Michael Porter - God-Centered Worship: A Sermon on Matthew 6:1-8
/God-Centered Worship: A Sermon on Matthew 6:1-18
March 15, 2020
Pastor Michael Porter
Sermon Text: Matthew 6:1-18
1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Main Idea: Righteous worship is God-centered worship, not self-centered.
Sermon Outline:
I. The Principle of God-Centered Worship (6:1)
II. Three Examples of God-Centered Worship (6:2-18)
a) God-Centered Giving
b) God-Centered Prayer
c) God-Centered Fasting
Spiritual Growth Questions for March 15, 2020
1. Read Matthew 6:1-18 as a group and discuss your initial impressions of the text as a
whole.
2. Briefly skim through Matthew 5. There, Jesus spoke about true righteousness with
respect to the way we live and relate to others. In Matthew 6:1-18, Jesus turns now to the
righteousness that his disciples are to display in their religious/worship practices. How
does righteous behavior go hand-in-hand with righteous worship?
3. The idea of “reward” comes up several times in this passage. What reward is gained from
people? How does that reward compare to the reward to be gained from God the Father?
Is this promise of a reward from the Father an unworthy or worthy motive for Christian
discipleship?
4. Look at vv. 2-4. What great danger does Jesus alert us to when giving to the needy as a
ministry endeavor? How does Jesus instruct his disciples to avoid this? How does this
apply to you/your group?
5. Look at vv. 5-6. Why does the hypocrite pray? How does Jesus instruct his disciples to
avoid falling into the same trap? How does this apply in your own private prayer life?
6. Look at vv. 7-15. The distinctive thing about Christian prayer is the nature of the God we
address. What does the Lord’s Prayer tell us about God? How are these aspects reflected
in your own prayers and do they have any impact on the way you worship?
7. Look at vv. 16-18. Fasting is not a popular pastime these days. And yet, the fact that
Jesus says “And when you fast” implies that he expects that his disciples will do so.
Discuss reasons for commending the practice.
Mother's Day - Sarah Jean Hood
/
Happy Mother’s Day
May 12, 2019
Sarah Jean Hood
When you think of a mom- what do you think of?
-comfort
-encouragement
-the lynchpin that brings the family together
-Hospitality
-preparing those environments where we can connect together on a
heart level
-Moms are connecters & gatherers
I. Mothers represent the heart of community
Moms are a very important part of our society. The idea of the matriarch, the center of the family world, is so powerful that even Jesus referred to Himself as a hen gathering chicks, to protect and guide His family
“How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”
- Matthew 23:37b
Proverbs 31:26-29
26She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29“Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
II. Community and the importance of community in the bible.
Hebrews 10:24-25
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!
1 PETER 4:8-11
8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies--in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 4:15-16
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.
Acts 2:42-47
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Happy Mother’s Day!
John Lloyd - Resurrection Sunday
/"Share His-Story"
Sharing His Story: The Resurrection of Jesus
John 20
Pastor John Lloyd
April 1, 2018
The truth of Jesus’ resurrection proves God can do anything. It is life changing! Believing and trusting in Jesus is the first step in experiencing resurrection life. God blesses and rewards a lifestyle that shares His Resurrection.
Big Idea: Believing and sharing His Story changes my life here and forevermore.
I. Look carefully at the evidence of the resurrection of Jesus.
I Corinthians 15:1 Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. 2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.
John 20:5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, (John 20:7-8)
A. Prophets foretold it. Psalm 16:10, Hosea 6:2
B. Jesus promised it. (John 2:19, Matthew 20:19)
C. The Pharisees were afraid of it. (Matthew 27:62-66)
D. The disciples didn’t believe it at first. (John 20:9)
E. The disciples went from fleeing to proclaiming it. (Acts 2:24, 4:13)
Action: Take some time to examine the evidence of the resurrection. The resurrection is what separates Jesus from all other teachers.
