Discipleship III

You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. And I have ordained that you go forth and bring forth fruit as it pleases me. And I shall plant many of you by the rivers of water where your roots shall go down deep and where your leaf shall not wither, and where your fruit shall remain. And I would have you to know that I am enduring you and allowing the Holy Spirit to come upon you in greater measure than before. Because many shall go forth even as Daniel of old, and shall go into the lion's den. Oh, they will not be lions that you can see, but they will be lions of this day. And they will be those that will be those to destroy, to try, try to destroy you in every way possible. But I am anointing you with the anointing that even as Aaron came from the top of his head down to the soles of his feet. And there will be others that will go into devious places where there has been no light before. And I am sending you forth to bring forth the light. And so you are being trained. You tonight do not reach realize that because of the choice that you have made, that you are now the apple of mine eye, that you are following strong after me with a heart that wants to worship me. And that is what I am well pleased in. So be encouraged tonight that you have been called and chosen of the Lord. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah, Lord. Lord Jesus, just receive that church and ask, even as the word has gone forth, apply your faith that that anointing of the Holy Spirit would fall on your life. Would you do that? Oh, Father. Oh, Lord, I yearn for that fresh anointing in my life, Lord. To go forth as you would call, Father. Oh, Jesus believe you to do it, Lord. To make a fresh way in our hearts. Lord God. Lord, the task is too great without you, Lord. Oh, Jesus. Pour out your spirit. Pour out your spirit, Lord Jesus. Hallelujah. Hallelujah, Lord. Thank you, Father. We receive it, Lord, in Jesus name. Hallelujah. Praise the name of the Lord. Praise the Lord. Let's be seated together. Okay. Thank you for that word. We have some seats in the front which you may want to take. Be filling out the cards now, listen, let's just maintain the spirit the Lord's ministering to us here. We have several announcements and I think what we'll do is we'll finish with them, Pastor. That way you'll have to come back from your groups. Good announcements. Okay, we'll get right on with the teaching tonight. Now, if you who has not picked up their book yet. Everyone has a book. Okay. If you still need one, we have a number of extra copies in the back. And who has not made a contribution for the book yet? I see those hands. Try to remember that there's a lot of money in my master charge right now. I just need you guys to. Okay. If it's a hardship or if, you know, you don't like the book, then you don't have to pay. Give you two reasons. Praise the Lord. Okay. How many here have ever done an annual report? How many? Can you raise your hands? About half of you have done an annual report. What do you consider those to be? What do you consider those? Boring. A lot of useless information. Right, Right. A lot of lies. There we are. Anybody else? That's probably more truth than fiction right there. I consider them bread and butter. Bread and butter. That's right. A graphic designer. Making it beautiful. Making it beautiful. Making those lies palatable. Well, one of the things that the Lord has really impressed upon me and especially as we. I don't know about you, but I love to take a chunk of time and think about it and what has happened. We do this in our marriage a lot, Krista and I. We sit down and we say, what's happened over the last year? What has God done? How has he worked in our lives? How has he checked us? How has he provided for us? How has he enabled us? And you probably do that a lot, don't you? On summer evenings you walk with your. Don't you? And. Or you walk with yourself and you think about where things are. I gotta be careful here, singles. We're grateful that you're here tonight. You walk with the Lord hand in hand, down the road. Well, one of the things that God has been impressing upon me is that we need to be evaluating on a regular basis, if not a yearly basis, on a regular basis, how we're doing. And for some of you, you're going to be able to really see this clearly. But I want you to take two minutes right now, get out a piece of paper, and I want you to write an annual report in two minutes to the Lord and how you're doing in your particular call or ministry. How you're doing in your particular call or ministry. Now, what does an annual report contain? Facts. That's right. It's measurable, isn't it? So there'll be some facts there about your report before the Lord. You're going to tell how you're doing in your particular call or ministry, what has been produced what your vision is, how your vision that you began with has been accomplished to some degree or perhaps more narrowed or focused for you in terms of what you've been called to. It might have to do with one individual life and how you plugged into that individual and brought that person into a point of fruitfulness. And you might want to identify some of those areas. Okay, let's take two minutes and do that real quick. Do your yearly report. That sphere of setting some very specific and accomplishable and measurable goals in