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Building a Resilient Church Culture: Part 2 Remix – Clear Mission · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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We invite you to take your copy of God's Word and turn with me to Matthew chapter 28.
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! We had purpose today to get back into our study of Romans, and I must tell you that I'm very eager to continue considering and learning from verses 16 and 17 of chapter 1.
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At this rate, we'll finish Romans about the time I retire as a pastor.
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I do hope we'll be able to get in it and keep up a pace here very soon.
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But this evening, we have an important members meeting to pray and discuss the future of our church.
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You see, God has been blessing us with growth.
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Good, healthy, steady growth.
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And we feel it on a lot of Sundays, not every Sunday, because there's just been so much sickness as of late.
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But when you really begin to pay attention and look at the numbers, we have a wonderful opportunity in front of us, and we're going to have to think together.
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We're going to need to make some changes to the way that we meet if we are to stay on mission as a church.
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So, as I have spent time working on a sermon for today, I have felt that the most important thing happening today is the work we will do together this evening, which is why I want to prime us for that meeting.
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Now, if you're a guest this morning, whether a new guest or a long-time guest, I don't believe this lesson will be lost on you, so don't already check out on us.
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In fact, perhaps it will help inform your church involvement.
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So, I pray that this will be of good benefit for us all.
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I'm revisiting this morning a sermon that I preached about six months ago when we were going through that resilient church culture kind of series that we were working through on the mission of the church.
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What is the mission of the church?
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If we are not crystal clear on why we exist, then we will always be distracted by some lesser purpose.
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I think that we are God's people and we care about his word, but there's a lot of lesser purposes that can distract us from the purpose of the church.
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We will need to readily identify what battles we ought to engage in and what the war is that we cannot avoid.
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We must know the task the Lord has set before us if we are to make decisions both macro and micro that honor him.
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So, we're going to look today at Matthew chapter 28, verse 18, 19, and 20.
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A text that perhaps is familiar to you.
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Maybe you've never heard it and thought about it in the context of a local church.
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Before I read it, beloved, let me remind you that this is God's word to us written for his glory and our good.
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And so, we should listen to it so that we would believe its promises and that we would obey its commands.
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Matthew 28, verse 18 and following.
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And Jesus came and said to them,
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All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
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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,
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teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
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And behold, I'm with you always to the end of the age.
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Now, in considering this text, we must first consider the amazing Christological statement that Jesus makes concerning himself in verse 18.
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He says there that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
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Let us not rush past this to the application, but stop for a moment to steep in this reality.
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Jesus is totally in charge.
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There's not an ounce of anything that happens in this world that our Lord does not reign over.
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This episode, as Matthew records it for us, takes place just after Jesus' resurrection.
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He has lived the perfectly righteous life that we cannot live, but that is required of us.
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He has died a most gruesome death on the cross and paid the penalty for our sin.
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A debt that with all our penitence we could not have repaid.
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And he has risen from the grave, defeating death, guaranteeing that for those who place saving faith in his person and his work,
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we will one day be resurrected.
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It is on the heels of this that Jesus says,
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All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
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Now, it takes a little imagination to think,
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What must have the disciples thought at this point?
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Where do our minds go if the risen Christ is before us and says,
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All authority in heaven and on earth, this leaves nothing out, has been given to me.
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And I just imagine it's where my mind goes.
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Maybe it's where their minds went.
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To a text like Daniel chapter 7, verse 13 and 14.
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Where Daniel records,
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I saw in the night visions and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man.
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And he came to the ancient of days and was presented before him.
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And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him.
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His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away.
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And his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
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Right?
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This, who we understand to be the Christ, the son of man, is given all the dominion so that peoples, nations and languages would serve him.
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Right?
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In his kingdom forever and ever.
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If their minds happened to go to a text like this,
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then Jesus' following command would not have been a surprise to them.
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He has a reign that is going to include peoples, nations and languages.
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So it makes sense that he says,
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Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.
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Or in the Greek, ethnos.
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Go, therefore, in response to what I have just told you of my authority.
