word association, you know the game?
I say dog, you say?
I say Marco, you say?
I say Jesus Christ, you say Lord and Savior.
But when I say church,
you might go, meh.
You might say, ouch.
You might say, what's the point?
You might say, what a mess.
This morning we're starting off on a series on the church.
Let me be up front with you on a definition of the church.
The church is the blood-bought people of God,
set apart by the Holy Spirit on mission for Christ.
That's the church.
The blood-bought people of God,
set apart by the Holy Spirit on mission for Christ.
We, the church, belong to the triune God.
Here's what I'm interested in over the next two months.
I'm interested in what you think about God's church.
I'm interested in what you feel about God's church.
I'm interested in how you prioritize God's church.
Well, that's not the real question.
The real question is,
what does God think about his church?
How does Jesus feel about his people?
Where does the church fall on God's priority list for the day?
So, over the next several weeks,
I am praying.
We're praying.
Would you join me in praying
that we would think about the church
more and more the way that God thinks about our church?
That truth shapes our minds
and our understanding of God's people.
Would you,
my prayer is that you would feel about the church
the way that Jesus feels about his church
more and more?
And my prayer, of course,
is that we would all prioritize the church
more and more
as God himself prioritizes the church.
And so, here's what it's going to look like
over the next several weeks.
This morning,
we're going to start off with an introductory sermon
on kind of five basic truths of the church.
And then we're going to get into New Testament images of the church.
The body.
The building of God.
The flock.
The family of God.
And what are all these things?
What is God saying to us about his people?
The goal, overall,
is that you and me
would love the church
the way that Jesus loves the church.
So, come the end of March,
that there would be an upwell
of spirit-given affection
for God's people.
That's the aim.
That's the prayer.
So, this morning,
five introductory truths
about the church.
This is by no means exhaustive,
but again,
I need your yes and amens.
That's what I'm talking about.
All right.
introductory truth number one.
The church
is the called out
people of God.
In Matthew 16,
Jesus is walking
into Caesarea Philippi
with his disciples,
and he says,
hey guys,
who do people say
that the Son of Man is?
He's talking about himself.
Who are people saying I am?
And his disciples
start shooting off
a bunch of different answers.
Some say JTB,
John the Baptist.
Others say Elijah.
Others still say Jeremiah
or one of the prophets.
But then Peter chimes in
in verse 16,
and he says this,
you are the Christ,
the Son of the living God.
And in the book of Matthew,
that is a mic drop.
And the reason why you know
it's a mic drop,
it's what Jesus says
in response to it.
In verse 17,
he says,
blessed are you,
Simon Bar-Jonah.
Blessed are you,
Simon,
son of Jonah.
For faith and blood
has not revealed this to you,
but my Father who is in heaven.
In other words,
he's saying,
hey Peter,
you didn't come to that
realization on your own.
It was a supernatural
revelation from my Father
to you
to know who I am.
Mic drop.
Jesus continues.
He says,
I tell you,
you are Peter,
and on this rock,
I will build my church,
and the gates of hell
will not prevail against it.
What is Jesus talking about
when he refers to this,
and on this rock,
I will build my church,
and the gates of hell
will not prevail against it.
Well,
if you've got a Catholic background,
you probably think,
well,
this is Jesus
institutionalizing
the Pope ship.
But I don't think
that's what Jesus is saying.
Jesus is addressing Peter,
but I believe
that the reference
to this rock
is actually a reference
to his profession.
You are the Christ,
the Son of the living God.
On this rock,
not a man,
but on Christ himself,
I will build my church.
When Jesus says,
I will build my church,
he's picturing himself
as a master builder.
He's building a people,
one person at a time.
That word church
is a lovely word
throughout your Bible.
It's the Greek word
ekklesia,
and it literally means
called out ones.
So Jesus is saying,
on this profession
of who I am,
I will build
my called out ones,
my people.
That word church,
ekklesia,
is used 100,
over 100 times
in the New Testament.
