P SHI ntire Churc h E PL he Prio rity o f the E SCI DI T - PDF document

P SHI ntire Churc h E PL he Prio rity o f the E SCI DI T

T HE ROOT S OF T HE CRI SI S — I N T HE WORL D • We ste rn wo rld a b a ndo ning its Christia n fo unda tio ns • “Pra c tic a l Athe ism” – living a s if Go d did no t e xist. • Be lie f syste ms b a se d o n misg uide d a ssumptio ns • Sc ie ntific F unda me nta lism: Be lie f tha t a ll q ue stio ns a b o ut huma n e xiste nc e a nd the wo rld c a n b e a nswe re d b y e xpe rime nta l sc ie nc e . • Mo ra listic T he ra pe utic De ism: Be nic e – Go d is a ro und to o ffe r his suppo rt whe n we ne e d him. I f he e xists, he is uninvo lve d a nd do e s no t ho ld us a c c o unta b le . • Se c ula r Me ssia nism: Po litic a l – Go spe l sub se rvie nt to huma n a g e nda s; Christia nity re duc e d to pro g ra m o f so c ia l pro g re ss

T HE ROOT S OF T HE CRI SI S — I N T HE CHURCH • Se c ula riza tio n o f the Churc h • Huma n institutio n • L ife style e nha nc e r • Offe r se rvic e s to impro ve so c ie ty • Pa sto r a s e c c le sia stic a l c ivil se rva nt • Churc h c o nfo rme d to the thinking a nd b e ha vio rs o f the c ulture • Spiritua l L e tha rg y • Ove rwhe lme d b y the c ha lle ng e s • Burde ne d – We a ry – Disc o nte nt – De fe a te d • Ne e d fo r Re pe nta nc e a nd Re ne wa l – Re me mb e r o ur F irst L o ve

T HE ROOT S OF T HE CRI SI S — I N T HE CHURCH • Sta tus Quo Me nta lity • Ha rde ne d to c ha ng e • Co mpla c e nt • Re sista nt to re ne wa l • F e a rful • F e a r o f fa ilure – F e a r o f lo sing c o ntro l – F e a r o f ta king risks • F e a r tha t pre ve nts us fro m pursuing Christ’ s missio n is a fo rm o f spiritua l b o nda g e • Co nsta nt L a me nt • F inding fa ult with Go d a nd o the rs • “Murmuring ” tha t le a ds to disc o ura g e me nt a nd pa ra lysis

WHAT A RADI CAL L Y MI SSI ON-F OCUSE D, DI SCI PL E -MAK I NG CHURCH NE E DS • Ope nne ss to the Spirit – Driving fo rc e fo r e va ng e lism a nd disc iple ship • Apo sto lic Bo ldne ss – Pro c la iming Je sus a s L o rd a nd Sa vio r, c a lling o the rs to re pe nta nc e a nd Ne w L ife in Him • Spirit o f I nno va tio n – T hro ug h re ne wa l • Spirit o f Co o pe ra tio n – We a re no t c o mpe ting b ut c re a ting a mo re unite d Christia n witne ss • Co nfide nc e in Go d – No t o ur wo rk b ut His wo rk • Attitude o f Gra titude – E xpre sse s the jo y o f tha nkful he a rts fille d with pra ise

E SSE NT I AL S F OR T RANSF ORMAT I ON I N BE COMI NG MI SSI ONARY DI SCI PL E S • T rust the Wo rk o f the Ho ly Spirit to b ring re fo rm a nd re ne wa l • Re pe nta nc e a nd b e lie ving must b e g in with us – re -e va ng e lize tho se in o ur pe ws (c o ng re g a tio n) • F a ith is a pe rso na l e nc o unte r with Je sus Christ a nd the wo nde r o f His lo ve fo r us (se e Je sus’ e nc o unte rs with o the rs in Sc ripture ) • Re ne w this e nc o unte r a nd o ur ro ma nc e with Je sus (Se e Ho se a ) • We c a n o nly o ffe r o the rs wha t we ha ve a nd kno w thro ug h o ur e xpe rie nc e

E SSE NT I AL S F OR T RANSF ORMAT I ON I N BE COMI NG MI SSI ONARY DI SCI PL E S • F o c us o n the K e ryg ma • the lo ving pla n o f Go d fo r huma n b e ing s; • sin a nd its de va sta ting c o nse q ue nc e s, e spe c ia lly se pa ra tio n fro m Go d; • Go d’ s a nswe r to o ur pre dic a me nt in the se nding o f his So n fo r o ur sa lva tio n; • the re spo nse this g ift c a lls fo r fro m e ve ry pe rso n: to re pe nt o f o ur sins, b e lie ve in Je sus a nd b e b a ptize d, so we c a n b e fille d with his Ho ly Spirit a nd live a ne w life in his fa mily, the Churc h. • F o c us o f Pre a c hing / T e a c hing – I nte ra c tio n within the c o ng re g a tio n a nd o n the lips o f e ve ry missio na ry disc iple a s the y inte ra c t with o the rs

E SSE NT I AL S F OR T RANSF ORMAT I ON I N BE COMI NG MI SSI ONARY DI SCI PL E S • Witne ss a nd T e stimo ny • Pe rso na l te stimo ny must b e inte g ra te d mo re inte ntio na lly into the life o f the c o ng re g a tio n Wo rship • T e a c hing • T ra ining fo r disc ipling o the rs • No rma tive c o nve rsa tio n • • I nc a rna tio na l Na ture o f Christ a nd His Churc h – Hig hly Re la tio na l • Pe rso na l • Co nne c te d to His Bo dy, the Churc h • No pe rso na l re la tio nship to Je sus c a n e xist o utside o f His Bo dy

