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INTRODUCTION
For the last two weeks we?ve been looking at the beginning of the Christian church in the book of Acts and discovering some verbs (or action words) that describe the character and activity of these people. The reason why I?ve been sharing this with you is because I believe that if we are to fulfill our God-given vision of being a ?City on a Hill? then it?s important that we demonstrate these characteristics in our midst as well.
In a society that is becoming increasingly fragmented, in which people seem more and more separated from one another the church should be a refuge. It?s more than a building, more than a Sunday morning meeting, more than an organization. The church is about community, family, and operates as an organism. Church is a place where people come together; a place where everyone, not just the pastor, cares about and takes care of one another; a place where every person matters. At HPC, that?s what we aspire to be ? a community, a ?City on a Hill?. And we?re not just hoping to be that ? we are taking practical steps to make it a reality. We are developing a process that will result in the body of Christ being equipped to do what ?City on a Hill? people are supposed to do.
Two Sunday?s ago we looked at the word inspire. I tried to paint a picture of how the Acts 2 church demonstrated this action word in their composition. When you study the Acts 2 church you can?t help but notice that their impact, and influence had direct correlation with the fact they were both inspired by the Holy Spirit and the miracles of God in their midst and inspiring to those not yet a part of the church because of their connection with the Holy Spirit. Inspire is a provocative verb ? and indeed the INSPIRATION of the church of Acts provoked emotions, and activity wherever it was found. The important observation we make is that the church DID NOT blend in! In our quest to be a City on a Hill we must be inspiring. The only way we can inspire is by knowing, experiencing, and seeking the infilling of the Holy Spirit and the presence of God in our midst. It is our pursuit of Him that will lead us into those places that inspire us and the world around us. Christ truly is the ?light? in any ?city on a hill?.
Last week we looked at the word ?involve?. One word that pops up a lot in the story of the early church is the word together. Involve is really another way of saying together but whatever word is used, the idea is conveyed that this is not a solo endeavor. The amazing testimony of scripture and the church is that God chooses to involve people in the working out of His plan. He wants us to partner with Him in the work he sets out to accomplish in the world and for the most part will not do anything without the involvement of believers. A second component of this action word in the midst of the lives of the early church is that they truly were involved not only in the work of God but also involved together with each other. Not only has God chose to work through people but He has also chose to work through people in community. The conclusion then is first: we must recognize the incredible privilege of partnering with God in His work ? that He can use you and wants you to join Him and second; He hasn?t chose you exclusively out of anybody else. That is where the church comes in. As a community working together to accomplish God?s work and partnering with Him there is truly a beautiful picture taking shape of what the Kingdom of God is like.
The next action word we?re going to look at this morning is hinted at in Acts 2:42,
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Acts 2:42 (NIV)
Notice, that there is emphasis placed on the fact that the people in the early church devoted themselves to what they were being taught by the apostles. The idea conveyed by this word is that they didn?t just listen to what they were being taught but they practiced it. In other words, the word of God that the apostles were teaching was important for preparing the church to live full and complete lives. This then is the third word. The third verb we find evident in the life of the early church is the word EQUIP. Not only did the church inspire, not only did it involve, but through the church people were also equipped.
{show ?EQUIP? video from Sermon Central}
{If video shown: As has been so aptly demonstrated by that short video clip ? being EQUIPPED to do something is very important! Let me share with you another example?}
{approach a member of the congregation and had him/her a hammer and ask them to build something. When they say they cannot, ask why not? Answer should be something along the lines of:
- I don?t have the tools I need
- I don?t have the materials
- I have no clue what to build.
- I don?t know how
- I don?t have time}
The bottom line in this case is you aren?t equipped?that is you don?t have what you need to do what I asked you to do! That?s often how we feel sometimes in life, isn?t it? Sometimes we?re just not equipped for work, for specific tasks. The truth is, we?re not all equipped for just anything, because we?re not all supposed to do just anything in life.
When Jerry Brick shows up on a jobsite to build something, do you think he shows up one day and says, let?s build this? No, he gets all the materials, he gets all the tools, and he gets the people who know what to do with those materials and tools. He comes fully equipped for the job at hand?
Fully equipped: we hear that term related to car sales ? what it means is that a vehicle has all the equipment you could want or need
? A.C.
? CD player
? Power everything
? Maybe electronic remote keyless entry, and remote engine starter
? Maybe a video screen etc.
Equipping is empowerment?being equipped means you have the power to do something. Don?t you like the sound of something that?s power equipped?
When you look at the Word of God, we see that God asks or commands us to do many things. God says, ?Be holy as I am holy.? Jesus says, ?Go and make disciples of all nations.? He also tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are told to rejoice in the Lord always. We are not to conform to this world. We are to bless those who persecute us and do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. The same passage tells us to look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
With many of these things, we might have the same reaction as in our opening illustration,
I can?t
I don?t know how
I don?t? have the tools, the equipment, the ability, the time.