But interestingly enough,
in the Gospels,
it's just used twice.
Here,
Matthew 16,
and then in Matthew 18.
In the Old Testament,
the Old Testament
that was translated
from Hebrew to Greek,
it's called the Septuagint.
When the word ekklesia
is used,
it's referring to
the gathering
of God's people Israel.
Called out
from the nations.
And so when we get
into the New Testament,
it has the same sense.
The called out
of God.
Called out
through the blood
of Jesus
from the world.
Called to
God Himself
to be His people.
So when Jesus says,
My church,
I will build
my church.
That my
is a blood-bought
my.
My church.
Everyone
who would one day
believe in me.
Everyone
who I shed
my blood for.
They are the ones
I build
to form my people.
The church.
The church is the
blood-bought people
of God
indwelt by the Holy
Spirit
on mission for Christ.
Speaking of mission,
if you're looking
in Matthew 16
right now
and you're looking
at verse 18,
you have a metaphor
change.
Jesus is talking
about building
the church
like a building
and then he shifts
gears
and starts
picturing the church
in action.
I will build
my church
and he says,
in the gates
of hell,
literally the gates
of death
will not prevail
against it.
now the church
has gone
from a building
to a people
raiding
the gates
of hell
together
on mission
for Jesus
seeking to
rescue
those who
are in
dark death
and bringing
them to
the light
of life
through the
cross of
Jesus Christ.
Christ.
When you hear
the word church,
what comes
into your mind?
Hey,
look at the
building.
Look at that
steeple.
Open the doors,
see all the
people.
The church
is not a
building.
It houses
the church.
Maybe you
think of,
oh,
the church
is a bunch
of rules.
Oh,
the church,
oh man,
they hurt
my parents,
they hurt
me,
they're a
bunch of
losers.
The church,
they're so
irrelevant,
it's just
mired in
controversy.
Oh,
they're familiar
faces I see
every couple
weeks.
Brothers and
sisters,
when we talk
about the
church,
and when we
talk about
the church
biblically,
we are
talking about
the blood
bought people
of God,
set apart
by the
Holy Spirit,
called out
by God
himself to
be his
people on
mission for
Christ.
Now,
classically,
the church
has been
understood in
a couple
different ways.
It's how
this word
ecclesia gets
used throughout
the New
Testament.
So,
church is
used in a
broad sense
of the
universal
church.
We're going
to wrap up
the service
in a little
bit by
reciting the
Apostles'
Creed.
I believe
in the
Holy Spirit,
the Holy
Catholic
Church.
It's a
reference to
the universal
church.
church,
all of
the blood
bought people
of Christ
from all
ages and
times and
places.
That's the
universal
church.
And typically,
the universal
church is
understood as
being the
unseen universal
church.
Until you get
to Revelation
7, and then
you have the
snapshot of
the universal
church.
Blood
bought from
every tribe,
tongue,
and nation,
too many
to count,
all around
the throne
of God,
singing to
the Lamb
who is
risen,
who was
once slain,
salvation
belongs to
our God.
You see,
at the center
of the
church of
God is
the crucified
and risen
Christ.
Do you
know why
we exist
as a
church?
Jesus
shed his
blood for
us.
Now,
the church
universal,
we see
in Matthew
16,
there's
other passages
in the
New Testament,
it's what
Jesus is
referring to
here,
but then
we get
into the
understanding
of the
local
church.
And what
a local
church is,
it is a
visible
outcropping
of the
universal
church.
So,
the local
church is
time-bound
in a
particular
people,
in a
particular
time,
in a
particular
place.
They have
their own
local leadership,
we observe
the ordinances
of baptism
and the
Lord's
Supper,
they unite
us together
and they
unite us
with other
faithful
churches
from ages
past.
Christ the
King
church is a
local
outcropping
of the
universal
church.
And so,
when you
read through
the New
Testament
and Paul's
addressing
the churches
of Galatia
or the
church in
Colossae
or the
church in
Rome,
these are
local
churches,
specific
place,
specific
time,
with their
own
leadership.
