Participants:
Series Code: PME
Program Code: PME250111S
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00:12 ♪ 00:21 >> Good morning, church family, 00:24 here and also via media. 00:27 It's so nice to be together 00:29 in the Lord's house, isn't it? 00:31 By the way, 00:32 I was here during first worship, 00:35 and the message 00:36 that Pastor Shane is gonna 00:38 be presenting to you, 00:39 you'll be so glad you were here 00:41 because it'll grab your soul. 00:43 It sure did mine. 00:45 Anyhow, it's so nice 00:47 to have you here. 00:48 Speaking of Pastor Shane, 00:50 you have an announcement for us, 00:51 so please come and share. 00:53 >> Good morning, Pioneer family. 00:54 It's good to see 00:55 you this morning. 00:55 Happy sabbath. 00:56 >> Happy sabbath. 00:58 >> I want to remind you 00:59 of the special weekend -- 01:00 actually, just the Sabbath 01:02 day -- that will be taking place 01:03 one week from today 01:04 on January 18th. 01:06 It will be a Sabbath of emphasis 01:08 on religious liberty. 01:10 As I mentioned last week, 01:11 we will be blessed to have 01:12 elder Bill Knott. 01:14 He is previously the editor 01:16 of the "Adventist Review" 01:17 for a number of years, 01:18 and did a number of other things 01:19 in the church, as well. 01:20 Currently, he functions 01:21 as the Director 01:23 for the General Conference, 01:24 Public Affairs and Religious 01:25 Liberty Department. 01:27 And what that means is, 01:28 is that Elder Knott has 01:29 interaction with many 01:30 of the very same people 01:31 that you see in the news, 01:33 on your news feed and your iPad, 01:34 wherever it is 01:34 you get your news. 01:35 He sees those people, 01:36 he talks with them, 01:38 and as a result, 01:39 he will have some powerful 01:41 things to be able to share 01:42 with us next Sabbath. 01:44 Elder Knott will be speaking 01:45 for both services, the worship 01:47 service in the morning, 01:48 and then in the afternoon 01:49 at 3:30 p.m., 01:50 right here in our sanctuary, 01:52 he will be presenting 01:54 some additional things 01:55 on religious liberty, 01:56 as will Jennifer Woods. 01:58 She is the Public Affairs 02:00 and Religious Liberty Director 02:01 for the Lake Union Conference. 02:03 I will be there as well. 02:04 And Elder Ron Knott, 02:06 our own local historian 02:07 extraordinaire, will be here 02:08 to share with us, 02:10 from history's perspective 02:11 some interesting spotlights 02:12 on religious liberty. 02:14 At the end of that presentation, 02:15 there will be some time for Q&A. 02:17 So, if you have questions 02:18 about current issues 02:19 in religious liberty, 02:20 come and join us, 3:30 p.m., 02:22 next Sabbath afternoon, 02:23 the 18th, 02:24 right here in this sanctuary. 02:26 And it will be 02:27 live streamed, as well. 02:29 Hope to see you there. 02:31 >> Thank you, Pastor. 02:33 Again, it's so good to have 02:34 you here to be together. 02:37 Would you stand with me? 02:39 The invocation is asking God 02:42 to come and be with us, so 02:43 that's what we're gonna do. 02:44 So, please rise. 02:49 Thank you. 02:51 Father in heaven, 02:52 we want you to meet 02:53 with us here today. 02:56 We pray that your Holy Spirit 02:58 would make your presence and 03:01 Jesus and the angels 03:03 very real to all of us. 03:06 So as we proceed into worship 03:08 now, be it the words, the music, 03:12 whatever, the prayers, 03:13 whatever we have to offer you, 03:15 we want to give it to you 03:17 in the name of Jesus. 03:18 So, thank you. 03:21 In his name, we pray. 03:22 Amen. 03:24 [ Organ plays ] 07:54 [ Organ plays ] 07:56 ♪ 08:05 >> ♪ Jesus, guide our way 08:13 ♪ To eternal day 08:19 ♪ 08:26 ♪ Jesus, guide our way 08:31 to eternal day ♪ 08:35 ♪ So shall we, no more 08:38 delaying ♪ 08:41 ♪ Follow You, Your voice 08:45 obeying ♪ 08:49 ♪ 08:55 ♪ Lead us by the hand 08:59 ♪ To our Father's land 09:05 ♪ 09:15 ♪ When we danger meet 09:20 ♪ When we danger meet 09:25 ♪ Steadfast make our feet 09:29 ♪ Lord, preserve us 09:32 uncomplaining ♪ 09:35 ♪ Mid the darkness 09:38 round us reigning ♪ 09:46 ♪ Through adversity 09:51 lies our way to You ♪ 09:58 ♪ 10:04 ♪ Guide our way, 10:09 Jesus ♪ 10:15 ♪ 10:22 ♪ Jesus, guide our way 10:27 ♪ To eternal day 10:33 ♪ 10:39 ♪ Till we safely stand 10:44 ♪ 10:49 ♪ In our Father's land 10:56 ♪ Land 11:02 ♪ 11:05 >> Amen. Amen. 11:11 >> On the wall here, 11:12 many of you signed this banner 11:15 earlier this school year. 11:16 It says "Founded in faith, 11:18 forward in mission 11:20 for the finishing of the work." 11:24 The series that we begin today 11:25 is very much in that vein. 11:29 Welcome to part one 11:30 of this new series 11:31 entitled "Church Works." 11:33 This is, as I mentioned last 11:34 week, kind of the partner 11:38 to the strategic planning 11:39 process that the elders are 11:40 going through right now. 11:42 We want to bring you along, 11:44 as I will be preaching 11:46 about some of the big-picture 11:47 items that the elders 11:48 are wrestling with 11:49 and seeking to implement 11:51 in this process here. 11:52 And my hope is in six months 11:54 or less, we will have 11:56 a strategic plan ready 11:58 to begin its trial runs. 12:00 And with that in mind, 12:02 would you please 12:03 turn in your Bibles 12:04 to Acts 1:2. 12:08 Acts 1:2, page 733 12:12 In the Red Bible, which is 12:13 probably somewhere around 12:14 where you're at. 12:15 733, Acts 2:1. 12:18 We are going to be moving 12:20 swiftly and looking at a lot 12:23 of Scripture today. 12:25 We're gonna let the Bible 12:25 speak. 12:26 And it is something 12:28 that your fingers need to 12:29 be limbered up for, 12:30 so if you're on your phone 12:31 or your tablet or whatever you 12:32 use for the Bible, or just a 12:34 book in your hands, 12:35 be ready because here we go. 12:38 Acts 2:1. 12:41 "When the day of Pentecost came, 12:43 they," meaning the disciples 12:44 and the other believers there 12:45 in Jerusalem, 12:46 "were all together in one place. 12:48 Suddenly, a sound 12:50 like the blowing of 12:51 a violent wind came from heaven 12:53 and filled the whole house 12:54 where they were sitting. 12:55 They saw what seemed 12:56 to be tongues of fire 12:57 that separated and came 12:58 to rest on each of them. 13:00 All of them were filled 13:01 with the Holy Spirit 13:02 and began to speak 13:03 in other languages 13:04 as the spirit enabled them." 13:06 Behold the normal church. 13:11 Acts 2: 40 -- 13:15 "With many other words, 13:16 he," Peter, "warned them, 13:17 and he pleaded with them, 13:18 'Save yourselves from 13:19 this corrupt generation.' 13:20 Those who accepted his message 13:21 were baptized, 13:22 and about 3,000 were added to 13:25 their number that day." 13:26 Behold the normal church. 13:31 Now, shortly after this, 13:32 Peter and John, 13:32 they go to the temple to pray, 13:34 and along the way 13:35 they meet a lame man 13:36 who asks them for money, 13:38 and this is what happens next -- 13:39 verse 6 of chapter 3, Acts 3:6. 