Vintage Faith Community

The idea of church attendance is not Biblical. Yes, we should meet together and encourage one another in love and good deeds, remind one another of the gospel, and seek the Lord together. But Biblically speaking, you are the church. Church isn't an event or a building but a people ransomed by Jesus' death and brought into fellowship with God and one another. This Family is then sent into the world to be the body of Jesus, his ambassadors doings his kingdom work. As we do this, the body grows up. To say that we are Learners is to acknowledge that each of us is a disciple of Jesus called to make disciples of Jesus. We need one another to become the body that Jesus wants us to be.

Theme: Identity: We are Learners
Aim: Embody the Identity of Learner – a call to live into the reality of who you are!

INTRO: Gospel Identities
What it means to be a person formed by the good news of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
    My Goal for Today: I want today to be the last time you go to church, ruined for the idea of “attending”

Gospel Identities: We have a new Identity
    “You are a new creation in Jesus” – doesn’t mean physically new, but transformed desires/motives
    So different from what you used to be that the best way to describe it is to say you are a new person

Most of us think of ourselves as a combination of our relationships, our accomplishments, abilities
    We are “somebody” because we can do certain things, or have certain things, or know people
    All of these things can be good, but none of them are good when they become our Identity
        What happens when you find your Identity/Significance/Security in your work?
        What about when you find it in your Family? Or how about significant relationship?
    When you have that thing, you have joy, security, sense of worth – I am loved by them! I am followed!
    When you lose that thing, it is not just upsetting, it is crushing – it destroys you!
    In each of these cases, you are finding your IDENTITY in your PERFORMANCE – good or bad!
        Hard way to live…

Jesus calls us to find our identity, significance, security, purpose in HIM and His PERFORMANCE for us
This is the GOSPEL or GOOD NEWS – it means that our worth, identity, is given to us as a gift
    His life gets credited to our account, so to speak: we have a perfect, beautiful record
    His death is in our place: our failures, sin, and lack of wisdom is erased, forgiven
The GOSPEL is that we get a NEW IDENTITY by GRACE – we’ve not earned it or accomplished it
    Jesus has earned it, he has accomplished it, and FAITH is to look to HIS record not our own
    We are called to REPENT or turn from the old ways we found our Identity
    And actively choose to let his Identity shape and mold us – to believe we are what he says!
THIS is the ONGOING WORK of BEING A CHRISTIAN – keep fighting to find your ID in CROSS.

PROBLEM that we’ve been ADDRESSING:
Often we live “Witness Wear” Christianity – nothing really changed, but we “wear” different clothes
    So we do different things – Bible, church, evangelism, Xian music – but we aren’t different people
    Our activities change, but our core Identities do not – I still do all these things as PERFORMANCE
        I do all the things I do as Christian out of an effort to earn significance and love and purpose
    I am trying to earn my Identity now by “being a good Christian” as opposed to old ways
SO, though I call myself a Christian, I am still living the OLD WAY, trying to earn my IDENTITY
    Same experience happens – when I perform well, I’m happy! When I perform poorly, I’m depressed.
    Why Christians – who say they are saved by grace – can be so judgmental:
We still think our performance matters, b/c we think we’ve earned something
So we look down on all the “sinners” who can’t perform like us
And secretly harbor all sorts of “less visible” sin -

THIS SERIES – AND THE GOSPEL OF JESUS – CALLS YOU TO A NEW IDENTITY
4 Key Realities that come to us through the Gospel of Jesus Christ: WHO you ARE, not what you DO.
    Family: Jesus was the beloved Son of God; through him we are adopted & beloved, and God’s Family
    Missionaries: Jesus came to re-establish God’s kingdom of Shalom; now we are ministers of Shalom
    Servants: Jesus came not as a conquering King but suffering servant & ransom – you’re his servant!

Learners: we are disciples of Jesus who together take responsibility for the maturity and mission of the church.

The Life and Ministry of Jesus: What comes to mind with the word “disciple?”  (good or bad!)
    Not simply an increase in knowledge, but a WAY of LIFE: an ID (my disciples) with implications
    Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men: I will make you like me!  “Like Teacher”
Ephesians 4.1-16: EPHESIANS is a  picture of what Jesus intended for the church: 
Primarily ALL that GOD HAS DONE IN CHRIST – 1.10, 2.1-10, 3 – 3 chapters on JESUS WORK!
   
Chapter 4 begins to talk about the Implications of what Christ has done: READ IT (p.977)
    4.1-2: “Walk worthy” – remember what Jesus has done and LIVE INTO WHO YOU ARE
        It is, to use our terminology, IDENTITY language – You are THIS, so believe it and live it!
    Particularly, talking about the UNITY we have because of JESUS – one FAMILY, united (3.14-15)
Jesus is HEAD – over the church, the one who governs, builds, leads, expands, matures us
        This is where our IDENTITY IS – in who we ALL ARE, as a FAMILY, one FATHER, SPIRIT
    Imagery of the BODY: We are members of JESUS’ BODY and HE is the HEAD (1.22)

Question: Reflect on that Image (Head & Body).  What is the relationship between the 2?  What’s true?

