Introduction
I want us to begin this morning by finding the 36th chapter of the book of Job in the Old Testament. We have an idea what that book is about don’t we? Job is a godly man but is stricken with great loss and disease. Although he does not curse God and die, his pity party is one for the books. But this morning I want us to see something else in this book that some people might actually overlook.
Job 36:27-28: “For He draws up the drops of water, they distill rain from the mist, which the clouds pour down, they drip upon man abundantly.”
What a short but loaded passage. It describes the rain cycle.
What does it really show?
It shows that rain is a process.
Describing the Biblical Text
When we look at the Bible carefully, we find all sorts of processes don’t we?
We have the process of creation. God was getting the ready for man by moving from void and without form to abundant with plant and animal life to benefit man and glorify God.
Remember when Jesus ascended that he gave the disciples some pretty specific instructions.
He outlined a process for where the gospel would be taken when He said you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the remotest parts of the earth.
He also gave a process for making disciples that involves 3 parts: going, baptizing (winning the lost), and teaching.
Narrate the Contextual application
Our text this morning is a process.
Paul’s process ends in presenting everyman complete in Christ.
The idea behind complete is finished or perfected.
We need to remember that Paul was a church starter.
He planted churches with this idea.
He did not see churches as simply fellowships of followers; he saw churches as places where believers were equipped for their service to Christ and where they exercised spiritual gifts.
Life Application (thesis)
The church is where people are prepared to meet Jesus.
They are prepared through learning and serving.
As the church, God wants us to be moving people who know Jesus toward completeness in Him.
If we are moving people toward completion in Christ, that means that we are doing what?
We are following a process.
But, have we ever taken the time to sit down and to define our process?
What should be the important parts of the process?
SO WHAT!! (Outline)
This morning we will seek to examine this text and then to define the parts of the process that we as a church need to pursue.
We proclaim the message of Jesus.
Nothing is any more basic to what we do than that.
People should hear that message in everything we do.
The message of Jesus should permeate the church.
Most of you drove or rode in a car this morning to get here.
Think about your ride if your car had no engine in it.
There would be nothing to power the car and you would probably not even open the door of the car to get in.
As necessary as an engine is to a car, the message is all the more necessary to the church.
For what would a church be if it did not have the message of Jesus?
Basically, that message is this.
Man is sinful and because of that he has displeased God in his disobedience and is separated from God.
The only way that any person can find favor with God is through His Son, Jesus Christ.
You might be in need to day of knowing Christ because you have sensed your separation from Him.
Jesus gave his life and paid the penalty for our offenses that God would have required of us.
The payment that Jesus made for us was accomplished for our lives on the cross.
It can be applied today.
Heads bowed and eyes closed
If you want the new life that comes from a relationship with Jesus, pray this prayer surrendering your life to Christ today.
Heavenly Father, I know that I have offended you with my selfish desires and behavior. I am sorry for that and would like to live for you now. I am asking Jesus to come into my live and to rescue me from eternal separation from you. I am asking Jesus to be the Lord of my life. Thank you for saving me on the cross, Amen.
That is the starting point in the process.
We must begin by connecting people to Jesus.
But, how do we do that?
Where does that happen?
Do we know what we are supposed to be doing to see that happen?
We have got to have a well defined, congregationally understood point of entry for people who are coming here.
If we are going to connect them to Jesus, we must be aware of how that will happen.
Look at our text again.
We proclaim Christ but then we admonish and teach.
We place the mind of Jesus
Every time we have moved, we have done a good deal of the packing ourselves. It is interesting though to watch movers pack. They take a plate and the wrap it and they put it no more wrapping in a sturdy box called then they stuff more paper in the box so that everything in the box stays secure.
When we see the word admonish that word should jump up and bite us because that word literally means to place in the mind.
Let’s apply our dish metaphor to that. The movers securely place those dishes in the box so that they cannot be broken or damaged.
We should be placing Jesus in the minds of people so that they will never leave or be deterred from following him.
We admonish and we teach in order to move people through the process beyond their initial point of contact and their receiving Christ as their savior.
If we want to see people become Christlike, then we must be placing the mind of Christ within people.
I don’t believe that the scriptures are speaking arbitrarily when they say that were predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ.
There is the purpose for our lives clearly stated in Romans 8:28-30.
So as a church, what are we doing to conform people to the image of Christ?
How are we placing the mind of Christ in people?
These are questions that it is time to face.
It is time to look at the facts.
Who do we have in our church right now that came to Christ as a result of the ministries of this church who were not attending because they were already here as the children of church members?
Of those of you who are thinking that you fit that description did you come before or after 1980?
I hate to put you on the spot but if you became a follower of Jesus Christ here at Lexington Avenue after 1980, would you please stand?
So we have just ___ people who have come to Christ at LABC and who are still here in the last 27 years.
Remember back in January of 05 I shared with you that LABC had declined by 40% since 1990.
A lot of people think that our problems began in this church back in September of 05.
I have heard people say that IMPACT was the start of our problems and our fellowship fell apart then.
This church has been sick for a long time.
I’ll bet there are some of us who are sitting in this very auditorium thinking that it is time to get out of here before the whole thing collapses.
Believe me the thought enters my mind from time to time.
But I have to say something else.
The people of God are here.
The gospel of God is here.
The word of God is here.
And, The Spirit of God is here.
We have an enormous amount of potential here.
What de we have to do?
We need to use our energies better.
We need to clearly define our mission and the process by which we will accomplish our mission.
We have to put everything on the table and eliminate the fruitless.
We need search after those ministries that will provide a point of contact for people and will engage them into the process of discipleship wherein we place the mind of Christ into their minds.
But, we have to be together in doing that.
We cannot accomplish the work of Christ unless we are one vine.
We cannot accomplish the work of Christ unless we are carrying one pallet.
We cannot accomplish the work of Christ unless we are connecting to women at wells like Jesus did.
Our third Part of that process this morning is exactly what Paul’s goal was, Presenting to Jesus people for His glory.
That means we are teaching people to proclaim
We are teaching people to admonish
We are teaching people to teach
We are teaching more people to present more people to Jesus.
See this scarf? A friend of Alyson’s made it for her for Christmas. It started as a simple piece of yarn. It went through the process of being crocheted and then it was presented to Alyson as a gift. People are out there who need to hear the gospel. People who when taken through the process of discipleship will make a great gift for Jesus.
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