13:42 "Then Peter said, "Silver or 13:44 gold I do not have, 13:45 but what I have, I give to you. 13:47 In the name of Jesus Christ 13:49 of Nazareth, walk.' 13:52 Taking him by the right hand, 13:53 he helped him up, 13:54 and instantly the man's 13:55 feet and ankles became strong. 13:56 He jumped to his feet 13:57 and began to walk. 13:59 Then he went with them 14:00 into the temple courts, 14:01 walking and jumping 14:02 and praising God. 14:04 When all the people saw 14:05 him walking and praising God, 14:06 they recognized him 14:07 as the same man 14:08 who used to sit begging 14:09 at the temple gate called 14:11 Beautiful, and they were filled 14:12 with wonder and amazement 14:14 at what had happened to him." 14:15 Behold the normal church. 14:21 Acts 4:23. 14:24 This healing of this lame man 14:26 gets the attention of many, 14:26 many people, 14:27 including the Sanhedrin, 14:29 the leaders of the -- 14:31 the Jewish religious leaders. 14:32 They are not happy about this. 14:33 They call in Peter and John 14:35 to account for this. 14:36 They end up deciding 14:37 not to do anything about it. 14:39 As Peter and John are leaving, 14:40 chapter 4, verse 23 -- 14:42 "On their release, 14:43 Peter and John 14:44 went back to their own people 14:45 and reported all 14:46 that the chief priests and 14:47 elders had said to them. 14:48 When they heard this, 14:49 they raised their voices 14:50 together in prayer to God. 14:52 'Sovereign Lord,' they said, 14:54 'you made the heaven 14:55 and the earth and the sea 14:56 and everything in them. 14:57 You spoke by the Holy Spirit 14:59 through the mouth of 15:00 your servant, our father David: 15:02 "Why do the nations rage 15:04 and the peoples plot in vain? 15:06 The kings of the earth 15:07 take their stand 15:08 and the rulers gather together 15:09 against the Lord 15:10 and against his anointed one." 15:13 Indeed, Herod and Pontius Pilate 15:14 met together with the Gentiles 15:16 and the people of Israel in this 15:17 city to conspire against 15:18 your holy servant Jesus, 15:20 whom you anointed. 15:21 They did what your power 15:22 and will had decided 15:24 beforehand should happen. 15:25 Now, Lord, consider their 15:27 threats and enable your servants 15:29 to speak your word 15:31 with great boldness. 15:32 Stretch out your hand to heal 15:34 and perform miraculous signs 15:35 and wonders through the name of 15:36 your holy servant Jesus.' 15:38 After they prayed, the place 15:40 where they were meeting was 15:41 shaken, and they were all filled 15:43 with the Holy Spirit and 15:44 spoke the Word of God boldly." 15:48 Behold the normal church. 15:53 Acts chapter 5:12. 15:55 "The apostles performed 15:56 many miraculous signs and 15:57 wonders among the people. 15:59 And all the believers 16:00 used to meet together 16:00 in Solomon's Colonnade. 16:02 No one else dared join them, 16:04 even though they were highly 16:04 regarded by the people. 16:06 Nevertheless, more 16:07 and more men and women 16:08 believed in the Lord 16:09 and were added to their number. 16:11 As a result, people brought the 16:13 sick into the streets 16:14 and laid them on beds and mats 16:15 so that at least Peter's 16:16 shadow might fall on some 16:17 of them as he passed by. 16:19 Crowds gathered also 16:20 from the towns around Jerusalem, 16:21 bringing their sick 16:22 and those tormented 16:23 by evil spirits, 16:24 and all of them were healed." 16:27 Behold the normal church. 16:32 Same chapter, Acts 27, 16:34 the apostles are called in 16:35 to account for all 16:37 of this activity. 16:40 Verse 27 -- 16:41 "Having brought the apostles, 16:42 they made them appear 16:43 before the Sanhedrin, 16:43 to be questioned 16:44 by the high priest. 16:46 'We gave you strict orders not 16:47 to teach in this name,' he said. 16:49 'Yet you have filled Jerusalem 16:50 with your teaching 16:51 and are determined to make 16:52 us guilty of this man's blood.' 16:55 Peter and the other apostles 16:56 replied: 'We must obey 16:59 God rather than men. 17:01 The God of our fathers 17:02 raised Jesus from the dead -- 17:04 whom you had killed 17:05 by hanging him on a tree. 17:06 God exalted him 17:07 to his own right hand 17:08 as Prince and Savior, 17:09 that he might give 17:10 repentance and forgiveness 17:11 of sins to Israel. 17:12 We are witnesses 17:14 of these things, 17:15 and so is the Holy Spirit, 17:16 whom God has given 17:17 to those who obey him.' 17:20 When they heard this, 17:21 they were furious and 17:23 wanted to put them to death." 17:25 But then a man by the name 17:26 of Gamaliel stands up 17:27 and gives a speech 17:28 that persuades them 17:29 not to kill them, but simply -- 17:31 Well, let's read verse 40. 17:34 "His speech persuaded them. 17:36 They called the apostles in 17:37 and had them flogged. 17:38 They ordered them 17:38 not to speak in the name 17:39 of Jesus and let them go. 17:41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin 17:44 rejoicing because they had been 17:46 counted worthy of suffering 17:47 disgrace for the name. 17:49 Day after day, 17:50 in the temple courts 17:51 and from house to house, 17:52 they never stopped teaching 17:54 and proclaiming the good news 17:55 that Jesus is the Christ." 17:59 Behold the normal church. 18:10 We look back at those days, 18:12 and it is tempting to think 18:14 that, "Oh, that was just 18:15 stratospherically unusual. 18:16 God was doing a special thing, 18:18 never to be repeated again." 18:19 Not so. 18:21 Not so. 18:23 We are the ones today 18:25 in the church around the world 18:27 too often 18:28 that are the exception. 18:29 They were normal. 18:30 We are not. 18:33 And yet we are specifically told 18:35 that the church today, 18:37 in the last days 18:38 before Jesus comes, 18:39 will indeed return to normalcy. 18:42 How do I know? 18:43 Well, some interesting tidbits 18:44 here. 18:45 Great controversy, page 611. 18:47 "The great work of the gospel 18:48 is not to close 18:49 with less manifestation 18:51 of the power of God 18:52 than marked its opening. 18:53 The prophecies 18:54 which were fulfilled 18:55 in the outpouring 18:56 of the former rain 18:57 at the opening of the gospel 18:58 are again to be fulfilled in 19:00 the latter rain at its close." 19:03 In other words, what we saw 19:06 in that 1st-century 19:07 Christian church is a baseline. 19:11 That is the bare minimum 19:12 that God intended 19:13 for his church. 19:14 Now, obviously we have strayed 19:15 far from that, have we not? 19:17 When was the last time 19:18 3,000 people were baptized 19:19 in a day in this country? 19:21 It's been a while, hasn't it, 19:22 you know? 19:23 But this is God's intent for us. 19:25 And notice carefully the first 19:27 part -- "The great work of the 19:27 gospel is not to close 19:28 with less manifestation." 19:30 In other words, we're gonna 19:31 equal it and possibly even 19:32 exceed it. 19:34 And notice carefully 19:35 how this is to take place. 19:38 The order of events 19:40 in the early Christian church 19:41 gives us a clue as to 19:42 how it will happen today. 