Community Renewal Through Church Planting
Jan. 8th, 2006. Community Renewal Through Church Planting. Acts 2:42-47.
Where can people in your neighborhood go grocery shopping? Where could they go for healthcare? Where could parents send their children for school? Where could they go for a haircut, to get a prescription filled or mail a letter? Where do they shop for clothes, car parts or for a good smooth latte? Are there any good book stores in your neighborhood? What about movies, bowling alleys or miniature golf courses?
Where can people in your neighborhood go to learn the truth about God? Where could they go when their lives are in turmoil and they’re looking for answers outside themselves? Where could they go should they finally grow tired and weary of their sinful, destructive and unfulfilling lifestyles?
Last week we began a short two part series on the vision of CLF. Remember the mission of our church; in fact the mission of all churches is to make active followers of Jesus Christ. Like our mission the vision of our fellowship is also derived from Scripture. Our vision is to see holisitic neighborhood transformation. In fact in many respects we applaud the Philadelphila's NTI. We do believe that local, state and even national gov't has some responsibilty for the total well being of its citizens. While endorsing the goals of NTI we also recognize that while gov'ts can work toward building better houses they cannot insure that they will become homes filled with a gracious measure of God's settled peace, abundant joy, optimistic hope and affirming love. While gov'ts can and should faciliate more recreational outlets they cannot get to the root of the raw anger that fuels the violence that has taken so many of our young ones to an early grave. While gov'ts can even work toward seeing that every neighborhood has sufficient places to go for good nutritious food they cannot satisfy the spiritual hunger that gnaws at the souls of those who still reject the thriving spiritual life offered by Jesus Christ.
The institutions of gov't, academia, commerce, health and culture are all necessary and desirable ingredients for sound, solid and welcoming communities. However complete community renewal cannot happen unless the souls of those who inhabit our neighborhoods and communities are revived through a transforming encounter with Jesus Christ.
Last week we spoke on what renewed communities could look like if they were filled with Spirit transformed, God loving believers of Jesus Christ. This week will complete this short series on our vision by briefly spelling out how we hope to see our vision come to pass.
The Biblical strategy to renew individuals, families, neighborhoods and communities is evangelism that leads to planting holistic neighborhood churches. According to Scripture the church is the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ, the temple of the living God, the manifestation of God's wisdom, the vehicle through which He gets glory in Jesus Christ and His instrument to declare the glorious gospel of Christ and thus renew humanity. If one wishes to look for God in the neighborhood one must not just look to individual believers, but to His church.
Since we must be committed to evangelism that leads to church planting it is crucial that we define and describe the kinds of churches we aim to plant. Pay attention because by God's grace and in His time I may be asking some of those who sit here now to become part of an evangelistic team that leads to the planting of one of these churches.
Acts 2 gives a fitting description of the important characteristics that any church must have in order to be effective in accomplishing God's will to transform people and communties. These are the factors evident in Biblically driven churches. Like the infant church written of in the book of Acts Biblically driven churches are characterized by biblically driven theology, biblically driven worship, biblically driven fellowship, biblically driven discipleship and biblically driven evangelism.
Our vision and hope is to plant churches that renew our communties through biblically driven theology.
Theology is the study of God that affects one's worship of God, one's walk before God and one's witness for God within the given life context that He has placed us in. The issue isn't do you have a theology. Everyone saved or not saved, Muslim or Christian, Protestant or Catholic, Reformed or Arminian has a theology. There are things that you believe about God, how He speaks, humanity, the Spirit, sin, salvation, the church and Jesus Christ. These things will inevitably inform how you approach God in worship, in your walk before Him and in your witness of His gospel. Moreover, these are the things that you will in one way or another communicate to those within your sphere of influence. The issue then is whether or not you have a biblically derived and driven theology or not.
What were some of the themes of apostolic teaching? It was systemactically Biblical, centered on God's complete plan of redemption, totally Christ centered and focused and geared toward moving God's people to obey what was taught. Finally, biblical theology in general and apostlic teaching led to biblically driven worship.
Do you believe that theology, the study of theology and having correct theology matter? Remember according to the Apostle Paul the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is not simply a voluntary collection of individuals who've decided that it's a good idea to get together, have a good time, eat some chicken and raise money.
According to the Apostle Paul the church of the living God is the pillar and foundation of the truth, 1 Tim. 3:15.
