Mission, Values, and Culture Teacher's Manual (2022 7th ed.) PDF

MISSION, VALUES, AND CULTURE Leadership 113 Teacher’s Manual Contents Things to Know 2 Session 1: History 4 Session 2: Passing the Baton: The Gospel 11 Session 3: Mission I...

MISSION, VALUES, AND CULTURE Leadership 113 Teacher’s Manual Contents Things to Know 2 Session 1: History 4 Session 2: Passing the Baton: The Gospel 11 Session 3: Mission I 18 Session 4: Mission II 25 Session 5: Core Values 35 Session 6: Every Nation Culture 44 Course Objectives At the end of this course, the participants should: know and appreciate the history of Every Nation explain and embrace the Every Nation mission examine and apply the Every Nation values and culture Overview Session 1: History Session 2: Passing the Baton: The Gospel Session 3: Mission I Session 4: Mission II Session 5: Core Values Session 6: Every Nation Culture Material originally developed by: Dr. Jun Escosar 1 THINGS TO KNOW Important notes for the teacher/s of this course This Teacher’s In this teacher’s manual, students’ notes are enclosed in boxes for easy Manual reference. The blanks in the students’ manual have been filled in this manual. However, spaces for notes in the students’ manual have been removed from this teacher’s manual. Also, notes enclosed in brackets in this manual are guidelines or recommendations for teachers. Preparing for the As a teacher, focus your preparation time on communicating the key Class points of each session and giving examples or illustrations that will inspire and encourage the participants. Not all the provided illustrations from the teacher’s notes have to be used, and others may be substituted for more relevant or personal illustrations. Teaching Each Here is the suggested time allotment per hour: Session Welcome & Introduction, Activity (5 minutes) Lecture (25 minutes) Discussion & Activity, Class Processing & Application, Q & A, Assignments & Announcements (20 minutes) Break or Closing & Prayer (10 minutes) The general structure to be followed for each session includes: teaching, application (through discussion questions), class processing, and activity (when applicable). This course comes with teaching videos by Dr. Jun Escosar. Local church teachers can build on these videos during class processing and with discussions and activities. Discussions and activities may be revised based on context and location. More time may be allotted for an activity. Most discussions and activities are done in smaller groups. Removing the application and activities to give way for a longer teaching session is not recommended. Class processing is done at the end of the application (discussion questions) to gauge individual learnings and possibly answer questions the participants might have. It is highly recommended that Scripture narratives used in explaining points be delivered by storytelling, whereas short verses may simply be read verbatim to support the validity of key thoughts. 2  A ten-minute break should be given after every session. The goal is to be engaging and dynamic by creating variety in content delivery during teaching. Deviation from teaching notes, if any, comes with preparation and mastery. All teachers are encouraged to vary the methods of teaching, but not at the expense of omitting content intentionally included in the course. Allow for participants to interact with the topic and with the other participants, thus giving way to discussion, activities, and application. Class Evaluation Lastly, a simple evaluation form is provided at the end of this course. Please allow for participants to fill this out and submit by the end of the final session. This will help provide feedback for improvement and future implementation of the course. 3 Session 1: History Dr. Jun Escosar is the president and a board member of the Every Nation Seminary, which exists to honor God and serve Every Nation churches and campus ministries by forming Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered, and socially responsible leaders in every nation. Every Nation is a church-planting movement with a vision to establish churches and campus ministries in every nation. So far, Every Nation has established churches in over eighty nations. Jun is a member of the Bishops Council of Victory and is a preaching pastor at Victory Alabang. He also serves on the board of the Asian Theological Seminary and the Philippine Missions Association. He holds a Doctorate of Missiology degree from the Asian Graduate School of Theology and a Master’s Degree in Intercultural Studies from the Asian Theological Seminary. Since the 1980s, he has served as a principal strategist, church planter, missionary trainer, and advocate for the Great Commission in over sixty nations. His first book, A Bible and a Passport, presents numerous examples from Every Nation missionaries that illustrate essential principles of the organization’s distinct global mission. A gadget-lover who enjoys mountain biking, Jun lives in Manila with his wife, Gigi, to whom he has been married for over thirty years. They have a daughter named Rachel, who is married to Arwin, and a son named John Daniel. [If there are other things you want to say about Pastor Jun, you may add your own personal touch to introduce him to the participants. These details are as he states in the Session 1 video: He was one of the few to witness the unfolding of our entire history in the Philippines, because he came in on the third day since the founding of this ministry. Everything started on June 15, 1984; Pastor Jun