19:44 In the early church, 19:45 the massive baptisms, 19:47 the healings, the speaking 19:48 in other languages 19:49 so that the world could hear, 19:50 the various languages and 19:51 cultures of the world, 19:52 could hear about the gospel 19:53 of Jesus Christ, that all 19:55 started with the outpouring 19:56 of the Holy Spirit. 19:58 It was Jesus Christ 19:59 in His Holy Spirit 20:00 filling his people. 20:02 That's what sparked all of that 20:03 and powered it 20:04 all the way through. 20:05 And consequently, 20:06 it is also clear in our day 20:09 for us to become 20:10 a biblically normal church 20:12 and to see the same things 20:14 that happened 20:14 in the early church. 20:16 Today, we will see that 20:18 by being filled with God's 20:20 spirit, but this time in 20:22 both his former 20:23 and latter rains. 20:27 Now, we studied this at length 20:29 at the end of December. 20:29 I did a series called 20:31 "Holy Hurricane." 20:32 If you missed that, 20:33 you may want to check it out. 20:34 If you've forgotten it, 20:35 need to see it again 20:36 'cause there's gold in there. 20:38 Because what it talks about 20:39 is what is required 20:40 for the church today 20:41 to receive that promised 20:42 corporate blessing of the latter 20:44 rain of the Holy Spirit. 20:45 Now, just a brief review. 20:47 The former rain, 20:48 on a personal level, 20:48 is the spark 20:49 the spirit puts in you 20:51 to accept Christ as your Savior, 20:52 makes a start in the faith. 20:54 The latter rain of the 20:55 Holy Spirit is what brings that 20:56 seed to maturity in you, 20:58 growing you up into 20:58 the fullness of Christ. 21:00 That's what it means on a on 21:00 a personal level 21:01 to receive the former 21:02 and the latter rains. 21:03 Corporately with the church, 21:06 the former rain was at 21:07 Pentecost, Acts chapter 2, 21:08 as we just read. 21:09 That got the gospel started. 21:11 It's going to be brought 21:11 to fruition and maturity, 21:13 full fruitfulness, in our day, 21:15 at the end of time, 21:16 by the outpouring of the latter 21:17 rain of the Holy Spirit. 21:18 On a personal level, 21:19 you can experience, 21:20 beginning today, 21:22 the former and latter rains 21:23 of the Holy Spirit. 21:25 Repent. Turn to him. 21:26 Ask by name, 21:27 "Lord, please fill me 21:28 with the former and latter 21:29 rains of your spirit." 21:30 Jesus will not turn you away. 21:32 You can begin 21:33 to experience that today. 21:35 For the corporate church, 21:36 though, it's a little different 21:39 because the corporate outpouring 21:40 of the latter rain 21:41 of the Holy Spirit 21:42 will be of such magnitude 21:43 that God dare not pour it 21:45 out on a church 21:46 that is not ready for it. 21:47 You have to be ready 21:49 to handle that kind of power. 21:52 And so there are specific steps. 21:54 We went through those. 21:54 You can look at it, 21:55 December 2023. 21:56 I encourage you to look that up. 21:57 I'm not gonna take the time 21:58 to review it now. 21:59 I will simply say this -- 22:01 there is no substitute 22:03 for the presence and power 22:04 of the Holy Spirit. 22:06 You can't fake it. 22:07 You can't substitute for it. 22:09 He is supreme. 22:12 We're encouraged in the spirit 22:13 of prophecy to seek the blessing 22:14 of the outpouring of the latter 22:15 rain of the Holy Spirit 22:16 because it brings all other 22:17 blessings in its train. 22:20 So let the church begin there. 22:23 Which leads us 22:24 to a crucial point. 22:26 When we as a body, 22:28 as a global body, 22:29 when we begin to focus 22:30 on this blessing 22:31 and seek for it, pray for it, 22:33 ask for it, believe for it, 22:34 when we do these things, 22:37 there is a way in which 22:39 the spirit is going to guide us, 22:41 a way in which 22:43 we conduct ourselves. 22:45 1 Corinthians 15:58, please. 22:47 1 Corinthians 15:58, page 776 22:51 in your red Bibles. 22:53 776, 1 Corinthians 15:58. 22:58 The movings of the spirit in us 23:01 will lead us to order our lives 23:05 in a certain way. 23:07 Verse 58, 1 Corinthians 15 23:09 says, "Therefore, 23:10 my dear brothers, stand firm. 23:12 Let nothing move you. 23:14 Always give yourselves fully 23:17 to the work of --" 23:18 Whose work? 23:19 The work of the Lord. 23:20 "To the work of the Lord 23:21 because you know that your labor 23:22 in the Lord is not in vain. 23:24 Always give yourselves --" 23:25 How often? Always. 23:27 That's pretty clear, isn't it? 23:29 "Always give yourselves fully 23:30 to the work of the Lord." 23:31 Now, some of your translations 23:33 say "abounding in the work 23:34 of the Lord." 23:34 Excellent translation. 23:35 Abounding, effervescent, 23:37 overflowing 23:38 in the works of the Lord. 23:39 Now, here's the thing. 23:40 Do you see what this means? 23:42 What this means is, 23:44 is that we are to center our 23:46 lives around God's work, 23:48 not vice versa. 23:50 If you're going to abound 23:52 in the works of the Lord, 23:53 if you're gonna give yourself 23:54 fully to the work of the Lord -- 23:56 Well, notice carefully -- the 23:57 work of the Lord is done through 23:59 his body, his church. 24:02 And yet for so many people, 24:04 the church is a hobby. 24:07 It's kind of a fun thing they do 24:08 every now and then, maybe get to 24:09 see some friends and family. 24:10 You know, if there's a good 24:11 speaker, they'll show up. 24:12 If not, you know, let somebody 24:13 else show up kind of thing. 24:14 And yet here 24:15 Paul just kind of pulls back 24:16 the curtain on that mediocre, 24:18 fake Christianity and says, 24:19 "No, no, no, no, 24:20 it's not a hobby. 24:21 You're not supposed to inject 24:22 God and his church into 24:23 the little corners of your life 24:24 if you happen to have the time. 24:25 No, no, no, no." 24:26 Instead, we are to orbit 24:28 our lives around his work, 24:31 abundantly overflowing 24:32 in the Lord's work. 24:34 That's to be 24:35 the organizing principle, 24:36 not the other way around. 24:39 And notice in what manner 24:41 the Lord's work is 24:42 to be accomplished. 24:43 I'm gonna put a text on the 24:44 screen here. 24:44 You've seen this before. 24:45 You'll probably see it again. 24:47 It is one of the most powerful 24:49 verses outside of the Gospels 24:51 that talks about -- 24:54 Well, let me just show you. 24:56 Philippians 1:27-28. 24:58 "Whatever happens, conduct 25:00 yourselves in a manner worthy 25:02 of the gospel of Christ." 25:03 Well, what would that look like? 25:04 "Then, whether I come and see 25:06 you or only hear about you 25:08 in my absence, I will know 25:10 that you stand firm in one 25:12 spirit, contending as one person 25:15 for the faith of the gospel." 25:18 Now, back in 2023, when we first 25:20 studied this particular text, 25:21 we saw this as a call to unity, 25:23 absolutely. 25:24 I mean, this contending as 25:24 one person -- We are 25:26 to be unified in the church. 25:27 We're not to have backbiting and 25:28 gossiping, this kind of a thing. 25:30 We're to be brothers and 25:30 sisters in Christ, 25:32 unified together. 25:32 Amen? 25:33 >> Amen. 25:35 >> That was a fairly weak amen, 25:36 but we'll get going. 