II. Ask God to reveal the truth of the resurrection of Jesus.
John 20:18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her. John 20:27-28
“We need to remember that even the disciples/ first century people could not have conceived of this happening… they couldn’t help it, they had seen it. And it changed their lives. You know even if you don’t like what I am saying… you should want it to be true… because it means that there is more to this life than what we see. There will be justice for the poor, alleviating of hunger and disease, and caring for the environment.” Tim Keller
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
The resurrection proves Jesus is who he claimed to be.
Action: Ask God to reveal to you the Living Christ.
III. Let God’s peace enter your soul through faith.
John 20:19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. (Romans 5:1, Philippians 4:7)
The resurrection of Jesus means the sacrifice of Jesus has been accepted, thus our sins have been forgiven.
I Corinthians 15:16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
Philippians 3:10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
"Christ did not come to do away with suffering; He did not come to explain it; He came to fill it with His presence." --Paul Claudel
John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
Action: Give the things troubling you over to God.
IV. Share His Story with others.
John 20:21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
John 9:25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
This world needs resurrection life. This world needs a living Christ. It doesn’t need just a moral teacher or a good person. It needs the Living Christ who can change our lives and the lives of those around us.
Romans 8:11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Ephesians 1:19-20)
I Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Philippians 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
I John 5:11And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I John 5:13
The tomb of Jesus Christ is empty because He resurrected and is alive forevermore.
John 11:26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Your death, burial, and resurrection humble me to ask for your forgiveness. I desire to live for you and turn from my own ways. You conquered death for me and I receive your free gift of eternal life. Help me live my life in close relationship with you. I believe in you and the power of the Resurrection!
Growth Group Questions for April 1, 2018
Opener: Discuss something you thought would bring you freedom but did not deliver. Talk about something you thought would bring bondage but actually brought freedom.
1. Read Ephesians 1:16-21. Describe in your own words what is happening here. Why is this important?
2. The doctrine of the resurrection was also at the heart of New Testament preaching. (Read Acts 2:31; 4:2, 4:33; 17:18, 32; 23:6&8; 24:15&21; 26:23) Why were the apostles so centered on this resurrection? What does this teach us?
3. Read Philippians 3:10. What are the two things Paul wants to know? How can knowing these two things help you in your walk with God?
4. Read I Corinthians 15:14 &17. Why is Paul sharing this with the Corinthians? What lessons can you take from this truth?
5. Consider the fact that no other religion is proven by the resurrection of its founder. Consider these seven proofs:
1.The resurrection was proclaimed as fact by the initial apostles (I Cor. 15:5-7). 2. The testimony of a converted skeptic. (I Cor. 15:8-11). 3. The proof of history (Acts 26:23&26). 4. The quality of the apostolic witnesses (Acts 12:2) 5. The number and quality of supportive witnesses (I Corinthians 15:5) 6. The startling transformation of the apostles (Acts 17:6). 7. The ongoing experience of the resurrected Jesus Christ (I was blind and now I see) Which one speaks to you the most and why?
6. Read Romans 6:4, 8:11. How does the resurrection of Jesus and access to His power bring freedom to our souls? What things can you do to help you access this power?
7. Read and pray Ephesians 1:17-19 for yourself, pray it for a friend or someone in your group. Why is this prayer so necessary and powerful? Why do we need wisdom, revelation and our eyes enlightened to know and believe these things?
Chastidy Ronan - Faith In The Fire
/Dolores Park Church
February 11, 2018
Faith in the Fire
Chastidy Ronan
Key Thought:
God shows up in our pain and comforts us.
He makes things new and beautiful.
What we experience is not just about _________________, but can be used by God to glorify himself and _______________ His Body the church as a whole.
We can find points of overlap and _________________ in our stories.
God ___________________ through all our fiery trials.
His plans are always ____________________________.
Isaiah 55:8-9
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
John 16.33 Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.
God ___________________ in our pain and comforts us.
God _________________ us.
God _________________ leaves or abandons us.
His _________________ for us never fails.
He gives _________________.
He gives _________________.
Following Jesus doesn’t give us a ___________________ life, but it does give us a life with ________________.
Romans 8.31
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
God shows up in our pain and ____________ us.
The ____________ God gives to us we can give to others.
Philippians 1:21
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
The devil tries to discourage us from _______________ , but God shows up in our pain and He comforts us.
