Well, good morning, Christ the King Church. How are you guys doing this morning?
Oh, good. You guys are a little awake. That's good to know. Good response.
Well, just in case you haven't heard my name already, my name is Pastor Dan Nelson.
We are planting the Grove Church in Union Grove, Wisconsin later this year.
And I'm just so thankful to be here again with you,
worshiping with you this morning, and being able to bring God's Word.
I'm here with my lovely wife, Heather, and my daughter, Abby, and son, Levi.
And we are just so thankful again to be here.
We know that, or I know, that it's really an important thing
that I'm getting to share Pastor Mike Silvati's pulpit,
and he's sharing the congregation with me.
And so I take that, I don't take that lightly,
but I am very thankful to be here this morning.
Today's sermon is going to be anchored in Revelation 7, 9 through 12.
I've been asked to cover church planting, and I am so thankful to do that.
You'll notice I did say the word anchored,
so we're also going to be preaching from a couple other texts,
which is not my normal mode of apparatus,
but I'm excited to talk to you about church planting this morning.
One of the most frequent questions I receive is,
why are you planting a church?
And so that's one of those questions that we'll answer today.
But before we do that, let's read God's word,
coming from Revelation 7, 9 through 12.
After this I looked, and behold,
a great multitude that no one can number,
from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages,
standing before the throne and before the Lamb,
clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands,
and crying out with a loud voice,
salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.
And all the angels were standing around the throne
and around the elders and the four living creatures.
And they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God,
saying,
Amen!
Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power
and might be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.
Why?
Parents, isn't that your favorite question to receive from kids?
Why?
Anytime your kid asks why,
you have two possible responses.
Either the Lord in that moment has given you enough grace
to say,
Yes, son or daughter,
let me answer that question for you.
Let me give you a little extra piece of knowledge.
Or maybe, just maybe,
you're lacking that grace and you respond,
Because I said so.
Right?
So many of the best questions,
the root of almost all questions,
is why?
And we are often,
even as Christians,
asked,
Why?
Why do you believe in Jesus?
Maybe even a step beyond that.
Why do you go to church?
If a friend asks you that question,
how might you answer that?
You might say,
I love Jesus.
And Jesus loves me.
Maybe you say something like,
I don't know,
they're just really good at throwing these parties called potlucks.
Right?
I hope those aren't your only answers,
but I'll let Pastor Mike work that out in the future.
Another question we receive is,
Why is the church dying?
Oh man.
Have you guys seen the headlines over the last four or five years?
I've got five or so of them here.
The American church is dying.
Decline of Christianity continues at a rapid pace.
Is the American church dying?
The great de-churching.
Oh, and my favorite one that I actually came across this week,
is thousands of churches will likely close down.
What happens to all the real estate?
Now, that probably reveals people's hunger for the church to maybe die,
so they can use these spaces for something different.
One could argue that if the church were dying,
it would be because we have not adhered to preaching the gospel,
making disciples of the gospel,
and multiplying the gospel.
Over the last few years, my favorite question,
my favorite why question has been,
Dan, why plant a church?
My favorite response is, why not?
We've been reminded for years that the American church is in decline.
Our culture is becoming increasingly hostile towards Christianity.
Churches are closing down all around us.
40 million Americans have left the church over the last 25 years.
That's a real stat.
Like no other time in American history,
we are at a point of crisis in the church.
This seems like the perfect time to plant more churches.
Not to mention, church planting is a mandate of the Great Commission
and a foretaste of heaven.
To be clearer,
I am saying that we must plant churches to fulfill the Great Commission
and expand God's kingdom.
Let me say that again.
We must plant churches to fulfill the Great Commission
and expand God's kingdom.
This morning, our sermon is titled,
Church Planting,
A Foretaste of Heaven.
We're going to look at three points
to show the importance of planting churches.
First, we're going to look at the Great Commission.
We're going to look at Paul's example
of bringing out the Great Commission.
And then, of course,
the passage in Revelation 7
that I told Mike that I would originally preach.
