Sermon this week going to talk about action steps inspired by pain, but today I want to push in a broader way for those tuning in…
2nd Corinthians 2:12-14
12Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, 13I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.
14But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.
Slave with a choice?
Get specific “Titus” about your lack of peace.
You feel some discomfort right now, how about letting that help guide you to an area. Then go there and have victory with Jesus!
Bob interviews Jake about one of Maywood’s vision passages:
Ephesians 4:7-13
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it[a] says:
“When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.”[b]
9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions[c]? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Here’s google’s attempt to transcribe the episode:
More it’s great to be it is good at some point but I’m able to interview me already geez. I thank you for this beautiful weather that you’re giving us thank you for Maywood and I thank you Jesus that you gave us this calling that we’re gonna read about today and Ephesians and I pray you’d help us to grow in our understanding.
Of it as we talk about it and listen to it and Jesus prayed up was to grow in our living it out as we go on from here since you say we pray amen.Jake the last podcast that you and I did together. I mentioned this professor friendly edge who was a friend of the pastor.
I served with in Louisiana and heated voted his whole career as a professor and as a speaker worldwide actually wrote a lot of books to trying to get the church to do what you’re trying to get made what to do.And he ran across some really hard obstacles because the church moves slowly people like to come give their money and let the professionals do the work while they sit back and as they say in the old South they sit and soak and so you have a passion that may would fulfill Ephesians chapter 4 and I know if you want to read that to us or tell them about that but let’s look at that and let you talk about it yeah, so this passage the whole book of a fiance really gets me excited and this passion is kind of this passage kind of.
Of it for me and so, you know storing fusion chapter 4 starting verse 7 and we’ll read down to verse the end of verse 13.Paul says but to each one of his grace has been given as Christ the portion did get to this idea that we’ve been gifted by Jesus and it says this is why it says when you send it on high took many captions and gave gifts to his people want to see ascended moon except for lady also descended to the lower earthly regions, he descended is the very one who has sent it higher than all the heavens in order to fill the whole universe.
The potential to talk more about that a little bit if you want to Bob but basically there is Jesus came down for us he came down to get us and Jesus goes higher than anybody else. Jesus is the biggest the best he’s over everything in verse 11, so Christ himself give the apostles the prophets the evangelists the pastors and teachers to equip his people for works of service, so the body of Christ will be built up until we already unity in the faith and then the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature teaming to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ, so theRule of the leader according to verse 11 and 12 is to equip people at church.
And then when everybody in the church is using their gifts and service we can be built towards a unity be built to become a sure eventual we’re shooting for is the B Jesus’s fullness together so that there’s a lot packed into that little passage right a few years ago.
Jake I did in fact several years ago. I did a big study of the book of Romans and Romans has all of this theology in it. I mean, it is just jam-packed with theology and I as I read through a couple of really good books on it one of theAuthors said, why did Paul write Romans he wrote Romans to have a unified church to carry the gospel to Spain he wanted to start a new campaign in Spain and he needed both Jews and Gentiles unified together they were not unified so they would care the gospel and so we build up the body of Christ in order.
For God to use us to make a difference if they would Baptist Church in Western independence maybe beyond so why don’t you tell us what is the what is the biggest thing out of those verses that impresses you when you read what is the thing it really grabs you the most so the the most is this idea that ever only were together as a whole group every single person using their gifts look like Jesus that’s the only pathway to really be the fullness of Jesus is that you have a team of people working to.
Together with their gifts, it’s not a superstar it’s not one great professional person, it’s a whole team and that we need each other together yeah absolutely yeah if people listen to this have not watched last Saturday nights worship service and sermon go there because there were testimonies given by people who highlighted us working together people who got free people who helped other people get free people involved in ministry, they were.
Only able to do that because of other people working in their lives together, that’s a that’s a huge point.
Out of all of that to come down into the muck and Meyer a mess of the earth right and to pull us up to where he wants us to be yes, so this idea that Jesus came down for us right and so that’s for what I would highlight with that descended idea, absolutely yeah, so what am I spiritual?