came on board on June 17, 1984. He had the privilege of experiencing many firsts. He was the first Filipino pastor to enter full-time ministry, first worship leader, first campus director, first missions director, and one of the very first people to get married in the church. This gives him the advantage of perspective, having seen how this entire ministry developed and how it has raised an army of Filipino leaders who planted churches and discipled many cities, campuses, and nations in the years that followed.] The majority of the teaching for this course is adapted from Pastor Steve’s book, 100 Years from Now. It is fitting that the majority of the content came from a man who not only is the 4 founding pastor of Victory, but is one who stewarded and guarded the good deposit entrusted to this movement—with the help of the Holy Spirit. Pastor Steve is the founding pastor of Victory in Manila, Philippines, and the president of Every Nation Churches & Ministries. He and his wife, Deborah, have three sons. Let’s start by looking at our history. Where did we come from? And what is our story? We have two distinct stories to tell when it comes to our beginnings. One is the story about how Victory came about, and the other is the story of Every Nation. [Please note that all details below can be found in the book 100 Years from Now. You may use this book for further reference.] The Victory Story Everything started on June 15, 1984, at the Girl Scout Auditorium in Padre Faura, when sixty-five young Americans, mostly students, came for a two-month summer missions outreach to plant a church in Manila (one month in Manila; the other in Seoul). The whole outreach was led by Pastor Rice Broocks. With him were Pastor Steve and Deborah Murrell, whom Pastor Rice had invited to lead the summer missions team. Little did they (Steve and Deborah) know that their two-month commitment in Manila would become more than 25 years when God spoke to them to stay in the Philippines, pastor the church, and raise Filipino leaders to do the works of the ministry. [Teachers may mention here the current stats of Victory in Metro Manila and Victory Provincial Churches. Be sure that this is not in a spirit of pride or competition, but as a testament to how God has blessed the church.] The Every Nation Story Six years after Pastor Steve and Deborah planted the church in the Philippines (1990), the ministry that sent them to the Philippines closed down. They were left alone with no covering, no support, and no funding. But by the grace of God, the church in the Philippines continued to grow, raised more leaders, and expanded in several key cities all over the Philippines, even planting several churches in Asia. Pastor Steve got another call from Pastor Rice Broocks and Pastor Phil Bonasso. They had been part of the same ministry in the past and had maintained their friendship through the years. 5 Rice and Phil were responding to a “Macedonian call” to Asia, primarily to plant churches in Singapore and Malaysia. The logical thing to do was to swing by Manila to seek Steve’s help because he was already established and planting churches in Asia. That evening, in Pastor Steve’s house, a miracle happened which is now dubbed as “The Manila Miracle.”1 Because of their similar passion to do church planting, campus ministry, and world missions, they decided to join their three ministries together. This led to the founding of Every Nation Ministries. The coming together of these three leaders was not because their ministries were struggling or failing. On the contrary, all their ministries were considered growing and successful. Every Nation came about because these three leaders (Rice, Steve, and Phil) believed that they could accomplish more together than apart. In short, they believed they could be better together. The greater blessing came when just a few weeks later, several old friends who heard about “The Manila Miracle” also expressed their hearts to join Every Nation. Better Together We can easily learn a lesson about the power of being better together as we reflect on an important story in the Bible about the lives of four young men—Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were taken as captives to the pagan nation of Babylon, but they refused to compromise. They refused to defile themselves with the food offered by the king. They asked the Babylonian officials to test them for ten days and compare them to those who eat the royal food while they only eat vegetables and water. Here’s the result: 15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.... 20In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. Daniel 1:15, 20 (NIV 1984) In short, they were not only better together, but they were ten times better together. More than 350 years before Daniel and his friends helped each other become ten times better in Babylon, King Solomon recognized this same principle of being better together and wrote about it. Let’s read Ecclesiastes 4:8–12. 8... one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am 1 Reference for “The Manila Miracle”: Session 1 video, 10:25:00. 6 I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business. 9Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:8–12 Being “better together” has obvious advantages—like good return, people helping you when you fall, people protecting you. One of the great blessings to help us deal with problems of loneliness, lack, oppression, injustice, and even sickness is the company of others. Life is designed for companionship, friendship, and fellowship—not isolation. Four Reasons We Are Better Together 1. Increased productivity(1) Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. Ecclesiastes 4:9 2. Increased protection(2) For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Ecclesiastes 4:10 3. Increased passion(3) Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? Ecclesiastes 4:11 7 We need to surround ourselves with people that are on fire for God, people who have more passion for Jesus and His mission. They can add fuel to our fire or rekindle our fire, especially when it starts to flicker. 4. Increased power(4) And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12 “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35 Let’s conclude this session by looking at not only the importance of this course, but also the benefits and advantages of being on the same page in terms of our Every Nation mission, values, and culture. Importance of Mission and Values 1. Clarity(5): describes the purpose of our existence and what we want to accomplish in the future 2. Unity(6): unifies a group of people with shared vision and values And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Genesis 11:6 Cross-reference: Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel... Philippians 1:27 8 3. Focus(7): helps us determine the priorities and guides us in where to invest our time, energy, and money 4. Synergy(8): leads to cooperative action resulting in a total effect greater than the sum of what each party could produce independently 5. Ownership(9) People value what they own more than what they do not. Members who own the vision are likely to commit, uphold, and promote these essential values. 6. Destination check(10) “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?” Amos 3:3 Application 1. Share briefly how you became part of Victory. What made you stay? Who are the people you are currently walking with? 2. The Victory group is a good example of God-given relationships. Applying what you have just learned, how can your Victory group become better together? 9 Class Processing [At this point, the teacher will ask two to three participants to share what they have discussed in the group discussion during the application.] [Show the history video from the 2014 series Radical. Before showing the video to the class, the teacher will inform the students that this particular video was shown during the Radical series in 2014, and the details and information in the video are outdated. However, it is still a good video to give an overview of the history of our movement.] 10 Session 2: Passing the Baton: The Gospel In this session, we want to talk about the importance of passing the baton carefully and successfully to the next generation. We will also look into what the Every Nation baton is. Knowing our vision and values does not only enable us to be better together, it also ensures that we steward the vision God gave us to successfully and carefully pass it down to the next generations of leaders. The generation of Joshua is probably considered one of the greatest. In his lifetime, all the people served the Lord (Joshua 24:31), and not a single promise of God failed (Joshua 23:14). Yet we see one of the saddest commentaries in the Bible about Joshua one generation later. 10 And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel. 11And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. Judges 2:10–11 This course is about making sure we do not drop the baton, but carefully and successfully pass it on to the next generation. What Is the Baton? In our Every Nation context, the baton is about four things. 1. The gospel(1) is the most important baton we have to pass to the next generation. In the gospel lies the greatest news about the life and message of Jesus that brings salvation, forgiveness, reconciliation, restoration, healing, and adoption for sinners like us. If we drop the gospel baton, everything else we do in ministry is a waste of time. 2. The mission(2) is knowing who we are, where we are going, and what we are called to do. 11 Knowing who we are and what we’re called to do is the reason for our existence. They point us to things that really matter and help when we have to make decisions. 3. Our values(3) describe our ministry distinctives and address how we do what we do. Our core values also communicate what is important to us and influence our overall behavior. Every Nation has five core values that describe what we do: Lordship, Evangelism, Discipleship, Leadership Development, and Family. 4. Culture(4) is important for establishing what is considered normal and standard within the organization and influences all aspects of ministry life. Ministry culture provides stability, identity, and competitive advantage. As a result, the movement will develop health, growth, and vitality. Process flourishes best in a healthy culture; neither one is effective without the other. Many have attempted to copy a discipleship process. But without a discipleship culture, the process becomes like a car with no fuel. Consider what Paul said about passing the gospel baton: The Gospel 1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures... 1 Corinthians 15:1–4 There are definitely many things we need to know and understand about the various doctrines in the Bible, but the gospel is something we need to know and experience as of first importance. The gospel is what saves us. 12 Paul testifies in Romans 1:16 (NIV 1984): I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. If the gospel is what saves us, it is imperative that we know what the true gospel is. The book of Galatians issued several warnings concerning the false gospel. 