That is, I?m not equipped to do those things. But here?s the kicker. God says that, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, we are power-equipped to do all that He has asked us to do.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:3-11 (NIV)
I want to zero in on the one idea, found initially in verse 3 and expanded on in subsequent verses. We first looked at this verse last week when I talked about God?s desire that we be involved with Him in His work on this planet. However, the deeper teaching of this verse is that not only does God want us to be involved in His work but, His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness – in other words ? He calls us to be godly, and equips us to be godly?He gives us the tools to be godly.
Now that doesn?t mean it?s easy. Yes, we still struggle with sin. We need to learn to use the tools He?s given us. You could equip me with all the tools and materials I needed to fix my car, and they?d be wasted ? because I don?t know how to use them!!
What this verse is saying, then, is that not only has he given us the tools but He?s also provided a means for us to learn how to use them. We just have to decide to use the tools, and learn how to use them?and we can learn.
How unlike God it would be if He didn?t equip us to learn what we need to learn to be godly, or even to cope with life? But here, Peter tells us that God has given us everything we need for life, He has given us everything we need for godliness. Let?s take a little closer look?
This isn?t any ordinary power.
We?re not talking about the kind of power that can fail and bring blackouts! We?re talking about divine power. Of course, divine means it comes from God. It?s not anything we can develop on our own. It?s not anything we bring to the task ourselves. It?s source is God.
The truth is, in and of ourselves we don?t have the resources, we?re not equipped to live godly lives. That?s something we have to recognize when we come to Christ for salvation. Jesus said, ?apart from me you can do nothing.? The moment we believe we can go it alone, or try that, we?ve failed. But the good news is that once we?ve recognized that we need Him, we have this divine power source we can tap into. A divine power source that equips and enables us to live life, and to live godly lives, before Him. I like how the Life Application Bible puts it,
Because we don?t have the resources to be truly godly, God allows us to ?participate in the divine nature? in order to keep us from sin and help us live for him. When we are born again, God by His Spirit empowers us with His own moral goodness.
In your notes I?ve listed some other scripture references that illustrate this point (John 3:6, John 14:17-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 1:22-23) ? I?d like to encourage you to take a look at these scriptures on your own and discover the truth that this power, that gives us everything we need for life and godliness, is His Divine power.
So this isn?t any ordinary power ? and God?s divine power is the source whereby full, abundant and godly life is possible. However there is an important word helps make the distinction between those who tap into His power and those who don?t. Notice the word ?through? in this passage. This word indicates cause and effect. It means ?the channel of an act?. It means ?of the mode, manner, state or circumstances through which anything, as it were, passes, that is, takes place or is produced.? This is important because of what comes next which is the phrase ?knowledge of Him? ? Him being God in the person of the father, son and Holy Spirit. What is effectively being said then is
We ?tap into? or are equipped through our knowledge of Him.
The way God has given us this, the means through which God has equipped us with His power, is through, because of, produced by, our knowledge of Him. Please don?t miss this. This knowledge that Peter is referring to is a more intense kind of knowledge that we use when we talk about knowing facts. This knowledge expresses a more through participation in the acquiring of knowledge on the part of the learner. It?s a knowledge that influences and results in activity and demonstrates the relationship of the learner to the object of his knowledge.
In other words, then, Peter is saying that through our increasing awareness and understanding of God at work in our lives and through our lives ? and our participation with Him, His divine power provides everything we need for godliness, and abundant life. It?s not just enough to know about Him, but our knowledge must increase through our partnership with Him. So there?s this more intense usage of the word knowledge that implies learning more about God and learning more about God with Him.
Now the primary means that God has given us for knowing Him is through his Word. We also know (through scriptures!) that we can draw closer to God through prayer, and worship. But there?s another aspect of this word knowledge that directly relates to verb equip as found in the church of Acts.
The connection can be made when we look at another scripture that uses this same word (as in the original language) for knowledge.
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 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. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Ephesians 4:11-16 (NIV)
Notice these distinctive truths found in this passage:
i. God gave (gifts, blesses) apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers to the church.
I?m just going to briefly highlight what I believe each of those gifts are ? I don?t have time to go into detail. ?Apostle? means someone sent as an authoritative delegate. I like to think of them as pioneer missionaries or church-planters. Some as ?prophets? ? New Testament prophets provided edification, exhortation, and comfort to the church (1 Corinthians 14:3). Some of them conveyed new authoritative revelation to the church (Ephesians 2:20; 3:5, Acts 11:28; Acts 21:10-11). Most of the prophets, however, simply ?spoke forth? truth that God had previously revealed (cf. Acts 13:1; 1 Corinthians 11:5; 14:26-33).