Revelation
2 and
3,
the seven
churches are
local churches
in Asia
Minor.
Jesus had
something specific
to say to
each one.
So,
the local
church is
an outcropping
of the
universal
church,
all bought
by the
blood of
Jesus.
Now,
I just
want to
make one
more point
here.
there is
an emphasis
when it
comes to
the local
church.
The church
has a
rhythm.
We scatter
during the
week and
then we
gather
together on
the Lord's
day,
the day
that Jesus
was resurrected,
Sunday.
We scatter,
we gather.
And there
is this huge
emphasis.
You see it
played out in
1 Corinthians
14 in
particular,
where when
the church
gathers
together,
our Lord
Jesus Christ
is very
interested in
what happens.
He wants
to be
exalted.
He wants
his church
built up.
He wants
non-Christian
evangelized.
It is
the Super
Bowl of
the church
every week.
When we
get together,
it is a
unique time
for the
blood-bought
to come
together to
pray together.
to praise
God together
in worship.
Oh, it's so
sweet this
morning.
To hear the
public reading
of Scripture,
to speak
timely words,
to hear God's
word preached
faithfully.
There's nothing
like it
during the
week.
This is the
church,
universal and
local.
And at the
center of the
church is the
risen lamb,
Jesus Christ,
the center of
it all,
our reason
for being.
So the
first introductory
truth of the
church is the
called out
people of
God.
The second
truth is this,
the church
is the
converted
people of
God.
Just because
you gather
with God's
people doesn't
necessarily mean
you're actually
part of God's
people.
In order to
become part of
God's people,
you first need
to be reconciled
to God through
the blood of
Jesus.
And when you're
reconciled to
God through the
blood of Jesus,
then he places
you into his
people.
He moves you
from one
people, the
world, into
another people,
his church.
For example,
let me try to
make this point
this way.
Let's say you
drive up to
Flambeau.
and you
happen to
get onto
Flambeau Field
and you're
standing on
the grass.
Just because
you're standing
on the grass
of Flambeau
doesn't mean
you are a
Green Bay
Packer.
Does it?
Or just
because you
drive up to
Carthage College
and you're
standing on
the college,
that doesn't
mean you're a
student there
or part of
the staff there.
Does it?
No.
Just because
you go to
someone's
family's
Thanksgiving,
that doesn't
mean you're
an official
part of
their family.
I experienced
that when I
first stayed
at Jenny.
Just because
you've been
going to
church your
whole life
doesn't mean
you're actually
included in
the blood-bought
people of
God.
Humanly
speaking,
conversion
is the
singular
moment a
sinner,
having heard
the gospel
of Jesus
Christ,
realizes that
they are
condemned under
God's just
wrath for
their sin,
and then
they turn
their tail
to their
sin and
head for
Jesus.
It's a
moment in
time.
Conversion
is when
you repent
and believe
the gospel.
It's what
Jesus talked
about in
Mark 1
15, where
he shows
up.
He says,
the time
is fulfilled.
The kingdom
of God
is at
hand.
Repent
and believe
the gospel.
The moment
a sinner
believes on
Christ for
the first
time, that
sinner is
justified by
the grace
of God,
redeemed
through the
blood of
Jesus, and
adopted into
God's family.
God's
sin.
That sinner
is immediately
transferred from
the domain of
God's beloved
Son, in whom
we have
redemption, the
forgiveness of
sins.
At that
moment in
time, a
sinner who
believes their
eternity goes
from being under
God's wrath
forever to
now having the
promise of
being numbered
in glory around
the throne for
everlasting peace
and joy in
the glorious
presence of
Jesus.
It's
conversion.
Conversion
consists of
both repentance
and faith.
I like to
call it the
two sides of
the conversion
coin.
There's
tails.
You turn your
tail to your
sin, and
then there
are heads.
You head
straight for
Jesus.
Have you
heard the
expression,
when the
penny drops?
It's a way
of saying,
hey, that's
when things
get real.