25:36 Stay with me, alright, okay? 25:38 Unity is one of the primary 25:40 calls here, but there is more. 25:41 It is not just a call to unity. 25:43 As important as that call is, 25:45 it is also a call to this -- 25:47 as we orbit our lives 25:49 around God's work, his church, 25:52 we are to do that work together 25:55 in a systematic 25:57 and organized way. 26:00 You say, "Well, how 26:00 do you know?" 26:01 Well, I mean, "contending as 26:03 one person for the faith 26:04 of the gospel." 26:05 You know, if the church has any 26:06 size in it at all, how do you do 26:08 that unless you're organized? 26:10 It's impossible. 26:12 So, the message here, 26:14 even at this early stage, 26:15 is quite clear. 26:16 God's church is to be organized. 26:21 In fact, so serious is the need 26:23 for a healthy level 26:24 of organization in God's church 26:26 that the Spirit of God 26:27 has directly addressed this 26:28 on more than one occasion. 26:29 Now, there's a whole bunch 26:30 of things I could show you here. 26:31 I'm just gonna show you two. 26:33 First, let's start with 26:34 Scripture. 26:35 Let me put it here on the 26:36 screen -- 1 Corinthians, chapter 26:36 14, verses 33 and 40. 26:39 Now, the Corinthian church 26:41 was an interesting church. 26:42 It had interesting issues, 26:43 and Paul had to address 26:44 some fascinating things. 26:46 Now, here's what he has to say 26:47 to them. 26:48 He says, 26:48 "For God is not a God 26:52 of --" What's that next word? 26:53 Disorder, okay? 26:55 "God is not a god of disorder." 26:56 Some translations say 26:57 "confusion." 26:58 "But everything --" verse 40 -- 27:00 "should be done 27:01 in a fitting and orderly way." 27:04 How many things should be done 27:05 in a fitting and orderly way? 27:06 Everything. 27:07 I mean, now, let this sink in. 27:10 This is -- Let's just be honest. 27:12 This is an extreme statement. 27:14 And it's made intentionally. 27:15 The Spirit of God 27:16 inspired Paul to write 27:17 these very words, that, 27:19 "God is not a God 27:20 of disorder, but everything -- 27:22 everything should be done 27:23 in a fitting and orderly way." 27:28 Now, isn't it true -- 27:31 Present company excepted. 27:32 We're all okay. 27:34 But I've heard that there are 27:37 some Christians that actually do 27:38 the opposite with this. 27:39 They say that, "Because it's 27:41 for God, I can be sloppy, 27:46 because it's for God and for 27:47 Christians, well, they'll 27:48 forgive me if I don't do 27:50 a good job, right?" 27:52 You know, it's true he might 27:53 forgive you, but man, what a 27:54 slap in the face to the God 27:55 of the universe. 27:56 When we give 27:57 him haphazard stuff, 27:58 when we give him the leftovers, 28:00 when we say, "Ah, 28:01 it's just for God, you know? 28:01 It doesn't really matter." 28:02 No, no, no, no. 28:03 Because it's for God, 28:05 Jesus Christ, the one 28:06 who loves us and gave his life 28:07 for us on the cross, 28:08 the ultimate example 28:10 of sacrificial love, 28:11 because of who God is, 28:13 he deserves our best. 28:17 You know, I've heard of some 28:18 Sabbath school teachers -- 28:19 not here -- that on their way 28:21 to church, plan what they're 28:22 gonna do for Sabbath school. 28:24 You know what? 28:25 Maybe you're a genius and maybe 28:26 you can get away with that. 28:28 But God here says very clearly 28:30 through his servant Paul, 28:31 "God is not a God of disorder. 28:32 Everything should be done 28:33 in a fitting and orderly way." 28:34 In an orderly way. 28:36 Spirit of prophecy 28:37 picks up on this theme 28:39 in a number of places. 28:40 Let me just show you one here. 28:41 This is "Patriarchs and 28:42 Prophets," 376. 28:43 "God is a God of order," 28:45 probably referring back to 28:46 1 Corinthians, where we just 28:47 read. 28:48 "Everything connected with 28:49 heaven is in perfect order; 28:50 subjection and thorough 28:51 discipline marked the movements 28:52 of the angelic host. 28:54 Success can only attend order 28:56 and harmonious action. 28:58 God requires order and system 29:00 in His work now no less than 29:02 in the days of Israel. 29:03 All who are working for Him 29:05 are to labor intelligently, 29:06 not in a careless, 29:07 haphazard manner. 29:09 He would have His work done with 29:11 faith," yes, "and exactness, 29:13 that He may place the seal 29:15 of His approval upon it." 29:16 Huh. 29:18 Do you know what scripture 29:19 refers to as the seal 29:20 of God's approval? 29:23 It's the Holy Spirit. 29:25 You can look it up afterwards. 29:26 Ephesians 1:13 talks about this. 29:28 In the last days, 29:30 the seal of God 29:31 will have very much 29:31 to do with the observance 29:32 of the seventh-day Sabbath, 29:33 the Holy Spirit working 29:34 through us to observe 29:35 the seventh-day Sabbath. 29:37 And in general, the Holy Spirit 29:39 is the seal of God. 29:41 So, let this sink in. 29:42 Could it be that one of the main 29:45 reasons why the latter rain has 29:47 not been poured out 29:48 on the corporate church 29:49 around the world is 29:50 because there are 29:50 too many churches 29:51 that are sloppy in 29:52 how they do ministry for God? 29:55 God says, "I can place my seal 29:57 of approval on it 29:58 if it's done in an orderly way." 30:02 Now, to me, this begs the 30:03 question -- 30:05 "Why is good organization among 30:08 God's people so important?" 30:10 I mean, again, these are not, 30:12 like, you know, demure 30:13 statements. 30:14 These are powerful, 30:15 power-packed things 30:16 that are being called for here. 30:18 How come? 30:19 Why is good organization 30:21 in a church so important? 30:22 Well, there's all kinds 30:24 of benefits to it. 30:25 Let me just give you 30:26 four this morning. 30:28 And the first one is found 30:29 in Titus chapter 1. 30:32 Titus, book of Titus, chapter 1, 30:34 beginning with verse 5. 30:35 It's page 802 in your 30:37 red Bible. 30:38 Page 802, Titus chapter 1, 30:40 beginning with verse 5. 30:42 Now, Titus was a protégé, 30:44 an understudy 30:45 of the Apostle Paul. 30:47 The Apostle Paul, of course, was 30:48 church planter extraordinaire. 30:50 Titus went with him, apparently 30:51 through a number of places, 30:52 including the Mediterranean, 30:53 the seaboard there in the north 30:54 of the Mediterranean Sea, 30:56 including the island of Crete. 30:58 And they didn't quite finish 31:00 what needed to be finished. 31:02 That's where we join the story 31:03 here, Titus, chapter 1, verse 5. 31:05 Paul says, "The reason I left 31:06 you," Titus, "in Crete 31:08 was that you might straighten 31:09 out what was left unfinished 31:11 and appoint elders in every town 31:13 as I directed you." 31:15 Now, pause for just a moment. 31:17 This is an organizational move. 31:18 Is it a spiritual move? 31:19 Absolutely. 31:20 But it is also 31:21 an organizational one. 31:23 Now, the verses 31:24 that immediately follow this 31:25 give the qualifications 31:26 for an elder, and usually 31:28 when we go to this portion 31:29 of Scripture, 31:30 that's why we're there. 31:31 It's a good reason. 