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Go, right?
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Because I am in charge of all things.
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Go.
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And this Greek word for go, which I won't try to pronounce this morning,
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means in the simplest of terms to go or to travel.
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This is why this text is most classically used as a missionary text.
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And it certainly is that.
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As it speaks of all nations.
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Right?
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It is a missionary text, but not just a missionary text.
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As a brief side note, I argue that this is a reference to peoples, not nation states.
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It's a much more inclusive statement.
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Right?
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So it's a missionary text, but not just a missionary text.
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You see, this Greek word go is in the errorist verb tense.
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In this case, not indicating a particular moment of going.
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It's in the passive grammatical voice,
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which means the subject implied in this case as you is being acted upon.
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So a fair translation of go could be in your God-ordained going about.
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In all of your going in which the Jesus who reigns over all things sends you,
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be about the work of making disciples.
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So it is a missionary text because there are going to be people who go to the very ends of the earth.
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But it is also a text for us today.
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Jesus gives us a command to make disciples in our God-ordained going about,
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which may include packing up and spending your life in a remote place.
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Or it may include commuting to a thankless job.
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But wherever you are sent, you are to be part of this disciple-making endeavor.
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You see, even as Jesus has all authority,
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he is pleased to use secondary means to bring about his purposes.
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He includes us in his mission on the earth because he loves us.
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And he knows that including us in his purpose grants us him as we see him work mightily in our disciple-making efforts.
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This is not delegated authority.
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He doesn't give us authority.
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Jesus has the authority.
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We have a command.
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But because Jesus has the authority, it is an empowered command.
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And he does not want us to miss this.
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Which is why the text is bookended.
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At the end of verse 20, he says,
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And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.
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Jesus possesses all the authority,
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commands us to make disciples,
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and promises to accompany us with his authority.
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This ought to embolden the listener to Jesus' words.
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I have the authority.
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I will empower you.
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So, in your going about, as I've ordered it,
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be about the work of making disciples.
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We have nothing to fear.
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For if God is for us, who can be against us?
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As Charles Spurgeon once said,
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Half our fears arise from neglect of the Bible.
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Often Christians focus their minds on the going
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and forget who has all the authority
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and who goes with us.
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So, Jesus gives us a command to go, therefore,
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and make disciples of all nations
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and a promise to empower the work with his authority.
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But what are the means for this disciple making?
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Perhaps you've gathered where I'm going with this
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as I have posed the question to us this morning,
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what is the mission of the church?
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The means for the command to make disciples of all nations
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is the church.
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This is the mission of the church.
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Here, in the simplest of terms,
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to make disciples.
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Now, how do I arrive at that from this text?
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I want you to see these three verses
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as highly ecclesiological.
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If I can get there,
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because I see two activities in our disciple making.
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The first one we see is baptizing.
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So we're to make disciples,
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baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
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and of the Holy Spirit.
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Now, Bobby Jameson, in his book,
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Understanding Baptism,
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defined baptism this way.
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Baptism is a church's act
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of affirming and portraying
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a believer's union with Christ
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by immersing him or her in water
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and a believer's act
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of publicly committing him or herself
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to Christ and his people,
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thereby uniting a believer to the church
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and marking off him or her
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from the world.
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It's the believer's act
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of declaring that they're in Christ.
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They identify with Christ
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and his people
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and the church's act
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of affirming
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that they believe
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that profession is credible.
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It's one of the ordinances
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we get from the Latin
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to put in order.
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It's the ordinance
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by which we welcome people
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into the church.
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Now, we don't have time
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to prove this definition out.
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I think that book's out in the book nook
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if you'd like to pick it up.
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I'll be happy to put it in your hand.
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But we believe as a church
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that baptizing individuals
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in the name of the triune God
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is what marks them off,
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is what welcomes them
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into the life
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of a local church.
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Normatively,
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churches baptize.
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There's all kinds
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of erroneous practice
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of baptism in our culture.
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But normatively,
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churches baptize.
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We can find an exception.
