Today we start a new series = The thriving church <ppt>

In order to prepare for this series

I’ve looked at the scriptures and asked the question “What does the Bible tell us about seeing the church of Jesus Christ thrive
We live in a day when the church is marginalised. It is seen a peripheral to the big things that happen in society. When I was a teenager between 20 and 25% of the population went to a church of some sort on a Sunday . Now it is between 5 and 7%. At one time the church and its leaders were central to our nation’s life, now they are reagarded as merely ‘the traditional religious voice’ and not regarded as having little if any weight in the affairs of state.
I’ve also looked round at other churches that are thriving and asked the question “what do they have in common?” “is there anything I can learn from them?” If you’re a leader of any sort, be it a school, a business or a team, this will be the sort of question you’ll ask by instinct!

So I want to start this series with the headline news of the Christian church – and my own personal headline news when leading the church too.

For any leader “the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing”

nowhere is that more true than in the church of Jesus Christ! It’s very easy for any church to be distracted into fascinating, fun, inspirational, reputaion-building stuff and miss our core calling.
What it the main thing for our church and for me personally? It’s the gospel of Jesus Christ! The good news that God has intervened on earth to bring life and salvation to people like us.

However, when the church has diverted from its main thing it has got into all sorts of secondary – and sometimes downright God-less – activity which sounded plausible at the time but when viewed through the lens of scripture and history was a diversion from its main thing living and preaching the gospel and bringing in the kingdom of God

Diverting from the main thing

led to the infamous crusades of the 11^th and 12^th centuries which attempted to spread a gospel of compulsion instead of a gospel of grace!
It led to the selling to fast-track tickets into heaven (called indulgences) which gave rise to the protestant reformation
more recently some theologians in the 20^th century tried to ‘demythologise’ the New testament, arguing that Jesus didn’t really have to rise from the dead (because that, surely was a myth, they said), we only have to believe that he did. And a huge battle was fought around the authority and reliability of the Bible. One of the men who worked on this and wrote extensively was my predecessor (+1) Ray Brown and my father-in-law, Donald Guthrie. Both of these man (and others like then) fought tenaciously for the scriptures and the authority of the Bible – and that battle is still raging in some quarters.
Still today there are churches which only treat the scriptures as authoritative in name

So if “the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing” what is the main thing in the life of the church?

What is the primary given that causes a church to thrive?

<ppt> A church thrives when the gospel of Jesus Christ is its main thing

When Jesus was singling out Peter as one of the leaders who would spearhead the church when Jesus had gone he said this:

<ppt> “I will build my church (on you, Peter) and the gates of hell will not overcome it” Jesus, Matthew 16

It’s a thrilling picture of the forces of hell on the defensive! It’s hell that is pictured as a town having to shut its gates against the onslaught of the thriving church of Jesus Christ!

(take your notes …)

Three principles about the church:

<ppt> A thriving church is God’s intention for his people

In the Bible, the pictures used of the church are images of growth and of vitality

Jesus talked about being the vine – a tree that bears fruit that is seen by everyone, and bears and fruit that lasts
Paul uses the picture of a body – especially the body of an athlete – which is a joy to watch and operates well

<ppt> A thriving church is made up of thriving Christ-followers

A Christian church thrives in God when the people who comprise it thrive in God too.

So if you want more praise in the church – you bring your praise!
if you want more joy in the church – you express your joy!
If you want more giving in the church – you give sacrificially!
if you want more prayer in the church – you come to pray!

Later on I’m going to sketch out for you an outline of what a thriving Christian looks like >>>

<ppt> The gospel is the whole gamut of walking with God

We talk of a ‘gospel sermon’ as one which helps people to cross the line into the kingdom

but when the Bible talks about the gospel it often means much more than that – it’s centred on the resurrection of Jesus Christ but it refers to the the whole gamut of walking with God!