Spent from 1910 to 1920 in prison and in the middle of that prison sentence, he met the Lord in this such a profound way that he he’d be in writing articles for Atlantic magazine from prison and they were being published he became friends with some of the best known preachers in the area while he was still in prison and there was a just a really really tough inmate who hated him and he tried to go to him so he pulled out a passage like this and he says, what does it mean that he descended?
And a guy said he came for us he met me in my cell and he changed me, if you look at the crowd at Maywood he came for us now that includes me includes you but also concludes the guy that thinks there’s our includes the guy that thanks to the lady that thinks there’s no hope for me he came he descended to reach into us and pull us out yeah thank thank God for that yeah we have to play what role do all the different people who have gifts what is our world to play at all this so the very first step is to believe that first verse that Jesus has given you.
A gift by grace that if you don’t whatever you think of yourself for your past if you’ve accepted Jesus Jesus has given you something that he hasn’t given to Bob that he hasn’t given to me and you have to believe that you have to believe that Jesus has put something into you that’s worth sharing with other people right and if you believe that peace in the next step is to say to Jesus, how do I use it and may what is all all of our leaders who always trying to push them to be a clippers, so typically you can go find somebody and may with it wants to help you use that gift figure that gift out.
So that would be a first step absolutely absolutely so Saturday night and I’ve already talked to you about this but I’m gonna talk to you about again, yeah Saturday night I was blown away by Mark Baker’s testimony and Mark is friends with a guy in a homeless camp gave the guy a Bible and then a guy in the homeless camp came out of his tent and started preaching to the other folks who were in the camp Jake you and I could never do that right in fact people would look at us and think oh yeah, of course let’s arrive, but they’re looking markets that he’s one of us he can relate to us so he.
Was a gift that we and I don’t have he’s able to exercise and that’s true for lots of others thank God for that so horse out of that passage just really grabs you so I love this simplicity of the passage when it describes these leaders it says there’s different types of leaders that guy gives to a church what they’re supposed to accomplish and as pastor may would we get this idea of calling the pastor’s coaches out what a pastor is of pastors and a quicker and so I when I read this verse I think about that challenge to myself as the leader of Maywood andI do what Jesus has asked me to do which is to be an equipper of other people and so great sermon or I go do some spectacular thing on my own.
That doesn’t necessarily mean I’ve done what Jesus asked me to do as a leader may would I see a more thinker for the lightbulb camera him?That’s my investment as a leader. I see other people taking hold of what Jesus has for them shown to other people in the great is.
There’s a lot of folks willing to engage a lot of folks willing to get started and know it’s full of diamonds in the rough these folks who.Given a little bit of attention a little bit of time with Jesus they can do amazing things God’s gift to them and so many different ways and I don’t just be diamonds in the wrath of you know, somebody that has got a couple years of sobriety or a couple months of right at even folks who’ve been Christians a whole life, so maybe was just full of a lot of folks who with a little bit of polish they suddenly shine in these amazing ways for Jesus right so you talked about long-term people per second let’s talk about that, so you’ve invited some people with the coronavirus that would not be healthy.
For them to be in a service and you’ve asked them to pray for the Saturday services talk about that little bit yeah, so one of the things people it’s always about.How does God want to use this person to lose dynamic of they can really be present physically on Saturday nights but they have amazing so several and for whatever reason.
I was also thinking about this idea of the story about Charles Spurgeon his services.People and.He fell a spiritual difference at church on Saturday night different NFL all summer long and it was powerful and I attribute a piece of that in a unified way during the service for what was going on so it’s just one example of all sorts of ways that people can use their gifts and they start to work together and that’s what that feature passes talks about when we’re using our gifts they start to float together, right?
I’ve had people particularly who are.We we call them almost home, they’re they’re no longer able to fulfill the job that they used to have in the church and I’ve had them say to me just I just don’t have anything to do anymore and I always say to them, but you can pray your prayers are so important that I have that.
You.
Do Taylor yeah.
When it comes to our worship team tell me what is Daniel involved right what sort of people are on on that team involved a good example and the worship is a good example of.I will call it a gift space development so rather than saying, oh we need age rumor there’s a hole for a drummer let’s find a drummer and then we put a hole we’ll move on to our next hole.
