The Grace Discipleship Group

 

Monday, Dec. 3, 2007

Good morning, fighters!

Hey, before you sit down to read this, why not grab yourself a coffee or your favorite beverage. There is a lot to digest in this week’s musings, so take your time and prayerfully read my ramblings. My heart’s desire is that we would together catch the vision for church planting in Saskatoon – as our calling in this time and place – the way we practically fulfill Jesus’ mission here. As Mordecai said to Esther, “Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Of course when you read the book of Esther, you soon realize that indeed Esther had been placed in the position she was in to be the Lord’s instrument for God’s purposes to be fulfilled. Those of us who were a part of Grace Fellowship in Leask know that God has been incredibly good to us and He has revealed incredible wonders in the Word of Himself in and through Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords. We are stewards of all God has given to us – that we would use our lives and resources for the glory and purposes of the One who sacrificed everything for us. As we looked to our role in the great Kingdom advancement – for the spread of Christ’s fame in the world – we followed the pattern of Paul and the apostles of Christ as they followed Jesus – the One who sent them and now us. They focused on church planting beginning in the cities. Our part in this big picture became clear. Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It’s off to Saskatoon we go! (I know I’m “Dopey”. Which of the seven are you? :-) ).

So what are the reasons for church planting?

We are focusing on church planting because it recognizes the church as being at the very heart of the purposes of God. The church is what Jesus died to build. Jesus loves the church and gave Himself for her. Jesus loves the church. The church is the means through which God’s glory will be made manifest for His name’s sake. She is the apple of God’s eye. For many of us individuals occupy that place. We have so emphasized the personal dimension of salvation that personal evangelism is the be all and end all. But the rescue of isolated individuals was never God’s plan. He always wanted a family, a community, a people – who would be to the praise of the glory of His grace. A people who would fill the earth with the glory of God is the prophesied and foretold Kingdom of Jesus. Local churches are the expression of God’s purpose. As a matter of stewardship obedience, our strategy should be the creation of such Christ-centered congregations. We should be looking to multiply churches - to litter the world with communities of people who model the gospel through their lives and relationships. It is as churches are planted that people are released into gospel ministry. It is in missionary churches that we are provoked to godliness and equipped for gospel work. If unreached areas are to be reached, it will only be by people who proclaim the gospel with their words and commend the gospel with their lives together.

According to what I could find on the last census information, currently less than 4% of people in Saskatoon attend an evangelical church where the gospel is preached. Assuming that each of these attenders is a true believer (and very big assumption), and if each of them is impacting 10 other people with the gospel of Jesus Christ (another big assumption), that means there are 150,000 people in our city that are not being reached with the Good News of Jesus Christ. There are over a billion people in the world that have never heard the name of Jesus. Only church planting will impact that staggering statistic.

The New Testament clearly reveals this is how the apostles of Jesus set out to fulfill Jesus’ mission to glorify God in the earth. Paul’s strategy was the establishment of churches in key centers. By design these were churches that would plant new churches and so spread out into the region. This is why Paul could justifiably claim to have fully preached the gospel.

The missionary challenge we are faced with as we move into this coming season of our lives is planting churches. And the churches we plant must be missionary churches with a heart to continue to reach out from their own doorsteps and towards the far corners of the world. Jonah was a prophet who had plans that more involved his own personal comfort than God’s mission. He gladly received grace and salvation as an individual and for those he had close relationship with – his kin. But strangers who didn’t know or love God in Nineveh, were not a part of his life plan. In fact they would mess it up. It would cost Jonah comfort and rest in this life.

Today, in the New Covenant era, the local church bears the prophetic responsibility. The Word of the Lord has come to us. As we see the need in our country – in particular in western Canada – we look and see that great city of Saskatoon – whose wickedness and violence is known across the land – boasting of Canada’s highest crime rate. Will we run? Will we pray Isaiah’s prayer, “Please don’t sent me”? (I know he said something like that … see Isaiah 6:8)

There are definitely some reasons to not church plant.

