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2 nd FOUNDATION ----------- Congregations Growing to Fullness in Christ

2 nd FOUNDATION ----------- Congregations Growing to Fullness in Christ. Leaders must nurture an overall context in which disciples may…. Be prepared and equipped for active service Become Christ-centered and united in their work Grow to mature wholeness in their faith

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2 nd FOUNDATION ----------- Congregations Growing to Fullness in Christ

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  1. 2nd FOUNDATION-----------Congregations Growing to Fullness in Christ

  2. Leaders must nurture an overall context in which disciples may… • Be prepared and equipped for active service • Become Christ-centered and united in their work • Grow to mature wholeness in their faith • “…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” • Matthew 28:20

  3. Not only leaders, but every individual needs… • Incorporation • Information • Transformation • Empowerment • “I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you. …I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.” • Acts 20:20, 27

  4. The nameless people of Pentecost • Anonymous saints, never named in history books but named in the Lamb’s Book of Life • “…devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” • Acts 2:42 • All played their part in the mission of Jesus’ church

  5. Leaders are Jesus’ gift to his Church

  6. Not abilities given to people,but people given to the church • “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: ‘When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.’ …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.” • Ephesians 4:7-8, 11-13 • Given to facilitate growth in all its forms

  7. Prepare God’s people for works of service • Greek : καταρτισμοςkatartismos • “properly equipped or fitted for the moment” • Ephesians 4:12 • Involves… • Training for tackling the task • Equipped by the Holy Spirit’s anointing

  8. Growing people’s unity in the faith • Not merely unity, but unity in the faith • Body of doctrine, not faith as ‘trust’ • “…be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” • “…there is one body and one Spirit.” • Ephesians 4:2-4 • Intentional effort required

  9. Growing people’s unity in the faith • Benefits of unity • Powerful evangelistic witness • Improves effectiveness in accomplishing tasks • Creates ‘safe’ context for growing in the Spirit

  10. Growing people’s unity in the faith • Satan works to disrupt / destroy unity • Undermines testimony & diminishes effectiveness • Distracts people away from the Holy Spirit • Perverts teaching about the Spirit- ignorance, misinformation & caricature- promoting division, with Spiritual gifts as ‘the issue’

  11. Growing people’s unity in the faith • This is a spiritual battleground strewn with propaganda and landmines by the “father of lies” (John 8:44) • Leaders must navigate through it with pastoral grace, gentle wisdom and careful teaching of the truth.

  12. Growing people’s knowledge of the Son of God • A Christ-centred religious community • “To the Son of God alone faith ought to look; on him it relies; in him it rests and terminates. If it proceeds farther, it will disappear, and will no longer be faith, but a delusion. Let us remember that true faith confines its view so entirely to Christ that it neither knows, nor desires to know, anything else.” • John Calvin Commentary on Ephesians John Calvin

  13. Growing people’s knowledge of the Son of God • “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” • Matthew 17:5 • Jesus is the Second Person of the Trinity • His words are to be heeded …including his teaching about being baptized with the Holy Spirit

  14. Growing people’s knowledge of the Son of God • We need to know… • Who Jesus is – the Son of God, and the only Way to the Father • What Jesus did – the record of the Gospels • Jesus himself – through personal encounter, made real today through the Holy Spirit

  15. Growing people in the whole measure of the fullness of Christ • This certainly includes… • Being born again – Incorporation • Fruit of the Spirit – Transformation • Unity in the faith & knowledge of the Son of God – Information • Baptism with the Spirit – Empowerment

  16. We are not called to partial growth !

  17. Growing people in the whole measure of the fullness of Christ • Therefore it is incumbent upon us in our leadership role to address the question : • How can we helpfully introduce people to the person and work of the Holy Spirit?

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