So turn with me to Matthew 28, 18 through 20.
I know I am cheating here.
I'm supposed to be in Revelation 7.
I get it.
However, to understand the end result,
we must understand the mission and mode
that gets us to Revelation 7.
Our first point this morning is that
the Great Commission is a mandate to plant churches.
Let me repeat that for our note takers in the room.
The Great Commission is a mandate to plant churches.
Let me read Matthew 28, 18 through 20 for us.
And Jesus came and said to them,
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always
to the end of the age.
Now Jesus Christ, resurrected after his death,
did ministry and showed himself to many witnesses.
But he had one last thing to say directly to the disciples.
Brothers and sisters,
these words are not just historical instruction to the apostles.
They are a living and breathing mandate for us today.
The Great Commission is our marching order,
our divine directive,
and it drives the essence of what it means to be the church.
Go is an active, intentional movement.
We are not called to sit back and wait for people to come to us.
We are commanded to go out into the world,
to step into the lives and communities of those who do not know Jesus.
Going is the very foundation of church planting.
It requires us to leave our comfort zones,
to reach out to new places, new cultures, new generations,
with a gospel message.
Next, we see that we are to make disciples of all nations.
The scope of the Great Commission is global.
It knows no boundaries, no barriers of race, ethnicity, or nationality.
Church planting embodies this global vision.
By establishing new churches in diverse locations,
we extend the reach of the gospel,
bringing the light of Christ to every corner of the earth.
Every new church plant is a beacon of hope.
A city on the hill, in the words of Jesus.
A place where disciples are made,
nurtured, and sent out to continue the mission.
We're also called in the Great Commission
to baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Baptism is the outward sign of an inward transformation.
A public declaration of faith,
an entry into the community of believers.
Through church planting,
we create spaces where new believers can be baptized,
publicly declaring their faith,
and welcoming them into the family of God.
These new churches become the birthplace of a faith,
the starting point of a lifelong journey of discipleship.
Finally, Jesus commands us to teach them to observe all that I have commanded you.
Church planting is not just about gathering converts.
It is about making disciples who live out Jesus' teachings in their daily lives.
New churches provide an environment where believers are taught,
nurtured, and equipped to follow Jesus wholeheartedly.
They become centers of teaching,
where the gospel is proclaimed and practiced.
The Great Commission is our divine mandate to plant churches.
It calls us to go,
make disciples,
baptize,
and teach.
It is a call to action,
a call to transformation,
a call to bring the light of Christ
to every nation,
every community,
and every heart.
Whether you live in downtown Kenosha,
Ghana, Africa,
London,
or the small rural village of Union Grove, Wisconsin,
we are called to make disciples
of every nation and people group.
There are people locally,
regionally,
nationally,
and internationally
who do not know Jesus Christ.
It is our mission
to bring the gospel to them
and plant churches
that make disciples
who are rooted in the gospel
and that continue to grow in it.
Then, just as Jesus did,
we send them out
to participate
in the mission
of multiplying disciples
through evangelism
and planting churches.
Planting churches
is not just one way
that we bring the gospel to the lost.
It isn't just one strategy.
It is the way.
It is the strategy.
Let me give you
a practical example of this.
Now, you don't all know me well yet,
and I hope to get to know you more
as we plant the Grove Church together.
But, spoiler alert,
I am a sinner,
and I once was a very lost man.
My faith was shaken
at the age of 20,
and quite honestly,
it really was just revealing
a lack of faith.
I was lost,
and I went to the world
to seek answers.
I found my answers
on the internet
and the meaning of my career.
The internet told me
that God wasn't real,
and the world told me
that my career
would give me purpose
and identity.
During this time,
I got married to Heather.
We were high school sweethearts.
She watched this good man
who was supposedly a Christian
when we met,
when we started dating,
this man transform
into something,
anything but that.
Became angry.
I had an insatiable appetite
for power
and money.
She knew I was lost,
and she begged me
to go to church
with her
for years.
