Worshiping from Home | March 22, 2020
March 21st, 2020As we all consider who we are as Grace Church, how do you and I need to view our own individual investment in the ministry of Grace Church? And what does the Bible tell us about how to be the church, what our focus should be, and how each of us can show faithfulness and obedience to Jesus in our service in the church?
As we become increasingly well-grounded in the answers to these questions, we are in the best position to share in the priorities of Jesus for being on His mission together (Matt. 28:19-20). We can draw on this biblical information to inform our hearts and keep us focused on the main thing—making disciples.
Here are some questions to get you thinking along with us: Is disciple-making required of every Christian? Do you currently make disciples? How? When? What does your own individual investment in making disciples look like as you serve your church family? Is there only one way to make disciples? What role does Scripture play in this process? What role do your pastors have in your disciple-making? And, how does your spiritual gift(s) relate to Jesus commissioning you to make disciples as a matter of faithfully following Him? Whew! Got all that?
As an example of how we’re preparing us to understand and plan together about this, the Justin Peter’s presentation gave you a sobering view of the need for every Christian to carefully consider the way we uphold the uniqueness and priority of the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word in the life and ministry (disciple-making) of the church. We hope that it helped to further clarify and fortify what we believe and uphold about God’s Word at Grace Church.
The issue is that we cannot make disciples, our #1 priority as God’s people, apart from God’s Word working in our own hearts. What you know and believe about Scripture will directly impact your understanding of the Great Commission and your own role in obeying Christ in making disciples. And all of this begins in your marriage and family.
God’s Word gives us the mission, mandates, and methodologies we need to faithfully follow Jesus as His people. The more we commit our hearts, minds, and bodies to loving obedience to Scripture, the more we will safeguard ourselves in nurturing a truly God-honoring ministry of the Word (see Ps. 119; John 14-15; and 1 John, for connecting love for God and obedience to Scripture). Remember, the power for salvation and sanctification is in the Word of God:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:16-17).
“Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom…” (Col. 3:16).
Anything that undermines the Word at work in the life of God’s people is counter to our mission and to our faithfulness to follow Jesus. We want to deepen our understanding of, commitment to, and obedience to God’s Word in the life of our church and families. As we do this, we can ask, “how does our church honor and live in light of this mandate?” And, “how do I honor and live in light of this mandate?” Bringing together those corporate (church) and individual (you) elements is what we are aiming for.
For this Sunday’s message, we are asking you to view Phil Johnson’s sermon, Scripture vs. Human Experience, from the October 2019 Truth Matters conference. Phil spoke in session two, just after John MacArthur, and just before Justin Peters. Phil’s introduction is about 29 minutes (sound familiar?), anyway, you might hear some stuff that’s new to you, that’s okay. It’s all good.
The main thing that we would like you take away from Phil’s intro material is this: God has given us a sufficient Bible for everything we need to live God-pleasing, faithful, obedient lives of love and grace. We don’t need to “hear” from God in any way other than what He has already spoken to us in Scripture. God guides us in wise living and wise choices through Scripture’s principles and precepts. It is fully sufficient. Follow Jesus, fill your heart/mind with His truth, commit your way to Christ, seek godly counsel, and then act on what seems wisest and best to you.
We cannot improve or add to the Bible for living holy lives in the power of the Holy Spirit. And you will hear Phil say that this is not the case in other faiths. In other faiths it is the Bible plus. . . something. Justin Peters spoke about the issue of the Bible plus God spoke to me, or the Bible plus God impressed on me to. . . The issue becomes personal intuition, having a sensation, a feeling, or some other subjective experience to guide you in your decisions. These are subtle ways we can unintentionally or unknowingly disregard a sufficient Bible to direct our lives in faithfulness to Christ. It is dangerous, difficult, and can open you to grievous error.
Please know, dear friends, that this is admittedly a challenging teaching, and it hits at the heart of what so many Christians and churches have become accustomed to in being guided to serve the Lord. We understand. This is my (Jeff’s) past testimony as well. We are certainly not saying that Christians doing these kinds of things are not Christians, or that they do not love Jesus or value Scripture. Most of this is being done unwittingly, but that doesn’t change the danger. We are simply trying to set the table of truth with the right dinnerware for feasting on the nourishing words of sound doctrine. Truth fosters unity and maturity (Eph. 4:11-16).
We love you. Be blessed and encouraged by His super-abundant grace and mercy.