Category: Missional

Leaders Who Are PROVEN

Posted on by

Leaders Who Are PROVEN

There is talk all the time about leadership. Leadership in the government (having just come out of an election year), leadership on the football team (listening to commentators talking about various players each Saturday), leadership in the home (that whole marriage roles conversation), even leadership in the church (like the role and function of a pastor, the staff, deacons, and teachers). Leadership is not necessarily all about control and authority, because leadership expert Dr. John Maxwell says that leadership is influence. When you have influence over a person, group, a company, or a church, you are a leader.

It’s about influence that moves people to do things that they likely could not have done without leadership. I suppose a glaring biblical example of the lack of leadership may be found in the Book of Judges. There are two verses that tells us that everyone did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6, 21:25, it’s even found in Deuteronomy 12:8). By the way, Proverbs offers a little commentary when it comes to people doing what is right in their own eyes… “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes” (Proverbs 12:15) and “Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts” (Proverbs 21:2).

In the Titus 1:5-11 passage we read earlier, Paul is coaching Titus on leadership. We can learn much from what we read in Scripture, if we only we take the time to read it, understand it, and seek ways to apply it. Here is how Paul describes church leaders:

Blameless (above reproach) – Their work for the church, as well as their interactions with others outside the church, are to be of such moral quality that they do not bring shame or in any way disgrace the body of Christ or the name of Jesus.

Above reproach, however, does not mean without sin. No Christian lives an entirely sinless life, nor will we until we get to heaven. Above reproach means that the leader’s life is free from sinful habits or behaviors that would hinder his setting the highest Christian standard and model for the church to imitate (Hebrews 13:7; 1 Peter 5:3). Remember that leadership is influence.

In the same way, the leader must not give reasons for those outside the church to challenge its reputation or integrity. Being above reproach means that no one can honestly bring a charge or accusation against the Christian leader (Acts 25:7; 1 Peter 3:16).

Husband of one wife – this does not mean that a church leader must be married, or even male, but probably means the person is faithful to the vows he’s made to his wife, and not a polygamist.

Has children who believe – this does not mean that a church leader must be a father or have children walking with the Lord. How many of us have raised our kids in the church yet they today have nothing to do with the church, maybe even nothing to do with God? At some point all human being must make their own decisions about who they will serve. What I mean is that since children have soul competency before God, their rebellion and wild nature cannot disqualify a church leader from effective service to God and this church.

Paul throws in some negative qualities:

Not accused of dissipation (which is indulgence, immorality, depravity, corruption) or rebellion – basically the leader is not overbearing, quick-tempered, given to drunkenness, violence, dishonest gain.

Then on the plus side:

The leader is hospitable, he or she loves good, is self-controlled, holy, and disciplined, holding firmly to sound teaching and doctrine.

So, as we look at leadership today, leaders are to be PROVEN. I am going to share with your six qualities of PROVEN leaders…

PASSION = Passion of Jesus, his mission, the Great Commandment, and the Great Commission:

Passion is not a word often used in our culture, unless it is in the romantic sense of being passionate with or about your spouse, but the word is very accurate when it comes to our connection with Jesus.

This word passion fits right in with God’s greatest commandment, which is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, to love our God with all of our being (heart, mind, soul, and strength). Let me share some guidance from Scripture about how to awaken that in your life:

1) Get to know God. It goes without saying that we cannot love someone we do not know, so the place to start is to get to know God and understand what He has done for you. Before the command to love God is given in Deuteronomy 6:5, the statement is made, “Hear O Israel, The LORD our God is one LORD.”

One aspect of this statement is that the God of the Bible is unique, and the better we get to know what He is like, the easier it will be for us to love Him with our whole being. This also involves getting to know what He has done for us. Again, before the first command is given in Exodus 20:3, God states what He had done for Israel in bringing them out of slavery in Egypt. Likewise, in Romans 12:1-2, the command to offer our lives as living sacrifices is prefaced with the word therefore–a word meant to remind us of all of the mercies of God toward us recorded in the previous chapters.

To grow in love with God, a person needs to get to know Him. God has revealed Himself in nature (read about that in Romans 1), but so much more through His written Word. We need to make daily Bible study a personal habit—as much a part of our lives as eating food every day. It is important to remember that the Bible is more than a book; it is actually God’s love letter to us, revealing himself through the centuries, especially through the ministry of Jesus Christ, His one and only unique Son. We must read the Bible, asking His Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts about what He wants us to learn from it that day.

2) Pray like Jesus did. When we examine the life of Jesus (as well as that of Daniel and others who had a passion for God) we find that prayer was a vital ingredient in their relationships with God. You cannot imagine a man and woman growing in love without communicating, so prayer cannot be neglected without expecting your love for God to grow cold. Prayer is part of the armor we use against our greatest enemies (Ephesians 6:18). We may have a desire to love God, but we will fail in our walk with Christ without prayer (Matthew 26:41).

3) Walk closely with God NOW. Daniel and his three friends chose to obey God and refused to compromise in even the food they ate (Daniel 1). The others who were brought from Judah to Babylon as prisoners with them caved in, and are never mentioned again. When the Jewish prisoners of war had their convictions challenged in a far greater way, it was only these few who stood alone for God (Daniel 3 and 6). In order to ensure that we will be passionate for God LATER, we need to walk with Him NOW and begin to obey Him in the smallest details of life!