Evangelists are also listed. Evangelists preached the gospel and served as modern missionaries both at home and abroad (Acts 21:8; 8:6-40; 2 Timothy 4:5). Their ministry was short-term.
Finally pastors and teachers. The Greek construction seems to suggest that this is referring to one function with two aspects. That is, a person involved in shepherding and teaching . The ministry of the pastor-teacher happens among settled congregations in contrast to the itinerant ministries of the apostles, prophets, and evangelists (cf. 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9;)
ii. They were given to prepare God?s people?
This is often taken to mean (and I?ve been guilty of this as well) that the pastor equips the church. But that?s not what this says. This says the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors-teachers prepare or perfect people for works of service ? in other words they help people discover what God has already equipped them with and use what they?ve been given for service. In this sense then the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors-teachers both teach people about God and what God has done in us (from the Word of God), model what serving God is like, encourage people to service, and help point out the opportunities that God is giving people to serve.
In my reading, I came across this advertisement ?
WANTED: Minister for Growing Church
A real challenge for the right man! Opportunity to become better acquainted with people! Applicant must offer experience as shop worker, office manager, educator (all levels, including college), artist, salesman, diplomat, writer, theologian, politician, Boy Scout leader, children?s worker, minor league athlete, psychologist, vocational counselor, psychiatrist, funeral director, wedding consultant, master of ceremonies, circus clown, missionary, social worker. Applicant should be everyone?s friend, but cannot have close friends. Helpful but not essential: experience as a butcher, baker, cowboy, Western Union messenger. Must know all about problems of birth, marriage, and death; also conversant with latest theories and practices in areas like pediatrics, economics, and nuclear science. Right man will hold firm views on every topic, but is careful not to upset people who disagree. Must be forthright but flexible; returns criticism and backbiting with Christian love and forgiveness. Should have outgoing, friendly disposition at all times. Should be a captivating speaker but should not get upset if people can?t remember what he spoke about only a week ago. He should be an intent listener. Will pretend that he enjoys listening to people talk. Education must be beyond PhD requirements, but always concealed in homespun modesty and folksy talk. Able to sound learned at times but most of the time talks and acts like good-old-Joe. Familiar with literature read by average congregation. Must be willing to work long hours, subject to call any time day or night but not receive any overtime pay ever. Must be adaptable to sudden interruptions. Will spend at least 25 hours preparing a sermon that people will forget in less than 1 hour and must spend an additional 10 hours reading books and magazines. Applicants wife must be both stunning an plain, smartly attired but conservative in appearance, gracious and able to get along with everyone, especially women. Must be willing to work in church kitchen, teach classes, baby sit, never listen to gossip, and never become discouraged. Applicants children must be exemplary in conduct and character; well-behaved, yet basically no different from other children; decently dressed. Opportunity for applicant to live close to work. Home provided; open door hospitality enforced. Must be ever mindful that the house doesn?t belong to him. Directly responsible for views and conduct to all church members and visitors, not confined to direction nor support from any one person. Salary not commensurate with experience, education, or need. All replies kept confidential. Anyone applying will undergo a full investigation to determine sanity. (Quoted in Equipping Them! By Joey Nelson)
Now, this ad is pretty funny but the sobering thing about it, is that some it is true in many people?s minds. Many cultural expectations have come to be attached to this role of minister or pastor while the biblical aspect of this position is often ignored. In fact, the job description didn?t even mention one key area of a pastor?s job!
It was never God?s intention for one individual person to meet all of a congregations needs (i.e. visiting all the sick, comforting all the bereaved, preaching to all the lost, or teaching all of the newly converted). While the pastor should model some of these things, it is his job to prepare the congregation to be engaged in ministry as well. Which is what the next part is all about ? the pastor is given to prepare God?s people?
iii. ?for works of service
Do me a favor, when someone asks you, ?Whose your minister at HPC? Answer them: ?We all are.? Ideally, a pastor-teacher is to work himself out of a job! Who are God?s people? That?s anyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ. That includes me too, of course. Friends I have been prepared by others and equipped by God to serve you in this assembly as a gift from God to be your pastor and help prepare you for service in God?s plan. Now the use of the word ?gift? in reference to myself does not puff me up, because I know that Christ is the gift-giver, not me, and He is the one who has made me what I am so that He might give me to you, and that you might make proper use of the gift given. I fully recognize I am a clay pot. Nothing more or less.
This is what the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors-teachers did in the church of Acts. Yes, you notice that they are ministering ? but for the most part they spend a lot of time preparing God?s people to serve. The fruit is evident in all the things the church of Acts was involved in. People?s gifts were recognized and put into practice and they learned to serve God in whatever sphere of influence God had placed them as well as through and in the church.