1] Church planting means we will have to abandon some of our selfish dreams and give up some comforts and “me” time. And I love me.

2] We will no long be able to just “wing it” and fit things into my schedule, and minister when it is convenient. In church planting, I need to order my entire life around God’s priorities for advancing the kingdom of Jesus.

3] We will have to arrive early when we gather to pray fervently with other saints and to be there to meet, greet, encourage etc. seekers, and believers who gather.

4] We will have to intentionally build relationships with unbelievers, involving them in our lives and connecting them with Christ’s community, instead of relaxing “by myself time” in front of the T.V. or computer or whatever activity you spend “me” time doing.

5] The constant need for new leaders is a heavy burden. Never having enough leaders is even more taxing. Needing to always invest in potential leaders takes time, energy and emotion. ‘Normal’ churches don’t seem to have this pressure.

6] The constant need to say goodbye to people you love is another good reason not to church plant. It is hard and it breaks my heart. The prospect of future plants is almost too much for me to bear. People in ‘normal’ churches can enjoy close relationships with the same people for up to 30 years.

That’s enough reasons for me. I’m done with this church planting stuff. Maybe we can find some other use for the signs. Me, I’m going to go on an ocean cruise with my sweetie. I hear there is a great rate to Spain, if we sail out from Joppa… Mmmmm…I think this is like “deja vu” all over again (read that last phrase over again – if you missed the joke!)

Why don’t we give up this idea of church planting and pursue intimacy in and with the group that we already have? Wouldn’t that be so much simpler? Or would that be a form of running to Tarshish? Shucks! Why did I ever start studying Jonah anyway? Just a minute, someone’s knocking at my door …. Yikes, it was a big fish …

What’s to be done? The same response for all of God’s people in every situation: run to the cross for grace and refuge, and there wait upon the Lord; from there look forward to eternity where the friendships that have been ’sacrificed’ for the sake of the gospel will be ours a hundred-fold. And some! Aren’t those great truths? In fact, I’m, already beginning to feel refreshed! What a gospel!

This past Sunday we were reminded that we never “get past” the gospel. The grace and love of God toward us in and through Jesus is what motivates us from the heart. Jesus has redeemed us for His name’s sake and gathered us in to be part of His kingdom army sent forth on His mission. To that end, we are trying to get others to “catch” this “heart disease”! We are looking for warriors – who, having received great grace from Jesus, will intentionally order their lives for the advancement of Jesus’ glory. Jesus has purposed to use His blood-bought church for that purpose. While the world orders its life in busyness pursuing that which their heart treasures – but alas, cannot ultimately satisfy, the church is called to order its life around the Savior and His mission. We are trying to gather a people who will live in the city, love the city, serve the city, and build relationships to commend our Savior to others. Our goal? That Christ-exalting communities of believers would be established in Saskatoon – and from there extend out beyond. To be a part of the mission of Jesus is a joy and a privilege. For this to become a reality will take a group of people who see this as a worthy life mission – that is far more satisfying than “the American dream” or any of the pursuits of money, family, comfort, fame etc. that those who do not treasure the gospel (i.e. Jesus!) chase after. We want to be a community within the community – connecting with our culture – but counter-cultural in our values and life-purpose.

How about you? Is this something you could get behind? If not you, then who? What will Saskatoon and our province be like in the next generation? Will the Word of God be proclaimed in all its fullness? Will God be known and worshipped in spirit and in truth? Will a God who raises dead sinners to new life in Christ be magnified? Will Jesus be heralded as the all-sufficient Hero? Will there be churches of communities of humble repenters, who love their Lord and one another as Jesus has loved them?

Jesus will build His church – but only through His church – empowered by the Spirit. This shows His power – His ability to work through the likes of us!!! It is this vision, that provided the motivation for Cheryl and I to change our goal of living comfortably in Leask – retiring there – in comfortable fellowship with the best of friends – and await the return of our Lord. My flesh was no fan of the city – but my heart is a fan of Jesus, and He loves the city – for there are many people there – people who need Jesus. I find myself living in and growing a love for the city. Now how did that happen?