Peter learned this the hard way by following God “at a distance,” rather than identifying himself more closely with Christ before his temptation to deny Him (Luke 22:54). God says that where a man’s treasure is, there his heart will be also. As we invest our lives in God through serving Him and being on the receiving end of persecution for Him, our treasure will increasingly be with Him, and so will our hearts (1 Timothy 3:12; Matthew 6:21).

4) Eliminate the competition. Jesus said it is impossible to have two masters (Matthew 6:24). We are always tempted to love the world (those things which please our eyes, make us feel good about ourselves, and gratify our earthly desires – 1 John 2:15-17). James tells us that embracing the world and its friendship is enmity (hatred) toward God and amounts to spiritual adultery (James 4:4). We need to get rid of some things in our lives that compete for our alligience (friends who would lead us the wrong way, things that waste our time and energy and keep us from serving God more faithfully, pursuits of popularity, possessions, and physical and emotional gratifications). God promises that if we pursue Him, He will not only provide for our needs (Matthew 6:33) but will give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4-5).

So, leaders are to be people who are passionate about Jesus and his mission and spiritual disciples.

RELATIONSHIPS = Relationships resulting in accountability and application in small groups:

A small group at church consists of a handful of believers who are connected by our common faith in Jesus. They meet together for Bible study, service projects, encouragement, prayer, and fellowship. As churches grow larger, these small groups keep people connected with one another. The goal of a biblically faithful church is to create authentic community through our small groups ministry, which fosters discipleship, prayer, connection, and accountability. The number of participants in each small group is generally limited so that deep and long-lasting relationships are cultivated and maintained.

The model for small groups is found in the book of Acts when believers met together in homes to eat, fellowship, and take communion (Acts 2:41–42, 46). They would read the apostles’ letters, discuss them, pray, and challenge each other to keep the faith (Acts 20:7–8). A small group that functions correctly is a little church within a larger congregation.

It is within these small groups that the “one anothers” of Scripture take place. When the Bible tells Christians to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), pray for one another (James 5:16), accept one another (Romans 15:7), and forgive one another (Colossians 3:13), it implies that we are in close relationship with other believers. On a practical level, in a church of several hundred, the pastor cannot visit every sick person or take a meal to every new mother. Regardless of how friendly or outgoing a member may be, he or she cannot personally know an entire crowd seen only for an hour on Sunday morning. Community doesn’t happen when we are looking at the back of someone’s head. Community happens in circles, not in rows. So, the pastor and staff rely on small group leaders to take care of the members of their groups. They are the shepherds of the small flock of members who are in their charge.

In many ways, the first-century church was a series of small groups. They all studied the same Scriptures (Acts 17:11), read the same letters from the apostles (Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:27), and obeyed to the same standards for community lifestyle (1 Corinthians 11–14). They met in homes throughout the week (Acts 2:46) and established close, personal relationships with each other (Romans 12:10; 1 Peter 2:17). When modern church groups strive for the same unity (Ephesians 4:3; Psalm 133:1), they are fulfilling the expectations Jesus has for His church (Matthew 16:18).

OBEDIENCE = Obedience to the Commands of Christ and the Teachings of the Bible;

The Bible has a lot to say about obedience. In fact, obedience is an essential part of the Christian faith. Jesus Himself was “obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). For Christians, the act of taking up our cross and following Christ (Matthew 16:24) means obedience. The Bible says that we show our love for Jesus by obeying Him in all things: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). A Christian who is not obeying Christ’s commands can rightly be asked, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46).

Obedience is defined as “dutiful or submissive compliance to the commands of one in authority.” Using this definition, we see the elements of biblical obedience. “Dutiful” means it is our obligation to obey God, just as Jesus fulfilled His duty to the Father by dying on the cross for our sin. “Submissive” indicates that we yield our will to God’s will. “Commands” speak of the Scriptures in which God has clearly presented His instructions, these “commands of Jesus, which I have studied over past decade. These are grammatical imperatives that must be obeyed, because they are not suggestions. The “one in authority” is God Himself, whose authority is total and unmistakable. For the Christian, obedience means complying with everything God has commanded. It is our duty and privilege to do so.

Having said that, it is important to remember that our obedience to God is not solely a matter of duty. We obey Him because we love Him (John 14:23). Also, we understand that the SPIRIT of obedience is as important as the ACT of obedience. We serve the Lord in humility, singleness of heart, and love.

If we love God, we WILL obey Him. We won’t be perfect in our obedience, but our desire is to submit to the Lord and demonstrate our love through good works. When we love God and obey Him, we naturally have love for one another. Obedience to God’s commands will make us light and salt in a dark and tasteless world (Matthew 5:13–16).

VICTORY = Victory over sin through ongoing sanctification and integrity:

The key to victory in our struggles with sin lies not in ourselves, but in God and His faithfulness to us: “The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth” (Psalm 145:18; see also Psalm 46:1).

There’s no getting around it: we all struggle with sin (Romans 3:23). Even the great apostle Paul grieved over his ongoing struggle with sin in his life (Romans 7:18-20). Paul’s struggle with sin was real; so much so that he cried out, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” (Romans 7:24).

Yet in the very next breath, he answers his own question, as well as ours: “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25a).