When the
conversion coin
drops in your
heart, things
get real.
You realize
that not just
everybody's
sinner, you're
a sinner
against the
holy God, and
his wrath is
against your
sin.
And with that
comes a working
of the Holy
Spirit in which
you are sorrowful
over that, and
that leads to
turning tail to
your sin.
And it
corresponds with
this faith,
newfound faith,
where you head
solely for
Jesus, who
alone can
deliver you
from your
sin.
So this
initial act of
repentance and
faith is the
moment a
sinner is
converted.
Truth in
advertising.
it's the
first time
one is
converted, this
exercise of
repentance and
faith, but it
just starts a
whole life of
repentance and
faith.
To be a
follower of
Jesus, be
numbered with
his people, the
church, is a
life of
repentance and
faith, a life
of turning tail
to your sin and
a heading straight
for Jesus over
and over and
over again.
We do this
together.
Now if
you're sitting
here thinking,
well that's
not exactly how
I became a
Christian.
I didn't have
that quote
unquote light
switch conversion
moment like
the Apostle
Paul.
Well many
people do
have kind of
a light switch
moment where
the conversion
is very clear.
They know
down to the
day, hour,
and minute
where they
were believed,
they turned
from their sin,
they believed
and they were
transferred into
the kingdom
of the beloved
son.
I went to
college with
a young lady.
On the
anniversary of
her becoming a
Christian, when
she was converted,
she started
wearing all
black because
she was like
mourning the
death of her
old self and
then she
realized, no,
no, this is a
celebration, so
she swapped to
all white.
that was a
light switch
conversion
experience.
But many
of the
people, many
Christians don't
have a light
switch conversion
experience.
They have a
dimmer switch
conversion experience.
In fact, I spoke
to four Christians
this week who
all had a
dimmer switch
conversion experience
and here's what I
mean by that.
It goes something
like this.
I grew up in
the church and I
agreed with
everything I
heard.
But there was a
season when I
basically walked
away from the
Lord and I
sowed my wild
oats.
I didn't give a
rip about God.
And then at
some point I
sensed a need
to go back.
And eventually
things got real.
So people
who experience
something like
tend to say
something like
this.
Between 2008
and 2011 the
conversion coin
dropped in my
heart.
In 2008 I was
not following
Jesus.
By 2011 I
couldn't get
enough of
Jesus.
So somewhere
in between
there something
happened.
And here's
what's happened.
I realized that
Jesus just didn't
die for the sins
of all mankind.
He died for
me.
That's how a
convert to
Christianity
talks.
You may not
know the
day, the
hour, or the
minute of your
conversion, but
you know a
time frame.
I know I
wasn't living for
Christ then, but
by this time I
couldn't get
enough of
Jesus.
Now if you
have a dimmer
switch conversion
story, what you
need to understand
is this.
That at some
point in that
time frame, you
actually went
from being dead
to alive.
From being not
justified to
justified.
From being not
redeemed to
redeemed.
From not being
adopted to
adopted.
you went from
being under
God's wrath to
be now an
object of mercy
and grace.
You went from
being outside of
God's family and
not of God's
people to inside
of God's family and
now you're part of
God's people.
You might not
know the specific
time and hour, but
it happened.
And you can live
there.
I do.
That's the story of
me.
I was a pastor
class dropout in
eighth grade.
Ironic.
But here's the
real question.
Let's say you're
sitting here this
morning and you
realize, hey, I've
been going to
church.
I don't think I've
ever been converted.
Don't be surprised
by that.
There are stories
all over the place
of preachers while
they're preaching
realizing they've
never been
converted.
Well, here's how
you respond if you
don't think you've
the conversion coin
has dropped, but
you're like, oh, I
want that.
You've got to
realize that God
in His grace is
prompting you to
take this step of
repentance and
faith.
So here's what you
do.
You pray.
You say something
like this.
You say, Lord
Jesus, risen
Jesus, I have
been living for
myself, and I've
been doing smoke
and mirrors when it
comes to you.