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The case of the Ethiopian eunuch
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being sent home
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as the only Christian
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to a people
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who had yet to hear the gospel.
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But this is not
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the normative pattern
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that we see
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in the scripture.
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People become Christians
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and they're baptized
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by a church
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into the life
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of a church.
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Therefore,
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it is an extremely fair assumption
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that Jesus means
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for us to understand
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that in our God-ordained
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going about
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and making disciples,
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we will be doing this
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connected to a church.
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It's right there in the text.
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It's glaring at us
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as he says,
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make disciples,
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baptizing them
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in the name
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of the triune God.
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The second activity
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that I see
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is teaching.
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Teaching them
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to observe
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all that I have
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commanded you.
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the church
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is given
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the ongoing work
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of teaching
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the ways
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of Jesus.
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Let me show you this
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from an additional text.
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If you'd like to turn there,
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this is Ephesians chapter 4
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verses 11
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and following
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down through 16.
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There we read,
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and he,
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referring to Christ,
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gave the apostles,
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the prophets,
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which you've probably
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heard me argue,
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I think is the scripture
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of our day.
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He gave the apostles,
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the prophets,
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the evangelists,
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the shepherd teachers
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to equip the saints
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for the work
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of ministry.
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So there's,
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there's the task
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of the leadership
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of your church
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is the equipping
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of the saints
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for the work
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of ministry.
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What is that work
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of ministry?
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Last part of verse 12,
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for building up
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the body of Christ
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until we all attain
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to the unity of the faith
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and of the knowledge
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of the Son of God
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to mature manhood
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to the measure
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of the stature
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of the fullness
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of Christ
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so that we may
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no longer be children
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tossed to and fro
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by the waves
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and carried about
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by every wind of doctrine,
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by human cunning,
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by craftiness
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in deceitful schemes.
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Boy,
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does the church
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lack
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this kind of equipping.
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The church
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in our day
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is so wind blown.
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Rather,
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verse 15,
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speaking the truth
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in love.
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There's the teaching
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ministry of the church.
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Speaking the truth
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in love.
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We are to grow up
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in every way
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into him
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who is the head
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into Christ
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from whom
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the whole body
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joined and held together
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by every joint
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with which it is equipped
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when each part
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is working properly
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makes the body grow
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so that it builds
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itself up.
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in love.
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This work
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that Paul describes here
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will not be over
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until Christ
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returns.
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This is the
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age in which we live
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that Jesus
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accompanies us
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on
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with all of his
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authority.
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We need
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to be taught
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and taught
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and taught
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to observe
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all that Jesus
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has commanded us.
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He is not suggesting
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that we have
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a simple course.
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Someone's converted,
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baptized,
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and they take
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the Christianity
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101 course
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and it's done.
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What he's talking about
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in Matthew chapter 28
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is the life
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of discipling
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that happens
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in a church.
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church.
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I am building
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a house.
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Many of you know
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I'm building
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a house
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property.
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I'm building
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quite physically
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with my hands
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a house
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for my
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parents.
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This task
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will not be
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completed
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until the house
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is completed.
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We have that
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CO
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and probably
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beyond that
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I'll still have
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some projects
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to do.
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I cannot
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merely break
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ground on the
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job site
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and say
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that I have
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built a house.
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It's not built
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yet.
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We took a step
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in the right
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direction.
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One of
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thousands of
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steps
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but it's not
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built yet.
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I'm in the
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process of
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building
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a house.
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We will not
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be done
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until Ephesians
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4 verse 13.
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We all attain
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to the unity
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of the faith
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and of the
18:25
knowledge
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of the
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Son of
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God.
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To mature
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manhood
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to the
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measure
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of the
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stature
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of the
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fullness
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of Christ.
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Now I want
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to take a
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step away
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from our
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text just
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for a bit
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to consider
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this further.
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Jonathan
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Lehman,
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the editorial
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director for
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Nine Marks,
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has characterized
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in numerous
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publications,
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most recently
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in a little
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book entitled
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What is the
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Church's
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Mission?