The following points are given by Steve Timmis, a Brit who spoke at the Acts 29 Boot Camp in Seattle. These things are needed to advance the kingdom of Jesus and reach unbelievers with the gospel, gathering them into Christ-loving and Christ-centered communities on mission.

• We have to be intentional in our relationships
• We have to maintain the conviction that men and women without Christ are
  truly lost, and that is a truly terrible thing
• We have to be certain that it is only the Word of the Cross that is able to rescue and transform them
• We have to be up-front in terms of who we are and what we believe.

Consequently, when we meet together as church we do so as ‘ordinary’ people whose distinctive is that we’re followers of Jesus.

Therefore we:

• talk about him
• talk to him
• listen to him
• commend him to each other
• encourage one another to follow him

To help you catch a clearer understanding of how Grace Fellowship wants to focus on evangelism, I am going to provide a pdf file that is a chapter from a book called “Total Church.” This chapter catches the philosophy of evangelism as promoted by Acts 29 and catches the heart of how we want Grace Fellowship to evangelize our city. Please make a copy and give it a read. Once you have read the article, leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Click here to view: Evangelism article

Wild Bill Heads West

Bill Wepfer will be here for a brief visit from Dec. 14 – 17. It has been suggested that perhaps on Friday the 14^th, we go bowling in the evening. This will give more people opportunity to meet and connect with Bill while he is here. I am really looking forward to this visit from our beloved brother from Raleigh – plus, it will give his wife, Fran, and the kids, a break! :-)

Fellowship meal

Our next fellowship meal together at the Sutherland Hall will be on Dec. 23

Christmas is For-giving

On that Sunday (Dec. 23^rd), we will have a special message that focuses on the life transforming gospel. Though we will not have a separate communion time on that Sunday, we will still “break bread” together in the eating of meal. Invite some of your social network to this gathering to meet and connect with God’s redeemed people as we celebrate God for giving His Son that we might be forgiven all our sins – forever.

Prayer

A few of us have begun to meet at 9:25 a.m. before our Sunday church gathering to pray for God’s purposes regarding Grace Fellowship in Saskatoon. We meet in the kitchen and spend around 15 – 20 minutes participating in the privilege of prayer with our heavenly Father. For those who want to join with us, but are a little late – just walk on into the kitchen – do not be afraid that you will interrupt us. Just come on in.

Now for this week’s prayer and requests provided by Julie Cortens. May it be an inspiration to us as we seek to remember one another in prayer this week, and that God would be glorified in our lives and in His world. Thanks again, Julie. May this lead us to be more faithful as a church that prays in right dependence upon our Lord.

David asks for prayer for his brother Philip who is having significant health issues. Philip is not trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for his salvation. Pray that we can have opportunity to minister to him in some way with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Elaine asks for prayer for a ‘finicky’ furnace.

Jessica asks for prayer for loneliness when Kiley is working

Please pray for our brother Ken as he travels to Tacoma this Saturday. May he be a blessing to Brian and his family and may the Lord bless him greatly and give him rest, renewal and travel mercies on this trip.

Julie gives thanks for Harold’s presence at fellowship on Sunday and especially for Ken’s willingness to befriend and encourage Harold. God is good! May the Lord open Harold’s heart to hear the Word of God.

Remember all our loved ones who need to know of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Continue to pray for Murray and our ministry given us by the Lord. May the Lord continue to transform our hearts with the gospel that we would be vessels fit for this mission of church planting.

Eph 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Psa 90:17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

May we walk in the good works given us by our Lord.

In His name,

Amen

May we love God, one another, and the city of Saskatoon.

Jesus, build your church in Saskatoon for the glory of our heavenly Father.

Much love in, and dependence upon, the Savior,

Murray

“Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God

and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ…”

Acts 28:31

 

“The story continues…”

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