6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—7which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Galatians 1:6–9 (NIV 1984) This is very strong language coming from the apostle Paul. Why? Because there is such a thing as a different gospel, and it is a false gospel. It brings confusion. It is a perverted version of the true gospel. This was such a big deal to Paul that he said that the severe consequence for preaching or embracing this different gospel is eternal condemnation. On the other hand, there is similar consequence for rejecting or not obeying the true gospel. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you. 2 Thessalonians 1:6–10 (NIV 1984) Paul, being aware of this consequence, is gripped with a sense of urgency, so much so that he devoted his entire life to bringing lost souls to Jesus. “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24 So what is the true gospel? Dr. Rice Broocks, in his book God’s Not Dead, gives us a summary of the gospel: 13 What Is the Gospel? “The gospel is the good news that God became man in Jesus Christ(5). He lived the life we should have lived and died(6) the death we should have died—in our place. Three days later He rose(7) from the dead, proving He is the Son(8) of God and offering the gift(9) of salvation and forgiveness of sins to anyone who repents(10) and believes in Him.” —Dr. Rice Broocks The difficulty we have with the gospel is not because it is complicated, but because it offends people’s pride. The apostle Paul wrote: 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles...1 Corinthians 1:22–23 Consider these two opposite objections: The first rejects the gospel because it demands that they acknowledge themselves as sinners in need of a Savior; and the other rejects the gospel because it requires them to acknowledge that no amount of good works can atone for any of their past, present, and future sins. Professor John Gerstner, in his little book, A Primer on Justification, provides a simple way of understanding the biblical gospel formula—justification by grace through faith alone. Gerstner also describes the several historic departures from the true gospel. There are several historic departures from the gospel according to Pastor Steve Murrell, in his book 100 Years From Now2: 1. First departure: Liberalism(11) Works = Justification - Faith 2 Steve Murell, 100 Years From Now: Sustaining a Movement for Generations (Nashville, TN: Dunham Book, 2013), 102–104. 14 This particular departure from the gospel results in people believing they are justified before God without the need to receive Christ’s blood atonement by faith. They believe that their "good works" are good enough to justify and save them. In other words, good works equal justification before God without the need of faith. 2. Second departure: Antinomianism(12) Faith = Justification - Works Antinomianism literally means “without law.” It refers to the belief that individuals are justified before God by faith alone without any corresponding change in moral or ethical behavior. Antinomianism departs from the true gospel by omitting repentance, Lordship, and sanctification. Justification by faith becomes “just a vacation by faith.” Thus, in the Antinomian gospel, faith equals justification without the need of works. 3. Third departure: Legalism(13) Faith + Works = Justification Gerstner refers to this as the “Roman Catholic departure,” although legalism is certainly not exclusive to Catholicism. A lot of legalism happens even among Pentecostals, Baptists, and other evangelicals to add their own version of good works to faith. If we are not careful, we even see good works creeping into our own lives. Legalism usually occurs when traditions and additional requirements are added to the gospel. Some examples might include praying to the saints, praying the rosary, the deification of Mary, observance of certain dress codes, abstaining from certain foods, and not watching movies. Then there are those we are accustomed to, like praying in tongues or confessing the word. While these are important, if we think that by doing them somehow God will like us more, or we might invoke God’s special blessings, then they become add-ons. This kind of thinking dilutes the true gospel, leading people to wrongly believe that justification is at least partially dependent on their good works. Consequently, their formula for justification becomes faith plus works equals justification. 15 So what is the true gospel? Faith = Justification + Works The apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians: 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8–10 We see clearly from this passage that salvation is by grace, it is through faith, and it is a gift of God. It is not from ourselves, nor is it a result of our works.... he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy... Titus 3:5 When we put our faith in Christ as the only means of our salvation, God considers us righteous. He becomes our righteousness. We become righteous not because of our own works or anything we have done, but purely on the merits of what Christ has done. Christ imputes His righteousness to our account and our sins are forgiven. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 So what is the proper place for works? We are saved for good works, but not by good works. Theologian FF Bruce said, “Justification is by faith alone, but the faith that justifies is not alone.” Good works cannot be the foundation that will result in salvation. On the contrary, salvation by grace is the foundation that results in good works, not the other way around. Our hope must be built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness—and when we have built a foundation with that, we may have as many good works as we like—the more the better! 16 Application 1. Which departure from the gospel did you embrace when you were not yet a disciple of Christ? 2. Which departure from the gospel do you encounter the most when preaching the gospel? How would you preach the gospel to people who believe such a departure? [The teacher can ask two to three people to share what they have discussed in the group discussions during application.] 17 Session 3: Mission I The Every Nation Mission Statement We exist to honor God by establishing Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered, socially responsible churches and campus ministries in every nation. At the heart of our mission is knowing who we are and what we are called to do. This is the reason for our existence. Our mission statement answers four important questions: Why do we exist? To honor God. What are we called to do? To establish churches and campus ministries. How do we build? Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered, and socially responsible. Where are we called? Every nation. Let’s take a closer look at each of these questions. Why do we exist? To honor God. This is the starting point. The Westminster Shorter Catechism summarizes for us the chief end of man: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” To Honor God... for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:20 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36 18 The honor of God is the dominating and ultimate priority of our mission. God’s honor was and always will be the Every Nation starting line. It will always be the plumb line and our finish line. When we say “Every Nation exists to honor God,” we mean it in every way—both in ministry and in our private lives. We desire to honor God by being faithful to believe and obey His word. We want to honor God both in our motivation and in our methods, and from the deepest corners of our hearts and minds. It is wise and helpful for us, as individuals and as a ministry, to evaluate our internal motives and external actions on whether or not they honor God. The Honor of God Making a deliberate decision to put the honor of God above everything we do is probably the most important decision we have made as a ministry. This is what has sustained us, protected us, and bestowed the blessings and the favor of God upon us. The only way for strong and gifted leaders to walk together in unity and love is to get our focus off of ourselves, our ideas, and our agenda, and turn to Jesus, to live for His honor, purpose, and agenda for our lives. What sustains unity in the movement is the honor of God above all else. People differ, but the thing that binds them together is their common goal to honor God. 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 7in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” Mark 7:6–8 There are three things we need to understand about honoring God. 1. Honoring God starts from the heart(1). 19 The problem starts when our focus shifts from the spirit of the law to the letter of the law. The external becomes more important than the internal (the heart). The Pharisees’ obsession with surface issues led them to miss the heart of the matter. The quote from the prophet Isaiah spoke to hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is the pretense of having a virtuous character. It is a show or display. In its original Greek, the word meant “play-acting.” Their worship of God has become mere lip service, as they go through all the right motions but have no real inner devotion. 2. Honoring God from the heart means worshiping Him in spirit and truth(2). True worship is not about rules and regulations, liturgies and hymns. True worship must be in keeping with God’s nature, which is spirit.3 Because God is spirit, the Israelites were not to make idols “in the form of anything” as did the surrounding nations (Exodus 20:4). Jesus’ point here is that since God is spirit, proper worship of Him is also a matter of spirit rather than physical location (Jerusalem versus Mount Gerizim).4 To worship in truth means you worship according to the whole counsel of God’s word, especially in light of the New Testament revelation. It also means that you come to God in truth, not in pretense or a mere display of spirituality.5 3. Honoring God from the heart means obeying His word(3). Jesus charged the Pharisees with actual disobedience of God’s commandment through their preference for the oral law. The Pharisees claimed that the Bible only told us what God wanted us to do, but it didn’t always tell us how to do it, rendering the Bible inadequate for living a holy life. Pharisees exalted the traditions of the elders to the same level as the Bible itself. We must not adjust God’s word to our situation; our situation should adjust to God’s word. What are we called to do? Establish churches and campus ministries. 3 NIV Study Bible, s.v. “John 4:24.” 4 Andreas J. Köstenberger, John: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004). 5 David Guzik, Study Guide for John 4 (Blue Letter Bible 2014), accessed February 2, 2022, https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Jhn/Jhn-4.cfm. 20 By Establishing Churches Why plant churches? 