Foundations Sermons

Reordering Foundations - All Involved

What kind of God do we worship

• A Generous One

God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow through you. 1 Peter 4:10

He Gave us Jesus and everything else!

Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else? Romans 8:32

Generous to each and everyone of His children

• God has given gifts to each of you.' 1Peter 4:10

He has given each one of us a special gift according to the generosity of Christ. Ephesians 4:7

Great variety of spiritual gifts - Romans 12:6-8

• serving others
• ability to prophesy
• encourage others
• If you have money, share it generously
• a gift for showing kindness to others
• leadership ability

More gifts - 1Cor. 12

• special knowledge
• special faith
• wise advice
• ability to prophesy
• power to heal the sick
• ability to speak in unknown languages
• power to perform miracles
• ability to know whether it is really the Spirit of God or another spirit that is speaking
• ability to interpret what is being said
• And more..

But we must manage them well 1 Peter 4:10

The scope of our service - Everyone, but especially to our Christian brothers and sisters.

So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters. Galatians 6:9-10

How?

• Discovering and using what God has given you

    * so God's generosity can flow through you.'

The Problem:

• The 80% - 20% divide
• 20% do while 80% receive

Why does this happen? Is it selfishness, arrogance, laziness???

• A big cause is our perceived weakness
• The truth is There are no superstars, we are all weak

Ministry begins when the weakest people find an environment where they can take the smallest step to healing and greater confidence. It continues when that step is followed by another and another and another until valuable practical gifts immerge. What better environment than the small group to encourage such a process. (Phil Potter: The challenge of Cell church)

As a study in weakness let's look at My C.V.

• Saved
• Acquire BA (Born Again) & toilet brush ( I have no academic or other qualifications)

• Discipled 3 years in Jesus people style community
• Kicked out, arrive at St.John's, Bowling
• The main thing going for me - Willing to serve

• Join housegroup (potential speaking gift spotted)
• Invited to speak at mid-week fellowship

St.John's Bowling thankfully is a church with no limits

• In the course of time I begin Leading groups & services, preaching, pastoring
• Invited onto Eldership
• Called to serve church full time
• 8 years later, Keith Trout BA selected for vicarship

How can All be Involved?

Remember: Ministry begins when the weakest people find an environment where they can take the smallest step to healing and greater confidence

Sue Trout - My Hero!

Sue co-leading cell group with Marion Wilson in this format:.

• Welcome = Ice Breaker. Helps people get to know each other better.
• Worship = song/s, reading, Christian meditation/reflection, etc
• Word = discuss Sunday sermon & seek to apply
• Witness = Looking outward with prayer, or good works, or evangelism

The group has been going about 2 months. This is how people have been encouraged to be involved in that time.

• Dianne - Welcome
• Sue Wardle - Worship
• Dave W - Word
• Sue T - Word, worship, witness
• Marion - Word, Welcome & Witness
• Steve Bennett - Worship
• Colin Powell - Welcome (word next)
• Sarah & Liz - Welcome & Worship next week (their 2nd week!!)

All Involved - A Foundational Value?

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Becoming Disciples

Matthew 10:24 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. 25 "It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master

God chose you to be like Him

1 Peter 1:14 Obey God because you are his children. Don't slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn't know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God--who chose you to be his children--is holy. 16 For he himself has said, "You must be holy because I am holy."

The bar is set high

It will take a lifetime & beyond to achieve this goal

The call to grow

We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. Colossians 1:28

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48

I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focussing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.

I hope all of you who are mature Christians will agree on these things - Philippians 3 :12-15

Do you agree with Paul?

That you should keep working toward that day when you will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved you for and wants you to be.

Sharing our lives with other disciples

• Christianity caught rather than taught
• What impact have other people had on your development as a Christian?
• Talk to someone about one such person

Going beyond how we should be living to what we now experience.

Truth

• We are all weak no more masks

Honesty

• Vulnerability, honesty, & reality in a grace filled environment

Accountability

• Accountable relationships

Offering to share our gifts & experience

• Being equipped to serve God & People

Becoming, and continuing as a disciple
A Foundational Value?

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Create Community

Community = interaction

The word "community" has old roots, going back to the Indo-European base mei, meaning "change" or "exchange." Apparently this joined with another root, kom, meaning "with," to produce an Indo-European word kommein: shared by all.

Change or exchange, shared by all,... sharing among all its members the burdens and the benefits of change and exchange. (Juanita Brown)

Interacting with God & each other

And now God is building you, as living stones, into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are God's holy priests, who offer the spiritual sacrifices that please Him because of Jesus Christ.

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

The interactive' words From 1 Peter 2 v.5-6, 9. These refer to every Christian

• Spiritual temple
• God's holy priests
• Chosen people
• Kingdom of priests
• God's holy nation
• His very own possession

Moving from the 'Ideal' to the 'Real'

We are:

• A Covenant People,
• bound together by
• Blood,
• Spirit,
• Faith,
• Fatherhood.

Some Scriptures about change & exchange - the here and now of community

You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other.

Instead, be kind to each other, tender hearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you

So accept each other just as Christ has accepted you; then God will be glorified.