You say, Lord
sin.
I repent of
living a life for
myself and living
for my sin.
I turn my tail on
that, and I head
to Jesus alone
because He alone
on the cross died
for my sin.
I know it.
It was for me.
That's what you say.
That's what you say
to the risen Christ.
You put a stake in
the ground, and you
say, I am that no
more.
I will not go back
to that.
I am for Jesus
now.
And based upon the
Word of God, you
are saved.
If you haven't
taken that step,
come talk to me
after the service.
I'd be glad to walk
with you through
that.
And it's just the
beginning.
The conversion
coin needs to drop
because you've got to
be reconciled to God
first before you can
be placed into the
people of God.
But the church is
the converted people
of God.
Do I have an
amen?
The church,
three,
introductory truth,
is the Bible
saturated people
of God.
One of the telltale
signs that a sinner
has been genuinely
converted is that
now there is this
new spirit-generated
desire for the
Word of God,
the Bible.
It goes something
like this.
Matthew 4,
Jesus talked about
it this way.
Man can't live by
bread alone,
but by every word
that proceeds from
the mouth of God.
And you're like,
I just can't get
enough.
I can't get enough
of God's Word.
I can't live without
God's Word.
2 Timothy 3,
316,
all scriptures
breathed out by
God and profitable.
You're like,
give me some of
that.
I can't get enough
of that.
That's not you.
That's the Spirit
of God in you,
changing your
affections,
giving you a new
desire for something.
Before you were
converted, you had
nothing wanting to
do with it.
Psalm 119,
Thy Word is a
lamp to my feet
and a light
into my path.
Here's what
happens when
someone gets
converted.
They have a new
set of desires,
and God's Word
becomes the final
governing authority,
giving all clarity
and direction to
every square inch
of your life.
It defines,
God defines who
you are.
So as a church,
we don't approach
the Bible like this.
Yeah, I think I'll
obey that.
I don't think I'll
obey this.
That's of God.
That's not of God.
We don't live that
way.
We believe every
Word of God.
Everyone came from
God's mind
originally, and so
we place ourselves
as a church under
the Word of God.
Every word.
And not just
because we have
to, we want
to.
Because this
gives us life.
Shows us the way
to walk.
And the Spirit
empowers us to
walk according to
His Word.
That's why
1 Timothy 3.15
says the church
is the pillar
and foundation
of the truth.
The truth.
God has revealed
how things really
are through this
book.
And we get to
be the purveyors
of it.
The protectors
of it.
The delighters
in it.
When you come
across a passage
in Colossians 3.16
it says this.
It basically
says, let the
Word of Christ
dwell richly
among you.
Let the words
that Jesus said
dwell richly
among you.
Let the words
about Jesus
dwell richly
among you.
It's all about
Jesus.
And that word
dwelling is the
idea of taking
up residence.
God wants
His Word
dwelling in
every square
inch of
your person.
He wants
His Word
dwelling in
every square
inch of
His people.
A Bible
saturated
people.
We could say
more.
But let's
move on to
point four.
The church
is the
distinct
people of
God.
In John
17, Jesus
is praying
for His
disciples.
And Jesus
prays that
God His
Father would
not remove
them from
the world,
but because
they're no
longer of
the world,
that God
would keep
them in
the world
and protect
them from
the evil
one.
We're not
of the world,
brothers and
sisters,
anymore because
we've been
converted.
We've been
called out
by Jesus.
Called out
from the
world.
We are His
people now.
And in
verse 17,
Jesus prays,
sanctify them
in the
truth.
Your word
is truth.
And that
word sanctify
means to
set apart,
to be
holy.
As God's
people called
out from
the world,
we are to
be holy,
set apart
in the
world.
We are to
be distinct
as God's
people.
Now,
when John
talks about
the world
in John
17,
he's not
talking about
the planet,
he's talking
about a
group of
people.
Let me
try to
illustrate.