Our key to victory in our struggle with sin lies in the promise of God Himself: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). If God provides a way of escape, it seems to me, that victory over sin is a matter of making better choices with the help of the Holy Spirit, who dwells inside every believer.

The Proven disciple (and the Proven leader) will have this desire to please God in his or her life and victory will come over a lifetime of obedience to God’s Word. When we understand the battle and the enemy’s battle strategy, we can better live victoriously in this fallen world.

ETERNAL FOCUS = Eternal focus resulting in Evangelism and the Example of Jesus:

Personal evangelism appears to be a scary thing for a lot of believers. It is simply the act of a person sharing the gospel, the good news, with someone else. There are many different methods of personal evangelism, and it is a hot topic within Christianity. Books, classes, and seminars are dedicated to the subject of witnessing, soul-winning, and helping others find salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Not every method is effective or biblically supportable; according to Bible teacher Dr. John MacArthur, “Jesus would have failed personal evangelism class in almost every Bible college and seminary I know.”

According to a 2016 Barna survey, 73 percent of Americans claim to be Christians. However, after applying scriptural tests to those claims, only around 31 percent actually qualify as practicing Christians. The Bible knows no other kind of Christian (Matthew 7:19–21; 1 John 3:7–10). Clearly, what has passed for personal evangelism for the last several generations has not been effective. It’s time for something new. Not a new message, but a new method of reaching people for Jesus.

I’ve shared this before, but I like the BLESS strategy; I call it “How to BLESS your neighbors.”

  • BEGIN with Prayer. Helping someone come to faith in Jesus is a God thing, don’t leave home without prayer.
  • LISTEN to the people around you. Discover their needs, hopes, dreams, cares, problems, frustrations, joys, and desires by simply having a conversation and listening to them.
  • EAT with them, sharing a meal. Find a time to share a meal. People will open up when they are across the table of fellowship.
  • SERVE them in some way, meeting a need. After all this listening to them, how can you make a practical difference in their lives? Serve them.
  • STORY means earning the right to share YOUR story or HIS story. After you have earned the right, find a way to share one of two possible stories: YOUR story, which is your testimony, or HIS story, the plan of salvation in the Bible.

In our personal evangelism, it is good to remember that we are only responsible to God for our obedience, not the results of that obedience. We may present the gospel thoroughly and lovingly, and the person to whom we witness may hear and understand, but still choose to walk away. We are not responsible for that reaction, but only for the level of obedience involved in our presentation. Acts 1:8 tells us that we will be his witnesses, the only choice we have is will we be a good witness or a poor witness?

NURTURING = Nurture others in the faith through example, teaching, and leadership:

As I think about nurturing others, I think about family and parenting. While the Bible has much to say about physical parenting, we are also called to spiritual parenting.

When God led the Israelites out of bondage, He commanded them to teach their children all He had done for them (Deuteronomy 6:6–7; 11:19). He desired that the generations to come would continue to uphold all His commands. When one generation fails to teach God’s laws in the next, a society quickly declines. Parents have not only a responsibility to their children, but an assignment from God to impart His values and truth into their lives.

While the home is primary place for raising children (Sunday School and VBS is not enough) the church is also a place to nurture those around us. And it is not just for kids. Women get together on Tuesdays. Men of Steel gather at Denny’s on Wednesdays and the Noble Men meet in the fellowship on various Saturdays. Leaders are nurtured and actively nurture others. The growth never ends, not until Jesus calls us home.

So, these six characteristics will help us to be a PROVEN leader, and a PROVEN disciple of Jesus. A lost world is watching us, ad waiting for us to prove that we are who we say we are. We expect more out of our leaders. Remember that being above reproach does not mean we are perfect, but that we live in such a way that no one can honestly say that our behavior would bring shame on the name of Jesus or his church.

Maybe you heard something today, and you need to make some changes in your life. We’re here to help, no one does this Christian life thing on their own. At King’s Grant, we are first of all, a community of faith. You can grow into the disciple and leader God desires for you to be, and the church can help, you’re not alone.

Let’s talk to God about it…

PRAY: Lord Jesus, this time is yours. You know our hearts, motivation, and attitudes. You know where we fall short better than we know ourselves. May we rekindle our passion for you, your Word, and the mission you have in our lives. Help us to live a life of significance and influence. Help us to know your will and your ways and give us the courage to stand up for the cause of Christ. Lord Jesus, may you be glorified through your PROVEN people. AMEN.

Thank you for being a part of this worship and study time. If we can help you in any way, please reach out to us through the church website (kgbc.us/more). If you live in the Virginia Beach area, we invite you to stop by for a visit on Sundays at 9:30am or 11am or join us for midweek activities on Wednesday evenings (kgbc.us/midweek). Until next time, thanks for joining us. We hope to see you soon.

It Comes Down to Mission

Posted on by

This is a repost from my Facebook feed. This is a great statement regarding mission and the church. The church may be the only organization that exists for those whp are not yet members rather than existing for the membership. That truth is difficult to swallow; when we believe church is all about us, wanting our own needs to be met, we lose sight of our purpose on this planet.

Biblical Vocabulary for Evangelism

Posted on by

What is Evangelism?

Evangelism is the first step toward fulfilling the Great Commission.

