Pastor Dwane Parsons shares a message from the sermon series “The Way of Jesus”. Worship with Cheryl and her team. CCLI License number 1001973.
7 Steps Closer Part 2: Sent Blessings Sending Invitations
*7 Steps Recap
#1. I have begun following Jesus, and am depending on the Spirit of Jesus in my journey.
We are Christ followers on a journey. We rely on the constant infilling of the Holy Spirit for supernatural power to be overcomers and servants of Christ.
*Disciples: Sent Blessings Sending Invitations
- I have been sent by Jesus to bless others and to invite them to follow Him.
What is the mission of the church?
What is the mission of the church?
If we only focus on having good worship, good sermons and good Bible studies, that’s what we get – music, sermons and Bible Studies.
The mission of the church is God’s mission – to go and make disciples.
What is a disciple? – A follower of Jesus: someone who has responded to the invitation to follow.
What is discipleship? – The process of becoming like Jesus.
What is disciple-making? – Every follower is a recruiter, a ‘missionary,’ of other followers.
II Corinthians 2:17 ‘We speak the truth before God, as messengers of God.’
John 20:21 ‘As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’
What is the fruit of a disciple?
The fruit of a follower of Jesus is another follower of Jesus. (Like makes like.)
The fruit of a disciple should be more disciples.
The fruit of a disciple-maker should be more disciple-makers.
Today’s teaching is all about discipleship…
*2.(a) I have been sent by Jesus to bless others…
Phil 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
Phil 2:4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Keys to being a blessing:
Appreciative Heart. I live a blessed life. It’s all about perspective. There is always someone more hurting than me.
COL 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Acknowledge Everything. Everything I have is a gift from God.
God blesses me extravagantly so I can share extravagantly.
Eph 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Available To God: (FIRST RESPONDERS/Coast guard)
Resolve to be available to others in the name of Jesus.
If we only focus on our personal wants and desires, we abandon Jesus’ redemptive mission.
I have no plans of my own that trump the call to minister.
Following Jesus requires intentional effort for us to align ourselves DAILY with Christ and the habits and practices that make disciples.
Are you looking and listening for signs of hope, signs of grace and signs of God at work around you?
2Co 1:4 (Our compassionate Father) comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
2Co 1:5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
It’s part of relying on the Holy Spirit for you journey – to ask Him to reveal where he is working so we can partner with Him.
1Co 9:22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.
1Co 9:23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
*2b .I am inviting and helping others to begin following Jesus.
God the Father has always been in the inviting business.
He has constantly invited humans to relationship and kingdom life.
Ge 12:1-3 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.
“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
Isa 45:22 “Turn to me and be saved,all you ends of the earth;for I am God, and there is no other.
*Jesus is in the inviting business.
Mark 1:17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said , “and I will make you fishers of men.”
Mt 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Jn 6:37 …whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
*The church is a gathering of followers inviting other followers.
Acts 2:47, “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
It’s the DNA of the church!
Ro 1:5,6 Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.
And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
Beautiful language: called to belong.
Some people have a wrong impression of church.
We can help change that.
God sent Jesus to live among us, and He sends us to live among the lost in a lost world.
The invitation is to all who may hear.
God sent Jesus on a redemptive mission, and he sends us, the church on a redemptive mission to the world.
Following Jesus means living on mission to multiply disciple-makers!
This requires us to build relationships with non-believers.
Jesus was even called a “friend of sinners.”
Who are the non-believers that you would call friends?
I have been sent by Jesus to bless others and invite them to follow Him.
BLESSING: We find our significance in obeying the Great Commandment – We are commanded to love God and love others.
What would it look like for you to be a blessing in the physical, economic, social, emotional and spiritual needs around you where you live and work?
INVITING: We define our success in fulfilling the Great Commission – Our mission is to Go and make other disciple-makers.
What would it look like for you to begin to invite non-believers that live within your circle of influence to follow Jesus?
Link to Sermon Manuscript
Link to Teaser Video