; it is a description of where we are going.

Our vision at SCF is to “Encounter God’s Transforming Love.”

How do we do that? (Four R’s)

Respond

God reveals Himself through a divine encounter and we respond, by our worship, our actions, our obedience.

Restore

God’s goal is restoration. We participate in this by allowing God to remove the hindrances in our lives.

There is a prophetic picture in the scripture of a river of life that flows from the Presence of God bringing life to dead places.

Release

Relate

So this week is about “Release.”

Release is what happens when the life of God within us begins to grow and multiply - we need to release it!

We want to release people into ministry; to equip and encourage them to use their God-given gifts and talents.

We believe that each person has a calling from God and we want to help them both to discover what that is and to do it, even if it means sending them out to another church or mission field.

Luke 10:1–12 ESV

1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

Jesus released his disciples to go into the towns of Judea.

Jesus’ strategy was to work through people.

He sent out the twelve.

Then the 72.

On Pentecost it was 120 gathered that were then sent out.

The church in Antioch sent out missionaries.

As one of those missionaries, Paul appointed leaders in every church that he started and they sent out missionaries.

Discipleship and sending has always been the plan; multiply by reproducing Jesus-followers.

Bringing everything under the authority of Jesus Christ and releasing the power of the Kingdom to transform humanity.

So what are we releasing and how?

We are releasing our personal witness, the power and the gifts of the Holy Spirit and ultimately, we are releasing the Kingdom of God on earth!

Releasing your witness

Share your testimony.

Words like “witness” and “testimony” call to mind the image of a courtroom where someone is on trial and a jury is trying to ascertain the truth of what happened.

The early church used these words because they were with Jesus after He was raised from the dead and the religious leaders were trying to cover it up and change the narrative.

Acts 5:32 ESV

32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Note that they cite two witnesses:

We are witnesses because of our experience, that we have been with Jesus.

The second witness is the Holy Spirit; that we are now doing the things that Jesus did through the power of the Holy Spirit.

These two witnesses don’t just apply to the original Apostles; they are the same for all believers!

The early church continued to refer to believers as “witnesses” for hundreds of years.

But you probably know them by another name because the Greek word for “witness” is “martyr.”

Those who bore witness to the presence and power of Christ were so frequently killed that the word “witness” came to mean someone who died for their faith.

Today most Christians don’t actually expect to die for their faith, but we are expected to tell our story of what Christ has done for us.

That’s why on January 31st I spent a whole message talking about how to share your testimony.

It won’t kill you to share your testimony - but it will help you be a better witness.

People need to know that you have been with Jesus.

They need to see the difference that Jesus has made in your life.

And they need to see you doing the stuff that Jesus did.

Shine in your identity.

Romans 8:18–21 ESV

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

Believe it or not, in the first century people were already pretty pessimistic about the world and it’s future.

Greek philosophers taught that the world was decaying and would eventually end.

The Jews understood that the world was fallen and had come under the curse of evil.

But as is typical, I think everyone saw everyone else as being the problem.

Jesus came preaching about the Kingdom (the rule of God) and of repentance (individually turning from evil and toward God.)

So when Jesus’ followers were filled with the Holy Spirit, they became the hope for a new world!

We talked last week about how God is all about restoration.

Restoration comes when we learn about our identity in Christ and begin to walk in it.

But here is an interesting thought - all of creation is groaning, waiting for you and I to find our identity in Christ and walk in it!

Why? Because as more and more people are restored in their identity and start to be who God made them to be, its going to result in good displacing evil in our communities, our society and even the natural world is part of that redemption!

The goal of restoration is redemption; God is making all things new and the new thing that God is doing in your life and in my life is the beginning of that process.

You may not realize it, but you shine in your identity wherever you go.

People know that you’re a Christian before you say anything.

Or maybe they don’t know that it’s because you’re Christian, but they know that you are different.

I have had people tell me that, and maybe you have too?

So what should you do?

Speak the truth.

Ephesians 4:25 TPT

25 So discard every form of dishonesty and lying so that you will be known as one who always speaks the truth, for we all belong to one another.

You are a redeemed child of God, you might as well say it!

So part of restoration is recognizing who you are; that you are made in the image of God and that you represent God!

That is also what we are releasing to the world!

Remember also, that we are all interconnected, as this verse also reminds us.

When we speak the truth about ourselves and about others, we communicate and convey the image of God.

We spread the goodness of God wherever we go.

Remember that God is good, sin is what makes the world evil.

We are here to represent God’s goodness; to literally show people what it means to be good.

The gospel is the “good news”; literally the message of God’s goodness.

God loves you! I know because He’s making me love you too.