We can go back to the places we’ve ____________ help so we can ____________ that same help to others.
Our hope can not be in people, but in the _________________ God who created us and is able to make all things new. He can do incredibly more than we can ask or imagine
Revelation 21.5
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Ephesians 3.20-21
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Our hope can't be based on our _________________ or even what _________________.
We have to walk by _________________ and not by _________________. — 2 Corinthians 5.7
God’s faithful _________________ endures forever.—Psalm 118
Philippians 4.6-8
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
2 Corinthians 10:5 b
We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ
We can:
- ___________________ in God
- ___________________ in God
- ___________________ in God
- ___________________ God
- ___________________ to God
Isaiah 30:15
In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength
We don’t _________________ healing.
It’s not our own ___________________ that save us.
It is because of His ___________________, for His ___________________.
So we can tell ______________________________________!
God shows up in our pain and He comforts us.
We ___________________ that same comfort to others.
However, God is ___________________ yesterday, today, and forever.
He deserves our ___________________ all the time!
Even in the midst of the fiery trials— we know He is ultimately _________________.
God already told us how all of this ends!
He wins! He gives us ___________________, and He is the Champion.
Our battles are an ___________________ for God’s people to see Him working.
It’s a chance for us to unify and give God ___________________.
God will meet you in your pain and comfort you.
God will sustain you through your fiery trials.
You can offer the same comfort to others.
Evan Rogers - The Cost of Christ
/I. The older we get the more we begin to understand about the Bible
(Acts 5:1-11)
A. Why did they die for something so common as a lie?
Genesis 22:1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
B. Why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice the son he had just received?
Matthew 9:18 While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.
II. Our Values Change as we grow with Christ
A. We begin to see God’s heart and understand his point of view
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
III. We need to value the Sacrifice of Christ
He left heaven
John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
He humbled himself and became Human
Philippians 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus became less than an angel
Hebrews 2:9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
He Served and obeyed His creation
John 2:3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Ridiculed by the people he came to save, including his own family
Mark 3:21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”
Luke 23:11 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate.
He was Beaten
John 19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands.
He was Crucified
Matthew 27:35 The soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross.
Forsaken by God
Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Made to be sin itself
2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Spent 3 days in the grave
Mark 8:31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
IV. God Paid for our eternal Life
Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
V. We must Die with Christ
John 15:12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Romans 6:6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.
2 Corinthians 4:11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
VI. God paid for your whole life
Acts 5:1-11 Ananias and Sapphira
Matthew 12:50 "For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister.
John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
1 John 2:17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
VII. Count the Cost of Christ
Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
John Lloyd - 140th Anniversary
/Authentic Christianity
Celebrating 140 Years of God’s Faithfulness to Dolores Park Church
San Francisco, California
September 24, 2017
Big Idea: God has been faithful. God is faithful. God will be faithful.
God’s best is yet to come!
Why is it important for us to remember our history?
I. Remembering our past is declaring God has been faithful.
Psalm 145:1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. 2
Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD,
and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
Remember the greatness of our Lord and His power.
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the
Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is
unsearchable,” (Isaiah 40:28). (Psalm 48:1, 147:5)
“LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for
us.” (Isaiah 26:12 NIV).
Psalm 145:6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare
your greatness. We are declaring the greatness of our God.
Remember the great works and miracles God has done for us.
“Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he
uttered” (Psalm 105:5).
“Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they
said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” 3 The LORD has
done great things for us; we are glad” (Psalm 126:2-3).
God has been faithful!
II. Real remembrance leads us to make commitments.
Psalm 145:4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare
your mighty acts. 5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous
works, I will meditate. 6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I
will declare your greatness.
Psalm 119:15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. We desire
to fix our eyes on the ways of God.
God is and will be faithful!
A. Commit to the centrality of the Word of God.
“Where is it written?” P.P. Waldenstrom
Jesus said, “It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete,
equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). (John 6:63, Proverbs 8:11, Ps.
119:11 & 105)
B. Commit to the necessity of the New Birth.
John 3:3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he
cannot see the kingdom of God.”