Have you
ever been
to a
stadium
during a
huge football
game or
sports event,
maybe a
concert,
and you're
actually outside
the stadium,
but the
event is
over,
you have
mobs of
people streaming
out of the
venue,
but you
need to
try to
get in.
Do you
know how
crazy that
is?
It's really
hard,
because you
have this
mass of
humanity
coming at
you in the
opposite direction,
and you
need to
try to
make your
way to
your goal
through
them.
The world
is the
mass of
unregenerate
humanity,
not moving
towards God,
moving away
from Him.
and so
a Christian
is called
to be set
apart by
God's Word
to go
against the
grain of
the world
for living
for Jesus.
Now,
the Holy
Spirit,
on the moment
you're converted,
comes and
dwells within
each of us,
and He
empowers us
to live
according to
God's Word
against the
grain of
the world.
If you
turn in
your Bibles
to 1 Peter
chapter 1,
we read
this,
As obedient
children,
do not
be conformed
to the
passions of
your former
ignorance,
what you
were like
before you
were converted,
but as He
who called
you is
holy,
you also
be holy
in your
conduct,
since it
is written
in holy
book
scripture,
you shall
be holy
for I
am holy.
God has
called us
out of the
world to
be distinct
from the
world,
according to
His Word,
by the
power of
the Holy
Spirit.
If you
look at
chapter 2,
verses 9
through 12,
we read
this,
but you
are a
chosen race,
a royal
priesthood,
a holy
nation,
a people
for His
own
possession,
that you
may
proclaim
the
excellencies
of Him
who
called
you
out
of
darkness
into
His
marvelous
light.
Once
you
were not
a
people,
but now
you
are
God's
people.
Once
you
had
not
received
mercy,
but now
you
have
received
mercy.
Beloved
church,
I urge
you as
sojourners
and exiles
to abstain
from the
passions of
the flesh
which war
against
your soul.
Keep
your
conduct
among
the
Gentiles
honorable
so that
when they
speak
against
you
as
evildoers
they
may
see
your
good
deeds
and
glorify
God
on the
day
of
visitation.
We
are
to be
distinct
from
the
world.
The
church
is
the
distinct
people
of
God
in
our
holiness.
We
just
don't
do
what
we
used
to
do.
It's
not
who
we
are
anymore.
And
God
has
given
us
his
word.
He's
given
us
the
Holy
Spirit
and
he's
given
us
each
other
so that
we
can
press
against
the
grain
of
the
world.
Now
there's
one
thing
to
move
against
a
mass
of
humanity
on
your
own.
It's
another
thing
when
you
have
a
counter
mass
of
redeemed
humanity
with
minds
full
of
the
Bible
empowered
by
the
Holy
Spirit
locked
arms
together
and
you're
like
we're
going.
That's
the
church.
And what
the
scriptures
say is
we're just
not arms
linked to
each other
we're
one
person
together
we're the
body
of Christ
which brings
me to
a second
distinction
of the
church
our
unity.