My excuse was that
the church is filled
with pretenders
and phonies.
there's no way
we would be able
to find a good one.
My wife,
early on in my slide
into being even more lost,
got me to attend
one church, actually.
And after we left
that church service,
she looked at me
so excitedly,
and she said,
Dan,
what do you think?
I shrugged.
I said,
the people seemed fake,
and I'm not going
to go to church
where all of your
Trinity friends
are attending.
Now, that last line
is actually much closer
to the truth.
What I was calling
fake was actually
a genuine Christian.
They were genuine Christians
who knew and loved Jesus,
and they were being
sanctified and being made
more righteous.
I know this to be true
because now I know
that church to be faithful
with a genuinely loving
community of Christ followers,
and quite honestly,
they are one of the major
pillars of the community
they serve.
this church
was Crossway
of Bristol, Wisconsin,
your mother church.
But in my blindness,
all I saw were clicks,
phoniness,
and weirdos.
Crossway would have been
about 10 years old
at this point.
It wasn't an institutional
church yet.
I know they just celebrated
25 years.
However, the church
my wife finally got me
to attend
a few years after this,
the church in which
I become saved,
the church in which
I entered into a real
relationship with Jesus Christ,
the church in which
I recognized my sinfulness,
the church in which
I proclaimed,
Christ is the King
and the Lord
over my life.
This was a church plant
that had been recently
gifted their first building
that maybe had 100 or so
people between two services.
Their congregation
was just younger
in their faith
and not as sanctified
or threatening to me.
This church allowed me
to feel comfortable
in my lostness
until I found Jesus.
And then once I found Jesus,
they were willing
to continue to deal with me
as I grew in the gospel.
This church was less
than four years old
when we went there.
I can almost guarantee
that some in this room
have a similar story
or have felt a similar way
about churches.
You walk into a holy place
filled with holy people
as a sinner,
a broken, wretched man
or woman,
and you might not even
know it yet.
And you just bounce
right off of that holiness.
And yet,
you can walk into
Christ the King
when it was three,
five,
eight,
or ten years old
and see a church
that faithfully
preaches God's word
and is filled
with all sorts of
righteous,
sanctified,
intelligent people
and yet somehow,
somehow,
you were able to feel
more at home.
Some of you
to this day
might still be lost
and yet this church,
Christ the King,
I know it to be true,
will continue to love
and accept you
as you are
in hope that one day
you too
will call Christ
the King.
We must embrace
this mandate
with passion
and purpose.
Knowing that
planting churches
will fulfill
Jesus' mission
and advance
his kingdom
here on earth.
Now,
if you're an astute
reader
or listener,
you might be saying,
now Pastor Dan,
Jesus didn't say
plant a church.
You know what?
You're right.
You got me.
That is true.
Now,
I have made
an argument
that church planting
is how we complete
the Great Commission.
So let me defend
and claim,
let me defend
that claim
with irrefutable evidence.
We know
from the disciples'
actions and responses
to the Great Commission
that the church
is how Jesus wants
to build the kingdom
of God.
Our second point
this morning
is that Paul
understands church planting
as the key
to fulfilling
the Great Commission.
Let me repeat that.
Paul understands
church planting
as the key
to fulfilling
the Great Commission.
Paul establishes
a pattern
in his Great Commission
work throughout
the book of Acts.
Paul's first
missionary journey
as recorded
in Acts 13-14
began with the
commissioning
by the Holy Spirit
in the church
of Antioch.
This journey
takes Paul
and Barnabas
to several cities
including Antioch,
Iconium,
Lystra,
and Derbe
where they preached
the gospel
and established
new Christian churches.
Paul faced
significant opposition
in each city
and yet he remained
steadfast
in his mission.
His perseverance
resulted in the formation
of new churches.
Paul's second
missionary journey
detailed it
in Acts 15-18
expanded his church
planting efforts
even further.
He revisits
the churches
he had previously
established
strengthening the
believers
and addressing
any issues
that had arisen
and this journey
also saw the
planting of new churches
in places like
Philippi,
Thessalonica,
Berea,
Corinth,
and Ephesus.