31:32 But skip down to verse 9, 31:33 please, because there it tells 31:35 why, among other reasons, 31:37 this organizational change 31:39 needs to be made. 31:41 Verse 9 -- "He," the elder, " 31:43 must hold firmly to the 31:44 trustworthy message 31:45 as it has been taught --" 31:47 this is a reference to 31:48 the gospel -- "so that he can 31:49 encourage others by sound 31:51 doctrine and refute 31:52 those who oppose it." 31:54 So, encouraging those 31:55 who have already heard it 31:56 and opposing those 31:58 who oppose it, refute them. 31:59 Verse 10 -- "For there are 32:00 many rebellious people, 32:02 mere talkers and deceivers, 32:03 especially those 32:04 of the circumcision group. 32:06 They must be silenced 32:08 because they are ruining 32:09 whole households by teaching 32:10 things they ought not to 32:11 teach -- and that for the sake 32:13 of dishonest gain." 32:15 A first benefit to the local 32:17 church, a good organization, 32:19 is this. 32:20 Good organization keeps 32:22 the main thing the main thing. 32:25 It keeps the main thing 32:26 the main thing. 32:28 On Crete, apparently, 32:29 no sooner had these church 32:30 plants been planted that there 32:32 are other people, they said, 32:33 particularly the group 32:34 of the circumcision -- 32:34 so, these are unwilling Jews, 32:35 the Jews that have no interest 32:36 in the Christian faith -- 32:38 they are teaching a false 32:39 gospel. 32:40 They are trying to get something 32:41 which is not the main thing, 32:42 into the spotlight 32:43 of the main thing. 32:44 Paul says, 32:45 "Organizational change. 32:46 We need to up 32:47 the level of organization. 32:48 We're gonna add these leaders, 32:50 these elders, and they will keep 32:51 the main thing the main thing. 32:53 They will refute error, 32:54 and they will teach 32:56 the right thing, the mission, 32:57 the gospel message 32:59 of the church." 33:00 That's what it's for. 33:02 This is never to be dispensed 33:05 with in any church. 33:09 And yet there are churches 33:10 today out there in the world 33:13 that do not keep the main thing, 33:15 the main thing. 33:16 And to me, the worst thing 33:18 that I see is when I see 33:19 churches doing good things 33:22 that have nothing to do 33:23 with the unique message 33:24 and mission of the 33:24 Seventh-day Adventist Church. 33:26 Let that sink in. 33:26 You can chew 33:27 on that one over potluck. 33:30 Good organization keeps 33:31 the main thing the main thing. 33:32 And there is a second thing 33:33 that we see here 33:34 in the advice given to Titus. 33:37 Good organization makes mission 33:39 fulfillment the responsibility 33:41 of the many, not the few. 33:45 Now, again, let that sink in. 33:47 Who is the authority up to 33:49 this point for the churches 33:50 planted on Crete? 33:51 Well, I can tell you who 33:52 it would be without even having 33:53 it specifically laid out. 33:54 Paul and Titus. 33:56 They're the planters. 33:57 I mean, it only stands to 33:58 reason. 33:59 They were the authority. 34:00 And what Paul is, in essence, 34:01 saying is, "That's not good 34:02 enough. 34:03 We cannot be -- 34:04 We two cannot be 34:06 the sole arbiters of keeping 34:08 this mission on track. 34:10 It's got to be spread out 34:11 to other leaders." 34:14 Pastors, those of you that are 34:15 pastors and listening right now, 34:16 one of the tests of 34:18 whether or not you have given 34:19 enough authority to lay leaders 34:21 is whether or not 34:22 they have the ability 34:23 to really mess things up. 34:26 It's true, isn't it? 34:28 If you do not have the ability 34:30 to really mess things up, 34:31 you don't have the ability 34:32 to really do things right. 34:34 You follow me? 34:36 This is one of the simple but 34:38 genius principles that Christ is 34:40 laying out for his church. 34:41 He says authority is not to be 34:43 centered in just one or two 34:44 people. 34:45 It's to be dispersed 34:46 throughout a congregation, 34:47 that there are many now 34:48 who are invested 34:49 in this gospel work 34:50 and this mission, 34:51 many people who are seeking 34:52 to keep the church on track. 34:55 You know, ladies and gentlemen, 34:55 I have bad news. 34:57 Adventism in the West 34:59 has fallen head over heels 35:01 in love with centralized 35:03 authority in the local church. 35:06 And it is killing us. 35:08 It is like a noose 35:09 around our neck 35:10 and the knot is getting 35:12 tighter and tighter 35:13 and it is choking off 35:14 our effectiveness. 35:16 And some of you might be 35:17 thinking, "Well, how so? 35:26 I'll tell you some other time. 35:27 [ Laughter ] 35:29 You need to keep coming back. 35:30 We're gonna talk about that. 35:31 We'll come back in a future 35:32 installment of the 35:33 "Church Works" series, 35:33 but I'm not gonna tell 35:34 you about that today. 35:35 Stay tuned, alright? Stay tuned. 35:36 This brings us 35:38 to benefit number three, 35:39 and this one is a whopper. 35:42 It's huge. 35:43 Turn your Bibles, please, 35:44 to Acts 6:1. 35:46 Acts 6:1. 35:51 Being in the book of Acts, 35:52 obviously, again, this is 35:53 the early Christian church. 35:54 This is the normal church. 35:55 They are growing 35:57 in their level of organization. 35:59 And we're gonna see firsthand 36:00 here what this third benefit is. 36:03 to Acts 6:1, page 737. 36:05 My apologies. 737. 36:07 "In those days 36:09 when the number of disciples 36:10 was increasing, 36:11 the Grecian Jews among them 36:12 complained against 36:13 the Hebraic Jews 36:14 because their widows 36:16 were being overlooked in 36:17 the daily distribution of food. 36:20 So the 12 gathered 36:21 all the disciples together 36:22 and said, 'It would not be right 36:24 for us to neglect the ministry 36:26 of the Word of God 36:27 in order to wait on tables.'" 36:29 Pause right there, please. 36:31 So, they are dealing with 36:32 an organizational problem. 36:34 There's a legitimate need, okay, 36:36 the ministry needs to take care 36:38 of, but they are not 36:39 organizationally 36:40 set up to deal with it. 36:41 So, what's the solution? 36:42 Verse 3 -- 36:44 "'Brothers, choose seven men 36:45 from among you 36:46 who are known to be full 36:47 of the spirit and wisdom. 36:49 We will turn this responsibility 36:50 over to them and will give 36:52 our attention to prayer 36:53 and the ministry of the word.' 36:55 This proposal 36:56 pleased the whole group. 36:58 They chose Stephen, 36:59 a man full of faith 37:00 in the Holy Spirit, 37:01 also Philip, Procorus, 37:02 Nicanor, Timon, and Nicolas 37:04 from Antioch, 37:05 a convert to Judaism. 37:07 They presented these men 37:08 to the apostles, who prayed 37:09 and laid their hands on them. 37:11 So the Word of God spread. 37:14 The number of disciples 37:15 in Jerusalem increased rapidly, 37:16 and a large number of priests 37:18 became obedient to the faith." 37:22 A third benefit 37:24 to good organization 37:25 in the local church 37:26 is this -- good organization 37:28 reduces or eliminates 37:30 a church's weaknesses. 37:32 It reduces or eliminates 37:34 a church's weaknesses. 37:36 Now, this is crystal clear 37:37 in Acts chapter 6. 