Theology of an Active Church
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
Now as we mentioned in the announcements, next week is our big annual parish meeting. And in preparation for that meeting we are in the process of filling out our ministry signup sheets. That is, each one of us is prayerfully considering where it is that God is calling us to serve in His house over the course of the next year.
Therefore, this morning I want us to renew and refocus our understanding of what it means to be an Active Church.
And it is my hope that as we turn our attention once again to this topic, that you will not only gain a renewed sense of the vision we have for All Saints’ but that you will also come to see how this vision directly involves you.
That is, by the end of our sermon this morning I want you to have a clear understanding of
· Why Scripture insists on an active church
· and why God calls you to be personally involved in it.
I. Basis of an Active Church– notice at once that when we turn to Scripture we find that the basis or reason that Scripture gives for being an active Church is directly tied to the nature of the salvation that is ours in Christ. In other words, being actively involved in your church is a fundamental and nonnegotiable aspect of salvation. Why?
A] The grace that saves you is a grace that changes you. Therefore, you are expected to bear fruit.
John 15:16 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain,
B] The grace that saves you is a grace that includes you. That is, salvation means that you have been included in Christ and His people. As such, you share in both the blessings of God’s people as well as their responsibilities and mission.
Revelation 1:5 Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born from the dead, who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, 6 has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father.
Importance: remember the two primary functions of a Priest are: that they serve God and minister to God’s people. In other words, God has saved you into relationship with Himself and His people and God intends you to be of use.
C] The grace that saves you is a grace that equips you. Scripture assures you that if you are saved then you have been given a spiritual gift. That is, God not only calls you to serve, He has also equipped you to serve.
1 Corinthians 12:4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.7 Now to each one is given the manifestation (public disclosure) of the Spirit for the common good.
Simply put, a spiritual gift is not the same thing as a talent or natural ability; nor is a Spiritual gift primarily devotional in nature. Rather, a spiritual gift is a specific way that God intends to work through you to promote godliness in others.
Bottom line: being actively involved in God’s work is a central part of your salvation because the grace that saves you is a grace that changes, includes, and equips you.
Notice the results:
1. God promises that our faithful efforts to serve Him are not alone or in vain. Rather, God is at work in us and through us
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
2. God promises that there are no ordinary tasks in His house. Rather, when we are faithfully seeking God’s Kingdom, God spiritually endows even our most unassuming duties
Matthew 14:17 And the disciples said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”
3. The third result is Joy- God intends our service to be fulfilling. That is, God intends our faithful service to yield true joy/fulfillment both to self and to others.
John 15:10 “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.11 “These things I have spoken to you, so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
Notice then our Vision for All Saints’
· Our Vision for All Saints’ is a vision of a congregation of active members. Why? because grace is active
· Our Vision for All Saints’ is a vision that includes you. Why? because Christ has included you in His people and has equipped you to serve
· Our Vision for All Saints’ is a vision of joy. Why? God intends His house, His Word, and His presence to fill us with the greatest of Joy (Psalm 122:1)