  1. Matthew 28:19-20 is the all-inclusive Great Commission – “make disciples” (Matthew 28:19).
  2. The main verb is to “make disciples” supported by three participles (go, baptize, teach).
  3. Mark, Luke, John, and Acts stress the evangelistic facet of the Great Commission.
  4. Mark 16:15 tells us what to do when we go – go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
  5. Every believer is to go but all are not sent into a cross-cultural situation. We may go across the ocean or across the back fence to share our faith (try the grocery store, gas station, gym, ball field).

Evangelism involves telling the gospel to lost people who haven’t transferred their trust in Christ alone as their Lord and Savior.

  1. The word preaching (euangelizo) literally means “to bring or to announce good news, to gospelize.” (Acts 8:4, 12, 25, 35, 40, 10:36, 11:20, 13:32, 14:7, 15, 21, 15:35, 16:10, 17:18).
  2. Evangelism involves information and an invitation. It more than sharing historical facts about the death and resurrection of Christ. It involves inviting them to repent of their sin and transfer their trust in Christ alone as their Lord and Savior.
  3. J. I. Packer tells us that evangelism is not just preaching the gospel, it is not simply a matter of teaching, and instructing, and imparting information to the mind. Evangelism must include the endeavor to elicit a response to the truth taught. It is communication with a view to conversion. It is a matter, not merely of informing, but also of inviting.
  4. We cannot evangelize without God’s Word (Romans 10:13-15, Ephesians 1:13-14, 6:19-20).
  5. Saint Francis of Assisi said to “preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.” While it may sound good, it may be similar to, “feed starving children, and if necessary, use food.”
  6. We can model the Christian life, be filled with Joy, have a sincere faith, serve like nobody’s business, but until the gospel is shared, no one will get saved.
  7. The verbs of evangelism require words to be spoken: preach, proclaim, herald (Matthew 24:14, Mark 13:10, 14:9, 16:15, Luke 8:1, 9:2, 24:27, Acts 8:5, 19:13, 28:31, Romans 10:14-15, 1 Corinthians 1:23, 15:11-12, 2 Corinthians 1:19, 4:5, 11:4, Galatians 2:2, Philippians 1:15, Colossians 1:23, 1 Thessalonians 2:9, 1 Timothy 3:16, 2 Timothy 4:2).

Evangelism is a process.

  1. Salvation happens when a repentant sinner transfers trust on Christ alone as Lord and Savior, but evangelism is a process that starts with planting the seed, watering it, and patiently waiting for the harvest.
  2. Faith comes by hearing God’s Word (Romans 10:17).
  3. One plants, one waters, and God causes growth (1 Corinthians 3:5-8).
  4. The fields are ripe for the harvest, some sow, others reap (John 4:35-38).
  5. If we reap during an evangelistic encounter, we can be sure that someone else did the sowing before we showed up. We might plant many and someone else will reap the harvest down the road.

What’s the difference between evangelism and outreach?

  1. Some people use the words anonymously, but most don’t. Some confuse gospelizing people with acts of compassion like food pantry, operation inasmuch, disaster relief, winter shelter, adopt-a-block, Thanksgiving baskets).
  2. Jesus said his mission and purpose was to seek and save the lost (Matthew 20:28, Mark 1:38, 10:45, Luke 4:43, 9:55, 19:10). Meeting physical needs is fine but our mission is to address spiritual needs.
  3. When we s to build common ground with lost friends, serving them in some practical way, we are doing pre-evangelism. They are evangelized until we share the gospel with them. Providing temporal relief is a good thing but our purpose is to provide eternal relief.
  4. Don’t confuse doing good works with evangelism; good works point to Jesus (Matthew 5:13, Ephesians 2:10, 1 Peter 2:11-12, Titus 3:1).
  5. Good works allow us to live out what we believe, to be a living gospel, but remember that the gospel has not been shared if we don’t speak it.
  6. Don’t confuse the gospel with causes that we embrace (humans, right, world, hunger, pro-life, social justice). These are not the gospel. The evidence of the gospel lies in the vertical relationship more than the horizontal relationship. The gospel deal with how mankind can be made right with God.
  7. The church must fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15) in a Great Commandment way (Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:30-31). Don’t confuse the eternal mission with temporal relief. We desire for mankind to escape the coming wrath of God (Romans 5:9). People come to Christ on his terms, not our own terms. The church must address our neediness and our fallenness.
  8. Building a house for the homeless or feeding at a soup kitchen is rewarding because it is concrete and tangible. You can measure the progress. Measuring progress in a spiritual realm is more difficult; it’s three steps forward and two steps back. The one who is saved will willingly go public, submit to believer’s baptism, repent of sin, desire to live differently — which is all easier to see in the physical realm.
  9. Christians don’t settle for temporal relief when we can offer eternal relief (Luke 9:59-60). Jesus told this guy to let spiritually dead people bury physically dead people, and you go proclaim the gospel. Spiritually dead people make good morticians. They can make a dead person look alive, but only Christians can share the Words of Life and the transforming power of the gospel. Why settle for a make-up artist when you can do heart surgery?

What’s the difference between evangelism and witnessing?