When I speak at a funeral I’m often asked to “preach the gospel”

and what my friends mean by that is usually something like this “My friends are coming into church who normally wouldn’t go near the place, so please can you explain as clearly as you know how, what it means to be a Christian”. An of course, without violating the moment, I’ll always take the opportunity to ‘preach the gospel’.
After all, we want our friends to get what we’ve got – hope for eternity – peace with God – rescue from guilt – that’s quite a package!

However, the ‘gospel’ in its Biblical sense is much more than just the first step, it’s the whole package of walking with God!

And that package is always seen, felt and communicated in thriving churches. It’s one of the things that characterise them.

Conversely, in Galatians, Paul encountered people who had diverted from the whole gospel. He said this:

“I am astonished that you have so quickly deserted the one who called you (=Jesus Christ) and are turning to a different gospel – which isn’t a gospel (=good news) at all!”

<ppt> What does ‘another gospel’ look like? (Galatians 1:6-11)

<ppt> Not Christ focussed . Whenever the activity, witness or public face of the church diverts from Christ it fails in its calling to procliam the good news about being a Christ-following community
<ppt> infected by other (often self-seeking) motives – The early church suffered with this as much as we do! Not everyone who sets themselves up as a Christian leader does so with God-honouring motives. It’s sad, but true – and we need to beware

<ppt> “I want you to know that the gospel I preached is not something man made up, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ” (v11)

This is what Victoria Stands for – our primary vision – our main thing is see you (and me) transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ by the good news of the gospel.

<ppt> Six facets of living our the gospel

Six ministry aims in each other’s lives

This is the vision of Victoria – it’s what we stand for! – it’s why we exist

<ppt> Grace – faith in the victory of Christ – the resurrection

Grace is the expression of God’s generosity towards us. Ridiculous, unmerited, sacrificial, awe-inspiring generosity.

If a monarch wanted to give a house to a subject it was given as a ‘grace and favour’ property.

And as a result of God’ gift of freedom from sin we no longer need to live in guilt!

So beware some preachers who use guilt as a weapon!
Guilt was only ever intended to be a temporary state to bring us to repentance and receive forgiveness.

the good news about Grace? You are set free and made new

<ppt> Growth – follow the example of Christ.

Three habits of thriving Christians

Worship from the heart >>>
feed on the scriptures >>>
pray in the Spirit >>>

The good news about growth: You can become more like Jesus Christ

<ppt> Group – live with the friends of Christ

In close proximity to other Christ-followers

it’s interesting (and sad) how people who drift away from church and from Christ often start that drift by not meeting with other believers – e.g. SG

“Let us not give up meeting together as the habit of some it” Hebrews.

The good news about being part of a group: I belong

<ppt> Gifts – copy / emulate the ministry of Christ

We’ve found that every believer has something the God has invested in them that can be used to build His kingdom.

With out human logic we tend to elevate or idolise people who have public gifts, or noticeable skills (like preachers – I find that rather unnerving, frankly)

In the Bible Paul uses a picture of a Roman general returning to his home town as a victor. Their tradition was that when this man returned, he could parade with his army through the centre of the town to get the applause of the city. As he returned it was his right to give out some of the booty he’d captured in the campaign as gifts to the people, the mayor, the town clerk and nayone he chose – it was his right and his prerogative.

Paul [pictured God as the returning general and the largesse he showers on the admiring crowd are the spiritual gifts that make the church happen!

And Paul? – He sees himself as the preacher at the tail end of the procession where all the captured prisoners are paraded for people ot throw their rotting tomatoes at!

WWJD

The good news: God uses me to build his kingdom

<ppt> Generosity

We want ot be generous with our time and our money >>>

The good news: My personal resources are precious to God!

<ppt> Gospel

When these five other things are in place there is something magnetically attractive about the gospel that draws people to Christ.

The good news: God makes a difference through me

<ppt> “I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes!”

What makes us feel ashamed? >>>

Imagine a trophy-winner (Andy Murray!) He’s not ashamed of his trophy.

There is no need for us to be ashamed, or embarrassed, or reticent about the gospel

I am not ashamed intellectually

I am not ashamed socially – the gospel stands up

Pray >>>

^[1]