terms of our own input, our responsibility in ministry before the Lord for others. And I think we're going to see tonight. Let's hear. Do we have an overhead? Just a blank one. Let's see what some of your points on your annual report would look like. Okay. What are some of the things that you've accomplished? What's one of the things you've accomplished without trying to. I've led 350 people to the Lord. Right. Without trying to seem prideful or anything like that. What are some of the things that God has done through you this last year, in the last three months? Few months? Okay. Zero. No. Yes. The way I started it was I put it in three categories. Think about three things that I'm involved with. First was ministry, personal growth, family growth. So I just looked at my annual report and those three. Okay, and what was. Okay, give me. Give me just one example, one thing that you've accomplished this year. Family growth. 1. This. Ron surely knows how to grow. Indeed. Yes, I believe in bodily growth here. I've grown bodily. Anyone else? Tell me some specifics. See, look at this. One of my visions was to nurture the base of Christ. God had given me that one. I've seen that happen in my life. Okay, good. What else? What else? Yes. Boy, that's quite a lesson, Nancy. Wow. We're going to spend time with you right after Anybody else? Some things that you've seeing. Yes, Jim. Greater ministry one to another in the home. That. That is exciting, Jim. Greater ministry in. I should say personal ministry in home group. Okay, what else? Yes, That's exciting. Release of ministry. In reproduction through reproduction. Okay, Good. Anything else? Yes, Dori, Learn to listen with new purpose. That's great. Those are very good. Really, all of those are excellent. I want you to take a second right now and I need some help. I want you to take these and I want you to see what Paul's annual report was on the Thessalonica Church. And I want you to take time, just for a few minutes and write down what you see Paul's annual report to be. What are the. In your own words, what are the confirmations and the affirmations of his ministry in terms of practical outworking of his life and Christ's life and others? These are some of the characteristics that Paul believes that had been an outworking he's seen of his life, of his ministry to the fellowship at Thessalonica. Read this and then mark on the right side those qualities that you see, those achievements that you've seen Paul through, those verses produce in the people in Thessalonica. The Church of Thessalonica. Do that. Take about three minutes. What's the first thing that you see as Paul kind of begins to speak about what he has heard and he knows and he's seen regarding the believers at Thessalonica? What's the first thing you see? Let's go down and see what? Founded on God. Okay, so their lives were set upon a firm foundation. What else? They were still an existing body because he addresses them as a church. Okay, living body. What else? Faith that issued forth in achievement. Okay, what does that mean? Their practice faith did what? They had results. Okay, good. What else? Love. Love meant what? Oh, yuck. I thought love meant good feelings. You know what else? Hope that issued forth in what? Endurance. They had an awareness of their chosenness. They were. What did they have then? What did that mean? What did that mean? That they had an idea of who they were. They had a wonderful identity. They had what we all. Affirm at least up here, but that which God is working out down here, and that is a positive self image. They knew who they were in Jesus Christ and that was the foundation really, that enabled all this. Everything else, all these other achievements chosen. That is a positive self image. They knew who they were because they knew who they were in Christ. Okay, what else they what into evangelism. Okay, where did you see that, Barbara? That's great. What a great visual that is. You know, to see how the Lord, the word hits us and then bounces off us. It goes off, off of us through our lives. Okay, what else? How do you. Where do you see that? Okay, with power behind it. Anointing of Holy Spirit. Boy, they've done a lot, they call it. I'll tell you, their work was significant, wasn't it? In terms of the outworking of this. What else became examples? Okay, they were examples. There were models. They knew that it not only had to be their words because they were coming forth that they had had to be their life. What else? They were encouragers. Okay. Okay. Where do you see that? Willing to risk. Where do you see that, Dan? Okay. The message meant bitter persecution. Willing to risk what? Their lives, weren't they? No fear. Great joy. And that really had the great joy came in the midst, didn't it? If I remember correctly, in the midst of the persecution. It wasn't a result, but it came in the midst of the persecution. Okay. Anything else? And notice that they had set themselves to follow Jesus. Some of these things are growing out of that. Okay, where do you see that? Founded on God, verse 17. Set themselves like a flint toward Jesus, as Peter did when he got out of the boat to Jesus. Okay. Praise the Lord. Yes. They must have had an incredible sense of true and straight discernment in order to be assigned before discernment. Isn't that. That's so interesting, because that ties in with