“As an evangelical church we believe that conversion results in eternal life. Conversion
can be defined as the act by which a person turns with repentance and faith from sin to
God. Conversion involves a conscious rejection of the life of sin and involves a
commitment of faith. Eternal life is not given through assent to creeds alone but through
a personal commitment to Jesus Christ” (Living Faith p.34). (Matthew 16:26, Acts 4:12,
Psalm 126:5-6)
C. Commit to the Mission of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe
all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the
age.” Luke 24:47
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you
will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the
earth.”
Ephesians 4:11 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,
2 Timothy 2:2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses
entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
D. Commit to the church as being a Fellowship of Believers.
The value of being a ‘Friend’ is embedded in our church family. A friend would ask the
question, “How goes your walk?” They understood the Christian life to be a lifelong
pilgrim journey. Their life grew together into mature discipleship and service. They
inquired about each other’s physical and spiritual wellbeing because they had become
friends in Christ. This is a call to not only believe, but to belong. (Living Faith p.97)
Jesus states, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his
friends. “You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you
servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you
friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you,” (John
15:14-15)
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” Romans 12:15.
E. Commit to consciously depending upon the Holy Spirit.
“This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my
Spirit, says the LORD of hosts,” (Zechariah 4:6)
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever, (Hebrews 13:8).
“And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of
the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So
they strengthened their hands for the good work,” (Nehemiah 2:18).
F. Commit to the reality of the Freedom in Christ.
John 8:31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word,
you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Deuteronomy 6:6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in
your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between
your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Isaiah 26:12 LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have
done for us. (New International Version)
“But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man
imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— (I Corinthians 2:9).
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,
according to the power at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ
Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).
God has been faithful! God is faithful! God will be faithful!
God’s best is yet to come!
Church Planting - Jon Brackett
/#1 - What is the mission of the church?
I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us.
God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!
“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation
that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,
and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.
And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Tim Keller, “God does not merely send the church in mission. God already is in mission, and the church must join him. This also means, then, that the church does not simply have a missions department; it should wholly exist to be a mission.”
Kevin DeYoung - “The mission of the church is to go into the world and make disciples by declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit and gathering these disciples into churches, that they might worship the Lord and obey his commands now and in eternity to the glory of God the Father.”
#2 - Is the American Church fulfilling this mission?
#3 - Church planting is our best way to fulfill our mission
Main Point - The Church is God's chosen way to bring his kingdom into this world. And because that's true, we need to have a dedication to planting new churches.
Steve Timmis – “This is why ‘multiplying churches’ is so important. Multiplying churches is ‘God’s mission strategy’. Yes, evangelism is important. It is an integral part of our discipleship. Worship is important. It is a glorious expression of the gospel by which our affections are captured for Christ.
They are proper activities and priorities of the local church. But at some point in some way they should result in the establishment of new churches. We should be looking to plant new churches in diverse contexts so that the gospel word might produce more gospel fruit.”
Tim Chester - “Church planting is by definition a missionary activity, arguably the core missionary activity. Church planting puts mission at the heart of church and church at the heart of mission… This is the reason for church planting: to be a light to the nations at street level.”
Ed Stetzer – “Paul and other early Christians believed in and practiced church planting as a normal part of their lives—and specifically in response to the commands of Jesus. Planting new churches was not a novel or unique concept for zealous believers. Rather, church starting was the normal expression of New Testament missiology.
Intentional church planting, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, was the method of the early church. Church planting explains how the early church exploded across the Roman Empire during the decades following the resurrection of Jesus.”
Steve Timmis – “Church planting is not simply starting a new congregation. Church planting is not beginning a new meeting. Church planting is not opening up a new building. Church planting is the work of filling and subduing. It is the work of pushing back the thorns and thistles of Satan’s tyranny. It is a glorious task to which God has called us. God in the gospel is inviting us to participate with Him to fill the earth and subdue it.
As we go out to make disciples of every nation we are extending Eden, creating Edens all over the world. We are establishing places where God rules and where God walks in mercy. It is for this that we were made. This is what the first Adam forfeited. This is what the Second Adam has gloriously secured. And this is how it has always been in the kingdom of God.”