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I don't
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think this
18:54
one is out
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there but
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there's
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quite a
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few of
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this
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series
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out in
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the
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book
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nook.
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But in
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this What
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is the
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Church's
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Mission
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book,
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he talks
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about five
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different
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types of
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churches,
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each with
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a different
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mission.
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And I
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think it's
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helpful to
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us.
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So the
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first four
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are erroneous
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missions.
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And I
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think we
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need to be
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careful as
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a church
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that we
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don't get
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tempted to
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begin to
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think in
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some of
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these ways.
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So let
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me read
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to you a
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brief excerpt
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from this
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book.
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So again,
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he's going
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through five.
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My reading
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starts,
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Church
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one
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emphasizes the
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Great
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Commission
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and Jesus'
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command to
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make
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disciples.
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Yet when
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they say
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make
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disciples,
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they really
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mean make
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converts.
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So church
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number one
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gears everything
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in the church
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toward non-Christians
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as if local
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churches basically
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exist for the
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sake of
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evangelism.
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And he
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means only
19:57
evangelism.
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They talk
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about Christian
20:01
growth some,
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but their
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programs focus
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on individuals,
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not the
20:05
corporate body
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or family.
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They don't
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see the
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connection
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between their
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evangelism and
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being a
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vibrant,
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united,
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otherworldly
20:13
family.
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Based on
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church number
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one's mission
20:17
playbook,
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let's call it
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Seekers
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Church.
20:20
Church number
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two is similar
20:23
to church
20:24
number one,
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but it
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appeals less
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to middle
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class longings
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for things
20:28
like purpose
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and more
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to basic
20:31
human desires
20:32
for health
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and wealth.
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Join their
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service on
20:36
Sunday when
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you hear about
20:37
God's desire
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to bless us
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if only we
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would have
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enough faith.
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Based on
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its playbook,
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let's call
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church number
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two Prosperity
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Church.
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While church
20:49
churches number
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one and
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number two
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emphasize how
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Jesus is here
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for us,
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churches number
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three and
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number four
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emphasize how
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we are here
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for Jesus.
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Church number
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three we can
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call Justice
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Church.
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Join them on
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Sunday when you
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hear the preacher
21:08
say we should
21:09
care for the
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downtrodden,
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wake up to the
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nation's structural
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injustices,
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attend to the
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environment,
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and generally do
21:16
good in the
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world.
21:17
church number
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four is another
21:20
version of
21:20
church number
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three,
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but it focuses
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on the
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structural
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injustices that
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concern political
21:25
conservatives like
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abortion,
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same-sex marriage,
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and religious
21:29
freedom.
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Call it
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Righteous Nation
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Church.
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It wants to
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save the nation
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from moral decay
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and make it
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safe for
21:38
Christianity.
21:39
At best,
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both Justice
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Church and
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Righteous Nation
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Church focus on
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discipleship,
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the moral shape
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of Christians
21:46
and the command
21:47
to love our
21:48
neighbors.
21:49
At worst,
21:50
they risk sliding
21:51
a foot or at
21:52
least a toe
21:52
into Phariseeism,
21:53
meaning they lay
21:54
down laws and
21:55
political certainties
21:56
where Scripture
21:57
doesn't.
21:59
Members leave
21:59
church on Sunday
22:00
not so much
22:01
thanking God for
22:02
His grace in
22:02
their lives,
22:03
but feeling
22:03
superior to
22:04
other people
22:05
because of
22:06
their moral
22:06
and political
22:07
convictions.
22:09
To be sure,
22:11
many churches
22:12
occupy a couple
22:13
of these
22:13
examples.
22:14
I'm simply
22:15
outlining stock
22:16
types, not
22:17
trying to
22:17
caricature your
22:18
church so
22:19
that we can
22:19
all be more
22:20
careful.
22:22
Furthermore,
22:23
I trust that
22:23
some variety
22:24
between churches
22:25
is God-given.