If the church is our community's foundation and only true source of knowledge about God then the one thing we must be careful to get right and get out is true, proper, biblical theology.
Our vision and hope is to plant churches that renew our communties through biblically driven worship.
Biblical theology has a direct bearing on genuine, growing and enriching worship. Without a growing knowledge of who God is, what He's like and how He's acted within His creation through Jesus Christ our worship will be stunted and shallow. Eventually, worship that is divorced from a healthy growing knowledge of God from Scripture will descend into mere entertainment.
There are a number of characteristics of biblically driven worship three of which are worth mentioning. 1) Biblically driven worship is corporate or public worship. God commands His people to appear before Him together, not just individually. 2) Biblically driven worship only uses those elements of worship spoken of in Scripture. This is why we enjoy worship through singing, reading Scripture, prayer, offering and of course preaching. 3) Finally, Biblically driven worship's aim is to highlight the character and nature of God as expressed through the Person and work of Jesus Christ.
Regular, public, biblcially driven worship is absolutely necessary for the overall well-being of our community. Worship constantly reminds us of the reality that we are creatures of a great, awe-inspiring, loving God who has created us to know and be satisfied by Him. Additionally, worship reinforces the truth that we are meant for so much more than to work, enjoy our homes and focus on this life. Worship lifts our gaze to focus on the life to come when we will forever delight in the presence of our God and Savior Jesus Christ as we surround His throne and worship in for all eternity.
What motivates you to worship? How does your view of God affect your worship? The church must recognize that Spirit-filled worship is worship that throws the focus on the Person and work of Christ.
Our vision and hope is to plant churches that renew our communities through biblically driven lifestyles.
Our faith in Christ isn't just an eternal fire insurance policy, nor is it a religious self help or self improvement program. Christ calls all those who desire to follow Him into a new, meaningful lifestyle in which we prioritize the gospel in all our major and minor life choices.
The ancient church was willing to radically alter their lifestyles to actively promote the expansion of the gospel. While God doesn't call for us to sell our property and live in communal settings today, the example of the infant church is one we should take to heart. It is our privilege to re-orient our lifestyles so that we can make the best use of our time, resources, gifts, talents and skills to further the gospel in our neighborhoods and communities.
Have you ever thought of what your personal life mission is? Do you have a growing desire to affect your community with the gospel? Are you willing to choose a path of Christ-like discipleship over a lifestyle that prioritizes materialism, personal achievement, comfort and convenience?
Our vision and hope is to plant churches that renew our communities through a biblically driven understanding of God's church.
The church is the living temple of God, the place where He lives among His people. Ephesians 2:19-22 states, 'Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit'.
The church is still the people through which God gets glory in Christ and His instrument to display His wisdom, proclaim His gospel and shepherd His people in Jesus Christ. Since we are united with and identified with Jesus Christ church leaders and members are called to cultivate lives of consistent, Biblical holiness. It is true that the church isn't the easist place to be all the time. However the rest of the book of Acts and much of the New Testament shows and teaches how God calls His church to continue to work, worship, serve and struggle together.
Do you see the local church as a necessity or option in your walk with the Lord? Are you aware of how people in the church should resolve personal conflicts? What reservations do you have concerning submitting to church leadership? Do people in your community view Christian or Muslim leaders as having more integrity?
Our vision and hope is to plant churches that renew our communities through biblically driven evangelism.
Biblical evangelism happens when God's people become involved in the lives of unbelievers by doing good, establishing relationships with them with the hope of sharing the gospel.
The church cannot rely on hosting various entertainment events to 'convert' non-believers. God has equipped and empowered all of His people to declare the gospel. Jesus said that His followers are the salt of the earth and light of the world. The point of these metaphors is that Christ's followers affect the world by being in close contact with it. Scripture teaches that one doesn't need any special talent such as singing or rapping to become involved in the lives of non-believers, show the love of Christ and humbly share the gospel.
Is there a group of people you want to share the gospel with? How can you become more involved with these people? Do you think you know the gospel well enough to share it with non-believers?
By the grace of God our vision is to saturate our neighborhoods with Biblically driven churches that joyfully worship, serve, love and witness of our living Lord Jesus Christ and watch Him transform individuals, families, neighborhoods and communties.
To Him Who Loves Us...
Pastor Lance
