This broadcaster has 1221 podcast archives available on-demand.
Keep up-to-date with this broadcaster on social media and their website.
November 26, 2021 9:00 am
Today on Summit life with Jeannie green under your mouse as you believe the gospel would boost your priorities is your lifestyle living show that you believe some of the urgency of this mission demands that we not huddle up in a conclave sing God song is what will go to hell around Jesus shed his blood and offered us the power of the spirit so that we can make a difference. I'm your host Molly but admits we've just begun a new teaching series called all studying five Old Testament characters who give us a picture of what it really means to be on that is fully committed to God's mission. This series was originally preached to pastor JD's home congregation the summit church in Raleigh, Durham, North Carolina.
But the principles apply to every believer and every local church where everyone so let's jump in Genesis chapter 6 for part two of the message that Pastor Katie titled mission. Are you all on the mission of God. Life not just you committed to the church of the week. Are you all in the mission of God with the biggest parts of your life.
Think of it like this. If you have a breakfast of bacon and eggs. Both the pig and the chicken contributed to your breakfast but in different ways. The check and made a contribution to the pig was always right, to which of those two metaphors better describes you and your relationship to the kingdom of God first forgot to consider.
It's in the first book of the Bible, so it should be easy to find.
Genesis chapter 6. It is the story of Noah.
Genesis chapter 6 verse five the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth and it grieved him to his heart, so the Lord said, I will blot out man whom I created from the face of the land man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am truly sorry that I even made them. Now you know your Bible at all. You know that he did this through a worldwide flood. By the way, it is always been amazing to me that Kim's books usually pick up this story as their favorite one to feature for three euros little bunnies in the furry animals and Indian animals to buy to the hippopotamus in the kangaroo and that's the kids favorite but this is a terrifying story of God's judgment, massive destruction dead bodies everywhere now, so make sure you have this thing in the right category as we go into it. Verse eight but Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord now frequent people encounter stories of judgment in the Bible like this one first questions that modern people ask is, what will.
Was this really necessary only like this picture of God. I prefer the precious moments Jesus who likes to pet little children on the head and and I kind of God so is this really necessary.
Verse five diagnoses the problem for use as a God saw that every intention of the human heart was only evil continually mention wordplay that goes on in Hebrew the word used to describe human wickedness. In verses 12 and 13. If you jump down there. The word used to describe human wickedness is the same word used to describe what God does to the wicked on the earth. The Lord is my sheet. What it means is destruction simple. Humans are destroying God's good creation, God is going to my sheet that much eaters to destroy the destroyers.
That's what God is doing is that there is a cancer that is destroying his creation and creating disharmony and creating all kinds of destruction, so a holy God of perfect love cleanse the earth of sin, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
Grace undeserved kindness and God preserve Noah and his family as a representative of the human race. And through know what he would repopulate the earth. Now you say well was this solution effective around short answer is no good on a 21 which is after all the arcing is no doubt in your margin. The author repeats that the intentions of the human heart was still only evil continually. Which tells you that a greater kind of salvation would be necessary to destroy the world through a flood and giving a wooden ark, the people to get into the EE we need the salvation that will go to the core of the human heart, which is the real meaning of the story which will get to in a minute but first let me draw four points about know what I want you to see there relevant for us what Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. What was special about Noah nothing nothing special indicated in these verses we heard the voice of God, and he responded number two, Noah was chosen to be a channel of salvation to others.
Noah was not only selected for personal salvation. He was chosen to build an ark that would be hate vehicle for salvation to whoever would listen number three Noah had to dramatically rearrange his priorities in light of God's grace toward him. After this announcement he could not go on with life's usual make a few tweaks. It was life prayed after 10 minutes in the morning during his quiet time give a little, you know that wherever he went to worship number four Noah was grateful too fast for the story to begin after God sent a flood. And God save Noah and his family.
Noah exits the ark in the first thing that Noah dies as he offers a sacrifice of thanks giving to God. God, why did you choose me to show grace to God, why did you save my family you chose it. Why, I don't know but I'm just going to respond with gratefulness. What was special about Noah nothing is listen to God and God said what is special about us. Nothing we just believe God and taken him at his word.
We believe that Jesus was serious when he said to Peter about anyone willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance. We believe that what he said that if you would call on my name and you asked me if I would do great things for you that you probably could not even describe somebody.