Daniel’s approach is I want to bring whoever wants to come. I want to teach them about worship and then when as they’re worshiping I want to equip whatever gifts they have so if they got a knack for sound and he tries to equip them in that they love guitar tries to equip them in that and if they have a gift for worshiping tries to equip them.
Is to get off of the stage. Daniel doesn’t want to be the best worship leader ever and have a concert of people listening to him. Daniel is to raise up other leaders who would then he would be off the stage coaching them on how to do even better and and then even at some point he’s living like on other places or things like that.
Let’s worshipers so we can lead other people there’s actually less time given to let’s just make sure we have everything ready for for Sunday or Saturday because we’re met.Exposure for something like that, so it’s driven and they want to lead folks into real warship but it’s a lot of ways it’s not trying to just recreate something and feel holes right so somebody really wants a real up close and personal contact with God.
Thursday night is good night actually just expand it even starts, so what’s the time to believe?
It’s really more about just engaging with God studying some lessons and things like that as well, so you can necessarily know just being part of the team.
I want to be a part of this team and I’m available and Daniel will help you on figure out what’s your guess and how can you use it but then some help along the way and how can you use it?
Today.Is pretty good, right?
S.
But it’s this opportunity to say as we take steps forward how do we hold on to what’s most important how do we stay faithful to Jesus and see a lot of people engaging with that right yeah right so if you had something just to say people who are listening to this this is the thing you could do this week to get started what would you say to them, so this very likely to start with is where you read that password just read it features four seven through 13, but you pray Jesus.
I believe you’ve given me a gift and I believe that you will give me the right leaders to help me use my gift so you just you give that to Jesus. I’m giving you my faith right and then coming to myself for the coach or coach. Justin coach. Daniel coach Wayne or even a small group or teacher maywood draw to after you pray that prayer and say I want to use my gifts for two weeks for even if you’ve been a Christian for any years.
Say yeah I want to plug you into the work with you we’re not perfect people but but that’s what we’re all striving to do and so if you will come to Jesus this week and say, I believe you’ve given me a gift. I believe you’ve given me what the leaders to equip me and then just go to a leader and say show me what to do next absolutely yeah yeah good deal why we pray about this what he says thank you for joining me, thank you for his leadership and I thank you holy spirit you gave us this vision, this was not something we found other of something you wrote in the word you illuminated us to us.
We see it and I pray that you’ll help us to respond to it completely bless I pray Jake and his leadership and the other leaders bless them. Lord we ask that you use Baptist Church to fulfill everything you desire for us in Jesus name amen, amen guys this with a nice nice standard.
Jake interviews Bob about one of Maywood’s vision passages:
Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Next episode we will flip roles and talk about Maywood’s other vision passage.
Thoughts from Agnes Sanford in The Healing Light
“Four simple steps into prayer
The first step in seeking to produce results by any power is to contact that power. The first step then in seeking help from God is to contact God. “Be still and know that I am God.” Let us then lay aside our worries and cares, quiet our minds and concentrate upon the reality of God. We may not know who God is or what God is, but we know that there is something that sustains this universe, and that something is not ourselves. So the first step is to relax and to remind ourselves that there is a source of life outside of ourselves.
The second step is to turn it on, by some such prayer as this “Heavenly Father, please increase in me at this time Your life-giving power.” Or if we do not know this outside life as our Heavenly Father, we can simply say “Whoever you are — whatever you are — come into me now!”
The third step is to believe that this power is coming into use and to accept it by faith. No matter how much we ask for something it becomes ours only as we accept it and give thanks for it. “Thank You,” we can say, “that Your life is now coming into me and increasing life in my spirit and in my mind and in my body.”
And the fourth step is to observe the operations of that light and life. In order to do so, we must decide on some tangible thing that we wish accomplished by that power, so that we can know without question whether our experiment succeeded or failed.
Many Christians are afraid to do this. A woman once told me that she asked God to send her two pairs of rubbers for her sons, to protect their feet from rain and slush. That night, she said, the ground froze over solid and for two days the boys walked to school dry-shod. Upon the third day another woman gave her two pairs of rubbers for her sons.
The value of specific requests
“Oh, but I would never dare do that!” cried a young man to whom I repeated this. “Because — what if the rubbers didn’t come?”