what we were talking about last week. But it's so true. They had to have vivid discernment in the midst of a land that was torn by idol worship and all kinds of perversion. All of Greece was in the midst of that. Yes. Endurance. Okay, we got that over there. Okay. We'll put it enduring in what way, Doug? Okay. Willingness. Yes. Okay. Anything else? Gee, look at all these things. George. George, you just. Are you kidding? Didn't resist change. In fact, they welcomed him, didn't they? Okay. Yes, John. Yeah. Impact of lives. They didn't have to have an ad in the newspapers telling what great ministry they were carrying on. Right. I mean, the lies. And that's really reflected so much in lies, Amy. Okay. They were widely known for their faith. And that's really significant. We need to talk about that. Yes, Bonnie. Okay. Praise God. What an annual report. Can you believe this, Jim? They were looking forward, not backward, in. The end of 25, but everywhere that the story of your faith in God has become known. 20, 29, 25. The story. Okay. Your whole lives now look forward. Forward looking. Okay. They had vision, didn't they? Somebody else. Walt, did you want to say something? Okay. Okay. Carol. Committed to prayer. I love it. Well, see, what we're saying here is there's a significant reality about what God was producing in these people. And you see how that lines up now as you think about your annual report. Once again. Is this the kind of report? Is this the kind of people that we are producing? That's really the goal. And that really ties in with this next handout, which is the very next chapter of First Thessalonians. Now, this talks about the kind. How was this ministry produced, you see, we know that that was the reality. But then Paul is not afraid to talk about how it came about. So. So why don't we take three minutes and do this one? Give some to Ken there. Okay, we'll turn that off and we'll work on this. We're going to talk about the kind of ministry, the kind of leadership that establish a church with these kinds of qualities. Let's take about three or four minutes and just write those down as we see in the scripture today. Yes. They were also. They turned away, away from idols. Amen. There's ever a thing that the church needs to always be aware are the idols that are set up. Amen. Amen. Okay, yes. Well, you guys don't want to let this go. That's exciting. Amen. There is real power. Authenticity really is the key. Okay, let's take this and just take about three minutes. And. It is so easy for us to think in terms of great numbers, isn't it? We didn't mention anything about numbers in that. Paul never mentioned anything about numbers, did he, in that letter? I really believe if we give ourselves to producing in people and in lives what God is producing in us, that we won't have to worry about numbers, will we? That God will produce and will bring the fruit. He'll just bring people, because people are being set free and their lives are authentic and they're real. And Blaine was mentioning. He mentioned last Thursday about this tax accountant that had come to the Lord and we had met with him through this whole process of negotiating on Bradley's. And we'll talk more about that later. But this guy was, I guess, a real jerk. Blame wherever you are. But he was saying that he called in one. This tax accountant called in one by one, those associates that worked with him and said he told him in his humble and simple way that he had met the Lord at this particular retreat that past weekend and that he was going to be different from now on. And he wanted them to come in and tell him when they felt he was really blowing it or being too harsh with them. And I guess that's the kind of quality of life that so many of us long for and yearn for, especially if we're out in the world as an authentic person who isn't putting up a facade or some kind of. And we think of that so often, don't we? We think of our need to be authentic, and yet how many times do we walk right through those doors and put up our facade of everything's okay and Leaders, we need to be accountable for that. We need to be aware that we don't have. If we're not. If we're having struggles, we need to be authentic with that. And yet in the midst of it, what did Paul said? In the midst of their persecution, in the midst of the circumstances, that's really what he's saying. There was joy. And if we put it in the context of what that really means, it was a release of life to others and God's power is made perfect. When we are just absolutely who we are. At our weakest point, we say we know we can honestly affirm that God is at work in the dark places or in the quiet places. And that's when God begins to move among us. There's just no doubt about it. So let's look at the quality of ministry that developed this. And think about this in terms of your own ministry, quote, unquote, whatever that is, your own life, in terms of giving that away. What's the first thing that you see? What, Jim? Courageous. Courageous. Again, not afraid. No fear. You know, God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of courage and a sound mind and love. Vision. Where do you see that? Whatever. The opposition had a. A vision because the vision was the gospel, wasn't it? The good news? Okay. They were committed. It was real. It was life to them. Okay, what else? You need to speak