Missional Readiness - Week #5

Missional Readiness - Week #5 By Timothy Moore

Acts 20:28 Genesis 3:4-7 John 10:7-10

Guard from what? The SAME OLD LIES repackaged.

The enemy, Satan, the serpent has always had the same agenda:

• Casting Doubt - v.1 “Did God REALLY say…” There’s something more, something you are missing.
• Tempting - Not just to sin, but to status. You will be like God
• Creating distance, dissatisfaction, destruction “godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.” 1 Timothy 6:6

Guarding the Church from the Killer ‘isms’ Gnosticism - from Greek Gnosis (knowledge) Hidden Knowledge only attained by the spiritual elite. Spiritism - Engaging Spirits for Guidance and New Revelation Legalism - Made up lists of what is required or forbidden

What do all these things have in common? They are all saying Jesus is not enough. They are saying God’s Word, the Bible is not enough.

The Truth Jesus is enough. The Gospel is enough. God’s Word is Enough. The Holy Spirit is Enough.

The church is a spiritual family on a mission.

Family Leadership Jesus our Chief Shepherd ‘Senior Pastor’ (1 Peter 5:4)

Church leaders. People we call ‘pastors’ and ‘ministers’ have a clear purpose described clearly in the Bible. Guard the Flock Guide the Mission Govern the Family

Church Leader Terms in the Bible:

• Presbuteroi = Elders
• Episkopoi = Bishops (overseer - usually referring to ministry in a geographical area.
• Diakonoi = Dia (through) konos (dirt/dust) translated ‘Deacon’

Jesus is described using all three terms. 1 Peter 2:25, Matthew 20:28

• ‘Priest’ = never used in the Bible to describe a church leader position.
• ‘Pastor’ = never used in the Bible to describe a church leadership position

Pastor is the Greek word ‘poy-mane’. It is only used to describe a function (shepherding=caring) or as a leadership gift/competency (e.g. he or she has the gift of shepherding, in other words, caring and guiding people well).

Who first used the term ‘pastor’ to describe a leader in the church? Huldrych Zwingli (1520’s) during the Protestant Reformation.

Above All Song [Verse 1] Above all powers, above all kings Above all nature and all created things Above all wisdom and all the ways of man You were here before the world began

[Verse 2] Above all kingdoms, above all thrones Above all wonders the world has ever known Above all wealth and treasures of the earth There's no way to measure what You're worth

[Chorus] Crucified, laid behind a stone You lived to die, rejected and alone Like a rose, trampled on the ground You took the fall and thought of me Above all

[Verse 1] Above all powers, above all kings Above all nature and all created things Above all wisdom and all the ways of man You were here before the world began

[Verse 2] Above all kingdoms, above all thrones Above all wonders the world has ever known Above all wealth and treasures of the earth There's no way to measure what You're worth