  1. The word witness is actually the same as martyr, one who bear witness, one who can testify what he has seen, heard, or know.
  2. The apostles were commanded to be witnesses (Luke 24:48, John 15:27, Acts 1:8).
  3. There were many eyewitnesses of the resurrection (these ten post-resurrection appearances).
    1. Mary Magdalen (Mark 16:9-11, John 20:11-18).
    2. The women (Matthew 28:9-10).
    3. The two on the Emmaus Road (Mark 16:12-13, Luke 24:13-32).
    4. Peter (Luke 24:33-35, 1 Corinthians 15:5a).
    5. The ten disciples (Mark 16:14, Luke 24, 36-43, John 20:19-25).
    6. The eleven disciples (John 20:26-31, 1 Corinthians 15:5).
    7. The seven disciples fishing (John 21:1-23).
    8. More than 500 gathered in Galilee (Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:15-18, 1 Corinthians 15:6).
    9. James, the brother of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:7).
    10. The disciples in Jerusalem (Luke 24:44-49, Acts 1:6-8).
  4. Luke records the historical importance of eyewitness testimony in apostolic preaching (Acts 1:3, 2:32, 3:15, 4:33, 5:30, 32, 10:38-42, 13:28-30, 1 Corinthians 15:6, 14-17).
  5. Josh McDowell tells us that the followers of Jesus could not have faced torture and death unless they were convinced of the resurrection. The unity of their message and the course of the conduct was amazing. if they were deceivers, it’s hard to explain why one of them didn’t break under pressure.
  6. We can witness to what has happened in our lives but we cannot be eye-witnesses like the apostles.
  7. Here is the difference: when we witness, we share OUR story (our testimony). When we evangelize, we share HIS Story (the gospel).

Who did evangelism in the early church?

  1. At the beginning, the apostles were in Jerusalem, but they were scattered under the persecution of the day. When the church scattered, as they went, they evangelized (Acts 8:1, 4).
  2. We cannot keep the task of evangelism in the hands of trained professionals, it is the task for followers of Jesus. You cannot cop out just because you have never been to seminary. This attitude is the greatest tragedy of the church. The results are devastating to the mission of the church. Just reflect on the damage done by this shift in responsibility from believers to the elders/pastors.
  3. No one has to be called or gifted to do evangelism since we are commanded to do it as followers of Jesus (Mark 16:15).

Isn’t evangelism the job of the evangelists?

  1. We tend to stereotype evangelists (three-piece suit, sweating as he preaches about hell, fire, and brimstone during an evangelistic crusade. But the New Testament teaches that an evangelist equips church members to do evangelism (Ephesians 4:11-12). Shepherd don’t have sheep; sheep have sheep.
  2. The word equip means to outfit or prepare God’s people for the work of service. We gather as the church to be equipped. We scatter to evangelize.
  3. Paul tells us to do the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5).
  4. The word preaching (euangelizo) literally means “to bring or to announce good news, to gospelize.” (Acts 8:4, 12, 25, 35, 40, 10:36, 11:20, 13:32, 14:7, 15, 21, 15:35, 16:10, 17:18).