It is believed it was like no believe that God was serious. Number two we been given a very clear mission would be given a very clear mission. Like Noah, we been given a very clear description of what we should be doing. Jesus summarize our mission, which will shortly type Matthew 2818 make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to observe all that I commanded of you there. The church we've interpreted that primarily in three ways that will 333 got up ways we focus on making disciples. One is our families.
We believe our families are our first mission field, and we are committed to discipling those we went to Jesus that starts with our families want them to grow up strong in God's kingdom that is very personal to me. You been around here.
You probably herby share this before but it's personal may because in 1975 winning Carol Greer moved to a new city and they just had a sign I was two years old.we need to buy back about the church is people development have kids like well you got equipment surrounding a series of the church somewhere so they heard about a church that was was exciting. It was growing at a pass-through builder by attention and they went. God save my mom and dad, but because this church was committed to not just seeing people respond in coming to baptize put their name on a list somewhere and report them to some agency that counts comedy people you baptize the owner that is good you because it miss church wouldn't that there were content with that, they were committed to discipling my mom and dad. It's of my I have the privilege of growing up at all.
Mom and dad walk with Jesus and love Jesus and taught me to do the same now because of the church was committed to discipling families. I did just get reported or my piercing to report on a list somewhere, but my attorney is different for my children's eternities now because of the faithfulness of that church to decide what is families that's what we are committed to.
We are what we are committed to discipling the nations. When Jesus says going to all the nations use the term F day which means it is, it's what we now call in unreached people group that have a have a language and it's a people group that is no gospel witness their 6640 unreached people groups in our world today. We are committed to be the church it raises people up and send them out, that the gospel when the gospel is not know we say we say our families receive the nations we say our neighbors as we know our presence in the city is not incidental. We love our city. We are committed to this city.
We love her college campuses with a lot of challenges for us to ministry. Looking over our attendance records are lasting years of the day and just like one season where we just exploded in growth and I will also get will want to work and they got well was a seasonal ecology.
Our attendance tripled in like three months in our weekly given went up $13.18 average is so there's a lot of challenges with that but but that that's that that's our field. These are workplaces that the research Triangle Park in all places here in the try was our neighborhoods are schools, especially the broken parts we consider them to be ours for Jesus is hardwood a band. That's why we identify the homeless or for the prison of the unwed mother, the average child dropout here because these men were responsible for them. We want to take care of. This is our city. That's how we interpret it, making disciples. Like Noah, we believe we been given something to build. Noah was to build an ark. When Jesus left he said build my church, church out of me like you know bricks and mortar and in church buildings and talk about the body of Christ. You'll see throughout this series that whatever God wants to do something on earth gives people something very specific that he wants them to build the know I know I was in a flood right usual advance warning to you figure out how you can avoid it when you get to work on something. He gave him the description of the ark. He told how long it was supposed to be. How is this the build it was very specific. The church in the New Testament is the equivalent of the ark in Genesis 6 when Jesus left he said you will build my church that I don't want to overstate this or please hear me charitably and don't twist what I'm about to say God left one institution on earth when Jesus went back about one left local church that is the one institution you see Ronnie brought the book of acts when he told him to wait to get the recognition he said you wait and the Holy Spirit will come the first thing the Holy Spirit does becomes rebuild local church and accepted to. You could summarize the entire miss theological strategy of the book of acts in one sentence the apostles going to strategic cities implanting churches. I didn't hear domestic report on same bed and start soup kitchens.
They didn't they didn't they didn't go to evangelistic crusades. They planted churches because local churches what do the evangelistic crusades in the soup kitchens in their community and they would do it in a much more healthy holistic way visibly drop in and somewhere in the drop it out you plan churches so our strategy here. This church is to plant churches because what will be did not so then we find throughout the book about the local church was the center and it was the focal point of ministry and giving you see things.
I got 434 there were no needy persons, among them from time to time those you own lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles feet and from there it was distributed to anyone as he had need. The focal point of their ministry and their giving the book of acts was the one institution to Jesus shed his blood for the local church.
Now please do not misinterpret what I'm saying. I'm not saying there's something wrong with given money elsewhere much sooner.
Super Bowl door ministry elsewhere.
