It's Not About Me, It's All About Him

First off, thank you Brad and Old Powhatan for the opportunity to be here this morning. OPBC holds a special place in my heart and a place that God used mightily in my life, as well as many others who are still here or serving elsewhere across the world. Lately, the Lord has pressed upon my heart the phrase…It’s not about me, it’s all about Him. Various circumstances invade our life day in and day out, each with the need for an answer, will this circumstance in my life be about me, or about Him. I am thankful for the many who have gone before us with that mentality. The advancing of the Gospel is made possible by those who have gone before us saying it’s not about me, it all about him. For two thousand plus years, individuals, families, and churches have been faithful to go and share the good news of the gospel. OPBC has been faithful to this calling for 250 years. Praise God that many have said, it’s not about me, it’s all about Him. Pastors and preachers imprisoned for their faith and conviction that Christ is Lord. I pray that myself and you would continue looking to add to this legacy. Not a legacy of your own, but all for Jesus and His glory.

There is always a next generation. In a few months we will be hearing about the next greatest iPhone and Apple Watch. A year from then, we will hear about another iPhone. In a few years it’ll be the next Xbox or Playstation. If not that it’ll be the next generation of cars. If not that it’ll be a new way to watch tv or movies. You get the point. There will always be a next generation. While this is true of technology, it is also true of you and me.

19 individuals just got back from Puerto Rico. Some we would classify as the next generation, some as adults. However, we will not understand next generation ministry without realizing that God always has something new planned for me. It doesn’t matter if you are a kid, teenager, adult, or senior adult, God will grant you opportunities to grow, learn, and lean on His everlasting arms. We have a God that loves us and through the power of the Holy Spirit, is always directing us toward the next generation. As he does that we personally will continue making disciples of the next generation and our own personal generation.

5 Aims for a Next Generational Disciple

To preface what we are looking at this morning. Paul in the letter to the church at Ephesus has placed great emphasis in the first three chapters on the necessity of knowing what you believe. Salvation is clearly a spiritual blessing from Christ alone. We were dead in our trespasses, but given an opportunity for salvation by believing in Jesus by grace through faith. Paul at the end of chapter three prays for spiritual strength for the body of Christ. OPBC, if you will make it another 250 or more years, we need spiritual strength. We will see this morning that unity matters and that unity requires people from various backgrounds. Each of you here this morning has a gifting that someone else doesn’t. We need all of you. Paul in Galatians discusses and shows us the power of the Gospel. The gospel is the means of Salvation for Jews and Greeks (Gentiles).

Let’s dive into the 5 aims for a next generational disciple.

1. How we walk matters.

Ephesians 4:1–3 ESV

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

A prisoner of the Lord (simply put). You are tied to, Binded). Simply put, You are in Christ. If you are in Christ, Paul then will urge us to do something.

When is the last time you were urged to do something? Was it to take out the trash? Maybe it was to fix the leaking sink. Did you doctor recently urge you to take care of yourself.

Let’s be honest…We are all urged to live a certain way. Some still chasing after the pleasures of the world. Some after Christ. Paul is urging believers, walk, not only walk, but walk worthy of your calling in Christ Jesus.

Your calling in life matters. I’m not referring to your calling to save all the passengers on flight 828. I’m referring to your God given privilege of being used for Kingdom purposes.

God wants to use ordinary people like you and me for extraordinary things to connect people with Christ.

So what does it look like to walk worthy of our calling in Christ Jesus?

We do it with:

Humility

I cannot think of anything more difficult. Yet, Jesus he humbled himself by being obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8).

Gentleness

Kind, tender-hearted.

Patience

Another difficult one. I thought I was good at being patient until I had kids. Now, this is an area that I need extreme growth in. Patience is difficult, but the art of patience enables us to think of others, live among others, and fight together for unity.

Bearing with one another in love

Enduring together is essential for the life of a believer. This church would not be around 250 years if it did not endure together. On the essentials of the faith, there should be no compromise. As we walk, we need to endure.

Eager to maintain unity

Unity must be your top goal as a Christ follower. Push aside your preferences and disagreements to fight for unity.

How you walk matters. Secondly,

2. How we wake up matters.

Waking up is either the easiest thing you do each day or the hardest.

Some of you might be Dopey, Grumpy, Bashful, Sleepy, Sneezy, or Happy. Not many of us wake up like Doc. Doc is wise, he thinks through various situations, and he seeks to make the best of each opportunity. We must wake up like Doc, with the Holy Spirit as our guide. Wake up with the expectation that you are going to earnestly fight for unity.

Ephesians 4:4–6 ESV

4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

One Body - one body as an individual church, but also the corporate body. Whether you are here or in Puerto Rico, you are a member of the body of Christ. Wake up knowing that that mater.

One Spirit - the same Holy Spirit that dwells in you, this church gives us power. Wake up realizing that you have power to fight for unity. Realize you have power to walk in a manner worthy of your calling. Never lose sight of how God is going to move in your life and the life of others. Welcome the power of the Spirit.

One Hope - the only hope is Jesus. If you think anything different, I’m sorry, but you are wrong. Your calling is rooted in the hope of the Gospel.

One Lord - Jesus is the Lord of Lords, the King of kings.

One Faith - John 14:6 “Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through him”

One Baptism - We are buried with Christ in baptism, raised to walk in newness of life.

One God - God, the Creator of everything, Holy, righteous, loving God, that sent His son to provide the forgiveness of sins. He’s the Heavenly Father, he’s over everything.

How you wake up matters.

Wake up daily under the banner of Christ.

3. How we welcome matters.

Ephesians 4:7–10 ESV

7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

Colossians 4:6 ESV

6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

4. How we work matters.

Let me preface and remind you, salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone. As a result of our love for God we naturally are involved in kingdom work.

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,

Your pastors and leaders, they naturally seek to work out this verse. They naturally want to equip you to do the work of ministry. The work of ministry is simply being involved with proclaiming the excellencies of Jesus. Equipping the saints builds up the body of Christ. What is the goal of this Kingdom work?

To attain unity of the faith.

to attain knowledge of the Son of God

To mature into the fullness of Christ.

The very spirit of God seeks to grow us into the man or woman of God that He has called us to be. The Spirit uses people, whether it is your pastor or small group leader, to equip you to do kingdom work.

How you work matters, do kingdom work.

5. How we weld matters.

Ephesians 4:14–16 ESV

14 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. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 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.

Why does kingdom work and the work of the Holy Spirit matter?

so that we no longer be children.

Tossed to and fro by the waves and carried by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

Don’t weld your life on things that will decay, on things that do not matter.

Rather, speak the truth in love

Grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.

Because of Christ, if we are in him, then we are molded to the body. Each of you have different gifts and abilities with different capabilities. Weld them into your faith journey as you seek to proclaim the excellencies of Jesus.

Gentiles were grafted into the faith.

welding, grafted in.

Welding (fabrication process that joins materials.

5 Walking Points to Invest in the Next Generation.

1. Show others daily how to walk.

2. Wake up daily with purpose.

3. Welcome others with grace.

4. Use your gifts for ministry.

5. Mold your life to the body of Christ.

Nick Fury (S.H.I.E.L.D. and founder of the Avengers) recognized a need. Listen to this:

There was an idea, Stark knows this, called the Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people to see if they could become something more. To see if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. - Nick Fury

Old Powhatan, you have an aim, to proclaim the excellencies of Jesus. I implore you, aim to do this always thinking about the next generation (for you personally, and for those after you).

Remember, it is not about you, it is all about Him.