BUT, in v.7: there is ALSO A DIVERSITY AMONG US
    There are GIFTS of GRACE – still proclaiming the gospel: YOU didn’t choose this or earn this!
This QUOTE from the Psalms and Paul’s interpretation of it
    Jesus descended to earth – he came and lived and died and is now resurrected
    In his resurrection, he “led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men”

WATCH this FASCINATING PROGRESSION: v.11-14
    What is the PROGRESSION that Paul is outlining here for the Ephesian Church?
    Gifted men who are equippers – help the saints do the work of the ministry – build up the body

Question: What does it mean for the SAINTS to BUILD UP the BODY of CHRIST? (v.13-16)
Building up the body of Christ – the people of God scattered through the city Demonstrating & declaring the good news, with each one of us being developed as a disciple as we each develop one another in whatever ways we lack, according to the gifts, abilities, resources, and experiences we’ve been given through GRACE.

Further Down: 4.15-16 takes the progression to it’s logical conclusion
    Each person in the body must be doing their part, fulfilling their role, working properly
    So that the BODY of CHRIST grows up

PUT THIS TOGETHER: Jesus gifts his body with people and gifts so that the SAINTS do MINISTRY
    The SAINTS – you guys – build up the body of Christ
    You all are responsible for bringing the church to maturity – not simply the “pastors”
    We are all “on staff” with Vintage – God just routes our paychecks through different avenues (NICK)

Question: Where does church attendance fit into this?  Does Paul even envision such an idea?
    If not – what is the picture? What is Paul describing, and what might it look like for us?

1.  Each of us has to take responsibility for our own development, growth, and gift using. YOU.
2.  WE have to be responsible for training & equipping one another for maturity and mission.
3.  WE have to be reliant on Jesus (not pastors) and the Holy Spirit (not a gift chart or a class)

EXAMPLES: What do you do well as a member of the body of Christ? What skill do you have?
    Hospitality: Jeff & Angela Schutz are our mentors in this
    Bible Study:
    Each of you have gifts, resources, and experiences that the body NEEDS for maturity & mission
        So we don’t have a program for that – we have people, and you need to seek them out
        Or, if you see that our church body lacks what you’ve been given, equip us! Train us!

Do you see how “disciple” is connected to Jesus as Head and us as his body imagery?
    A disciple is “like his teacher” – in character and purpose, an image or imprint of the master
    The Body is an extension of the Head, fully living into what the head is and does

“LEARNER” is an attempt to connect these 2 things into one concept: body & disciples…
IMPLICATIONS: we cannot be mature as a church without you taking responsibility to be a learner AND
    We cannot be mature as a church without you taking responsibility to disciple us   

This is an IDENTITY: you are gifted, resourced and given to this body by JESUS Himself
    You are in need of equipping – you don’t have it all, not fully formed in Jesus-likeness
    But we also need what you have – not just for you to do it, but for you to help us do it, too

KEY QUESTION: do you believe this to be true?
    Not – do you see how this is true in your life? Nor – you need to start doing this!
    Do you believe that THIS IS WHAT JESUS HAS DONE and therefore is TRUE OF YOU?

When you are arrogant about what you are good at, you reveal that you don’t believe this
When you are fearful about what you are good at, you reveal that you don’t believe this
    When you walk in humble courage, courageous humility, a sign that you are resting in IDENTITY
    You don’t have to prove yourself, you don’t have to apologize for what you know!


Questions?


Communion – we are going to serve one another today


 
WEEKEND ON MISSION:
    Here is the challenge – if you don’t have “church” to go to, will you know how to live this out?
    In other words, we are saying “We ARE a FAMILY OF MISSIONARY SERVANT LEARNERS”
    The question is – HOW are you EMBODYING THAT?
        If you think – well I attend Vintage – and then you measure against these IDs…
        You aren’t “walking worthy” of your call – not living into the reality of who you are!!

So we are saying: in community, as a Family, where are you Restoring Shalom in our city together?
    How might you serve Jesus in our city this weekend, rather than simply attend a service?

NOW: if you feel guilty, like you “ought” to be doing something – please STOP!  Not what Jesus wants!
    Guilt is a result of thinking that you don’t measure up to some standard
    Gospel is the humbling recognition that you don’t, but you get treated like you DO in JESUS!

What we are SAYING is THIS: if you don’t know what to do, you are in good company – none of us do!
    We are in this for the long haul, for the process, because we are LEARNERS!
    Imagine, though, in one year from now, when we’ve done this 6 times or so – looking forward to it!

Let me give you SOME OPTIONS:
    Some M/C activities that you could join in with:
        Nick & W/C:
        Steve & Browne’s:

    Some other options:
        Take 2 hours on Sunday morning or evening and pray with your M/C about mission
        Invite some neighbors over for breakfast or dinner just to serve and bless them
        Go to a local watering hole at “church time” and jot down “good news” ideas

Finally – there is $$ available for this, if you need it… don’t let this hinder you!