37:38 The weakness was, 37:39 is that people were starving. 37:40 That's a pretty 37:41 big weakness, okay? 37:43 If humans don't have food, 37:44 after a little while, 37:44 things get bad. 37:45 And so this is 37:46 a serious problem. 37:47 It's an organizational problem. 37:48 The apostles gather under 37:49 the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 37:50 They expand 37:51 the level of organization. 37:53 And in this case, 37:55 they eliminated the problem. 37:56 They didn't just reduce it. 37:57 They eliminated it, 37:59 which is exactly 38:00 what good organization 38:01 is supposed to do. 38:02 Now, I cannot emphasize 38:05 this third benefit enough. 38:07 It is crucial because if, 38:10 instead of good organization, 38:13 there is bad organization, 38:17 then that bad organization 38:19 will not only not reduce 38:21 or eliminate a church's 38:22 weaknesses, it will instead 38:24 magnify and perpetuate those 38:26 weaknesses. 38:30 Which reminds me of a story. 38:34 Let's see. 38:36 t a church within 10,000 miles 38:38 of here in the last 30 years, 38:41 I had a Sabbath off. 38:43 Aha. 38:45 Didn't happen very often, 38:47 but every now and then, it did. 38:48 And my wife and I talked 38:49 and said, "Hey, 38:50 why don't we go visit 38:51 such and such a church?" 38:52 It was a bit of a drive 38:53 to get down there. 38:54 Said, "Hey, that'd be great. 38:55 Get to hear somebody else 38:56 preach," and I thought 38:57 that would be a great idea, 38:57 so let's go. 38:59 So, we get in the car 39:00 and there's traffic 39:01 and it's a bit of a drive. 39:03 We end up late to the church. 39:06 It's after Sabbath school 39:07 has started. 39:08 And we get there to 39:09 where the church is, 39:10 and there's no parking. 39:12 There's no place to park. 39:14 We drive around in circles there 39:15 a couple of times. 39:16 "Oh, man, I don't know." 39:17 Finally found a spot. 39:18 Now we're definitely late, okay? 39:22 So, we get out of the car. 39:23 We go into kind of 39:26 the sidewalk area there, 39:27 leading up to what is 39:28 very clearly 39:29 an official entrance 39:30 of the church -- you know, 39:31 glass windows, atrium, 39:32 this kind of thing there. 39:34 I walk up to the door and I pull 39:35 on it and it's locked. 39:39 Look at my watch. 39:40 Yeah, it's Saturday, and 39:41 it says Seventh-day Adventist 39:42 on the sign, so I think we're 39:43 in the right place, okay? 39:45 Now, this is a church of, 39:46 like, maybe 100 people, 39:47 150 people in attendance. 39:48 So it's not huge, it's not tiny, 39:49 but, you know, 39:50 certainly somebody 39:51 should be there to unlock 39:52 the doors, but not today. 39:53 And I look inside. 39:54 There's nobody 39:55 there in the lobby. 39:56 So I say to my family, 39:57 "Okay, wait here." 39:59 I go through the wet grass 40:00 and find this side door. 40:02 And just on a whim, 40:03 I tried it, and it was unlocked. 40:05 I thought, "Well, this must be 40:06 the guest entrance," okay? 40:08 So, I open the door, 40:09 make my way back to the atrium, 40:10 don't see a soul, 40:11 let my family in, 40:13 and then we're kind of like, 40:14 "Well, where is Sabbath school? 40:15 You know, where is 40:17 anything here?" 40:18 I hear some voices talking. 40:21 And I follow the voices 40:22 down a hallway. 40:24 And turns out, 40:25 just a hallway away, 40:26 there's a Sabbath school 40:27 class meeting in the hallway 40:29 there. 40:30 And I walk up, you know, 40:32 clearly with this kind of, 40:33 you know, guest "I don't know 40:34 what I'm doing" look on my face. 40:35 The Sabbath school teacher, 40:36 she looks up at me, 40:38 pauses for a moment, 40:40 says nothing, 40:41 and goes back to teaching 40:42 her Sabbath School class. 40:45 Alright. 40:47 Nobody in the class looks up. 40:48 Nobody says anything. 40:49 Okay. 40:50 I stood there for a little bit. 40:51 And I guess I'll go back 40:53 to the lobby. 40:54 And I said, 40:55 "Well, let's just wait it out. 40:56 You know, maybe Sabbath school 40:57 should be over not too long. 40:58 We'll go into the church 40:59 service, and maybe things will 41:00 get better, okay?" 41:02 Sure enough, people start 41:03 to come into the lobby. 41:04 Not a soul says hello, 41:06 not a soul. 41:07 This is not a megachurch, 41:08 ladies and gentlemen. 41:09 There's easily 41:10 a low enough number of people 41:11 that they know we 41:12 don't belong there, okay? 41:13 We're guests. 41:14 Nobody says a word. 41:16 Go into the sanctuary, 41:17 endure the worship service. 41:19 When it finishes -- 41:21 Now, my wife had to correct me 41:22 on this 'cause I said this part 41:23 wrong in first service. 41:24 We actually did check ahead 41:25 of time to see if there was 41:26 a potluck for guests afterwards. 41:28 I was mixing it up 41:29 with another church. 41:30 I thought we didn't know whether 41:31 or not it was for guests. 41:31 It was. 41:32 It was a potluck for guests. 41:34 I didn't know where it was, 41:35 and nobody's talking to me, 41:36 so I thought, "Well, let's just 41:37 wait for the crowd to go." 41:38 Right, the we'll follow the 41:39 crowd where it's downs-- 41:40 We follow the crowd. 41:42 We go downstairs. 41:43 We're like the last in line. 41:45 By the time we 41:46 funnel into the fairly small 41:48 fellowship hall, 41:50 all of the tables are filled, 41:51 all of the members are eating, 41:53 and -- I kid you not, 41:54 true story -- we spent the next 41:56 about 20 minutes 41:57 standing against the wall. 42:00 We got a picture. 42:01 There's like three or four 42:02 tables right here, 42:03 just two, three away, 42:04 filled with very happy church 42:05 members all eating their food. 42:07 And me and my family 42:09 and maybe a couple other guests 42:10 were all standing against 42:11 the wall waiting for our turn. 42:15 [ Chuckles ] 42:18 And I'm thinking to myself, 42:18 "I'm gonna preach 42:19 about this someday." 42:21 [ Laughter ] 42:25 When our 20 minutes was done, 42:27 the first person to speak to us 42:32 went like this. 42:33 They kind of waved a little bit. 42:34 And they motioned 42:35 that when they were finished, 42:36 we could have their table. 42:38 So gracious. 42:39 They finished. 42:40 We got plates. 42:41 We went in and took the scraps 42:43 from the remainder of 42:43 what was left on the potluck 42:45 table, went down, and we had 42:48 our potluck meal there 42:49 at that church. 42:52 And I'll tell you what -- if I 42:53 had not been an employee of the 42:56 Seventh-day Adventist Church... 42:57 [ Laughs ] 42:59 Well, anyway, 43:00 we never went back again. 43:03 Never went back, right? 43:06 And here's the thing. 43:08 Good organization 43:12 would have caught that. 43:16 And some of you are thinking, 43:17 "Well, common sense 43:18 would have caught that," right? 43:19 As it turns out, good 43:21 organization and common sense 43:22 have some things in common. 43:24 Okay? 43:26 Do you see why bad organization 43:28 can be so deadly? 43:30 You can miss people. 43:34 You can miss opportunities 43:35 to share Christ with people 43:38 if you are poorly organized 43:39 as a church. 