What is the message of evangelism? – the Gospel

  1. The gospel is NOT…
    1. A different or distorted gospel (Galatians 1:6-9, 2:16, 2 Corinthians 11:4)
    2. Vines says that Galatians 1:8-9 literally means, let him be accursed or condemned, like saying to hell with him. Paul uses the strongest language possible to denote the seriousness of distorting the gospel.
  2. False gospels that are distorted:
    1. Baptismal regeneration: that water baptism bring salvation. Infant baptism saves the child and they are reborn. Paul tells us that Christ did not send him to baptize but to preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 1:17). If water baptism had redemptive significance, Paul would never be happy that he did not baptize more Corinthians (1 Corinthians 1:14-16).
    2. Prosperity gospel: the good news is that if you accept Jesus you will be healthy and wealthy.
    3. Sacramental gospel: the Lord affirms that baptism is necessary for salvation (Catholic Catechism, VI, the necessity of baptism, 1257).
    4. Works gospel: any gospel that says you can earn, deserve, or merit heaven through your own good deeds is a heresy (2 Peter 2:1, Ephesians 2:8-9, 2 Timothy 1:9, Titus 3:5).
  3. The gospel IS…
    1. Biblical (1 Corinthians 15:1-8). Of first importance.
    2. Christological – about Christ and all the statements about HIM or HE.
    3. Scriptural – according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
      1. Died (Isaiah 53:5, Acts 8:30-35, Matthew 16:21, 17:22, 20:18-19, 26:2, 27:31, 35, Mark 15:20, 24-25, 16:6, Luke 9:22, 23:33, 24:46, John 19:16, 18, 20, 23, Acts 2:23,-24, 29, 3:15, 4:10, 5:30, 13:28-29, Romans 5:6, 8, 10, 6:6-7, 10, 1 Corinthians 2:2, 8, 15:3, Galatians 2:21, Philippians 2:8, 1 Thessalonians 4:14, 5:10, Hebrews 2:9-10, 12, 1 Peter 3:18, Revelation 5:9).
      2. Raised (Psalm 16:10, Acts 2:27, 13:35, Matthew 16:21, 17:23, 20:19, 26:32, Luke 9:22, 24:46, John 2:19-22, 21:14, Acts 2:24-28, 3:15, 4:10, 5:30, 10:40, 13:30, 33-37, 17:18, Romans 4:24-25, 8:11, 34, 10:9, 1 Corinthians 14:4, 12-17, 2 Corinthians 4:14, 5:15, Galatians 1:1, Ephesians 1:20, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 4:14, 1 Peter 1:21).
    4. Theological – he died for our sins, which are an affront to God’s holiness and cuts us off from him.
    5. Historical – he appeared to many people after he rose from the dead.
    6. Personal – the gospel was preached to YOU, YOU received, YOU stand, YOU are saved, YOU believed, delivered to YOU, Christ died for OUR SINS (1 Corinthians 15:1-2, John 1:12, Romans 5:17).
      1. Preached = to tell the good news to you (euangelisanmen humin)
      2. Received = receive + believe = become a child of God (ho kai parelabon). Hand-me-down faith is no good until you make it your own (Matthew 3:7-10). Beware of universalism that teaches the well-being of all people, and the universality of the redemption of Christ. Jesus taught that those who reject him will die in their sin (John 8:21), be the object of God wrath (John 3:36, Romans 5:9), and will be cast into eternal punishment (Matthew 25:41, 46, Luke 12:4-5, 2 Thessalonians 1:7=8, Revelation 21:8). Paul taught that while sin and death is imputed to every person, the free gift of salvation must be personally received (Romans 5:15-17).
      3. Stand = means to be established and continuing firm in faith, like a tree well rooted (en ho kai estekate).
      4. Save = (sozo) from the consequences of sins (Matthew 1:21) and his wrath (Romans 5:9). See also Acts 2:21, 40, 47, 11:14, 15:1, 11, 16:30-31, Romans 1:16, 5:9-10, 10:9-10, 13, 1 Corinthians 1:18, 15:2, Ephesians 1:13, 2:5, 8, 1 Thessalonians 2:16, 2 Thessalonians 2:10, 1 Timothy 1:15, 2 Timothy 1:9, 2:10, Titus 3:5).
      5. Hold fast = examine yourself to see whether you are of the faith; a possessor and not merely a professor.
      6. Believed = we must have to acknowledge the balance between assurance and presumption. True believers give evidence they are saved by continuing in the faith (John 15:1-11). True faith produces fruit. Fake faith has not commitment (John 6:66). Some have shallow faith (Matthew 7:13-14). Some have faith similar to the demons (James 2:19).
      7. In vain = there is an assumption that true faith will elicit a faith response (Mark 1:15, 16:16, John 1:12, 3:15-16, 18, 36, 5:24, 6:29, 35, 40, 7:38, 11:25-26, 12:36, 46, 20:30-31, Acts 8:37, 10:43, 13:39, 15:7, 9, 11, 16:30-31, 20:21, Romans 1:16, 3:22, 28, 4:4-5, 5:1, 9:33, 10:9-11, 14, 1 Corinthians 1:21, 15:2, Galatians 2:16, 3:2, 6-13, 22, 24, 26, Ephesians 1:13, 2:8, Philippians 1:27, 3:9, 1 Timothy 1:16, Hebrews 6:1, 1 Peter 2:6-7, 1 John 5:1, 5, 10, 13).
      8. Repentance = the flip side of faith, they go together (Mark 1:15, Luke 15:7, 10, 24:47, Acts 2:38, 3:19, 5:31, 11:18, 17:30, 20:21, 26:20, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 2 Timothy 2:25, 2 Peter 3:9).
  4. On judgment day, everyone will be held accountable for what they did with the gospel. It will determine their eternal destiny. Romans 2:16 says, “on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.”

Raising the Next Generation

Posted on by

Conversations With Jesus – Luke 6:40

Welcome to part 5 of Ken’s teaching series called Conversations. Today I am going to talk about – The Greatest Teacher – Jesus’ conversation about raising the next generation. – Luke 6:40 (this is also my tribute to moms on Mother’s Day)

Let’s take a look at what Jesus is teaching his disciples in Luke 6. Beginning in verse 20, Luke records his equivalence of the sermon on the mount, with his version of the beatitudes (Luke 6:20-26).

And THEN Jesus spoke a parable to them in Luke 6:39-40, when he tells us that the blind cannot guide the blind. Why? Because they will both fall into the pit. You know what this tells me? Since I am all about discipleship, I think that it is accurate to say that we CANNOT lead someone in discipleship to a place that we have not yet gone. That’s not an excuse to never attempt to disciple someone but it IS a strong challenge to lead by example. As followers of Christ, we are called to lead people to greater depths of devotion to Jesus and to spend our lives in the pursuit of conforming to the image of Christ. We must be willing and committed to do whatever it takes to look more like Jesus. It doesn’t happen by accident but on purpose with determined intentionality.

OK, let me get to my intended verse because Luke 6:40 is the starting point for my message today… “A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.”

So, this message today is going to focus on what Jesus said about raising the next generation. In context, Jesus is talking about the rabbi-follower relationship, discipler-disciplee, mentor-mentee, but on this Mother’s Day, I think this verse can speak to us about what parents do for their children. If we don’t do anything else, our kids will generally turn out much like us. They follow our example, it’s NOT just what we SAY but what we DO.

I remember a commercial when I was a kid, a dad and his son were in the front yard washing the car. The little boy of 5 or 6 does exactly what the dad does… washing the fender, scrubbing the tires, wearing the baseball cap, all with the narrator repeating the phrase, “like father, like son.” Then they sit down at the base of a tree in the front yard and dad grabs a pack of cigarettes, and as the son reaches for the pack that daddy just laid down, the narrator asks the question, “Like father, like son?”