up just a little bit because of the noise of this and you throw something out. Pure motives. What does that mean, Gene? What does that mean? Gene? What does that mean? What do pure motives mean? In other words, whatever you do, you do because you know it's what God wants you to do and not because it's going to either elevate you or bring some notoriety to you. What's the quickest way to lose pure motivation and take your eyes off the Lord? And as soon as we do that, I know I do it, take my eyes off the Lord and I start looking around and checking out how others are doing it. I don't want to say too much about that, but I'm sorry, what? Okay. Not exploiting anyone. A true message, really, that came through on Sunday. So clearly when Jay was talking about if we have the truth, the truth is going to do what? It's going to set people free and we have something to offer in the world that is going to set them free. And it's amazing when we begin to just speak the name, the life of Jesus and what he means to us, how people sit up and listen. I believe if we are in the days that we believe, we say we are, that is in these final days that people are hungering. Of course I get the joy of meeting with all these. I shouldn't say I'm going to be sensitive. I really do get the privilege of meeting with so many of those people that you're bringing with problems. And I see that as a precious gift. I feel like you see, when I look at the New Testament Church I see a people filled with problems. But yet in the midst of all of that being able to exalt the person of Jesus Christ now I have one that just what a joy. These new babes are just like breaths of fresh air that blow in in a stale room. The other day Paul Leese was in to see me, brought Timothy with me and he left a little present behind. It stayed there for I don't know how long. And somebody came in, you know and they, and I, they said do I have to sit there, sit through this for an hour? And I said no, I'll go get the fresh air, you know. And I went upstairs and got the fresh air thing. But that's really what the word of God is, the truth and the spirit, spirit of his life through these new believers and they come and share just the joy and the joy of being alive in Christ for the first time, having peace in their hearts. You see, that's really what life, that's what we're here for. I feel that's really to see people come to experience that and we get many times so caught up in the intensity of the heaviness of ministry that, that we miss the life and the joy and the power and the enablement that comes through new life. You know, talk to Ron about new life. He knows all about it and he's so excited about a new baby in his home and to John and to others. Okay, let's go on here. True message. What else Back to that. Yes. Something just a really neat quality. Something there is I really just got the willing to try willingness to try again after a bad experience and to which shows that man these guys were really just didn't say they were vulnerable. They were and were vulnerable to be rejected again. That's a neat quality to be able to put yourself up and be rejected and then go back in and and say well I might possibly be rejecting. You but I'm going to do it. Because that's what God wants me to do. I see that as that single mindedness. They had a vision and they knew in a sense we're struggling with this in relationship to. I know you're struggling with that at times in relationship to your home groups or your ministry. You think this is a stone wall. We feel like that in relationship to Bradley's in this building. And in a way, every door has been shut. And we just believe that we're going to be sheer. Have sheer dogged endurance, and we're going to continue to press ahead and knock at that door until God opens it. If it isn't this door, we know that he has another door for us because he has a place for us. There's no doubt about that. I really appreciate that. What else? What are some of the other things? We haven't even got through this. What are some of the other things here? Integrity. That stood the test. Boy, Does that hit anybody. Tenderness. Yeah. We get to all of these. Now we get down to the good stuff. We're talking tonight, if you haven't picked this up probably yet, but we're talking about developing a caring ministry and being a caring leader, really. And we get down to the real nitty gritty stuff here and see how he initiated that ministry. Yes. Wholehearted devotion. Okay. Yes. Things come to mind. I'm sure the thoughts come to your mind, too. And just let me just make this comment about. I really sense that, and I maybe shouldn't even be saying this, that Reagan really kind of acquiesced and kind of shrunk back when the guy asked him, do you consider yourself a born again Christian? And even then he kind of hummed and hawed him. Thank you so much, Ruth. I appreciate that. Really. I mean, that was discouraging to me because he didn't speak out with boldness, you know, and just say. Even if he didn't identify that way, you know, I identified myself as a believer in Jesus Christ. You're going to shrunk back. Yes. Personal ministry. What? Okay. In 20 there. Because we love you. Ah. Sincere love, you know, Isn't it. You know, it's hard. How many times do we say, I really love you, and I'm working with somebody right now who has a difficult time saying that