43:40 If any church is poorly 43:43 organized, guests can come, 43:45 guests can go, and they are no 43:46 better for having been 43:47 in your presence. 43:49 This thing of organization 43:50 is not a small deal. 43:51 It's huge. 43:54 If there had been good 43:55 organization in that church, 43:56 or even moderately good 43:58 organization, here's what 43:59 might have happened. 43:59 Maybe a board meeting 44:00 later that week, right? 44:02 "Hey, George, did you see that 44:04 we had guests standing against 44:05 the fellowship hall wall?" 44:06 "Yeah, Bob, I saw that. 44:07 What did you think about that, 44:08 huh?" 44:09 "Well, I think maybe 44:09 they wanted to eat." 44:10 "I think they probably did, 44:11 too." 44:12 "I've got an idea. 44:13 Why don't we let guests go first 44:15 at the at the potluck meal?" 44:17 "Oh, I don't know, George. 44:18 That's pretty extreme. 44:19 You think we should do that?" 44:20 And then they could debate 44:21 about it, and maybe, hopefully, 44:22 if the Spirit has its way, 44:23 they'll say, "Oh, yeah, 44:24 that's a good idea. 44:25 Let's let guests go first." 44:26 Simple matter of organization. 44:29 Because, you see, good 44:31 organization invites critique. 44:33 Good organization in a church 44:35 is constantly asking itself, 44:36 "How are we doing 44:37 at fulfilling the mission 44:39 that God has given us to do?" 44:41 And if we're doing great, 44:42 praise the Lord. 44:43 Let's keep doing those things. 44:44 If there's parts 44:44 that we have weak spots, 44:45 then let's fix those things. 44:47 That's what good organization is 44:48 for in a local church. 44:51 Acts chapter 6 did it. 44:52 Who makes themselves 44:53 an exception? 44:56 Oh, how we need 44:57 good organization. 45:01 Which brings me to a final 45:04 benefit for this morning. 45:06 Acts 13:1, please. 45:07 Acts 13:1. 45:13 We're gonna visit here. 45:14 This is page 743 45:15 in your red Bible. 45:17 In Acts chapter 13, 45:18 we visit the church at Antioch. 45:20 This was a good church. 45:21 They were doing well. 45:22 They were in tune 45:23 with the spirit. 45:24 They were in tune with the word. 45:26 This is what happens there. 45:27 Acts 13:1 -- 45:28 "In the church at Antioch, 45:29 there were prophets 45:30 and teachers: 45:32 Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, 45:35 Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, 45:37 who had been brought up with 45:38 Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 45:41 While they were worshiping 45:42 the Lord and fasting, 45:43 the Holy Spirit said, 45:44 'Set apart for me 45:46 Barnabas and Saul 45:47 for the work to which 45:48 I have called them.' 45:50 So after they had fasted 45:51 and prayed, 45:52 they placed their hands on them 45:54 and sent them off." 45:57 Benefit number four 46:00 of good organization 46:01 in the local church 46:02 is this. 46:03 Good organization 46:05 recognizes people's gifts 46:06 and deploys them 46:07 into meaningful ministry, 46:09 usually in teams. 46:11 Spectatorship can thus 46:12 be dramatically reduced, 46:14 and member fruitfulness and 46:15 fulfillment can skyrocket. 46:19 Do you see what's 46:20 happening here in Antioch? 46:21 The Holy Spirit is setting 46:23 the pattern 46:25 for every other church to come. 46:26 The Holy Spirit says 46:27 to the church, 46:28 "I want you to recognize 46:29 the giftedness of Saul, 46:31 soon to be Paul, and Barnabas. 46:33 I want you to recognize it, 46:34 and I want you to deploy them 46:36 into the ministry that I have 46:37 equipped them to do." 46:40 Well, you know what? 46:40 They did this, and it was 46:42 incredibly successful. 46:43 How do I know? 46:45 Because Paul and Barnabas 46:46 planted a lot of churches. 46:48 Gross understatement. 46:49 They planted a lot of churches. 46:51 Those churches were organized 46:52 the same way that they saw 46:53 the Holy Spirit organized 46:55 Antioch, namely this -- 46:56 that in those churches, 46:58 spiritual gifts were identified 46:59 and the members were employed 47:01 into meaningful ministry. 47:02 That happened, 47:03 and other people became 47:04 converts to Jesus Christ. 47:06 That meant that more churches 47:07 were planted in new areas. 47:08 And that's why you're sitting 47:09 here today -- 47:12 because the chain was unbroken. 47:13 Churches acknowledging 47:14 the giftedness 47:15 of individual members 47:16 and deploying them 47:17 into fruitful ministry for God. 47:20 And notice this carefully. 47:22 I don't think that Saul, soon to 47:24 be Paul, was sitting around 47:25 Antioch feeling -- you know, 47:26 moping and groaning, right? 47:28 I think he probably had 47:29 a fair level of fulfillment, 47:30 but nothing compared 47:31 to the fulfillment and 47:33 fruitfulness that he experienced 47:35 when the church sent him out 47:36 and deployed him into ministry, 47:39 and they did it as a team. 47:43 You know, this team thing occurs 47:44 over and over and over 47:46 in the New Testament -- 47:48 and for good reason. 47:49 You know, I've heard people 47:50 when they when they go into 47:51 a large church, they attend a 47:52 large church, they say, 47:53 "This church is so big, 47:54 I don't know how to make 47:55 friends here." 47:57 But when a church is filled 47:58 with ministry teams, 47:59 there can be meaningful, 48:00 fulfilling place for 48:01 nearly everyone. 48:02 A ministry team can be 48:04 the perfect place 48:04 for building friendships 48:05 that last forever. 48:07 We are not meant to be 48:09 in this world alone. 48:11 Amen? 48:11 >> Amen. 48:13 >> So God says, 48:14 "I strongly want my children 48:16 to live and work and serve 48:18 together in this team 48:20 environment," and good 48:21 organization in a local church 48:23 can make that happen. 48:26 Pioneer family, there's much 48:27 more that could be said 48:28 about this. 48:28 We'll talk more about these 48:29 things later on. 48:31 But for now, suffice it to say 48:32 this -- good organization can 48:34 bring some very good benefits 48:36 to a local church. 48:38 That's why the elders are 48:39 going through the strategic 48:40 planning process. 48:41 There's so many good things 48:42 that are already happening here. 48:43 We want to take those things 48:44 and capitalize on them 48:46 and multiply them even further 48:47 for the glory of God. 48:49 We want to continue to stay 48:50 focused on our mission, 48:51 and we want as many people 48:52 as possible working 48:53 to maintain that focus. 48:55 And if we find weaknesses, 48:57 well, we want to identify them, 48:58 eliminate them if possible, 49:00 or at least reduce them 49:02 to a manageable size. 49:04 We want to find the giftedness 49:05 of as many of you as possible 49:06 and deploy you into 49:07 meaningful and effective 49:08 ministry for Christ. 49:10 And we long for as many of you 49:11 as possible to find strength 49:13 and courage and meaning 49:15 in a team of fellow believers 49:17 that is actively working to 49:18 expand God's kingdom on earth. 49:21 That's why we're doing this 49:21 process. 