Sermon Tone Analysis

At the Cross

Welcome (Hopson Boutot)

Good morning family!

Hear the Word of the Lord...

Ephesians 2:13-19 —“...in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.

For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

At the cross Jesus did more then roll away the burden of your heart.

He did more than devote His sacred head for sinners such as you and I.

He also made you a part of a family.

Today we’re concluding our sermon series on our five identities by studying our identity as a family.

Turn in your Bibles to Ephesians 4:11.

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While you’re turning, 2 quick announcements:

Before you get too excited, just know that one of my announcements has six sub-points

1) A word about PBC.

We are Family.

Fellowship Groups

Six quick questions about FGs...

What?

Not a Bible study (although we’ll talk about the BIble)

Not an accountability group (although hopefully we’ll keep each other accountability)

Small groups meeting in homes to facilitate fellowship

Who?

You don’t have to be a member to join a FG, but if you are a member we encourage you to join

For families: we have 3 homes open to kids.

Each group will facilitate their own childcare.

Where?

3 groups in Poquoson (1 is already full), 2 in Newport News, and 1 in Yorktown

When?

Groups begin meeting next week and will conclude before Thanksgiving

If you don't like your group, don't worry it'll be over soon!

1 group on Tuesday mornings, 5 on Wednesday nights.

How do I sign up?

Sign up online or at the blue flag

Why should I sign up?

For an answer to that question, stay awake during the sermon

That was announcement #1

2) TableTalk at 5:30 (“One Another”)

Jason Wells will be teaching us about the command in 1 Corinthians 12:25 that Christians “care for one another”

Now look in your Bibles at Ephesians 4:11 as Shelly Robertson comes to read for us.

Scripture Reading (Ephesians 4:11-16)

Prayer of Praise (God is Spirit), Shelly Robertson

Yes I Will

I Stand in Awe

Prayer of Confession (Rebellion), Adam Hess

Glorify Thy Name

PBC Catechism #35

Pastoral Prayer (John Rogers)

SERMON

Last year the evangelical world was abuzz with a podcast called The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill.

The podcast told the story of explosive growth in a church in Seattle called Mars Hill Church.

What started as a home Bible study in 1996 exploded to 15 locations across 4 U.S. states.

with over 15,000 members.

It’s main preaching pastor grew to the #1 preacher on iTunes, with more than 260,000 sermon views online every week.

But the meteoric rise of Mars Hill would be sadly short-lived.

18 years after it’s launch, the church that became one one of the fastest-growing churches in the country shut it’s doors for good.

The story of Mars Hill Church is a story with many sad and shocking twists and turns.

But it’s a parable about church growth.

It’s a painful reminder that not all church growth is created equal.

Turn to Ephesians 4

Around 60 AD, Paul wrote a letter to a group of churches he planted in the region of Ephesus during his three years there

In that letter, the Spirit prompted Paul to write to these churches about healthy growth

Ephesians 4:11-16—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.

Not all church growth is created equal.

PBC: my desire for us is to experience healthy growth

Let’s consider the marks of healthy growth (what it looks like), the means to healthy growth (what God uses to accomplish healthy growth) and a method to healthy growth (how we’re going to use the means that God supplies)

1) The MARKS of Healthy Growth

Notice what isn’t here...

Number of baptisms

Number of people in the pews

Number of church plants

Size of the budget

Number of events, mission programs, ministries, etc.

All those things have their place, but none of them are key indicators of healthy growth

Four key marks of healthy growth...

A) Unified DIVERSITY

v. 11-13—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...

Notice first, there’s diversity.

Some have titles, others don’t.

But there’s also unity—until we all attain to the unity of the faith

We want unity, not uniformity

B) Spiritual MATURITY

v. 13—...mature manhood...

What is manhood?

Ben Rector—Is it the things you've done, the places that you've been?

Chasin' down some dream you'vе been imaginin'?

Or is it makin' peace with who you are and whеre you stand?

I'm tryin' to find what makes a man.

Today we have plenty of boys who can shave

One of the marks of a man in Paul’s culture was the ability to reproduce and care for your offspring.

Christian: are you reproducing?

Are you making disciples?

If not, you may look mature but you’re not mature.

C) Theological STABILITY

v. 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.

Many Christians are being tossed to and fro...