This message was preached by P. J Smyth at GodFirst Church titled "On mission contextually". We viewed it at Word of Grace because it reflects our vision and values. P. J is a friend of Word of Grace and leads Godfirst which is a part of the family of churches we belong to (Newforntiers Intl.)
Church- Is it even worth finding out about? Paul in Ephesians
gives us a high view of church. If
creation is the wheel, the church is the HUB. The manifold wisdom of God is demonstrated
through the church.
When you come to the Life Group, Church you are entering
into the center of the universe.
What is the church?
A community on a
mission – not just a family or an army. But a family that is an army on a
mission. God sent Jesus on a mission, to rescue us. We are on a mission to help
people cross that line of faith. Is 54 – A
church should strong and long, ever growing.
God wants to build community and to make us one. Not just that,
but to make us GO – to the ends of the earth. We need to be a strong community and going community.
The Apostle
write a lot about strength and about going community, Paul wanted to go to
unreached regions i.e your neighbor, your office colleagues. We see it in Acts – the richest community
life, looking after one another, sharing stuff, and money food but on a
mission.
But this is fraught with challenges, in the OT and the NT .
Nehemiah experienced this too. He rebuilds the wall using family units - he wanted
community doing the mission.
Jesus himself at his most poignant moment on the cross felt neglected.
Other problems faced by the NT churches and that we could
face. When we have growth and there are
strains and tensions.
Acts 6 The mission was going so well that it took a strain
on the community. There could be a lack of leaders, life groups, and musicians.
Theirs was food. etc. The leaders gathered
and said the solution is not to stop mission. “Ministry of the word of God”
i.e. the advance of mission happening
not just Bible teaching. They came up with solution – chose 7 men from among you. The
result is the number of disciples
increased rapidly. When they strengthened community the disciples increased.
When you grow there are tensions, and some feel neglect especially the older
ones. We have to be a warm loving
community.
Church will be done
differently because culture is changing. The message never changes. We are here
to make not yet Christ followers become Christ followers.
Solutions
1. Not right to stop
mission. We are not a hospital though we care for you. When you are needy
we put you on a mobile stretcher and care for you while we keep moving.
2. Increased honesty
– they complained. This is good. It’s ok
to say you are not doing well at all. Get help. You may be complaining
about yourself or the church. We are not perfect. Complain with a good attitude
if you can, complain with a bad attitude but let us talk and know what you are
passionate about.
Sometimes we will take your suggestions, and sometimes we
may not. What you must not do is seethe because you will blow up.
Increased honesty keeps the community together
3. Increased Organization.
Its not an enemy to church life. We
do not want to be too organized either. We may drop the ball here and there but
we want to be organized.
4. Increase the
number of leaders. Jesus said that the harvest is plentiful but the laborers
are few. There is no problem with the
harvest but with men and women not stepping up to take responsibility. The
harvest stays unharvested because there are no leaders. God will not give us more harvest if we don’t grow more leaders who will
train others and become fishers of men. This is critical.
Whether we go or stay we are all on mission. WE need more
leaders why? We need pastors – one analogy is we are a flock. You may say I can
never be a pastor. If you care for people
you are a pastor It is loving and caring
for people, not about using the microphone. It’s helping shepherd develop and love – that’s what a pastor is.
WE need more leaders and pastors. There are different kinds of pastors – some do
it one on one. Leaders are critical for
community and for mission. You don’t get advance without leaders. WE don’t get
advance without leders breaking rank and saying “I’ll do it”. When you take
lead out of leadership we get “er”..!!!
We always need to go for three times the number of leaders.
To grow, and to give away.
5. Increased
responsibility.
Are you involved or committed. The chicken is involved the pig is committed. When you do this you
move from “that church” to “my church” from them to me. A man can’t really live
unless he find a cause to die for- Martin Luther. We have a cause to live and
die for!!! WE are here to plunder hell to populate heaven.
Can you learn to say “YES”.
When you say “no” let it be a considered no with a clear conscience. But be in
the habit of saying “yes” to God. Saying
yes to God often comes through requests that come from your leaders. God will give you strength and grace and
your spiritual muscles will grow and your joy will increase as you do the good
works you were meant to do.
6. Increased faith
– for one another. I believe that you can do it because God is amazing and God
is in you. We must have faith for one
another and spur one another on toward love and good work. Have faith for
your local church mission. This is not just for the leaders and some. But, for YOU as well.
God responds and
honours faith. If we have corporate collective faith it moves God’s arm.
God loves faith so stir it. When wind blows on a field of wheat all the stalks
sway in the wine. When Gods word comes we all should respond.
7. Increased Spirit
– The spirit comes to empower, joy to obey and makes us sensitive to know who
to talk to. Also we all don’t need caring for all the time. Some need it at
specially times and we need to ask God to show us who needs special care.
8. Increased hospitality
– This is very basic to being a Christ
follower so much so both lists of what a church leaders should look like has hospitality on the list. If you don’t
get how hospitable God is to you, sought you out and took you into his family,
if you don’t practice it, you need to check how much of a Christ follower you
are.
It’s about opening your home up. How many people do you have
in your home? Something great happens when you open your home up. Hospitable –
listen more; give yourself even if it’s for three minutes after the meeting talking
to someone new.
It’s about where you
are sitting now – where your church meets on a Sunday. Your meeting place
is your personal lounge and we are a family. This is our home so we should feel
relaxed and make people feel at home. There are new comers and we should be
very alert to them.
Are we late when we have visitors at home? No that would be inhospitable. So we want to
be here at the meeting before your visitors come in so you can welcome them. Be
open and look out for them. Then there will be a strong community and mission
vibe. If you are shy still do it. God was not shy with you. Do it your way but
do it.
We are God’s solution
along with other local churches in this city for any problem any person has a
high view of church – a community on a mission.
QUESTIONS FOR
REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION
1 What is your view of Church? How does it fit in with this
view expressed here?
2. Do you feel you are well connected to the community here?
Have you seen your neighbourhood, job etc as a mission field? Are you reaching
out to people there?
3. What are the strains and tensions of growth at Word of
Grace ( ask this of your local church)?
4. What do you feel you want to complain about but have not done
it yet? Can you talk to one of the leaders please?
5.What responsibility am I carrying at Word of Grace. How am
I serving? Has your default been “no” or “yes”? Can you say “yes” more? Is this
“that church” to you or “my church” ?
6. How can we express corporate faith better? How can we grow
in being sensitive to the Holy Spirit?
7. Are you are harvester in God’s mission field? Who are you
caring for in the community?
8. Hospitality- What are your thoughts on this? Have you
received hospitality from Word of Grace? Are you practicing hospitality? Is
your home open? How many people from church have you invited to your home in
the last 3 months /ever? Singles have you taken any one out for a meal/coffee?
Are we welcoming to first time visitors – do they feel
welcomed, cared for? Have you made the effort to invite them to your home? Are we
welcoming to people new to the city: do we help them settle in and feel
welcomed? One way is to get their contact number so maybe you could catch up
with them mid week.
At the church meeting: Are we on time to the meeting to welcome
our guest or are we habitually late for
the meetings?
Remember :
We are God’s solution
along with other local churches in this city for any problem any person has a
high view of church – a community on a mission.
Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again), Spirit filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that have people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service. To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.
