Why Do Church? 03
May 1, 2022

To Know Him

Ephesians 4:1-13 (NLT)

Why Do Church? 03 | Mick Veach | Lead Pastor | first aired on 05.01.2022

I. Introduction

Read Scripture

4 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 one God and Father of all,

who is over all, in all, and living through all.

7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say,

“When he ascended to the heights,
he led a crowd of captives
and gave gifts to his people.”

9 Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. 10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

—Ephesians 4:1-13 (NLT)
A. Review

  1. We do Church for Community
  2. We are better together and by ourselves

B. One of the challenges today is that we model what Jesus said in Matthew 15:8

  1. These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

C. We have set up the church on the sand

  1. Matthew 7:26—we have not listen to Jesus’ teachings
  2. James 1:22—Listening to the Word but not doing what it says

D. We think the church is all about us and how it can serve us

  1. The reasons people leave churches

    a. I don’t like the music or worship style
    b. I don’t like the preaching
    c. I don’t fit in
    d. It is too big or too small
    e. No one reaches out to me

  2. We have missed the reason for the church and the consumer mentality has taken over

  3. The church has taken hits for many things but not everything is the church’s fault

E. We must address where we are at in today’s world

  1. Nones—The fastest growing group in America, no affiliation with any religious group
  2. Dones—The group that have left the church because of church hurt
  3. Uhms—The group that is still deciding if they will be engaged or get engaged with the church

F. We address these groups by first and foremost growing in our faith and then becoming the hands and feet of Jesus to them.

  1. Decide to be a “Mathetes” a perpetual learner
  2. We are to be disciples of Jesus in 2022


II. Four Disciplines of a Disciple that enable to Know Jesus

A.

  1. V. 2-3—Humility is the basis for growth and unity

    a. Gentle and patient with one another
    b. One of the greatest needs in today’s world
    c. Everyone is jacked up

  2. V. 4-6—Surrender enables us to be unified

    a. We look too often at our differences

    1. Our ethnicity
    2. Our culture
    3. Our personalities
    4. Our desires/goals

b. The result of surrender is Oneness

  1. One Lord, faith, baptism and one God
  1. Luke 22:44— “Not my will but your will be done.” This is our example from Jesus that must be prayed daily

  2. What does surrender look like

    a. Surrender your identity
    b. 2 Cor. 5:17—I am a new creation, the old is gone
    c. Gal 2:20—I have been crucified with Christ, I no longer live (surrender)but Christ lives in me
    d. Eph. 2:10—For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works

  3. Romans 12:1—Offer up your bodies as a living sacrifice

    a. This our starting prayer of surrender

  4. John 3:30—I would become less that He would become more—John the Baptist

    a. This is our daily prayer

  5. Eph 5:18—Pray that the Holy Spirit fills you and controls your life

    a. This is your daily prayer of power

  6. Surrender is an initial YES and then continual a yes

    a. To know Him more depends upon this

Key Point—Wave the white flag of surrender, life begins here

B.

  1. V .1—Lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God

    a. Obedience is the only way for us to know and purse our calling

  2. Question—Do you know your calling?

    a. It is made clear as we obey the small items of life
    b. We walk through the doors that He puts in our life

  3. God uses the church to help us understand our calling

  4. KCC has a goal that everyone will find their calling and flourish

    a. The kingdom benefits
    b. The church benefits
    c. You benefit

  5. Many fear God’s calling upon their life

    a. Paul was a prisoner, I don’t want that
    b. He will make me do something I don’t want to

  6. Obedience not only affects me but others around me

    a. My life has influence and impact

  7. V.7-8—He has given us gifts to accomplish our calling

    a. Spiritual gifts—I Cor 12 and Eph 4:11
    b. We are going to use these gifts
    c. The church helps affirm our gifts

  8. Obedience moves us to be more like Jesus

    a. Gal 5—Fruit of the Spirit

Key Point—Obedience is Trusting Jesus with all my life

C.

  1. V. 11–He has given those who are Pastors, Prophets, Evangelist, Apostles and teachers to lead

    a. They will abuse their gifts if they don’t know Truth
    b. Truth (God’s Word) is our guidepost for all things in life

  2. V. 12—These leaders are to equip the church to do the ministry

    a. We have functioned for the most part in the opposite
    b. We pay those who do the ministry

  3. Biblical Exhortations to know the Bible

    a. Joshua 1:7-9—Meditate on it (book of the Law) day and night and you will be careful to do everything written it, then you will be prosperous and successful
    b. 2 Tim 3:16-17—All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness
    c. Hebrews 4:12—The Word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword…

  4. We cannot continue to learn and grow second hand

  5. Deconstruction of the Bible is upon us

    a. 2 Tim 4:3—Time is upon us when they will not endure sound doctrine

  6. We grow in the Word Together in the body and we will do that by initiating SOAP

  7. Explain SOAP

    a. S—Scripture
    b. O—Observation
    c. A—Application
    d. P—Prayer

Key Point—We grow better together and in the Word

D.

  1. V. 13—we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full standards of Christ

    a. This occurs when we begin to align with Him

  2. We need to become desperate enough for Jesus that we will make this top priority

  3. Biblical Examples of Praying Together

    a. Ex. 17:11—Moses prays for victory in battle with Aaron and Hur
    b. Joshua 10:1-15—Joshua prays and the sun stands still
    c. Matthew 17:20-21—Jesus through faith you can pray and see mountains moved
    d. Acts 12—The Church prays for Peter’s escape from jail

  4. Praying Together changes us

  5. Learning to pray

    a. Satan shutters when the church prays
    b. He gets us busy with everything but prayer

  6. Praying for Deliverance and Healing Together

  7. Results of Praying

    a. Faith Built up
    b. Perspective changed
    c. Sin and wrong attitudes revealed
    d. Vision granted and Purpose

  8. Praying His Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven is critical for finishing the mission

Key Point—Prayer moves us to maturity in Jesus

E. Call to Action:

1. Surrender daily to the Holy Spirit
2. Keep saying Yes to His promptings
3. Commit to knowing the Word
4. Commit to Praying with Others

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