My wife and I give aggressively to ministries that are outside the local church would lessen support of many that are part of our congregation right now. We love them. We support them when we give to them. I'm just saying that in the New Testament. The focal point. That's what Veronica and I assume that's our conviction is the focal point of our ministry are giving is the local church in the New Testament the local church is like an aircraft carrier battles that an aircraft carrier fights are not on the aircraft carrier if they are, then that's a major problem with the aircraft. The aircraft carrier equips planes to be able to go out and fight battle somewhere else. That's how we see our church. How do you see your church, by the way many people there church is a cruise ship writes a place where all your religious needs are met. You call minutes is like a Christian country club that is not this place and never will be. This whites okay so just burst that bubble right now. That's about your budget novel where we do watch people. The mother church of the battleship battleship you got your church because of the ministry and depart outside now and you shall be out it that's not what we do, were an aircraft carrier and that we equip people to be able to take the kingdom of God into the places where the kingdom is most needed and that is inside of our community and that's your role, that's what we do some a church like Noah, we know that God has selected us not simply to save us, but to make us a channel salvation to our community that I told Jeff and also that earlier this year was so meaningful to me.
Got a plant in our church.
50 years ago. Since Sam James he worked for the core group plant homes that I status mission on N. Carver St. N., Durham working for nine months. They officially launch the church in 1962.
What's ironic is he said only preached one sermon at the summit church circles that I better start with what her name was before the subject is an average one sermon there is a 54 213 it says this marks the place of your can't let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out to not hold back link in your court. Strengthen your stakes, you will spread abroad to the right and the left and your offspring will possess the nations, and will people. The desolate cities. Niacin must once you preach that what was that your one sermon by the way he preached that sermon and that afternoon he left and was commissioned as a missionary to Vietnam for the next four years I was at why did you choose that one text he said because I knew 50 years ago that this church was never supposed to be a place where God just blessed the people for themselves that they were to stretch out to the right and left, because God had chosen them to bring salvation to the nations and all the people here in the tribal that is our legacy. By the way Joe Mason was discouraging is that for 34 years I felt like the church completely lost its way. He said now to see now to see what's going on now to see how many people you're sitting out now to see what you doing the community. He said you were fulfilling an old man's dream because I knew it could happen, and I knew it was supposed to happen that's informed our mission for the past 10 years.
That's why were minimalist on buildings around is not you know any of her cams is not beautiful places were minimalist anti-building went out to God, we call them facilities because they facilitate the mission of God, Jesus and call us to build a huge monument to have the triangle that was known around the world a beautiful, it was the beauty of the church is in the people of God money architecture were minimalist like what we need to get the job done are multisite strategies not done because I prefer that I don't like myself. I can write down what well look no sorry As I don't like not seeing a bunch of people that I don't there's a lot of people this church.
I love to see every week because were in different places around the triangle but we just came in the conviction that we could better accomplish our mission.
If that's the person that the strategy we pursued God is giving is that it's it's it's it's just who we are. We still like God is telling us again. Isaiah 54 213 we thought he saved stretch out to the right to the left because what I've chosen you fours is not that way doesn't do with you, but it's not only to do with you. It has to do with all these things are called to do number three this mission requires a radical reorientation of our priorities was adjustment was not a slight adjustment here will only way of looking at the world.
The mission that Jesus called us to have a slight adjustment in our life cellular is a whole new way of looking at our world for years.
I told you the story. It's a true story and I'll review it for you somewhere on the same page with the guy got a talk show, talking about a tragedy that he been a part of that in California several years ago were an earthquake shook his about 3 AM is driving outside Los Angeles and it's pretty bad earthquake, but only lasted 2030 seconds and he thought everything was fine.
Just a slight turn unit to take a left on the wall these bridges. These famous bridges out there some problem with 3M and tell lights of the car in front of me just disappear. So what you know you call my attention so I stop got out realized that one of the pieces of the bridge had just fallen out really earthquake is a major highway turn around here comes some cars down. This bridge headed right toward that so these and assorted way. My hands given to slow down. Now you drive along outside Los Angeles at 3 AM there some dude on the side of her waving his arm to stop now. It's just that I watch there's four different cars went by me at about 70 miles an hour and just plunged over this little precipice and to their death is also a bus come across a bridge and I just made up my mind about the bus and going across a brick if you take me with it is that I got to go back to shore talked of my outer shirt off and started to wave it. That bus is flashing the flight home. Horn said I would move understood there is a bus driver stopped.
