Our Calling/Commission (2)

Purpose of the Church: Part 2

Prayer

Review

Last week, we talked about the Word of God. We believe that we need the power of the Holy Spirit to work in us and open our eyes so that we can understand and apply the word of God.

Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

God gave His word so that we can be built up. Sometimes to build, God must tear down things in us that are holding us back from doing His will.

As He teaches us with His word, we receive truth. As He corrects and rebukes us, we repent and draw closer to Him. When the Holy Spirit searches us, He brings to light things in us that need to be dealt with. Then He trains us in righteousness. This is where we become more like Christ and are made holy.

Be Ready...

2 Timothy 4:1–5 (NIV)

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

This speaks to the body. We need to be ready in season and out of season. We need to have sound doctrine. It’s important that when we look at Scripture that we don’t take verses out of context so that it fits into our theology, but that we understand what the word of God is saying.

As we read, we ask the Holy Spirit to bring it to light. When we read, it’s important that we read the passage to see how the verse fits within the passage and so that we understand what it is saying.

Here’s and example, we like to read Jeremiah 29:11

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

In it’s context, Jeremiah is speaking to a people that probably would die before the 70 years of Exile was over, and yet God’s plan was to bless His people.

Jeremiah 29:12–14 (NIV)

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

Always be prepared to give an answer

1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

Most will never preach the gospel from behind a pulpit, many will never hear the gospel if we expect them to come to church before they believe, but

How can we grow in our faith, be discipled, so that discipling becomes just an every day part of our lives?

What do you think that it was about the early church that brought them the results that they got?

They preached the gospel in word and they lived it out together in deed.

Colossians 3:17 (NIV)

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Matthew 28:18–19 (NIV)

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Why make disciples?

Because of the authority, exousia, that Jesus had, He was calling and commissioning believers to go and make...

What is a disciple?

A disciple is a follower of Jesus Christ.

Life Application New Testament Commentary (Jesus Gives the Great Commission / 28:16–20 / 248)

“Making disciples” means instructing new believers on how to follow Jesus, to submit to Jesus’ lordship, and to take up his mission of compassionate service.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary (28:16–20)

Jesus’ commission, applicable to all His followers, involved one command, “Make disciples,” which is accompanied by three participles in the Greek: “going,” baptizing, and teaching.

Daniel Im,

Here are six different definitions of a disciple by experts:

A disciple is an individual who “desires above all else to be like him [Christ]” (Dallas Willard –Philosopher)

A disciple is an individual who is “becoming just like Jesus, doing what Jesus did, and doing [those last two points] with the types of people Jesus liked spending time with (Hugh Halter – Church Planter and Missional Specialist)

A disciple is one who adheres to Christ (Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Pastor and Martyr)

A disciple is an individual who has encountered “Jesus as Lord and not merely as Rabbi” (Eric Geiger, Michael Kelley, and Philip Nation – Researchers)

A disciple is one who is following Christ (head), being changed by Jesus (heart) and committed to Jesus’ mission to save people from their sin (hands) (Jim Putnam – Megachurch Pastor)

“A disciple is rational (learner), relational (family), and missional (missionary)” (Jonathan Dodson – Pastor and Discipleship Thinker)

“A disciple of Jesus is an individual who is continually being transformed into the likeness of Christ, as he or she is learning and participating in the mission of God with others.” - Daniel Im

We are all called to go and make disciples while still working in the marketplace.

As Christians, what is our end goal? Why does the church exist?

Ephesians 4:11–13 (NKJV)

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

The church is called to equip the saints for the work of ministry, but there is One that we mustn’t forget.

The Holy Spirit

John 20:21–22 (NIV)

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8 (NIV)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

I came upon an interesting quote that made me think and it was about the vision that we have for our church.

Daniel Im in his book, “No Silver Bullets,” said this, “Vision is about the preferred future. It’s the ability to conceptualize a picture of a golden tomorrow that does not yet exist. It’s about both the difficulties and possibilities so that you can actually visualize a different reality than the one you can see with your eyes. Simply put, vision is about painting dreams that God has laid on your heart for all to see. In order to discover those God given dreams, you need to start by considering “everything to be a loss in view of the all surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord”(Philippians 3:8) so that you can stop wondering “what kind of mission God has for me” and instead begin asking, “what kind of me God has for His mission.” (183-184)

I think each of us could ask the question,

“What kind of me God has for His mission?”

Maybe you have some questions or ideas that we could look into as we continue and move forward to look into how we can practically become more like Jesus so that as we mature, that we are missional in what we do.