49:26 I want to leave you 49:27 with a final text here. 49:28 I'm gonna put it on the screen. 49:29 These are the words of Jesus. 49:30 He's speaking 49:31 with his disciples. 49:32 Here's what happens. 49:33 Matthew chapter 16, 49:34 beginning of verse 13. 49:36 "When Jesus came into the region 49:37 of Caesarea Philippi, 49:38 He asked His disciples, 49:40 saying, 'Who do men say that I, 49:43 the Son of Man, am?' 49:45 So they said, 49:46 "Some say John the Baptist, 49:47 some Elijah, 49:48 and others Jeremiah, 49:49 or one of the prophets.' 49:51 He said to them, 49:52 'But who do you say that I am?' 49:55 Simon Peter answered and said, 49:58 "You are the Christ, 49:59 the Son of the living God.' 50:02 Jesus answered and said to him, 50:04 blessed are you, 50:05 Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and 50:07 blood has not revealed this 50:08 to you, but my Father 50:09 who is in heaven. 50:10 And I also say to you,'" 50:12 pointing at Peter, 50:13 "'that you are Peter,'" 50:15 and then pointing back 50:16 at himself, 50:17 "'and on this rock 50:19 I will build my church.'" 50:20 And notice this last phrase. 50:22 "'And the gates of Hell 50:24 shall not prevail against it.'" 50:29 That last phrase may be one 50:31 of the strongest statements 50:33 of organization in the church 50:36 that Christ ever made. 50:39 You say, "How can that be? 50:40 Help me understand." 50:41 You know, I remember 50:42 when I first read this text. 50:43 I was probably like 13, 50:44 14 years old. 50:45 And I got it wrong 50:46 the first time. 50:48 When I read it, for whatever 50:49 reason, to me, what came out of 50:51 it is that the local church is 50:54 a fortress and it's got gates 50:56 that Satan can't penetrate. 50:58 Okay? 50:59 But if you think about 51:00 the metaphor 51:01 that Jesus is using here, 51:03 that's actually the opposite 51:04 of what he's saying. 51:06 You see, the church is not 51:07 merely a fortress to run into 51:09 and slam the doors behind us. 51:11 It is instead to be 51:12 like an army, an army 51:16 that uses a battering ram. 51:19 Do you see that there? 51:21 What does it say? 51:21 It says, "The gates of hell 51:23 shall not prevail against it." 51:24 So, the gates of what? 51:25 Of hell. Okay. 51:26 This is not the kingdom. 51:27 This is not a church. 51:28 This is not God. 51:29 The gates of hell. 51:30 So, in other words, 51:31 hell is being symbolized 51:32 as a fortress here with gates. 51:37 And a battering ram was the 51:39 weapon against gates 51:40 in those days. 51:41 Actually, for hundreds of years 51:42 after that, as well. 51:43 If you don't know what 51:43 a battering ram was, 51:44 it was simply this. 51:45 An army trained 51:46 and organized to do so, 51:48 if they came to a fortress 51:49 of the enemy and they needed 51:50 to break through the gates -- 51:51 The gates were almost always, 51:52 you know, maybe metal crossbars 51:54 here and hasps and thick wood, 51:56 often very thick wood, 51:58 very hard to get through 51:59 unless you had a battering ram. 52:01 And so this trained 52:02 and organized 52:03 army would go to the forest. 52:04 They would cut down 52:04 the biggest tree 52:05 they felt they could carry. 52:06 You get 20 guys on one side, 52:07 20 guys on the other. 52:09 You know, the little 52:09 branches left over here 52:11 so you have a handle. 52:12 And that trained, 52:13 organized army would take 52:15 that battering ram in one arm 52:16 and their shields 52:17 over their head 52:18 to keep the arrows off of them, 52:19 and they would march up 52:20 to the gates of the enemy. 52:23 And in an organized fashion 52:25 they would begin this rhythm -- 52:26 one -- pow! -- two -- 52:28 pow! -- three -- pow! -- 52:30 until at last 52:31 those gates came down. 52:34 Do you see the power 52:36 of the picture 52:37 that Jesus is creating here? 52:39 Jesus is saying 52:41 that we're not to be a fortress 52:43 that we all huddle in scared. 52:44 No, no, no, no. 52:45 We are instead 52:45 to be like his army, 52:47 an army that takes 52:49 the battle to the enemy. 52:51 We're not to sit 52:52 around waiting for the devil 52:53 to make the first move. 52:54 We are to actively move, 52:55 to engage the spiritual 52:57 strongholds of evil 52:58 on this planet, 53:00 powered by God's Spirit, 53:01 organized in the keeping 53:02 with His Word, 53:03 working together in a systematic 53:05 and orderly fashion. 53:06 And when we do that, 53:08 it's as though the gospel 53:09 becomes this battering ram 53:11 that we keep working together 53:12 in united effort, 53:13 and eventually the gates of hell 53:15 will not stand 53:18 because that's what happens 53:19 when a church becomes normal. 53:21 A church becomes organized 53:23 and unified 53:24 in an orderly fashion, 53:26 working for 53:26 the cause of Christ. 53:28 And, ladies and gentlemen, 53:29 I'll tell you the truth, 53:29 not because I say so, 53:30 but because God says so. 53:32 That kind of church will win 53:37 because the gates of hell 53:39 will not prevail against it. 53:41 I'll tell you what, 53:43 ladies and gentlemen. 53:43 I want to see that. 53:44 I want to be there. 53:45 I want to be a part of that. 53:49 How about you? 56:15 >> Indeed, Lord Jesus, 56:16 by your grace, 56:17 we will be more than conquerors. 56:20 Lord, rally us. 56:22 Rally your troops. 56:23 Show us our part. 56:25 Give us your courage 56:26 and strength. 56:27 Please, Lord, send the former 56:28 and the latter rains 56:29 of your Holy Spirit to fill us 56:31 and your people 56:32 all over the world, 56:34 that your work might be finished 56:35 in and through us, 56:37 and we will give you the glory, 56:38 for we ask it in 56:39 the name of Jesus. 56:40 Amen. 56:44 >> Have you ever wondered 56:45 what Jesus was like 56:46 when He walked on this planet 56:47 2,000 years ago? 56:49 Have you ever wondered where 56:50 He traveled, who He talked to, 56:52 who His friends were, 56:53 what His family was like? 56:55 Or have you heard about 56:56 the astonishing miracles 56:57 that Jesus did, 56:59 like feeding 5,000 people 57:00 with just five loaves of bread 57:01 and a couple of fish 57:03 or giving sight back to a man 57:04 born blind? 57:06 What would it have been like 57:08 to be there with Jesus 57:09 in those unprecedented days? 57:12 I hold in my hands a free book 57:14 that I'd like to give to you. 57:15 It's called 57:16 "The Desire of Ages," 57:18 and it's one of the finest 57:19 biographies of Christ 57:20 ever produced. 57:21 It goes into incredible detail 57:23 of who Jesus was, 57:24 what His life was like, 57:25 who His enemies were, and what 57:27 His followers were like, 57:29 and, of course, ultimately how 57:30 He died on the cross and rose 57:32 from the grave to give freedom 57:33 to people just like you and me. 57:36 "The Desire of Ages" can be 57:38 yours for free by calling 57:39 877-HIS-WILL. 57:41 That's 877-HIS-WILL. 57:45 Jesus is the most influential 57:46 person in all of human history. 57:49 You owe it to yourself 57:50 and those you love to find out 57:52 who he really was. 57:59 ♪ 58:09 ♪ 58:19 ♪ |
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