Each city
has unique
cultural
and religious context
and yet
Paul's approach
to acting out
the Great Commission
remains consistent.
He preaches
the gospel,
he gathers
believers
and he establishes
local churches
to nurture
and grow their faith.
Paul preaches
the gospel,
gathers believers,
and establishes
local churches
to nurture
and grow their faith.
We see him
do this
again
and again.
We also see
that this is not
just a method
to be used
by Apostle Paul
because Paul
instructs
others to
participate
in the same work.
Titus 1,
4-5
gives us
this instruction.
It says,
To Titus,
my true child
in a common faith,
grace and peace
from God the Father
and Christ Jesus
our Savior.
This is why
I left you
in Crete
so that you might
put what remained
into order
and appoint elders
in every town
as I directed you.
Now I know
you all know this,
but the role
of an elder
is to know,
lead,
feed,
and protect
the local church,
the local flock
of Christians.
An elder's role
is unique
to the church
and Paul
instructs Titus
to raise elders.
Paul is essentially
telling Titus,
Finish planting
or establishing
those churches
in these towns.
Plant churches.
Not only
does Paul
model
what it looks like
to pursue
the Great Commission
through planting churches,
but he also shows us
that planting churches
is not just
for the apostles.
Church planting
is passed down
through the generations
of the church
as the strategy
for completing
the Great Commission.
Since the time
of Paul,
church planting
has been directly
tied to the growth
of Christianity
in any given region.
You obviously
know that to be true
for the establishment
of the church
during the life
and ministry
of Paul.
But it's also true
in our own
Protestant history
after the Reformation.
For any of our
history nerds,
you're really going
to enjoy
the next little piece
here.
In 1555,
100 church planting
pastors
were sent
from Geneva
to France.
These 100
pastors
planted churches,
made disciples
of the gospel
that grew
in the gospel
and then were
sent out
to plant churches.
Seven years later,
these 100 pastors
had planted
2,000 churches.
50% of the nation
of France
was thought
to be Protestant
Christian
by 1562
because of this
church planting
effort.
100 pastors
went out,
they equipped
disciples,
they made
disciples of Christ,
they equipped
disciples to do
ministry,
and those disciples
went out and
continued to plant
churches.
2,000 churches
in seven years.
How about here
in America?
What's our history
of church planting
tied to Christianity?
Christianity.
In 1820,
there was
one Christian
church
for every
875
U.S.
residents.
From 1860
to 1906,
the Protestants
of America,
that's us,
planted one church
for every
350 people
added to the
nation's population.
At the end
of this movement
to plant churches,
there was one church
for every
430 people
in the nation.
Church double.
At this time,
40% of all
Protestant churches
were under
the age of 25.
To give some
idea of the
growth from this
church planting
movement,
in 1776,
just 17%
of the U.S.
population
was considered
religiously
adherent.
But in 1916,
after this church
planting movement,
this had increased
to 53%.
How about today?
Today,
there is one
Christian church
for every
1,000 people
in America.
If our goal
was to get back
to at least
one church
for every
500 people
in the next
20 years,
we would need
to plant
a minimum
of 15,000
churches a year.
Oh, wait.
4,500 churches
or so close
every year.
So we actually
need to plant
20,000 churches
a year.
How many
are we actually
planting?
In 2019,
through all
the major
Protestant denominations
and evangelical
denominations,
3,000
Protestant churches
were planted
in 2019.
That's it.
We're not even
keeping up
with the amount
of churches
that are closing,
let alone
trying to get back
to a meaningful
number that can
serve the community
well.
If the Great
Commission is to be
executed through
planting of churches,
and we see that
in Paul's model
and teaching,
then we must
take up the mantle
of church planting
and make it our
strategy for spreading
the gospel.
We need to make
disciples who are
rooted in the gospel,
who grow in the gospel,
and who multiply
the gospel through
evangelism and church
planting.
