A Church Equipped for the Mission

24_08_17 -Ep.325  - Run With Horses Podcast  - A Church Equipped for the Mission

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Last week we began discussing what it means to be a church that equips people for ministry. We considered that it must be relational and built on the foundation of God’s Word. This week we look at the practical aspects of equipping in the church. What does that actually look like in the life of the church?

Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together!

Thank you for joining me today! If you are new to the show, you can find our past shows on our website, runwithhorses.net. I have spent several weeks focusing on a definition of the church and the current discussion about a discipleship pathway is best understood in the context of our broader look at the church. If you have been enjoying the show, I would appreciate it if you would leave a review wherever you are listening! And as always, your questions, comments and feedback are welcome. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net. And now, on with the show...

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Habits - Meditating on Scripture

Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Psalm 1:1-3 1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

Meditation is like chewing. It is slow and thorough. Write notes about what you see in this passage. Make connections between the various sections. Ask yourself, “What do these words from God say?” “What do they mean?” Place who you are and what you do next to this passage and ask God to examine you. Continue to write your findings.(https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/biblical-meditation/)accessed 08.14.2024

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MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH
A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the MISSION of Jesus as His witnesses TO THE WORLD, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and EQUIP OTHERS to join them on HIS MISSION.

The discipleship pathway is an intentional plan to equip others to be on the mission of Jesus.

Don’t forget the goals of the pathway. What are the goals of a discipleship pathway?
 a. self-feeding Christians
 b. everyday missionaries – everyone on the mission of Jesus
 c. disciple-makers
 d. pastors
 e. new churches
 f. all members of the church, shepherded well

We are still on the THIRD step in the Pathway;   EQUIP
ENGAGE, CONNECT, EQUIP, RELEASE

Merriam-Webster definition: 
1: to furnish for service or action by appropriate provisioning
Ie. equip an army
2:  to make ready : prepare

What is equipping in the church? 
It is preparing each member of the church to use their talents, gifts, and abilities to carry out the work of the ministry throughout their lives.
It's answering the question.
 If the church is made of the people and every member is responsible for the work of the ministry, how do we intentionally help each other prepare and carry out that work, inside and outside the four walls. 

Last week we gave some guidelines.
Equipping in it’s best form is Relational.
It is fundamentally Speaking the Truth.
God's Word and the Holy Spirit supply the Wisdom that we need.

But when we ended last week we still had the question, what does that look like in the local church.

Equipping for the work of the ministry is actually a part of all that the church does, although we don’t always do it intentionally.
Consider our discipleship pathway.

    • Engage: As the church talks about outreach and community connections, some members are just learning that we SHOULD be thinking about those outside the church. This is the beginning of equipping new members of the church. It shares the mission of Jesus to the world and the part the church plays in carrying it out.

    • Connect: The church needs to teach foundational Biblical truth to new members as well as those who are considering what it might mean for them to follow Jesus. In this phase the church answers the questions, “What is the church and how do I become part of the church?

 Consistent Bible teaching during this phase helps put down a firm foundation that a strong  Christian life and ministry can be built on. What is the biblical basis for service?

    • Equip: Laying the foundation of a Biblical life should challenge believers to consider how God has gifted them to serve the church. Equipping often begins in a believers life as a time of discovery. Who am I, How has God designed me and what do I need to live my call as an everyday missionary in the world? 
      During the early life of a new believer, it is helpful to help them think through both corporate aspects of ministry in the church and the individual ministry that every believer has.
 Equipping here helps answer the questions, “What ministry opportunities best fit my gifts and interests?” and “What training or skills could I get to help me serve better?” 

      Spiritual Growth: As a believer grows and connects with people and the ministries of the church, they should begin to get involved and see the need for further growth and skill training. Part of the Equipping ministry of the church is making it clear what training the church offers and how to take advantage of it. Training that the church recommends from other organizations, counseling centers, bible college, etc. are also kept available as part of helping every member grow in life and service. Equipping is answering the question, “How do I get ongoing training for ministry? “

    • Release: Once individuals are fully engaged in the mission, both in edifying the church and in reaching out in the community, Equipping takes the form of helping workers sustain a life of purpose and ministry through the challenges that life brings. Ongoing support, counseling, refreshment through deep relationships and the ministry of God’s Word help the church to sustain ministry and grow spiritually.

Practically, Where and How does the church do all of this?

1. The Scriptural Foundation is taught through weekly sermons and Sunday school lessons.
This is the part most churches do well. We are good at teaching Biblical truth. The theology behind what we do is taught week after week through expository messages that help us understand who God is and what He is doing in the world through His church.

2. Small groups are a place where a lot of equipping happens organically. In the midst of conversations and life challenges we have opportunities to help each other grow and learn to live out our faith in relationships. Leaders and hosts of small groups play a big part in the equipping ministry of the church as they model healthy, Jesus-centered relationships to the group.
Here we talk about how our theology works itself out in our daily lives. Encouragement to act soon what we believe. Practical guidance on how to carry out ministry in the community and comfort when we struggle.

3. Individual relationships in the church are often a space where equipping takes place although some individuals are more intentional about it than others.

4. General ministry training and skill development (for SS teachers, deacons, sound booth workers, etc) are carried out either on an individual, as needed basis, or on a yearly schedule with a group. Depending on the focus this can range from a classroom setting to a more informal gathering where issues are talked through and modeled.

5. Specific ministry training is usually handled in a small group or individually as needed. Staff and pastoral training, etc.

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DOCTRINE
August – Jesus
September – Holy Spirit

The Humility of Jesus
Philippians 2:1-9 1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 

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Next week we will continue exploring how we, as a local church can work to equip each other for the work of the ministry. Practically, there are decisions we make about what, when and where that affects our ability to be disciple of Jesus who are equipping other disciples of Jesus. 
When the church meets together and has discussion about what we do, we have to consider how we can best do the work of equipping people for ministry if we want to see spiritual growth in the church. There is a limit to how much we can grow without active engagement in the mission of Jesus.

Thanks for joining me again today! If you enjoyed the show you can listen to all the past shows wherever you listen to podcasts. A good place to start is at runwithhorses.net. You can also write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.
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