E SSE NT I AL S F OR T RANSF ORMAT I ON I N BE COMI NG MI SSI ONARY DI SCI PL E S • I mme rse d in the Wo rd o f Go d – Sa c re d Sc ripture • I t is po we rful – living a nd a c tive – c ha ng ing he a rts a nd minds • T hro ug h the Wo rd, we kno w Christ • T hro ug h the Wo rd, Christ spe a ks to us pe rso na lly • Pro mo te da ily re a ding , study, disc ussio n – I nc lude the use o f Sc ripture a t e ve ry o c c a sio n in the Churc h • “I g no ra nc e o f the Sc ripture s is ig no ra nc e o f Christ” • Re ne w inte g ra tio n o f Co nfe ssio n a nd F o rg ive ne ss a s the Sc ripture e xpo se s o ur sin – individua lly a nd c o rpo ra te ly

E SSE NT I AL S F OR T RANSF ORMAT I ON I N BE COMI NG MI SSI ONARY DI SCI PL E S • E uc ha rist • Disc iple ship a nd e va ng e lism a lwa ys le a ds us b a c k to “T he Me a l” • I t is the fullne ss o f c o mmunio n a nd fe llo wship with Je sus a nd His Churc h • I t is a lso the so urc e o f o ur ze a l a nd stre ng th to unle a sh the Go spe l • T he L o ve we re c e ive in the Sa c ra me nt is me a nt to b e sha re d – I t c o mpe ls us to “Go !” a nd ma nife st the Gra c e we ha ve re c e ive d

E SSE NT I AL S F OR T RANSF ORMAT I ON I N BE COMI NG MI SSI ONARY DI SCI PL E S • I nte ntio na l e q uipping o f o the rs fo r the se rvic e o f the Go spe l • Disc iple ship fo rma tio n • Missio na ry Disc iple s – E q uippe d to e va ng e lize • Ab ility to c le a rly a rtic ula te the K e ryg ma – mo tiva te d b y lo ve – fille d with jo y • Witne ss fo r Je sus Christ in e ve ry c irc umsta nc e a nd in e ve ry re la tio nship • Unde rsta nding the Gifts o f the Spirit a s a uniq ue individua l witne ss tha t b uilds up the Bo dy o f Christ

E SSE NT I AL S F OR T RANSF ORMAT I ON I N BE COMI NG MI SSI ONARY DI SCI PL E S • E ve ry c o ng re g a tio n is a c e nte r fo r Missio na ry Disc iple ship • I nc luding e ve ry pa sto r a nd a ll la ity • Pro pe r unde rsta nding o f vo c a tio n – All b e lie ve rs pa rtic ipa te in Christ’ s missio n • E ve ry ministry within the c o ng re g a tio n a nd e ve ry o utre a c h to the c o mmunity must b e inte ntio na lly fo c use d o n Missio na ry Disc iple ship • I nc lude e xisting g ro ups • I nc lude yo uth a nd yo ung a dults

E SSE NT I AL S F OR T RANSF ORMAT I ON I N BE COMI NG MI SSI ONARY DI SCI PL E S • Missio na ry Disc iple ship is prima rily pe rso n-to -pe rso n o r life -to -life re la tio nships • We must g o o ut a nd e ng a g e , no t sta y a nd wa it fo r o the rs to c o me • Wa lk with pe o ple – inve sting time , a tte ntio n, lo ve a nd de vo tio n • Bring he a ling to the wo unde d • Pra y fo r the m

E SSE NT I AL S F OR T RANSF ORMAT I ON I N BE COMI NG MI SSI ONARY DI SCI PL E S • F o c us o n F a milie s • Prima ry pla c e whe re disc iple ship b e g ins – Pa re nts disc ipling the ir c hildre n • E q uip pa re nts • Ho me a s a c e nte r fo r re la tio nships with ne ig hb o rs a nd frie nds • Ho me a s a c e nte r fo r e va ng e liza tio n (“the do me stic Churc h”) • Ministry to fa milie s • Ministry with fa milie s • Ho me a s a c e nte r fo r pub lic witne ss

E SSE NT I AL S F OR T RANSF ORMAT I ON I N BE COMI NG MI SSI ONARY DI SCI PL E S • Co mmunity ma rke d b y Jo y • Pla c e whe re a ll pe o ple ma tte r a nd a re hig hly va lue d (infinite ly) • Pla c e o f Gra c io us Ho spita lity (We lc o me ) • K no wn fo r lo ve o f o the rs (Ag a pe – ne e ds o f o the rs a he a d o f se lf) • T hre e K e y T ra its: • E nc o unte r • Gro w • Witne ss • Surro unde d b y Pra y • Re lying o n the Ho ly Spirit to o ve rc o me Spiritua l Oppre ssio n

K E Y QUOT E S • I invite a ll Christia ns, e ve rywhe re , a t this ve ry mo me nt, to a re ne we d pe rso na l e nc o unte r with Je sus Christ, o r a t le a st a n o pe nne ss to le tting him e nc o unte r the m; I a sk a ll o f yo u to do this unfa iling ly e a c h da y. • T ha nks so le ly to this e nc o unte r – o r re ne we d e nc o unte r – with Go d’ s lo ve , whic h b lo sso ms into a n e nric hing frie ndship, we a re lib e ra te d fro m o ur na rro wne ss a nd se lf-a b so rptio n. We b e c o me fully huma n whe n we b e c o me mo re tha n huma n, whe n we le t Go d b ring us b e yo nd o urse lve s in o rde r to a tta in the fulle st truth o f o ur b e ing .