He wants to restore you. I know because He’s restoring me.

God has a wonderful plan for you. I know because here’s what He has done for me.

God is good. I know because when I surrendered my life to Him, things finally got better.

Releasing your witness is for the purpose of repentance, turning people from sin and selfishness to God, moving from darkness to light and from following their own way to becoming the people God made them to be.

But wait, there’s more!

Releasing the Holy Spirit

Mark 1:8 ESV

8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

We talked two weeks ago about baptism; how is is a symbol of our covenant with God and a seal of our commitment.

But what is baptism in the Holy Spirit? Is that the same as baptism in water?

Think about what is being said here; what does it mean to baptize?

Saturate yourself in the Holy Spirit.

Baptism literally means to immerse; regardless of the actual method, that is the meaning.

Baptism in water means you get soaking wet- and the image is one of cleansing.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit means you get saturated with the Holy Spirit!

The imagery is that of total permeation of divine power which now fills you, compels you and motivates you.

Doesn’t everyone have the Holy Spirit?

Certainly every believer, because how else could you be saved?

We already said that it is the Spirit who helps us to respond.

But the Holy Spirit was active in your life even before that, bringing you to the place where you would know about God and be ready to respond.

So if He was there before you were saved and definitely when you were saved; what happens after you are saved?

According to the analogy, it is a matter of degree.

Being baptized in or with the Holy Spirit simply means more Holy Spirit! A lot more!

In fact, we are told to be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18 AMP

18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit.

So how does this work?

The Bible say that Jesus is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.

Just ask Jesus for more of the Holy Spirit!

My own testimony is that I gave my life to Christ at a very young age. Each year I would rededicate my life to Christ at summer camp, but one year, when I was about twelve, I did something different. I told my counselor that I had been reading about the change in Peter on the day of Pentecost. I said that I wanted to pray that what happened to Peter would happen to me. I felt the Holy Spirit come into me that day in a new way! I had joy and an assurance of salvation that I never doubted after that. I didn’t speak in tongues - nobody told me that I should. But that did happen a few weeks later when I was worshipping God all alone.

I realize that different people have had different experiences.

My concern it not that you have the right experience, but that you have the Holy Sprit in full measure.

There are people who have powerful experiences but they don’t continue to walk in the fullness of the Spirit.

I want us to keep an open posture to always wanting more of the Holy Spirit.

Pray with me today, “Jesus, saturate me with your Holy Spirit!”

Walk in the power of your calling.

2 Thessalonians 1:11–12 NLT

11 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Remember that being a witness is not just being with Jesus but dong the things that Jesus did.

This is where the Holy Spirit is vitally important because it is the Spirit of Jesus that empowers us to do the works of Jesus.

Does that mean that you can heal the sick and raise the dead? Sure. Why not? Actually, not you but by the Spirit you can.

The reason, I believe, that more Christians are not demonstrating the power of God is that we don’t know how to not make it about us.

We are so concerned about looking foolish or having what we say not come true that we forget who we are representing and the purpose of His power - to draw people to Himself.

So lets’ back up and not just be talking about signs and miracles, lets talk about calling.

You are called by God to represent Him in whatever you are already doing.

We usually think of calling as being for preachers and missionaries, but it is true for every believer.

You are called to your job, your family and your community.

Whatever assignment God has given you - that is your calling.

If God calls you and gives you an assignment, will He not also give you the grace, the ability and the power to do what He has given you to do?

If in the course of your assignment (just doing what God called you to do) you encounter sickness as an obstacle, either you or someone else. Do you think God will heal that sickness?

Do you think that God will give you the words to speak? Do you think He will provide the resources by one means or another either to move through the obstacle or to remove the obstacle?

Now you are moving in the supernatural, but it is not about you!

You are simply trusting God to help you to do what you need to do to fulfill the assignment that He has given you.

You are walking in the power of your calling.

Use the gifts that God has given you.

Ephesians 4:11–13 ESV

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 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,

I could spend a whole series talking about Spiritual Gifts and I sure at some point I will do that.

Part of “releasing” is recognizing that we have spiritual gits as well as natural abilities and that is something that we have to contribute to what God is doing in the world.

Just as we each have our calling or assignment, because we can’t do everything, we have certain gifts which we gravitate to.

Someone asked me recently whether the gifts of the Spirit are for anyone at any time or if we are given certain gifts which are ours to keep.

I think both are true. Certainly if the Spirit is enabling the gift, He can enable anyone at any time as He sees fit.

But it is also true that God uses each person uniquely according to the personality that he gave us.

Sometimes a spiritual gift is an extension of who we are, but empowered on a level that we could never attain if the Spirit were not helping us.

