Teamwork in the Local Church: Lesson Seven: Gods Vision for the Church

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Teamwork in the Local
ChurchLesson Seven
Gods Vision for the Church
2
Every Local Church
Should Have Vision.

• Every church needs vision the
  faith to imagine and anticipate great things for
  the future of the church.

3
Jeremiah 2911 (NASB)

• 'For I know the plans that I have for you,'
  declares the LORD,' plans for welfare and not for
  calamity to give you a future and a hope.

4
Acts 931 (NASB)

• So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee
  and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up and,
  going on in the fear of the Lord and in the
  comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to
  increase.

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Every Local Church
Should Have Vision.

• Every church needs vision the
  faith to imagine and anticipate great things for
  the future of the church.
• Without vision, a church will become lukewarm or
  dead!

6
Revelation 316 (NASB)

• 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot
  nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

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Revelation 31b-2 (NASB)

• 1 'I know your deeds, that you have a name
  that you are alive, but you are dead. 2'Wake up,
  and strengthen the things that remain, which were
  about to die for I have not found your deeds
  completed in the sight of My God.

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Every Local Church
Should Have Vision.

• Every church needs vision the faith to
  imagine and anticipate great things for the
  future of the church.
• Without vision, a church will become lukewarm or
  dead!
• Vision provides for us the purpose and direction
  we need, instilling within us the zeal and
  confidence we require as the Lords church.

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Titus 213-14 (NASB)

• 13 Looking for the blessed hope and the
  appearing of the glory of our great God and
  Savior, Christ Jesus 14 who gave Himself for us,
  that He might redeem us from every lawless deed
  and purify for Himself a people for His own
  possession, zealous for good deeds.

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Mans Vision vs. Gods Vision for
the Church.

• Let us avoid man-made visions (Col. 28) which
  result in man-made churches.
• Mans vision of the church is very different than
  Gods.
• Often carnal (not spiritual), worldly, and
  materialistic
• At times an exclusive social club that shuns
  outsiders (different classes, races)

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Matthew 1513-14 (NASB)

• 13 But He answered and said, "Every plant which
  My heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted
  up. 14 "Let them alone they are blind guides of
  the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man,
  both will fall into a pit."

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Mans Vision vs. Gods Vision for
the Church.

• Let us avoid man-made visions (Col. 28) which
  result in man-made churches.
• We must commit ourselves to Gods vision for the
  church (Prov. 2918).

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Proverbs 2918 (NASB)

• Where there is no vision (i.e. revelation), the
  people are unrestrained, but happy is he who
  keeps the law.

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What is Gods Vision for the Church?

• A church that is like His Son, Jesus Christ.
• The goal of every church should be To be like
  Christ - to grow up in all aspects into Him, who
  is the head, even Christ (Eph. 415b).
• Committed to following in the footsteps of Jesus
  (1 Pet. 221).

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2 Corinthians 318 (NASB)

• But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a
  mirror the glory of the Lord, are being
  transformed into the same image from glory to
  glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

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• Spiritual growth in Christ doesnt just happen in
  the church, but takes place
  when members are focused on the vision to be
  more like Christ!

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More Like Jesus!

• More holy and pure of sin like Jesus
• More compassionate like Jesus
• More thankful like Jesus
• More merciful and forgiving like Jesus.
• More devoted to the worship of God like Jesus
  was.
• More zeal for God like Jesus had zeal.
• To love more and more as Jesus loved.

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A Christ-like church is a true light in this
world of darkness!

• Matthew 516 (NASB)
  "Let your light shine before men in such a way
  that they may see your good works, and glorify
  your Father who is in heaven.

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What is Gods Vision for the Church?

• A church that is like His Son, Jesus Christ.
• A church that continues to grow in the knowledge
  of the truth.

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Colossians 19-10 (NASB)

• 9 For this reason also, since the day we heard
  of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to
  ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of
  His will in all spiritual wisdom and
  understanding, 10 so that you may walk in a
  manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all
  respects, bearing fruit in every good work and
  increasing in the knowledge of God

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• The goal of every church should be To grow in
  the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior
  Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 318).

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• Instead of a clergy / laity distinction in
  which members remain ignorantly dependent,
  members grow in their knowledge and in their
  ability to search the Scriptures themselves (Acts
  1711).

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Envision a church growing in the knowledge of God

• Hungry for truth
• Eager to learn
• Studious
• Able to give an answer
• A place for spiritual education

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What is Gods Vision for the Church?

• A church that is like His Son, Jesus Christ.
• A church that continues to grow in the knowledge
  of the truth.
• A church that is the pillar and support of the
  truth.

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1 Timothy 315 (NASB)

• But in case I am delayed, I write so that you
  may know how one ought to conduct himself in the
  household of God, which is the church of the
  living God, the pillar and support of the truth.

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• Preserving and upholding the truth is vital to
  transmitting the truth to future generations of
  Christians (e.g., 2 Tim. 15).

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• Envision a church that does not compromise the
  truth in order to gain the world, that will not
  surrender truth at the cost of salvation (Mat.
  1626).

