Pastor Dave Martin ~ Cross Creek Community Church ~ August 29, 2010

“Little Stories: Big Lessons”

“Our Mission” Mt 28:16-20; Eph 4:7, 11-16

Friday, Pastor Jeff & Susie Aulisio & family (Ava/Sara) were blessed with the birth of their third child, Luke! PTL… Newborn babies have something in common – they all have a natural desire to eat! If the mother nurses the baby the milk is the perfect temperature, sterilized and usually the right mix of nutrients for growth and health. Mother’s milk also protects the baby from infections providing natural immunities. If God has a formula for a healthy growing church – what would it be? What would it look like within the community of believers? What is our mission? What’s the purpose of Cross Creek? Why do we exist? Let’s look at a little story with a big lesson…

• Jesus asked His eleven disciples to meet Him at a certain mountain after His resurrection (Mt. Tabor?)
• They were obedient and found Jesus there… ALIVE and worshiped Him, though some doubted, no way???
• It was here on this mountain that Jesus laid out what we call “The Great Commission” for the church…

Matthew 28:16-20 ¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

• A little story with profound meaning… All authority… As you are going… Be winning people for Christ
• The Great Commission is as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago… it is for every Christian…
• In Acts we read these words from Christ just before His ascension into heaven…

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

• The focal point of all scripture is “making disciples”… This is the message of the Bible… SALVATION
• A “Disciple” is someone who places their trust in Jesus and follows Him in lives of continual learning and obedience… word means a “learner” and a follower of Jesus Christ… living an exchanged life for Him
• The mission of Jesus is “our mission” also… (Lu 19:10) Given to us… to seek and to save the lost…
• We are Enlightened (saved), Empowered (indwelling Holy Spirit), Entrusted (commissioned) to GO…

• Tying this to the words Jesus spoke in Mt 16 concerning His church… Jesus asked the disciples who the people say He is? Responses were: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or a prophet come from God…
• Then He asks what do you say??? A probing question… Peter speaks up, the “Christ, Son of the Living God”
• This answer pleased Jesus… this was the truth, then He uses a play on words and says:

Matthew 16:18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (petros), and upon this rock (petra - Christ, Son of the Living God v16) I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. NLT

• Jesus is building His church… He is the “Foundation”, “Chief Cornerstone”, “capstone” “Rock”… even today
• The Body of Christ, a living organism is made up of individually redeemed people… with a commission!
• We have been given a mandate to reach the world for Christ… To be His witnesses, sharing the Gospel
• In Jerusalem (Back Mt), Judea (Wyoming Valley), Samaria (NE Pa), ends of the earth (whole world)
• Jesus is building His church for the purpose of reaching the world… to the praise of His glory!

How do we as the people of Cross Creek accomplish the Great Mission we’ve been given by Christ?

Our Mission to Accomplish (found in many passages… one place it’s laid out for us in Eph 4:7, 11-16)

1. 1.      The Plan… Process, purpose, promise, price, prize

V7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it… ¹¹ It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

• Spiritually Gifted Servants V7

1. Every believer is given spiritual gifts to be used within the church body. Saved for reason (1co12)
2. The indwelling Holy Spirit enables us to use these gifts to the glory of God. His matchless grace!

• Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors/Teachers. V11

1. The Apostles and Prophets are foundational gifts given to the church with Christ the Cornerstone.
2. The Apostles and Prophets revealed God’s will to the church before scriptures were completed…
3. The Evangelist spread the gospel in a similar way that missionaries do today. They went out…
4. The Pastor/teacher is most likely speaking of the same office, a teaching Pastor who focused primarily in leading and feeding a local flock of believers.

1. 2.      The Process…

V11 “…Pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…”

• Pastors/Teachers Prepare God’s people.

1. Circle Pastors/teachers and God’s people. These are the players, the participants in this process.
2. The Pastors prepare, equip, perfect, mend God’s people. In Mt. 4:21 we see the same Greek word used when James and John were preparing their nets for fishing. They were getting the nets ready for use, patching (perfecting, equipping) any holes that fish could escape through, etc.
3. This is exactly what God calls a Pastor to do, help mend spiritual holes in the lives of the people
4. To faithfully teach, live by example, to be genuine. Pray for, help, encourage, instruct…

• God’s people do the Ministry

1. The reason for this preparing is so each believer will do the work of ministry: Servants serving.
2. “Every member a minister”, ministry to “one another” (used over 50 times found in scripture).
3. As each member does it’s part the body of Christ is built up and grows. Simple yet profound!

1 Thes 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."

1. 3.      The Purpose…

V12 …to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

• The Making of Disciples!

