Mission

THE CHURCH… (Individual – YOU are the Church) (Corporate – The Church/The Body of Christ… as described in the New Testament)

·      Revive… (Simply means, to bring back to life)

·      Revive… The Church (Individual/Corporate)

What is the problem?

THE CHURCH’S IDENTITY CRISIS (THE CHURCH IS IN TROUBLE)

(Thoughts concerning today’s church… (Stats) the issues surrounding the reality of the dying church.  (Bottom line: THE CHURCH has lost its first love.)

·      The Point? The Love of Christ is exchanged with the traditions of the denomination.

·      Problem? “We refuse to change what we KNOW must change, to see change.”

o   More concerned with “NOT dying”, than we are with “Abundant Living”.

·      Answer? “We must die (more than just willing to die) if we truly want to live”.

o   Discover and commit to your “WHY”!

1.     THE KINGDOM-MINDED CHURCH HAS NO BORDERS/WALLS

(Thoughts concerning Kingdom-vs-Castle mentality.)

2.     POSITIONS VERSES GIFTING

(Thoughts concerning leadership… Gifts to/of the Church. “I maybe the Pastor (by position), but I’m certainly not a Pastor (Gifting).”

3.     BUILDING BLOCKS (Building a Foundation for CHURCHREVIVE)

(Christ will build His Church <Matthew 16:13-18… Christ is the only foundation <1 Corinthians 3:10-11;12-14>… Christ is the ‘chief cornerstone’ <Ephesians 2:19-22>…

***Passages to Consider:  Building on the foundation of God’s purpose, plan, and practice…  We look to the Scriptures for wisdom, strategy, design, and implementation…

1.    Single Mandate: Matthew 22:34-40 (Simple Mandate… Love)

a.    Love God… Worship is a lifestyle… Living to love/honor/revere/fear/glorify God… Our practice/aim must be to honor God

b.    Love Others… Loving/Serving Others is a lifestyle… Humility/service/graciousness/etc. must be at the center of our practice

2.    Single Mission: Matthew 28:18-20 (Mission… Gospel/Discipleship)

a.    John 3:16 – God loved the world – the peoples of the world… (people groups, ethnic groups)

b.    Literally… “As you are going along in life…” – MAKE DISCIPLES…

c.    This Mission includes:

               i.         Making Disciples

             ii.         Baptizing Disciples

           iii.         Teaching Disciples… to Obey His commands (Jesus’ commands – ‘Love God’ ‘Love Others’

3.    John 15 (Abide… The Vine/The Spirit/etc.)

a.    God plants HIS VINE (Jesus Christ) wherever He wants it… this is GOD’S CHURCH (No Borders) in any given community.

b.    The BRANCHES (God’s people/churches in any given community) are ‘grafted’ into the VINE.  Apart from the VINE the BRANCH withers, dies, and cannot live out its purpose. Only when the BRANCH is ‘attached,’ ‘abiding’ in the VINE will it be able to produce/bear FRUIT (Much fruit).

c.    HIS SPIRIT is the LIFE of the VINE that empowers, enables, equips, provides, perfects, supplies, etc. the BRANCHES to produce/bear FRUIT.

d.    When the BRANCHES produce/bear FRUIT and is SPILT-OUT (harvested, distributed, dispersed, shared, etc.), the GROUND (individual, church, community, city, nation, etc.) is saturated/filled/cleaned/purified/ nurtured/enriched… The influence of the VINE advances… Every BRANCH attached to the VINE strengthens and produces more and more FRUIT)

4.    Ephesians 4:1-16; 5:10,15-20 (Ministry… Educate/Equip/Encourage/etc.)

a.    Every ‘Spirit-Filled’ person is a ‘Spirit-gifted’ minister of the Gospel

               i.         They are individually wrapped – perfectly suited for the work of the ministry that God has set them apart for (inside/outside the church).

b.    Every ‘Spirit-Filled’ person MUST practice their ministry (must do their part)

5.    Colossians 1:6-10 (Product… Transformation - Gospel)

a.    The Gospel is going out all over the world (Preach the Word)

b.    The Gospel is changing lives (Live the Word)… this is all about the transformation of life

               i.         The Disciple… (This is God’s doing… God’s Masterpiece – Ephesians 2:8-10)… The fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:18-20

c.    The Gospel makes us (the disciple) productive and useful (You WILL make a difference in your community – you cannot help it)

d.    You will KNOW God better and better as you live out the Gospel.

6.    Luke 2:52 (Grow in… Wisdom, Stature, Favor with God, Favor with Man)

a.    Strategy and Design

               i.         The whole purpose of CHURCHREVIVE is bringing the community (inside/outside) – under the Lordship of Jesus Christ…

             ii.         Using Luke 2:52 as a simple guideline…

1)   Grow in Wisdom – The wisdom of God deals with every aspect of daily living… Every man/woman’s battle is choosing God’s Wisdom or the World’s Wisdom.

2)   Grow in Stature – Provide opportunities for community health… healthy exercise, healthy diet, healthy community

3)   Grow in Favor with God – Worship is a lifestyle… Living to love/honor/revere/fear/glorify God… Our practice/aim must be to honor God… (Obedience is better than sacrifice – 1 Samual 15:22; Proverbs 21:3)

4)   Grow in Favor with Man – Loving/Serving Others is a lifestyle… Humility/service/graciousness/etc. must be at the center of our practice 

ChurchRevive is dedicated to living a life that reflects the gospel of Christ, striving for unity, steadfastness, and collective faith, while bearing fruit through transformed lives and growing in spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Key Elements:

1.    Worthy Conduct:

o   Integrity and Holiness: We commit to living lives that honor Christ, demonstrating integrity, holiness, and love in all our actions.

o   Witness through Actions: Our conduct should be a testament to the transformative power of the gospel, inspiring others to seek Christ.

2.    Unity in Spirit:

o   One Spirit, One Mind: We strive to maintain unity within our community, working together with a shared purpose and vision.

o   Collaborative Effort: By fostering a spirit of cooperation and mutual support, we aim to strengthen our collective faith and witness.

3.    Steadfast Faith:

o   Firm in Faith: We encourage steadfastness in faith, standing firm against challenges and opposition.

o   Perseverance: Through trials and tribulations, we remain committed to our faith, trusting in God’s provision and guidance.

4.    Transformative Power of the Gospel:

o   Life-Changing Message: We believe in the transformative power of the gospel, which changes lives as people understand God’s wonderful grace.

o   Global Impact: Our mission is to share this Good News, which is bearing fruit all over the world, transforming lives just as it has transformed ours.

5.    Continuous Prayer and Spiritual Growth:

o   Prayerful Support: We commit to continually praying for our community, asking God to provide complete knowledge of His will and spiritual wisdom.

o   Spiritual Understanding: We seek to deepen our understanding of God’s will, enabling us to live lives that honor and please Him.

6.    Fruitful Living:

o   Producing Good Fruit: Our lives should produce every kind of good fruit, reflecting our faith and the work of the Holy Spirit within us.

o   Growth in Knowledge: We aim to grow in our knowledge of God, continually learning and drawing closer to Him.

7.    Honoring and Pleasing the Lord:

o   God-Honoring Conduct: Our actions and decisions should always honor and please the Lord, demonstrating our commitment to Him and to His teachings.

o   Holistic Development: We focus on holistic spiritual development, ensuring that our growth is evident in every aspect of our lives.