in
the
same
passage
in
John
17
Jesus
prays
and I
think
it's
verse
20
and
22
I had to
mark all
these down
because there's
so many
Jesus
prays
this
verse
22
the
glory
that
you
have
given
me
I
have
given
to
them
that
they
may
be
one
even
as
we
are
one
I
am
them
and
you
and
me
that
they
may
become
perfectly
one
so
that
the
world
may
know
that
you
sent
me
and
love
them
even
as
you
love
me
now
flip
over
to
John
13
in
verses
34
and
35
we
read
this
a
new
commandment
Jesus
says
I
give
to
you
that
you
love
one
another
just
as
I
have
loved
you
also
are
to
love
one
another
by
this
all
people
will
know
that
you
are
my
disciples
if
you
have
love
for
one
another
not
just
our
lifestyles
distinguish
we
don't
shoot
our
wounded
we
help
them
be
restored
we
lovingly
confront
one
another
because
it's
not
good
for
us
when
we're
sinning
we
pick
each
other
up
when
we're
down
we
spur
each
other
on
with
good
words
we
say
well
done
when
someone
has
been
faithful
honored
Jesus
what
I
love
about
being
a
Christian
here
at
Christ
the
King
Church
is
I
I'm
so
praying
for
God
to do
a
work
in
our
midst
in
which
he
diversifies
our
body
in
our
union
in
the
blood
of
Jesus
where
we
have
black
white
Latinos
we
have
men
and
women
different
age
groups
different
social
standings
different
income
levels
education
levels
and
we're
all
united
together
through
the
blood
of
Jesus
and
we
love
one
another
fervently
from the
heart
because
we're
God's
people
now
because
Jesus
loves
us
like
that
we
are
distinct
people
the
church
is
the
distinct
people
of
God
we
have
a
holy
unity
that
distinguishes
us
from
everybody
else
anybody
want
some
of
that
finally
the
fifth
introductory
truth
and
this
is
the
one
I
get
juiced
over
I
get
used
over
the
other
ones
too
the
church
is
the
sent
people
of
God
if
you
flip
back
to
John
17
Jesus
is
praying
to
his
father
don't
take
them
out
of
the
world
keep
them
in
the
world
protect
them
from
the
evil
one
they're
not
of
the
world
they're
of
me
sanctify
them
in
the
truth
your
word
is
truth
back
in
22
and
further
he said
keep
them
united
as
one
but
then
we
read
this
in
our
18
verse
18
he
says
as
you
sent
me
into
the
world
so
I
have
sent
them
into
the
world
so
just
to
make
sure
you're
understanding
this
God
calls
us
out
of
the
world
and
we're
converted
and
then
he
sets
us
apart
from
the
world
in
a
holiness
that
befits
him
all
to
send
us
back
into
the
world
in
order
to
be
proclaimers
of
the
gospel
and
makers
of
disciples
so
God
calls
us
out
sets
us
apart
sends
us
back
in
all
to
be
making
disciples
of
all
nations
and
there
we
go
turn
in
Matthew
to
Matthew
chapter
28
in
verses
18
and
19
we're
sent
back
to
the
world
as
Jesus
was
sent
to
the
world
to
make
him
some
disciples
Jesus
says
the
risen
Christ
all
authority
in
heaven
and
earth
has
been
given
to
me
go
therefore
and
make
disciples
of
all
nations
I'm
sending
you
to
go
make
disciples
of
all
nations
now
I've
been
reading
a
very
helpful
book
with
the
rest
of
the
leadership
team
it's
called
the
vine
project
and
this
book
is
designed
to
help
a
church
move
further
and
further
into
focus
more
clearly
on
seeking
to
fulfill
the
great
commission
to
make
disciples
of
the
nations
and
this
book
outlines
a
basic
way
to
go
about
doing
that
they're
all
ease
engage
non-Christians
evangelize
non-Christians
establish
those
who
become
Christians
and
then
you
equip
those
who
become
Christians
that's
a
disciple
making
process
so
let
me
try to
spell
that
out
for
you
what
that
looks
like
here
back
in
December
you
remember
we
on
December
23rd
we
set
aside
a
day
in
which
we
would
fast
and pray
as a
church
over
a meal
that
God
would
do
a
work
that
only
he
could
do
at
the
Christmas
Eve
outreach
do you
remember
that
the
Christmas
Eve
outreach
took
place
downstairs
in the
fellowship
hall
there
was
a
bunch
of
tables
set
up
we
had
table
hosts
from
our
church
at
every
table
engaging
with
non-Christians