22:27
Just like an
22:28
individual Christian
22:28
working on Wall
22:29
Street and one
22:29
teaching in a
22:30
run-down school
22:31
will have
22:31
different daily
22:32
ministries,
22:32
so a church
22:33
in the suburbs
22:34
might have a
22:34
strong counseling
22:35
ministry,
22:36
while a church
22:36
next door to
22:37
a refugee camp
22:37
might excel in
22:38
serving the
22:39
poor.
22:40
Praise God.
22:41
Still, there's
22:43
a difference
22:44
between being
22:44
sensitive to
22:45
the economic
22:46
waves and
22:46
political winds
22:47
surrounding us
22:47
and being
22:48
driven by
22:50
those waves
22:50
and winds.
22:52
When churches
22:53
are driven,
22:54
their playbooks,
22:55
their sense of
22:55
their mission
22:56
easily succumb
22:57
to biblical
22:58
imbalances
22:59
and worldly
22:59
agendas.
23:02
Seekers' church
23:03
shows signs of
23:04
having succumbed
23:04
to consumerism,
23:06
prosperity church
23:07
to materialism,
23:09
justice church
23:10
to political
23:11
progressivism,
23:12
and righteous
23:13
nation church
23:13
to nationalism,
23:15
even if all
23:16
four have
23:17
orthodox
23:18
statements of
23:19
faith.
23:21
So,
23:22
seekers,
23:22
prosperity,
23:23
justice,
23:24
righteous nation,
23:25
church.
23:26
But Lehman
23:26
goes on to
23:27
speak of the
23:28
church he
23:29
believes is
23:29
most biblical,
23:30
that is the
23:31
church I am
23:31
making a case
23:32
for today by
23:33
asking two
23:35
important questions.
23:37
First, he
23:38
asks,
23:38
what is the
23:39
mission of
23:39
the church
23:40
acting all
23:41
together,
23:42
and what is
23:44
the mission
23:44
of church
23:45
members
23:46
throughout the
23:47
week when
23:48
we're not
23:48
gathered together,
23:49
or what is
23:51
our mission
23:52
and what is
23:54
your mission?
23:57
He then
23:58
answers these
23:58
questions simply
24:00
and I believe
24:01
correctly by
24:03
saying,
24:03
number one,
24:04
so what is
24:05
our mission
24:05
acting together
24:06
as a church?
24:08
Our mission
24:08
is to make
24:09
disciples.
24:11
Number two,
24:13
living as
24:14
individual church
24:15
members throughout
24:15
the week,
24:16
our mission
24:17
is to be
24:19
disciples.
24:21
So,
24:22
the church
24:22
acting together
24:23
reads the
24:25
Bible,
24:26
preaches the
24:27
Bible,
24:28
prays the
24:28
Bible,
24:29
sings the
24:30
Bible,
24:30
and sees the
24:31
Bible in the
24:32
ordinances of
24:32
baptism and
24:33
communion.
24:34
we do so
24:36
by the
24:37
prescription of
24:38
the Bible.
24:39
This is called
24:40
the regulative
24:40
principle.
24:42
This disciple
24:43
making together
24:44
will include
24:45
things like
24:46
sending you to
24:47
your respective
24:48
spheres to share
24:49
the good news
24:49
of Jesus,
24:50
teaching you to
24:50
be faithful
24:51
husbands and
24:51
wives,
24:52
parents and
24:53
children,
24:53
equipping you
24:54
to work as
24:55
unto the Lord
24:55
and not for
24:56
men.
24:58
It may also
24:59
include things
25:00
like starting a
25:01
biblical counseling
25:01
center or a
25:02
pastoral residency
25:03
or planting new
25:05
churches or
25:05
starting a
25:06
school,
25:07
but the efforts
25:08
of the church
25:08
acting together
25:10
must always be
25:12
aimed at
25:13
going therefore
25:15
and making
25:16
disciples of
25:17
all nations,
25:19
baptizing them
25:19
in the name of
25:20
the Father,
25:20
Son,
25:20
and the Holy
25:21
Spirit,
25:21
teaching them
25:22
to observe
25:22
all that
25:24
Jesus has
25:25
commanded us.