If the rubbers weren’t forthcoming, he implied — there was no God. But if he had turned on an electric light and it had failed to shine, he would not have said, “There is no electricity!” He would have said, “There is something wrong with this lamp.”
Let us understand then that if our experiment fails it is not due to a lack in God, but to a natural and understandable lack in ourselves. What scientist would be discouraged if his first experiment failed? Since we intend with His help to heal our short-comings, to repair our wiring, we need not fear to test His power by prayer.
A pair of rubbers might not be the simplest objective, nor a new coat, nor a larger home. We might be mistaken concerning our need of these things. Moreover, the attaining of such things in prayer involves the swaying of more minds than ours, and is rather difficult for a first experiment. Let us choose one of the very simplest of prayer-experiments, remembering always that it must be tangible; that is, it must be something that we can put the finger on and say either “This has been done,” or “This has not been done.”
How strange it is that people who fear to do this do not hesitate to pray for the most difficult objectives of all, such as the peace of the world or the salvation of their souls! If they have so little confidence in prayer that they do not dare to test their powers of contacting God by praying for an easy thing, it is probable that their cosmic intercessions are of little force. If everyone who prayed for the peace of the world had enough prayer-power to accomplish the healing of a head cold, this would be a different world within twenty-four hours.
An objective that is simple and personal
All the cattle on a thousand hills are His, all the rubbers in all the world are under His control and sufficient power to heal the head colds of all humanity flows at His command. Let us not be afraid, then, to choose for our first prayer-experiment an objective that is simple and personal. This objective must of course be in accordance with God’s will, for it is as difficult to make God’s power operate contrary to His will as it is to make water flow uphill. A wise engineer studies the laws of flowing water and builds his water system in accordance with those laws. A wise scientist studies the laws of nature and adapts his experiments to those laws. And a wise seeker after God had better study the laws of God and adapt his prayers to those laws.
There is no great mystery concerning the will of God, in so far as it applies to our small selves. God’s will is written into His nature, and the nature of God is love. Therefore, when we pray in accordance with the law of love, we are praying in accordance with the will of God.”
Jake introduces how this episode features what were originally four separate episodes on building your skill with analogies. Below are the original shownotes from those episodes:
1
Show Notes
Episode 17.5.1.S
(2017.May.Week 1.Skill Episode)
Power of Analogy
What is an analogy?
Building a logical connection between two things to change perspective/enlighten.
Most often one complex idea is compared to a simple/well-known idea
Power
Carries a lot of punch in a short span of words.
Easier to Remember
A new way of understanding is the foundation to a new way of living
Example
Lewis: “There is none of our impulses which the Moral Law may not sometimes tell us to suppress, and none which it may not sometimes tell us to encourage. It is a mistake to think that some of our impulses—say mother love or patriotism—are good, and others, like sex or the fighting instinct, are bad. All we mean is that the occasions on which the fighting instinct or the sexual desire need to be restrained are rather more frequent than those for restraining mother love or patriotism. But there are situations in which it is the duty of a married man to encourage his sexual impulse and of a soldier to encourage the fighting instinct. There are also occasions on which a mother’s love for her own children or a man’s love for his own country have to be suppressed or they will lead to unfairness towards other people’s children or countries. Strictly speaking, there are no such things as good and bad impulses. Think once again of a piano. It has not got two kinds of notes on it, the ‘right’ notes and the ‘wrong’ ones. Every single note is right at one time and wrong at another. The Moral Law is not any one instinct or set of instincts: it is something which makes a kind of tune (the tune we call goodness or right conduct) by directing the instincts.”
Try it yourself
5 minutes to come up with 5 analogies about how Jesus sets people free. Only can use things you can see.
Pick one of the five and make it better throughout the day.
Jake interviews Donna about the Hand Up ministry, which builds relationships while helping people in financial need. We talk about how she became the leader, what the ministry did before COVID-19, what they are doing now, and a big dream Donna is working on.
Shownotes:
Coach Justin shares how the youth are going to start meeting next week. If you know a youth that wants to get involved, call the church office at 816-254-3344.
At the end of the episode, Justin talks a little bit about his personal devotion time and how last week’s sermon has played out in his life this week. It’s a great example to follow so you too can hit some home runs off the tee!
Maywood Listen 