The Trellis and the Vine
A Commitment to Prayer
God has commanded the local church to be engaged in fervent and persistent prayer (1 Tim 2:1-7; Luke 18:1-8). As a loving Father, he desires to answer the prayers of his children (Matt 7:7-11). Therefore, the church should be committed to regular times of corporate prayer (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 4:23-31; 13:1-3), to caring intercession for fellow believers (Phil 1:9-11), and to praying for the advancement of the gospel and salvation of the lost (2 Thess 3:1; Rom 10:1).
A Commitment to the Word
If our task is to make and mature disciples. Our task is to proclaim the gospel to people so that people become followers of Christ and then people are taught to obey what Jesus commanded. Not only does this mean we must be about to people, we must be committed to the word, to the Scriptures. People will only be converted through the word, people will only be matured in the faith through the word. And we must have the…
A Commitment to People
The task of the church to make and mature disciples of Jesus Christ is going to require us to be a church focused on the word, focused on prayer, and focused on people. This sermon examines and explains the ministry-mindshifts that we must make to have a strong commitment to people. We must have a commitment (1) to an equipping ministry; (2) to mentoring spiritual leaders; (3) to gift-based ministry; (4) to Spirit-motivated ministry; (5) to evangelism; and (6) to…
Who are the Vine-Workers?
Every member of the church is called to be a minister”a servant”that serves others in order to build up the body so that everyone is growing more and more into Christ-like character. The leaders of the church are called to make sure everyone in the church is equipped and encouraged in this great task.
The Trellis and the Vine
What is the church and what does the church do? And what does a trellis and vine have anything to do with it?The church is a called out people sent on mission to call others to follow Jesus Christ through proclaiming the gospel, baptizing, and giving instruction so that people obey what Christ has commanded. This is who we are and what we do. Sound simple? It may sound simple but it can be filled with distractions along the way.