25:28
Church members
25:29
then will be
25:29
equipped to be
25:30
salt and light
25:31
in their
25:31
respective spheres
25:32
always with a
25:34
mind to the
25:35
collective work
25:35
of the church's
25:36
mission to
25:37
make disciples.
25:39
Disciples of
25:40
Jesus will be
25:41
rightly concerned
25:42
with seeing
25:42
others become
25:44
disciples of
25:46
Jesus.
25:47
You've heard me
25:49
sum up much of
25:49
what I've just
25:50
said by saying
25:51
the church
25:52
gathers to
25:54
go,
25:55
bring you here,
25:56
equip you to
25:57
send you,
25:58
and we go in
25:59
order to gather,
26:00
continue to
26:01
gather the
26:02
church together.
26:04
The church is
26:05
not merely an
26:06
evangelistic outreach
26:08
or a place for
26:08
therapeutic lessons
26:09
or a lecture or
26:10
concert series.
26:13
The church is not
26:14
only meant to be
26:15
your social network.
26:18
The church is not
26:19
a theological
26:20
club.
26:21
The church is not
26:22
a thing to be
26:24
consumed.
26:27
And beloved,
26:28
hear me,
26:28
it's altogether
26:30
possible to
26:31
consume a
26:32
church that's
26:33
not trying to
26:34
offer consumables.
26:36
What you might
26:37
be consuming is
26:38
small church
26:39
or relationship
26:40
or expositional
26:43
preaching or
26:43
wordy songs or
26:45
the list can go
26:47
on and on and
26:48
on.
26:49
The church is a
26:50
people called
26:52
by God and
26:53
given a divine
26:54
mission with a
26:55
guaranteed
26:56
outcome.
26:59
Jesus has all
27:00
authority in
27:01
heaven and
27:01
earth.
27:02
Go therefore and
27:03
make disciples,
27:03
baptizing them and
27:04
teaching them all
27:04
that I've commanded
27:05
you.
27:07
Another text that I
27:08
want to show you
27:08
that drives at this
27:10
point is from
27:11
Matthew chapter 16.
27:12
So do please join me
27:13
in Matthew chapter 16
27:14
beginning in verse
27:15
13.
27:22
We'll close with
27:23
this text and a
27:24
few comments
27:25
about it.
27:31
Jesus is traveling
27:32
with the disciples
27:33
and when he comes
27:34
as verse 13 to the
27:36
district of
27:37
Caesarea
27:38
Philippi,
27:39
he asked his
27:41
disciples,
27:42
who do people
27:43
say that the
27:45
son of man
27:45
is?
27:48
And they
27:48
said,
27:49
some say John
27:51
the Baptist,
27:51
others say
27:52
Elijah and
27:53
others Jeremiah
27:54
or one of the
27:55
prophets.
27:56
He said to
27:57
them,
27:58
but who do you
27:59
say that I
28:01
am?
28:02
Simon Peter
28:03
replied,
28:04
you are the
28:05
Christ,
28:06
the son of
28:07
the living
28:08
God.
28:09
And Jesus
28:10
answered him,
28:10
blessed are
28:11
you,
28:11
Simon Barjona
28:12
for flesh and
28:13
blood has not
28:14
revealed this to
28:15
you,
28:15
but my father
28:16
who is in
28:17
heaven.
28:18
And I tell
28:19
you,
28:20
you are Peter
28:21
and on this
28:22
rock,
28:23
and maybe
28:23
clear,
28:23
he's referring
28:24
to the truth
28:25
that Peter
28:25
has declared
28:27
doing some
28:28
play on word
28:29
there,
28:29
but he's
28:29
referring to
28:30
the truth
28:30
that Peter
28:31
has declared
28:31
that he is
28:32
the Christ
28:32
on that
28:33
rock.
28:34
Jesus
28:34
says,
28:34
I will
28:35
build my
28:36
church.
28:37
Right?