1. Sharing your faith, being a witness for Christ, presenting the Gospel message, winning the lost

1 Corinthians 9:22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.

1. Sadly disobedience is prevalent as we so often fail to make disciples… relegating it to others…
2. In 1996 survey found 10,000 Southern Baptist churches failed to lead even one person to Christ…
3. 95 out of 100 Christian have never led anyone to Jesus Christ… “In the last decade, the combined membership of all protestant denominations has declined by 9.5%, while the national population has increased by 11.4%”
4. The Church reaching the world… yet so many have lost direction and vision… falling into apostasy

• Spiritual Health & Physical Growth!

1. The purpose is to be growing spiritually and physically. This is not a contradiction of terms.
2. You can have both quality believers and quantity of believers. They go together! Read Acts!
3. Oikodome “Built up” – can be used in sense of edification (spiritual) and structure (physical)
4. There are many weak, sick, unhealthy churches today caused by various reasons (root cause, sin).
5. Churches may catch a “cold” now and then, healthy churches rebound back to vitality / strength.
6. Spirit-filled churches creates a healthy environment, fertile soil where the Holy Spirit is able to work among the church body. As the body matures and grows it produces greater health!
7. Yielded and walking with Christ… fulfilling the great commission – ON MISSION to win the lost…

Doctrinally sound, biblically balanced and spiritually focused!

Plan… Process… Purpose… As we faithfully & obediently do God’s work… Our purpose/Mission…

1. 4.      The Promise…

• Unity v13

¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith

1. The word “reach” is used to describe a traveler arriving at their destination… sweet spot to be!
2. Unity in the faith.   Look at verse 4-6: ONE body, ONE Spirit, ONE hope, ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, ONE God - 7 unities… (complainers, gossips, pride, bitterness tears down…)
3. The closer we are with the Lord the more unity we’ll have. Everyone rowing no time for rocking!

• Knowledge v13

…and in the knowledge of the Son of God

1. Have recognition… full discernment… to come to know, to understand… in sense of realize truth
2. Get in the Book called the Bible… read for yourself and allow God’s truth to change your life…
3. An awareness of a personal relationship with the Lord… to know in the heart not just the head

• Maturity v13

…and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

1. Maturity involves three elements – Time, Knowledge of God’s Word, and practical obedience.

Hebrews 5:13-14 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. ¹⁴But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

1. Don’t you wish you could pop a spiritual pill each morning! NEVER think you’ve arrived!
2. It’s time to wake up and begin to grow and mature in Christ… Maturity takes years of faithfulness

• Stability v14

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

1. Not immature children constantly questioning things, unstable, double-minded, whishy-washy.
2. God-centered not self-centered – not easily confused, like a whirlwind – be rooted like a tree!
3. Being fixed, stable, secure, rooted and grounded, firm in Bible doctrine and practice.

• Growth v15

¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

1. “All things” we grow up: attitudes, words and actions. Having a genuine heart, open to grow
2. Christ is our source for growth and health, the Head of the Church. Not I but Christ!
3. Cross Creek must never stop exalting and lifting up Jesus – He is Worthy of all our praise!

• Love v16

¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love…

1. United, mature, stable, growing… functioning together body builds itself up in love… Supreme!
2. Love is the essence of our salvation. To Love the Lord extremely and others as ourselves.
3. Cross Creek is known for our love for God, one another and for the lost & hurting around us…
4. What promises: Unity, knowledge, maturity, stability, growth, under the banner of LOVE…

Plan… Process… Purpose… promise…

1. 5.      The Price… Personal Involvement

V16… as each part does its work.

• There always is a price to pay for anything worthwhile. As each and every part does its work!
• Ministering may cost you some time, may cost you effort, may cost you some inconvenience, etc
• As you begin to get involved you will once again begin to grow – God made us that way – we need an outlet, a ministry to others within this church body and throughout our community…
• If you are a hand – you should be doing hand things. If you are a liver you should be doing liver things. As each member does its part!

Dead Sea Illustration – The Sea of Galilee is a vibrant sea teeming with fish, plant life and activity. Fresh clean water runs into it from the surrounding area mountains and then runs out forming the Jordan River. The river flows some 70 mile and dumps into the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea contains no life, no fish, no plants – that’s why they call it the Dead Sea. It’s dead because there is no outlet. If we always take in and never give out we will shrivel up and slowly die. If you want to grow into a healthy, mature, loving Christian making disciples… prepare a meal once a month for the rescue mission, help out at Ruth’s place or First Hospital, get involved with Celebrate Recovery, help park cars or clean up in the kitchen… There is a vital part you can play within the body of Christ…that’s where you’ll find contentment, fulfillment and personal spiritual growth… reach people!

• The untapped talent sitting here this morning is awesome! Sinners saved by grace called to serve…
• Say YES LORD… when we do: Disciples are made, God is glorified our world is changed!

Plan… Process… Purpose… Promise… Price…

1. 6.      The Prize… Unimaginable

Daniel 12:3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

The Lord’s Church fulfilling its Mission!

Let’s Pray