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• Envision a church that will not yield to false
  teachers even for one hour in order to get
  along with others or keep the peace (Gal.
  24-5).

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Galatians 24-5 (NASB)

• 4 But it was because of the false brethren who
  had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we
  have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into
  bondage. 5 But we did not yield in subjection to
  them for even an hour, so that the truth of the
  gospel might remain with you.

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• Defending the truth against error is a burden
  that Jesus places on each and every church
  (e.g., Rev. 220-24).

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What is Gods Vision for the Church?

• A church that is like His Son, Jesus Christ.
• A church that continues to grow in the knowledge
  of the truth.
• A church that is the pillar and support of the
  truth.
• A church that is busy fulfilling her God given
  duties.

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God has given every church a spiritual mission to
complete!

• Envision the church fulfilling her God given duty
  to worship God in spirit and in truth (John
  423-24).

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Colossians 316-17 (NASB)

• 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within
  you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one
  another with psalms and hymns and spiritual
  songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts
  to God. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed,
  do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
  thanks through Him to God the Father.

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God has given every church a spiritual mission to
complete!

• Envision the church fulfilling her God given duty
  to worship God in spirit and in truth (John
  423-24).
• Envision the church fulfilling her God given duty
  to evangelize and support the preaching of the
  gospel (Mat. 2818-20 Phil. 415-18).

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Matthew 2818-20 (NASB)

• 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying,
  "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and
  on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of
  all the nations, baptizing them in the name of
  the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20
  teaching them to observe all that I commanded
  you and lo, I am with you always, even to the
  end of the age. "

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• We devote ourselves to prayer, praying for open
  doors of opportunity to teach the lost
  (Col. 42-3).

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• Together, we maintain the vision that God will
  give the increase as we labor for Christ (1
  Cor. 36).

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• When the church provides financial support for
  gospel preachers, such is a fragrant aroma, an
  acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God
  (Phil. 415-18).

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God has given every church a spiritual mission to
complete!

• Envision the church fulfilling her God given duty
  to edify or spiritually build up the body of
  Christ (1 Cor. 1426 Eph. 412, 16 cf. Acts
  2032).

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1 Thessalonians 511 (NASB)

• Therefore encourage one another, and build up
  (edify) one another, just as you also are doing.

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What does a church committed to edification look
like?

• Beyond classes and sermons, envision a church in
  which members go out of their way to build one
  another up!

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Ephesians 429 (NASB)

• Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth,
  but only such a word as is good for edification
  according to the need of the moment, that it may
  give grace to those who hear.

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• True love is demonstrated in the church when the
  number one concern is one anothers spiritual
  welfare and growth!

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God has given every church a spiritual mission to
complete!

• Envision the church fulfilling her God given duty
  to provide benevolence for Gods children who are
  in need (Acts 244-45 1127-30).

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• Envision a church gives sacrificially and
  generously, like the churches in Macedonia for
  brethren who are in need (2 Cor 81-5).

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2 Corinthians 81-2 (NASB)

• 1 Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you
  the grace of God which has been given in the
  churches of Macedonia, 2 that in a great ordeal
  of affliction their abundance of joy and their
  deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their
  liberality.

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2 Corinthians 81-2 (NASB)

• 3 For I testify that according to their ability,
  and beyond their ability they gave of their own
  accord, 4 begging us with much entreaty for the
  favor of participation in the support of the
  saints, 5 and this, not as we had expected, but
  they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us
  by the will of God.

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How Do We Maintain Gods Vision in the Church?

• Believe in Gods vision

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1 Thessalonians 213 (NASB)

• And for this reason we also constantly thank God
  that when you received from us the word of God's
  message, you accepted it not as the word of men,
  but for what it really is, the word of God, which
  also performs its work in you who believe.

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How Do We Maintain Gods Vision in the Church?

• Believe in Gods vision
• Continually teach and remind one another what our
  vision should be.

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Proverbs 2413-14 (NASB)

• 13 My son, eat honey, for it is good, Yes, the
  honey from the comb is sweet to your taste 14
  Know that wisdom is thus for your soul If you
  find it, then there will be a future, and your
  hope will not be cut off.

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How Do We Maintain Gods Vision in the Church?

• Believe in Gods vision
• Continually teach and remind one another what our
  vision should be.
• Do not live in the past, but reach forward to
  what lies ahead.

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Philippians 312-14 (NASB)

• 12 Not that I have already obtained it, or have
  already become perfect, but I press on in order
  that I may lay hold of that for which also I was
  laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do
  not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet
  but one thing I do forgetting what lies behind
  and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I
  press on toward the goal for the prize of the
  upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

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How Do We Maintain Gods Vision in the Church?

• Believe in Gods vision
• Continually teach and remind one another what our
  vision should be.
• Do not live in the past, but reach forward to
  what lies ahead.
• As a team, every member needs to offer some form
  of leadership to support Gods vision (e.g., by
  example, initiate works, teach, direct, plan, set
  goals).

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• Let Us Trust in Gods Vision for
  the Church In
  everything we do as a church, let
  us follow His direction and
  trust in Him!