It is clear that we
must plant churches
to fulfill the
Great Commission
and expand God's
kingdom.
Pastor Dan,
all of this is
fine.
There's some nice
stats.
Yep, I agree.
Paul planted churches.
That makes sense.
But does this really
matter for me today?
I mean, I have
Christ the King.
It's a great church.
You know, there's
still room in the pews.
I can invite my
friends here.
Like, it's still okay.
Right?
Now, I'm sure none
of you are actually
angsty enough to be
asking that question.
But let's go ahead
and dive into
Revelation 7.
It's been a minute,
so I'll reread it
for us.
We're in Revelation
7, 9-12.
After this, I looked
and behold,
a great multitude
that no one could
number,
from every nation,
from all tribes
and peoples
and languages,
standing before the
throne and before
the Lamb,
clothed in white
robes with palm
branches in their
hands,
and crying out
with a loud voice,
salvation belongs
to our God who
sits on the throne
and to the Lamb.
And all the angels
were standing around
the throne and
around the elders
and the four living
creatures, and they
fell on their faces
before the throne
and worshipped God,
saying,
Amen!
Blessing and glory
and wisdom
and thanksgiving
and honor
and power
and might be
to our God
forever and ever.
Amen!
To answer this
question first,
the Great Commission
mandates church
planting.
Paul modeled it
and taught it
to be true,
and church planting
ignites God's
kingdom on earth.
Our third point,
church planting
ignites God's
kingdom on earth.
This passage
paints a
breathtaking picture
of the culmination
of God's
redemptive plan.
A vision of
unity,
diversity,
and worship
that inspires
and propels us
forward in our
mission.
What an awe-inspiring
scene!
This passage
gives us a glimpse
of heaven,
where the multitude
from every corner
of the earth
stands united
in worship
before the throne
of God.
It is a vision
of God's kingdom
fully realized,
where barriers
of race,
ethnicity,
and language
are completely
dissolved,
and we are
in the presence
of the Almighty.
But this vision,
brothers and sisters,
is not just
a future hope.
Church planting
is our means
of working
towards this
heavenly vision.
But each
new church plant
is also
a microcosm
of Revelation 7.
It is a tangible
expression
of Christ's
diverse
and unified
body.
Consider the
diversity that is
depicted in this
passage.
A multitude
from every nation,
every tribe,
every people,
every language,
every socioeconomic
situation,
poor,
rich,
whatever.
Republican,
Democrat.
This is all
clear,
this is a clear
call to reach
beyond our own
cultural and
ethnic boundaries,
to reach outside
of our people.
Church planting
enables us to
engage with
diverse communities,
share the gospel
across cultural
lines,
and to build
congregations that
reflect the
beautiful diversity
of God's
creation.
We begin to
mirror the
heavenly assembly
described in
Revelation through
planting churches in
various contexts and
among different
people.
Secondly, the
image, the unity in
this image in
worship is striking.
Despite their
diverse backgrounds,
the multitude is
united in a single
purpose, to
worship God
and the
Lamb.
Church planting
fosters this
unity.
By establishing
new churches
of faith, we
create spaces
where believers
from different
walks of life
can come
together,
united in their
love for Jesus
and commitment
to his mission.
These new
churches become
beacons of
unity in a
divided world,
showcasing
the power
of the
gospel to
unite people.
Thirdly, the
worship of the
multitude is
central.
They cry out
with a loud
voice, declaring
the salvation of
God and
attributing all
glory, wisdom
and power to
him.
Church planting
is fundamentally
about creating
a worshiping
community.
glory.
It is about
establishing a
place where
God is
glorified, his
salvation is
proclaimed, and
believers are
equipped to live
lives of
worship.
Each new
church plant is a
fresh voice in
the chorus of
praise that will
one day resound in
the throne room of
heaven.
God.
In light of
Revelation 7, 9
through 12, we
see that church
planting is not
merely a strategic
initiative, it's
not merely a
response to
declining attendance,
it is deeply
theological
endeavor that
aligns with God's
ultimate plan for
humanity.