He got out.
He's cussing at me. I might look anything.
I showed him realize what was happening so he parked his blessing between the two cars that cut off all traffic going over the direction. The reason I share that with you. I do so often is because I hear what you consider if you were the first person they are without happen what your response by MEA. It requires something different. Maybe just stand beside the road front show by example right. I'm not driving my example to help you learn not to drive either not even questionable little more drastic than that mission that God is given us permission to God give the note was urgent. Paul Romans chapter 9 said he was in anguish every day. Imagine it was true. Know what to every day to look at people without knowing any savings argument Dina flood every day. Paul said, I think about people that I know you're in Jesus with her outside. Do you see the world that way.
I know you say you believe the gospel with here's my question. Do you really believe it is the urgency that dominates your lifestyle demonstrate that you believe I know your mouth says you believe the gospel with this is your priorities that your lifestyle is your camping show that you believe it. Some of the urgency of this mission demands that we not just huddle up in a conclave sing God's songs and what the world go to hell around us. Jesus shed his blood and offered us the power of his spirit so that we can make a difference to the we could reverse the tide so that we could see the salvation of Jesus extent under our college campuses and indoor places of business of indoor schools in our neighborhoods and roles even into the ghettos and the brothels in Raleigh-Durham so that there is not a corner of the city were the gospel of Jesus does not brilliantly shine number four we do so with a grateful heart. We do so with a grateful heart know was so grateful to God as Bodie off that sacrifice watch when you earlier in this message that the ark for most parts bulb here was a failure, which is why the ark is Old Testament pictures do points beyond itself to something else course at something else is Jesus. Jesus was the ark that we were pulled into the Essay from the destroying reign of God's wrath. Jesus drowned in the sea of God's wrath so that we could be lifted safely above it. He shielded us from the reign of God's wrath. Noah got out. He commenced a new creation rights at all crazy started to repopulate the earth when Jesus was resurrected from the dead. He began a new creation. But his new creation was total as new families of people of new kinds of people.
People whose hearts have been transformed by Jesus's resurrection spirit bears the question of Noel was grateful for the salvation provided by his art. How much more should we been saved from God's wrath by Jesus in our heart spontaneously about the gratitude and sacrifice the even more than he did what God would say you believe the gospel that Jesus is the Savior of the world and only hope for community that is your life and your money.
Show that you believe it.
What would you have said to know if he claim to believe what God said about the flag back actually made no effort to build the ark or warn people to get onto it here either in her here outright. These are challenging questions from Pastor JD Greer here on Senate life to these messages part of our new teaching series called all in. And if you happen to join us later today.
You can listen again by going to JD Greer.com engineer the online message archive and D's daily messages on your station are all available because people like you have given to support Senate life. I'd like to tell you a little bit more about our latest resource investment.
It's a brand-new study guide called Beta movement and if you been with us this summer and follows along with the teaching series that we just concluded earlier this week is essentially a four-part study with an introduction and conclusion, but ending each part has a few pages of teaching from Pastor JD, followed by him. For questions based in Scripture.
There's also a prayer section with prompts to help you respond to what you've just spent time studying. You can work through the bucket any place that you like, just doing it about once per week take about a month to process through the content slowly and carefully, and while it totally stands on its own, free to do alone really is much better for you to work through the Scripture and questions with someone else or small group to sharpen one another in your understanding of God's mission for you personally and for his church ask for your copy of this new study when you get in touch today that comes with our thanks when you donate to support Senate life. When a college student tends into stay rooted in the gospel in a secular campus or when someone hears the gospel for the very first time they thinks belongs to you. Your gift of $25 or more helps to stay on your station and expand onto new stations so that we can reach more people with the gospel every day and it also makes online resources like the Senate life blonde. The sermon archive in our podcast available without cost. Getting in the way join the team to make Senate life possible. When you get today by calling 863-3524. Give online JD Greer.com that's JD, G.
R. EEAR.com or you can mail your donation and request for the back addresses. JD Greer ministries PO Box 12293 different North Carolina 277 nine members were copied titled sign up for our daily devotional yet sure way to start your day. Give encouragement every weekday from Pastor JD to make sure never you sign up today don't want to forget to follow Pastor JD on Molly benefits.
Thank you for joining us during the holiday sure to join us on Greer