28:38
This Jesus
28:38
all authority
28:39
in heaven
28:39
on earth
28:40
who's going
28:40
to accompany
28:41
us in this
28:41
disciple-making
28:42
process of
28:42
building churches
28:43
says,
28:44
I will
28:45
build my
28:45
church.
28:46
He is
28:47
primary means,
28:48
we are
28:48
secondary means.
28:51
And then he
28:51
says,
28:52
and the gates
28:53
of hell
28:53
shall not
28:54
prevail
28:55
against it.
28:57
If you've
28:58
been here,
28:59
you've heard me
28:59
say this,
29:00
my mind
29:01
flipped this
29:02
text for
29:03
years,
29:04
for years.
29:05
I don't
29:06
know why,
29:07
the text
29:07
is really
29:08
plain,
29:09
but I
29:09
had the
29:10
church in
29:11
the defensive
29:11
position,
29:12
right?
29:14
Holding at
29:14
bay the
29:15
world.
29:16
It's very
29:17
clearly not
29:18
that,
29:18
right?
29:18
It's very
29:19
clearly the
29:20
church is on
29:21
the advance.
29:22
Hell is in
29:22
the defensive
29:23
position,
29:25
and the gates
29:26
of hell will
29:27
not prevail
29:28
against it.
29:29
Jesus is
29:30
talking about
29:31
his global
29:32
church,
29:32
his church
29:33
everywhere
29:34
and across
29:35
all time
29:35
here,
29:36
and I
29:36
want to be
29:37
very careful
29:37
at this
29:38
point to
29:39
say,
29:40
the gates
29:40
of hell
29:41
can prevail
29:41
against this
29:42
church.
29:44
It will
29:45
not prevail
29:45
against the
29:46
church.
29:48
Boy,
29:48
I want to be
29:49
part of that
29:49
church,
29:50
right?
29:50
I want to be
29:51
included in
29:51
that number
29:52
that take
29:52
the gates
29:53
of hell
29:53
for the
29:54
glory of
29:55
Christ.
29:58
If we are
29:58
not crystal
29:59
clear on why
30:00
we exist,
30:01
then we will
30:02
always be
30:02
distracted,
30:03
by some
30:04
lesser
30:04
purpose.
30:05
We will
30:06
need to
30:06
recognize and
30:07
remind one
30:08
another that
30:08
the church
30:09
has a
30:10
mission to
30:11
make disciples
30:12
of the Lord
30:12
Jesus Christ
30:13
by the power
30:14
that belongs
30:15
to the Lord
30:16
Jesus Christ.
30:17
We will
30:18
have to be
30:18
readily reminded
30:19
of this as
30:20
we are slow
30:21
learners and
30:23
quick to
30:23
forget.
30:24
This coming
30:25
year and
30:26
the years
30:26
beyond it
30:27
will be a
30:28
great test
30:29
of our
30:29
collective
30:30
understanding
30:30
of the
30:32
mission of
30:33
the church.
30:34
I can
30:34
promise you
30:35
that it
30:36
will not
30:37
be easy.
30:40
If you're
30:40
a member of
30:41
this church,
30:41
I just want
30:42
you to
30:42
wad up all
30:43
the comfort
30:43
that you
30:43
have right
30:44
now and
30:44
throw it
30:45
out the
30:45
window.
30:47
It's not
30:48
going to be
30:48
easy.
30:49
That is not
30:50
the point.
30:52
It's going
30:52
to take
30:53
sacrifice
30:53
on our
30:54
behalf.
30:55
but the
30:57
reward will
30:57
be great
30:58
because we
30:59
will experience
31:00
God as he
31:00
empowers the
31:01
mission that
31:02
he has
31:03
given us.
31:05
I can
31:05
close with a
31:06
quote from
31:06
Thomas Brooks.
31:09
He once
31:09
wrote,
31:10
Christ dwells
31:11
in that heart
31:12
most imminently
31:13
that hath
31:15
emptied itself
31:16
of itself.
31:19
May this be
31:19
true of us.
31:21
Let's pray
31:22
to that end.
31:22
Let's pray.