It is our
participation in
the unfolding
story of
redemption, our
contribution to the
diverse, unified,
worshiping body of
Jesus Christ that
will one day all be
gathered in heaven
together.
We must, and I
know I'm saying
that word a lot
today, but we
must renew our
passion and
purpose for this
mission Christ has
given us.
We must commit to
proclaiming the
gospel, making
disciples, and
planting churches.
churches.
Our motivation is
that this is the
mission that God
has given us.
And as we engage in
church planting, we
are not just building
institutions.
We are building the
kingdom of God here
on earth.
We are working
towards the day when
people of every
nation, tribe,
people, and
languages will stand
together before the
throne, united in
worship and declaring
the glory of God.
God, and I can't
think of a more
beautiful purpose to
our lives here on
earth.
I just can't.
We are to live lives
of worship and bring
others into that
worship as well.
The importance of
church planting cannot
be overstated, even if
I did say we must about
a dozen times.
It is a direct
response to the
Great Commission, an
essential part of
living out our faith, and
a powerful means of
advancing God's
kingdom on earth.
By planting churches, we
follow the example of
Paul who demonstrated
through his missionary
journeys that planting
new churches is vital
for the spread of the
gospel.
moreover, church
planting is a foretaste
of the heavenly vision
depicted in Revelation
7, 9 through 12, where
people from every nation,
tribe, and language
worship together before
the throne of God.
Each new church plant we
plant is a step towards
realizing this divine
vision, bringing us
closer to the day when
all creation will join in
unified worship.
church.
We must, I know I've
said it a ton, but we
must embrace the call to
plant churches with a
renewed sense of urgency
and commitment.
There are many challenges
facing the church today,
both here and abroad.
As we step out in faith to
plant new churches, we
address these challenges
and we participate in God's
redemptive work in the
world.
Church planting is not
just about numerical
growth, it is about
transforming lives,
communities, and cultures
with the power of the
gospel.
May we be called by the
Great Commission,
motivated by Paul's
example, and driven by
the vision of Revelation
7, dedicating ourselves
to planting churches and
expanding God's kingdom
here and now.
God, we have a role to
play in this great work.
Some of you may be called
to plant churches, like
myself, planting the Grove
Church at this moment.
Some of you may be called
to that.
If that is you, talk with
your pastors, talk with
your elders, let them work
through that call with you.
Whether that is for you to go
and be sent by Christ the
king to plant another
independent church or to
join a church plant that is
already in process, they can
help you pray through that
and think through that
calling.
They can help guide you with
some next steps.
Lastly, there are, not
lastly, you also might just
be called to pray.
To pray for church planting.
To pray for the in-breaking
of the gospel in new
communities.
To pray for planters such as
myself or my church, the
Grove Church.
And lastly, there are some
of you that might be called
to support church planting
financially.
If you feel called to this,
I would still recommend that
you bring that to your
pastors and elders.
Christ the king may be
called to start a church
planting fund for your
future.
Or they can help direct you
to appropriate plants for
your support.
As members of Christ the
king, I want to make sure
that I say this very
clearly to you.
As members of Christ the
king, you are already
actively participating in
this work.
As a local church, you are
sending the Grove Church to
Union Grove, Wisconsin.
You are planting the Grove
Church.
And we couldn't be more
thankful for your
partnership in this
essential work.
This is not a weight for
you to individually carry the
burden of.
The church is essential to
God's redemptive plan.
And local churches should
do the work of church
planting, just as Christ
the king is doing with me.
And again, I say thank you
for participating in this
work.
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, we thank you
for the incredible privilege of
being part of your mission on
earth.
God, we ask that you would
empower us with your spirit as
we commit to planting churches
and making disciples.
Give us the courage to go where
you lead, the wisdom to build
strong, Christ-centered churches,
and the passion to reach those
who have yet to hear the good
news of Jesus Christ.
May our efforts bring glory to
your name and draw many into your
kingdom.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.