Our kids are watching us. Moms and dad not only have the awesome responsibility of raising the next generation of citizen in America, but they are raising the next generation of Christians in America. As we look around our country today, what sort of followers of Jesus are we producing? Are we making disciples or do we settle for making good little church attenders? Are the kids in the church today just learning moral lessons from the Bible or are they encountering and learning about the God of the Bible? Do they know the reason they were created and the responsibility they have for reaching those who are far from God and even those who have little or no access to the gospel?

Remember what I said a moment ago, it is very difficult (if not impossible) to take someone to a place we have not yet gone ourselves. We cannot pass on that which we don’t embrace. Our kids will never learn how to have a quiet time if they don’t see us having regular times for devotional reading and praying. They won’t learn how to share the gospel if we don’t share the gospel. They won’t learn how to disciple someone else if no one ever discipled them.

Maybe this sounds familiar… when asked in a social situation, “what do you do?” I’ve heard some moms say something like, “I’m just an at-home mom.” Well, let me remind you what mom’s do at home…

  • First, let’s give mom a creative title. Domestic engineer? Household CEO? Director of child development? And how about the activities an at-home mom does?
  • Teacher: Mothers teach children their first words, colors and shapes. They continue to enrich their learning by helping them with their homework and school projects.
  • Chef: The Bureau of Labor Statistics describes the role of a chef as one who develops recipes, plans menus, orders food inventory, and ensures sanitary kitchen conditions. That certainly sounds like a mom.
  • Event Planner: Even the busiest mom squeezes in time for fun. Whether it’s planning a themed birthday celebration, coordinating schedules with extended family for the holidays, or signing kids up for recreational activities, moms constantly have something to do and somewhere to be.
  • Housekeeper: Maintaining an orderly house can be quite the daunting task for a mother. There is no shortage of things to clean or organize, whether the children are toddlers or teenagers.
  • Accountant: In most households, moms perform many accounting functions such as creating and balancing a budget, paying bills and identifying cost-saving opportunities.
  • Chauffeur: Moms also serve as chauffeurs by providing hours of transportation for kids to and from doctor appointments, school, shopping, and play dates.
  • I read a statistic that if moms received an annual salary for all of their responsibilities, they would earn an estimated $78,000 a year.

But, let’s refocus on Christian moms and dads. Luke 6:40 reminds us that a pupil (or child), after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. How do we as parents invest in our kids for the kingdom’s sake. Aside from any teaching and training that will turn our kids into socially acceptable citizens and productive members of our community, let me suggest these 6 things to be a part of ANY parental curriculum. Here is my acrostic for the day. M.O.T.H.E.R.

Mission – Acts 1:8 – but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Think about your goal as a Christian parent. It’s not about raising a socially acceptable and productive member of the community. Your goal is not for your kids to have a great education. It’s not to be a great athlete. It’s not to have them participate in wholesome dating. It’s not to have a great career. It’s not about getting them out of the house on their own, making lots of money.

The goal of Christian parenting is for your kids to embrace the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and live out the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40). We teach our kids to love God with their whole being and to love others as themselves. The Great Commandment leads to the Great Commission and the fact that God uses ordinary people like US to spread the love of Jesus to those with little or no access to the gospel.

I love Acts 1:8 because we don’t do any of this alone, we have received the power of the Holy Spirit to be his witnesses. This verse reminds us that our mission field is in our own city, state, country, and the world. It’s not about one place over another but doing all four at the same time. Notice Jesus used the word, “both” in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. We tend to see the command as a buffet line… Jerusalem or Judea or Samaria, or the ends of the earth. Pick one.

Jesus told the disciples, and tells us, that they WILL be his witnesses,” meaning if you carry the name of Jesus, you are his witness. We don’t go out and DO witnessing, but we ARE witnesses. If you’re a believer, you’re a witness and can tell others what Jesus has done for you. The only choice we have is between these two options… will we be a GOOD witness or a BAD witness?

As parents, our first priority is to instill in our children that we are on mission with God, no matter what our vocation, marital status, or personal hobbies or interests. Once we understand our mission, it leads us to the next part of raising the next generation…

Obedience – John 14:21 – He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.

We teach our kids about obeying us (as parents) and obeying teachers, and those in authority (like police) but we often find ourselves telling our kids that obedience to God is optional. Perhaps we justify it by thinking like this… the standard of Jesus is perfection, we can never be perfect, so why try? Or maybe we say, my salvation is not based on my performance (like my obedience) but on the work of Christ on the cross, so obedience must therefore be optional.

Read John 14:21 again… keeping his commandments is a sign of our love for God. If you love God, you WILL keep is commands. When we love God, we will be loved by the Father. Jesus said that if we keep his commands, HE will love us and he will disclose himself to us. If you don’t feel like Jesus is revealing himself to you, try obedience! When we obey his word, Jesus will disclose himself to us.

Walking through life in obedience is something that is caught more than it is taught. We have heard the phrase, “do as I say and not as I do” but our kids see how we are living. They know if we simply put on the mask of Christianity on Sundays or they see that we’re fully committed to Christ and his mission throughout the week.  