We need that kind of example at work in the church of our society today. However, I can?t tell you how many people I?e talked to over the years, who tell me they?ve visited every Christian church in town, and they still aren?t satisfied. They don?t care about doctrinal distinctives, in many cases I don?t think they?ve ever bothered to learn the basic doctrines of the Christian faith. They want to be appeased, they want to be emotionally stirred, they want to be entertained, they want to be coddled, they want to walk out feeling good about themselves? they are spiritual sloths, perpetual babes ~ if indeed they are born again believers at all ~ and they will not ever recognize the equipping God has given them let alone be prepared for work of service, if they have to run home and hide under the bed to avoid it! On a side-note I?ve also talked with people who move because they?ve been skinned and burned emotionally or because God has specifically called them to use their gifts elsewhere but I?m not talking about these kind of people. Folks, each and every saint of God has an individual responsibility before Him to build on their relationship with Him, and study His word, and avail himself or herself to the kind of training and leadership that would develop them and mature them and prepare them for service.
However, there is also the responsibility of the preacher. When a preacher let?s the thinking of the world dictate his message, when he falls into the snare of thinking he must address the social and political issues of the day, and decry the treatment of animals or bemoan the latest government maladies, or tout the praises of humanitarians and reformers of society; when he is afraid to preach the whole counsel of God because he might offend some big givers or incur the wrath of some portion of his congregation who might respond badly to truth; when a pastor, slothful himself, wants to get by, plucking a feel-good text out of the New Testament, smothering it in several cutsie ?Reader?s Digest? illustrations and patting his flock on the shoulder and sending them home smiling and talking about what a charismatic speaker he is?that man is not preparing the saints for the work of service!
And so there is the dual responsibility. God equips, my job is to prepare, and your job is to minister ? but then Paul goes on to talk about the fruit?
iv. As apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors-teachers do their job and people begin to serve the body of Christ is built up towards unity in faith and knowledge of the Son of God
There?s that word knowledge ? connect it with the passage in 2 Peter and you are left with this astonishing insight. When the church functions as it should they will grow in knowledge of God ? the same kind of knowledge that Peter tells us will connect us with the divine power God has equipped us with for godliness and abundant living. Is it no wonder then that the result of this is?
v. The body of Christ (the church) is marked by maturity and attains the complete fullness of Christ.
In other words ? the fullness of Christ (godliness) is resident in every believer (and correspondingly the church) at the point of salvation but still needs to be applied to every aspect of our life (your thoughts, your actions). And so when the church is functioning as it should ? people recognize their equipping by God, they are prepared for acts of service, and the serve. The cool thing is that as you serve, and as you minister in whatever area God has equipped you?you tap into God?s divine power that gives? ?us everything we need for life and godliness?
CONCLUSION
Let me tell you what I believe so strongly and what I know about our church. HPC needs to be a church that demonstrates the action word ?Equip? in our midst. I want everyone of you to know what your spiritual gift-mix is and where you enjoy serving; to know that God has equipped you to serve. I want HPC to be a place where you are enabled to use those giftings He?s given you. I want you to know how to put together a satisfying devotional life; to know how to explain why you believe the Christian faith; to know and understand people and how to develop relationships with them; to know how to lead an exemplary life in the marketplace; to know how to build a strong family; to know how to be a servant-leader in a church; to know how to develop a positive attitude in life; to know how to bring someone to faith by sharing the gospel; to know how to read and understand the ?big-picture stuff? of the Bible; to know how and be able to disciple a new Christian; to know how to move children successfully through the stages of life. When all this stuff happens, then when we come together in corporate worship, we come together ready to celebrate what has taken place in ministry outside of the church. Worship services are celebration services. We will be so much more effective in every area if our church is like the Acts 2 church was in preparing God?s people for service.
Being an ?equipping? church must be a continual process. A farmer once said, ?The hardest thing about cows is that they never stay milked.? We?ll always be engaged in preparing God?s people for works of service because everyone is not at the same level of growth. We all come in at different heights on the spiritual growth chart. The work of preparation is never complete, so we must commit for the long haul. And this requires commitment. Commitment on my part to do my job as your pastor, and commit on your part to avail yourself of the opportunities to serve, and grow.
What?s the upside? An equipped, and prepared congregation will outlast any one leader. You all know that pastors come and go. Members come and go. We hate to see that happen, but a congregation that recognizes how God has equipped them and who are prepared can keep moving forward and not lose the momentum of what is happening in the church.
So here?s some tough questions:
Has your spiritual life made significant strides in the last five years?
Would you like to live differently with some new tools at your disposal to help you do this?
Would you like to be outfitted with some neat ideas that will help you connect with God and His people?
Nobody can ?do church? all alone. It will take all of us ? that?s all of you and all of me!
[Show the Bible] With the help of God?s word and the willingness to be involved, and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit we can discover where God has equipped us, and grow in our knowledge of Him. In the process we?ll tap into His divine power that ??gives everything we need for life and godliness??!
Amen.