handing
them
response
cards
to fill
out
that
invite
us
back
to
their
homes
we
got
about
25
26
response
cards
and
so
two
weeks
ago
we
sent
out
12
people
over
two
days
and
teams
of
two
and
three
and
those
people
went
back
to
those
the
people
our
guests
at
the
Christmas
Eve
outreach
shared
the
gospel
prayed
for
them
and
of
course
with
everything
like
this
happens
you
end
up
meeting
more
people
that
you
talk
to
about
Jesus
and
invite
to
things
and
one
Bible
study
on
the
gospel
of
Mark
we
figure
is there
any
better
way
to
get
a
non
Christian
face
to
face
with
Jesus
than
reading
about
Jesus
in
the
gospel
of
Mark
so
this
coming
Thursday
is
the
inaugural
evangelistic
Bible
study
here
Thursday
6
to
7
if
you're
not
a
Christian
you
are
more
than
welcome
to
come
and
see
who
Jesus
is
and
what
he's
done
for
sinners
but
it's
our
way
of
taking
an
evangelistic
step
as
a
church
and
let's
say
we
have
a
number
of
people
come
through
this
evangelistic
Bible
study
the
gospel
of
Mark
and
two
or
three
of
them
the
conversion
coin
drops
in
their
hearts
they
turn
tails
to
their
sin
and
they
head
straight
for
Jesus
and
they
are
converted
justified
redeemed
adopted
at
that
point
we
need
to
establish
them
in
the
faith
knit
them
into
a
life
group
bring
them
into
the
family
it
takes
work
it
takes
effort
it
takes
intentionality
and
then
eventually
the next
step
is to
equip
them
and
what
that
means
is
to
train
a
Christian
in
order
to
engage
evangelize
establish
and
equip
a
mature
disciple
of
Jesus
Christ
is
a
disciple
making
disciple
of
Jesus
Christ
a
disciple
of
Jesus
is
multiplying
disciples
I
don't know
about
you
but I
want to
be a
part of
a
church
like
that
where
God
is at
work
rescuing
establishing
equipping
sending
out
God
called
us
out
of
the
world
and
set
us
apart
from
the
world
in
order
to
send
us
back
into
the
world
to
make
disciples
of
the
world
throughout
the
series
I think
you're
going to
be
realizing
several
things
about
the
church
the
blood
bought
people
of
God
set
apart
by
the
Holy
Spirit
on
mission
for
Christ
here's
a number
of them
I think
you're
going to
realize
the
church
we need
our
God
as a
body
is dependent
on the
head
as a
building
rests
on a
cornerstone
as a
flock
needs
a
shepherd
as a
bride
needs
her
groom
as
branches
need
the
vine
brothers
and
sisters
as the
church
we need
our
Jesus
the
second
thing
I think
we'll
realize
is
this
church
we need
each
other
we are
a
holy
unity
there
is a
necessary
interdependence
within the
church
within a
local
church
a
body
of
Christ
just
as
this
hand
needs
this
knee
so
is
with
the
body
of
Christ
we
need
each
other
third
thing
God
has
sent
out
his
church
the
church
is
God's
plan
A
to
make
disciples
of
all
nations
there's
no
plan
B
we
must
be
about
preaching
the
gospel
and
making
disciples
of
Jesus
Christ
one
preacher
talks
about
the
church
as
not
being
a
hospital
ship
but
an
aircraft
carrier
the
fourth
thing
over
the
next
two
months
I
think
we're
going
to
realize
how
much
Jesus
loves
his
church
as
a
groom
as
a
holy
love
for
his
bride
even
a
jealousy
for
his
bride
Jesus
loves
his
people
the
church
is the
called
out
people
of
God
the
church
is the
Bible
saturated
people
of
God
the
church
is the
converted
people
of
God
the
church
is the
distinct
people
of
God
the
church
is the
sent
people
of
God
when you
hear the
word
church
what comes
to your
mind
in two
months
time
I hope
it's
my
beloved
let's
pray
God
thank you
so much
for my
brothers and
sisters in
this room
we continue
to pray
for Taz
God
would you
provide him
the care
he needs
God
help us
show us
how we
can come
alongside
him and
his wife
in this
time of
need
God
I pray
that you
would form
your mind
in us
and that
we would
love what
you love
and we
would
prioritize
what you
prioritize
God
would you
bless us
your people
and we
want to
proclaim
the
excellencies
of who
you
are
in
Jesus
name
we
pray
amen
again
Thank you.