at all in his life. Cannot even say the word I love you to his spouse. It's been that long. Just amazing. Paul is so free with his emotions. He just says what he's on. His heart, Roy. Okay. Entrusted by God. That ultimately our ministry, the source of our ministry and responsibility is God and the power that comes in that. Yes. Every time you teach, I get that sense, a solemn sense, really, of being entrusted. Yeah. They knew who they were. They were standing for who they were ambassadors for. Okay. Yes, Ron. And also down below it says that. Personally, as a father within his child. Remember that first point that we talked about, was it last week, in terms of discernment, Jay, about Jesus ministry? He dealt with them each individually. I mean, the way you deal with one baby is going to be different than the way you deal with another baby. And it's so easy to lump them all together. Okay, Good. Even when they blew it, to be responsible. Okay. Good stewardship, too, by all of this. Yes. Although it kind of goes beyond that, doesn't it, when he talks about day and night, we work so that our preaching the gospel to you might not cost you a penny. Well, there goes our salaries. What did that do? What's the reasoning behind that? Why did Paul do that? Yes, Kirk, outsiders see you bringing in love to yourself, then you're going to be discredited. Okay, so it was coming back to their. What, his behavior was above their cynicism. Okay, okay. Respected behavior, respectful. And lifestyle, I guess you could say. Yes, Dallas. Continually thankful for what? Dallas, Where was that? What verse is that? And so we continue thankful that when you heard us preach the word of God, you accepted it not as a mere human message, but as it really is. God's word, a power in the lives of those who believe. So they were thankful for what? God? Yes, Jean, There were several gifts, too, that they had. And one of them was they had. The gift of teaching. They had the gift of exhortation. They could exhort them to continue on in the faith. And they were not afraid to share. The glory of God nor their gifts. With the rest of them. Amen. Unafraid, unabashed in their expression of life blame. Amen. Amen. Write that down. The last three. Jesus Christ was very last. Period of time is expending. Amen. Yeah. That they knew the power behind the message. Yes. Amen. We didn't put that down. A struggle, hard work. How many have felt that in their ministries? In fact, feeling that more than then, a lot of times, the joy and the. And the. The produce. Yes. Grant in lines 30, 31 and 32, they had a clear sense of where they were going in the ministry. Their objective was very clear. They wanted to stimulate their faith. Amen. Hey, this is so good. Yes, ma'. Am. That all those things that they gave them and all the things they did for them were because they loved them, which that had to come first, evidently, before they were willing to struggle and give and be joyous. Why did they unless you really love something. Why did they love them? Do do you think? Why did they love them? I don't know if that's in. Okay, Amen. Amen. What a pure motive that is. Yes, brother. Ones of teachers doing the service as opposed to, you know, the disciples coming and serving the rabbi. They were doing the ministry. So there was real discipleship going, going on. That's key. See, they saw they knew that there was a fulfillment of the Great Commission discipleship was taking place, that they saw disciples, they knew who they were. I mean, I'm sure Paul knew who they were and Timothy and others. Yes, John. The witness. Yeah. Why exciting, georgia. Servants of God, God's encouragement, God's direction, God's power in the Word was achieved and exhibit. That's right. They were open vessels and look how they respond. You know, one of the things that you haven't mentioned yet that was interesting is how does he just right there, how does he respond to them? How does he relate to them? He says, you're my brothers. See, it's not a hierarchy. It's a relationship of coming alongside of unity, of a common bond of there being no difference between who they were. And you know, that's so when Rick, before he came the first time and was asking about North Way Christian community, I said, it's just like the New Testament church, Rick. I said, we've got the widest diversity, sociological, economically, educationally. We have just the broader spectrum of people. And God has really graced us in that because it's really pressed us into living out what God's called us. And that's to love one another in spite of all of that. Now we haven't racially, we're still working on that on as our token black and we love her and God's going to break that bond too. But we believe in homogeneous units that he can reap to that too. Someone else wanted to share. Yes, Jack I believe a lot of these characteristics, I would say totally unselfish. You know, they had learned the secret of giving themselves away, of dying to self, hadn't they? And so the life of Jesus might be manifest in others. Amy. Yes, exactly. The tenderness and the oh, absolutely. That's really good. Yes. Going back to that nursing experience by. Saying they don't become professionally nice, as precious to them, and they will watch them like they would be watching towards a little baby. And when you have a little baby. In somebody, you have to