Share each other's troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

Intimacy

The word "intimacy" stems from the Latin intimatus, to make something known to someone else. (Another derivation is the verb "intimate," which originally meant "to notify.") In its original meaning, in other words, intimacy did not mean emotional closeness, but the willingness to pass on honest information. Charlotte Roberts

In-to-me-see

We are back to - Vulnerability, honesty, & reality in a grace filled environment

Instead, be kind to each other, tender hearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32

Be Kind

• Kind = Chrestos
• Christ = Christos

Think Kindly look for the good

1 Peter 2:1 So get rid of all malicious behaviour and deceit. Don't just pretend to be good! Be done with hypocrisy and jealousy and backstabbing. 2 You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries for milk, 3 now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness.

Six principles for resolving conflict:

1. Quickly
2. Quietly
3. Kindly in a Christ-like manner
4. Constructively ready to learn
5. Completely listen & deal with the real issues
6. Continuously

Creating Community

A Foundational Value?

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Doing Evangelism

The Meaning of Evangelism

• from Greek euaggelion, Good News

• God's promise to Abraham - Good News

I will bless you and make you famous, and I will make you a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you. Gen 12:2-3

Examples of Evangelism by Jesus

18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, 19 and that the time of the Lord's favour has come." Luke 4:18-19

23 Jesus travelled throughout Galilee teaching in the synagogues, preaching everywhere the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed people who had every kind of sickness and disease. Matthew 4:23

• Notice the link between words and works

Evangelism is a good thing

• It's about sharing the good news of Jesus

• Not a bad thing

• Despite negative caricatures

There are different ways of Doing Evangelism

• Cold Call:

 * door to door, street corner etc.

• Altar Call:

 * big meeting, larger numbers

• Missionary Call:

  * into another culture, country

Most of us aren't gifted to evangelise in these ways

• But there is - Answer the Call

So don't be afraid and don't worry. 15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 16 But you must do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. 1 Peter 14-16

• All of us can evangelise in this way

Evangelism - the major area of contention

• From Satan

 * Every person in God's Kingdom is one less in his.

For He has rescued us from the one who rules the kingdom of darkness, and He has brought us into the Kingdom of His dear Son. Colossians 1:13

Evangelism - the major area of contention

• From ourselves

 * It didn't work

 * Ran out of steam

 * It's not cool

 * Don't know how

Imagine..

• Famous evangelist sees 1000 people saved every night!
• It would take 10,000 years for everyone to be saved
• That's not allowing for population increase

Imagine..

• One person seeing one person become a Christian every year
• Then discipling that person & seeing them do the same
• The whole world would be saved in 32 years!

We need

• A Vision - imagine..

• Obedience - Jesus says go

• Repentance & healing

• Training

• Fervent Prayer

• Support from each other

Doing Evangelism

• A Foundational Value?

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Encountering God

The prime encounter with God being Born Again

Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." John 3:3

Encounter with the God the Norm of Christian life

The Holy Spirit

Paul asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." Acts 19:2

• Filled with the Holy Spirit - The Next vital encounter with the God
• Normal Christianity

'Go on being filled'

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, (go on being) be filled with the Spirit. Eph 5:18

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Eph 5:19-20

Three things about Encountering God

1. There is no One Way to encounter God - Silence, noise, singing, music, reading, speaking, listening etc.
2. Worship with others is a biblical norm
3. You should not remain unchanged after a real encounter

God's grace to us - the Body of Christ

Encounter & change with other believers

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Reordering Foundations - Fervent Prayer

Definition of Fervent

• 1 exhibiting deep sincere emotion;
• 2 archaic or poetic - very hot; glowing

Marjorie's story

• 82 years old
• Embodying so many core values.
• Past involvement - Weekly news sheet, plus songs for services, typing for Harry, Pathfinders,
• Member house group since inception
• Evangelism Visiting Group - people became Christians through her witness.

• Baptised February 2004
• Marjorie still serving & witnessing
• Praying for people to become Christians

• Inviting contacts to events
• Burley 2000+
• Lending book about birds by John Stott

• Alpha Prayer with Muriel
• Alpha Away-day
• Prayer works!
• Brilliant away day. Power of the Spirit with us!

Be persistent in your prayers

Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere. Ephesians 6:18

Fervent prayer & mission

19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words as I boldly explain God's secret plan that the Good News is for the Gentiles, too. 20 I am in chains now for preaching this message as God's ambassador. But pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should. Ephesians 6:19-20

The 'two or three' principle

For where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them. Matthew 18:20

• Fervent = very hot; glowing'
• Coals need the fire to glow

• Praying together - more than the sum of the parts

The 3+1 story in Daniel

20 Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 25" Look!" Nebuchadnezzar shouted. "I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire. They aren't even hurt by the flames! And the fourth looks like a divine being!" 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! Daniel 3

More than the sum of it's parts

• Three fervent young men
• Who's faith gets hotter in the furnace
• Because they are joined by another - a Divine being

It has a missionary outcome

• The King praises their God

Fervent Prayer

Some tips:

• Praying with others helps us to persist
• Keeping mission central sharpens the focus
• Faith levels can grow through the 3 + 1 dynamic

Fervent Prayer - A Foundational Value?

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