Teaching – Matthew 7:28-29 – When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

If parents don’t do anything else, teaching is the thing that they do the most. It seems that day after day, all we do is teach our kids about life, relationships, dating, work ethic, trade skills, vocational skills, study skills, sports skills, coaching, board games, fishing, household chores, homework, you name it. We teach all the time.

But how do we prepare our kids for life’s ultimate final exam? When you stop learning, you stop growing, and all living things grow. Parents must make it a priority to teach their children the WILL and WAYS of God. Nothing will draw a child closer to God than seeing mom and dad taking steps of faith, walking in obedience, especially when it is difficult or uncomfortable. Actions really do speak louder than words.

You’ve heard it said that we should never let a crisis go to waste. It is through the crises of life that we find the greatest teaching opportunities. Take advantage of difficult times to help your kids walk in faith and trust God. Lead by example. Set the pace for your family.

Humility – Mark 10:45 – For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

The culture and the world will teach your children to look out for Number One. They justify this type of teaching to emphasize and develop a positive self-esteem in children. Now, if YOUR kids were anything like MY kids, I didn’t have to teach them how to be selfish, that seemed to come naturally. Kids think the world revolves around them. It’s part of the fall of mankind. We make ourselves to be most important and we desire to be the master of our own destiny, the center of the universe, and sit upon the throne of our own lives. But is that the example of Jesus?

Our Lord and Savior did not seek power, prestige, or position so he could manage or rule over others. Jesus taught that we are supposed to serve others rather than serve ourselves or have others serve us. This is the essence of humility.

We must teach our kids to look out for the interests of others more than themselves. Just how do kids learn this? By seeing the example of their parents. Again, set the pace for humility in your household. Give your life in service to others.

Evangelism – Mark 3:13-14 – And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. 14 And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach …

Jesus spent the whole night in prayer before he called his 12 closest men to be his disciples. We often think of these guys as super-Christians and we can’t expect to live up to the standard they set, especially in the areas of ministry and mission. I love this Mark passage because of what Jesus called them to do.

We often focus on the last section, that he called them to send them out to preach, which is an important part of their mission, but notice the phrase just before that. He called them “to be with him” and THEN he sent them out to preach. This is the “with him” principle.

We need to walk through this life with Jesus, learn from him, and then pass on what we have learned to others, especially to our kids and those within our circle of influence. We learn from him, then we go out to make a difference in the world around us. Make a difference for the kingdom of God. All this leads up to our final point, which is…

Relationship – Luke 24:14-15 – And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them.

Christianity is nothing if not about relationships. First there is our relationship with the Father through the Son. This relationship is all about salvation. Our next relationship is with other believers. This relationship is all about fellowship. Our third relationship is with a lost and dying world. This relationship is all about evangelism and mission, which we have previously covered today.

We can teach our kids to be successful in the world but unless they understand these key relationships in life, they are no different than your average lost person. Notice what is included in the Luke 24 passage…

In context, this story is part of the disciples on the Road to Emmaus. Look what takes place…

They were talking with each other about the things that had taken place. How often do you talk with your kids about spiritual matters? About how you came to faith in Christ? About how God has moved in your life this week? About how Jesus gave you opportunities to make a difference in someone else’s life? About ministry opportunities or a mission experience? Faith is caught more than it is taught, and it is caught by talking about life together.

Along with talking about and discussing spiritual matters, Jesus approached them and began traveling with them. He took the initiative. The Christian life is not so much about the destination (heaven when we die) as it is about the journey and the path we walk. We go through life as a family, whether in our physical family of blood relatives or our family of faith (or what I like to call them, my forever family).

In Christianity, there are no “lone ranger” disciples. We are in this thing together. The body is made up of many parts and we all work together for the body to function properly. Christianity is about community, and at its core, this means relationships. We need to be connected with one another.

I think this has been the hardest part of this year of COVID. Our relationships have suffered. We have drifted apart. I feel many people have come to the conclusion that gathering together as the church or a small group or a Sunday school class was not really as important as we had made it out to be all these years.

“I have made it just fine without getting together.” I can have my “worship on demand,” any time I want; when it’s convenient for me. I don’t need for my class to get together; e-mail is just fine for me to keep up.

So, what does Jesus teach about raising the next generation? Look over these 6 areas. Which one do you need to focus on first? What can you do this week that will help you get back on track? How will you pray differently this week?

When we realize that the life we have been given is not about US, then we find freedom. We are called to be a good steward of the life we have, as one who will give an account for what we have done with that which we have been entrusted.

On this Mother’s Day, let us all remember why we are on this planet. If you are a follower of Christ, your life is NOT about YOU, but it’s all about being an ambassador for Christ and being his witnesses locally, and even around the world. Let’s reflect on what God may be saying to us right now.

PRAY: Lord Jesus, we recognize that life is hard, and without question, it is distracting from what you have called us to do for the kingdom’s sake. Father, open our eyes to the opportunities all around us as we go through this life. May we see you at work and seek to join you in in your mission to reach through who are far from you. Help us to seek the one who is lost. Help us to raise the next generation to love you extravagantly. May we set the pace for our families and our community. May we run the race set before us and not grow weary. May we fight the good fight and finish well. Father, we know we fall short but plead your mercy and grace, to encourage us to stand strong in our calling to salvation and our calling to be your hands and feet in this world. May we be salt and light. In Jesus name. Amen.