have the. Quality and quantity of time to give them. You just can't go do your thing that's right. And they nurture them like that. That's right. See that's, that's a joy. That's so beautiful. Because how easy it is for us to think in terms of numbers and moving along, getting our plan accomplished instead of being willing to take time and just time and time and not give up on individuals. Yes, that's so good. Saying we got. We're so grateful to you. Amen. Amen. Why so good, Ron? They had a spiritual emphasis which changed form lives, not just idolatry. That's right. You know, it's interesting because so many times I'm sure that you're tired. I know I was about 6:30 saying, Boy, I'll tell you, I'm ready for a nap kind of thing. But yet it's amazing when you come. And I've never in all my life, honestly, in all of my life, I have never come to work. What I know God's calling me to be at and been disappointed or discouraged or, you know, God always meets us when we go to meet him. And there's just such that confidence that God's word ultimately is not going to return to him void as we pour into people and give our lives away. Let's turn that off. Just. Why don't you stand up for a second and get your brother and sister and turn to the. Turn to that way and get your brother or sister a good back rub right now. All of that preliminary, which was really the me of everything we're going to talk about. When we think of caring, when we think of leadership, we say, well, how many times you look at Jeremiah, you look at Moses, you look at Abraham, you look at all of the great men of God and you find out that every one of them were scared to death. And every one of them said, no, not me, send somebody else. I'm not the one for you, God. And when we talk about leadership in the body of Christ, the thing that has most solidified my thinking in terms of what it takes to be a leader in the body of Christ is one little phrase, and that is a person who's willing to care. And that if you remember that focus of ministry chart. Where was that? Remember, if we work across that focus of ministry chart, the last column was enfolded and willing to care. And you see, that is what divides us. That's what separates us from those who aren't, those who are caught up in their own needs and their own lives and their own cares and concerns. That's what separates us. We say, lord, I'm willing to care. Not that I have any special gifts or any unique abilities or talents or great experience, but I'm here and I'm willing to care. I'm willing to give my life so that another might be nurtured and loved into the kingdom. Now that calls then ultimately. See, we have all done this at one degree or another, but it calls us to do one thing. Four things, I say. But one thing to begin with is to count the cost. There is a tremendous cost. And the scriptures replete with these beautiful phrases that help us to understand what we're to do, what we're to care about. And the passage that comes to mind is Ephesians 4:13, and that is that we are called that there were gifted men and women given to the church to equip the saints for the work of ministry. What? For the building up of the body of Christ and building. I wrote down just a few verses. That's Ephesians 4, there's 1 Peter 2, 45 and 1 Corinthians 14 12. And each one of those passages talks specifically about the building that God is building. We're referred to as the Bride of Christ. And another way of looking at our relationship in the world is as a building that God is about the work of doing, of bringing together, of constructing. And first Peter, chapter two, verse four and five says this. Come to him, to that living stone rejected by men, but in God's sight, chosen and precious. And like living stones, be yourselves. Now see, that's a passive verb there. You have to submit to being fit in, to be fit into the building that God is establishing and working and creating. I love that analogy. Because ultimately we like living sacrifices, get out, choose many times to get move ourselves out of the building. See, we have to be submitted to be moved into the building that God has established. And so many times, like living sacrifices, what do we do? I don't want to be up on the altar. I want to get down and I want to do this. Lord, I know in fact what I should be doing. You really don't know what I'm to be doing. But God says, let yourself be fit in. Just like in the body, you know, the different parts of the body, the same analogy that you're to fit in in a certain place. And when you're fitting there and you're sitting there in that building, how beautiful that building looks, it just fits together. But you take out one stone and it kind of looks silly, it kind of looks awkward. And it's interesting that Paul said that God Chose to give what the greater value, the greater worth to what? The weaker parts. So you can't ever back out of God's building and say, I'm not important. It's not going to fall. I don't think it's going to fall, but it's not going to be all that it was intended to be. And then it's interesting if you look at that first Corinthians passage, verse 14, chapter 14, verse 12. And again in that same context, in the same context of building the church, he puts it right in the middle of talking about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, all the enablement, all the resource of