I chose the Ephesians passage today because there are certain gifts (the five-fold ministry gifts) which are designed to help other people discover and function in their gifts.

An apostle is someone who strategically launches new ministries.

In the process of doing that he (or she) will recruit people and launch them into their gifting and calling as well.

A prophet sees what God is doing and speaks what God is saying.

That means that they also speak identity and destiny into people’s lives helping them to realize who they are and what God has called them to do.

An evangelist calls people into the Kingdom, but also trains and equips others to do the same.

A teacher identifies and communicates truth which helps people to identify and refine their gifts, both natural and supernatural.

A pastor walks with people as they are taking their first steps, encourages them, picks them up when they fail and restores them and relaunches them.

Just like we said about the power of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, even though it may be your gift, is not ultimately about you; it’s about Him and it’s about the Kingdom.

Releasing the Kingdom

Matthew 16:18–19 NLT

18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

I decided to call this section “releasing the Kingdom” for short, but it could just as well be called “releasing the church to release the Kingdom”

Do you get what Jesus is saying here?

He is giving His church authority to decide what is to be released on earth.

It’s not just Peter who has keys, it is all those who have made the same confession of Jesus as Lord.

It is the church as the Body of Christ.

Stand together as the Body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:27 NLT

27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

I have been enjoying catching up on the Marvel Comic Universe Movies. Here are people with extraordinary superhuman abilities who try to save the world, often by combining forces.

They’re not all perfect people. Some of them have obvious flaws like “Iron Man” Tony Stark’s arrogance or “The Hulk” Bruce Banner’s uncontrollable anger. And they don’t always like each other or get along well like in Superman vs. Batman.

But when they have a common purpose, such as a common threat or enemy, they band together and cover for each other’s weaknesses to become virtually unstoppable.

The church is called the Body of Christ because, empowered by the Spirit, we are to complete what Jesus began to do.

We are to both proclaim and demonstrate that the time has come for all rule and authority to be restored to a humanity which Gd had redeemed and restored for Himself under Jesus Christ as the head.

The problem is that we still have our individual issues and we don’t always get along with each other.

Jesus has given us the power of the holy Spirit and some really amazing gifts, but we don’t always use them wisely or well.

As long as the enemy has us competing against each other or, even worse, trying to take one another out, he wins.

But If we ever learn to function as one body with Jesus as the head its “game over” for the enemy.

This is why is is so important that we become Kingdom-minded.

If we are only thinking about our interests; our own calling, our own church or even our own ministry; we win the battle but loose the war.

If on the other hand we learn to build the Kingdom, where it doesn’t matter if I get what I want, or get the credit or am recognized, then we can only win in the end, even if it feels like we are loosing.

We win whenever God wins.

Do what God has called you to do.

One of the best ways to work together and be Kingdom minded is for each one to know and do their part.

Larry Krieder does a teaching for the school of Ministry which he calls “fields of ministry.”

Every farmer knows the boundaries of their own fields and wouldn’t think of doing something in a neighbors field without permission.

In ministry we each have an assignment and we need to embrace that assignment and submit ourselves to others when we are helping them with their assignment.

The problem is that many of us don’t really know what God has called us to do, so we try a little bit here and there, often without much success.

As a Pastor who is gifted and called to equipping the church, I want to help you to know what God has called you to do.

It may take some time to discover it, but I’m sure the clues are there.

Even after we know what your assignment should be, it may be that God wants to do some training before he opens that door of opportunity.

The important thing is that you are faithful with what you have been given and God will give you more.

Extend the influence of the Kingdom wherever you go.

When Jesus sent out the seventy two, He told them to find a peaceful person, stay with that person and begin demonstrating what it means to be a child of God.

In other words, they were to go and become an influence in every town that they entered.

If they could not be an influence, they were to leave and go to the next town.

Influence = the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself.

Jesus knew the power of influence.

Just go and release who you are into the environment.

If people are blessed, then you are bringing the Kingdom.

If they give you such a hard time that you are not able to be a blessing, then move onto anther more receptive place.

If you can’t turn them for good, you sure don’t want them to turn you sour.

Perhaps the right time or person will come along, and if not, they had their chance.

Remember that river of life that we talked about last week?

When the church is released, it flows toward the city where the people are.

Psalm 46:4 ESV

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.

Measurements for Meditation:

I embrace the baptism and continual filling of the Holy Spirit and His work in my life.

I consider myself to be a member of the Body of Christ by sharing in the responsibility of my church and seeking the good of the regional church and the global church.

I recognize that I am a witness to the goodness of God who is called to share my testimony and the truth of the gospel with others.

I will use my God-given gifts, talents and calling to further the Kingdom of God.