1. Apostolic(4) mandate We are not just called to go and get decisions, but to make disciples. Without a local church, it's almost impossible to make disciples. 2. Cultural(5) mandate We are called to disciple and impact our culture with the gospel through the local church. By Establishing Campus Ministries Part of God’s stewardship to us as Victory and Every Nation is a call to disciple the future leaders of our nation. The majority of them are on the campuses today. In the Philippines, 65% of all the youth are on the campuses. According to Dr. Rice Broocks’s Campus Manifesto, there are eight reasons we should reach the campus: 1. The future leaders(6) of our society are on our campuses. Future leaders in government, education, the judiciary, military, business, arts, media, medicine, science, and technology—the campus is where we find the future influencers in every critical aspect of our nation’s culture. 2. Major movements(7) start on the campus. 21 The campus is the birthplace of change—whether this be spiritual revival or political revolution. 3. The majority of people who become Christians do so as students(8). It is a fact that 19 out of 20 students who give their lives to Jesus do so before they reach the age of 25. 4. International students impact their nations(9). International students represent the top 1% of students in their nations. Many of them come from influential families. They are children of business leaders, government officials, and even royalty. Many of them come from nations that restrict or ban the gospel. By reaching them while they are on our campuses, training them, and sending them home with the gospel, we can revolutionize world missions. 5. The values on campus become the values in society(10). Values are not neutral. They are either for or against God. The philosophy, morality, and ethics taught by professors in the university will slowly work their way into public policy, media, and education. These in turn are perpetuated and reflected through legislation, education, music, movies, literature, and media. 6. The most available and trainable(11) masses of people are on the campuses. Students at universities are trying to figure out what to do with their lives. They will be on campus for quite a number of years. In short, they have great potential to be a captive audience to the gospel and discipleship. 22 7. When we reach a student, we reach a family(12). The New Testament pattern of church growth often includes entire families turning to Christ. When we reach students, other members of the family are impacted by their stories and their changed lives. 8. God promised to pour out His Spirit(13) on our sons and daughters. God promised an unprecedented outpouring of His Spirit among the youth of the world. We must prepare for the harvest by sending campus missionaries equipped to disciple the next generation of leaders. Application 1. How can you honor God every day in your life? How can you help the people in your Victory group honor God in their lives? 2. Does reaching the next generation resonate with you? Why or why not? What is your part in reaching the next generation? [At this point, the teacher will ask two to three people to share what they have discussed in the group discussions during application.] Assignment Share the mission statement to someone or one person in church. (Share what it means, not just the statement.) 23 24 Session 4: Mission II Pre-session Activity (Optional) Memory Game This activity will help reinforce the learnings on the Every Nation mission from the third session. A lot of leaders don’t know the mission statement by heart. If they don’t remember the statement, how can they refer to it easily and share it properly? Mechanics 1. Group the participants into five groups (or adjust group size according to the class size). 2. Each group recites the Every Nation mission statement, with one person saying each word in the mission statement for two rounds (honesty system). 3. The first group who completes two rounds is the winner and will shout as a team. If a person says the wrong word, the group goes back to the first person and repeats everything. 4. The winning group goes up front and repeats the feat in front of the class. Lecture How do we build? Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered, socially responsible. Christ-Centered 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. Colossians 1:17–18 1. “Everything(1)” means Jesus should be the center of our lives. The NIV says, “... so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” The first word “everything” implies not just religious and eternal things. Jesus should be the center of our lives, marriages, families, and churches. He should be the center of every sermon, every song, every prayer, every meeting, every worship service—everything! 25 2. Supremacy(2) means He is the foundation and the cornerstone, the starting line and the finish line. Being “preeminent” in the ESV and having “supremacy” in the NIV does not mean first of many, or that Jesus is top priority on our long list of priorities. Rather, supremacy means He is the foundation and cornerstone, the starting line and the finish line. He is the beginning, the middle, and the end. He is the ultimate. Nothing compares. Nothing competes. Supremacy is everything! Beware of the wrong center: The preacher-centered church – revolves around the great man of God. The experience-centered church – follows signs and wonders rather than following Jesus. The worship-centered church – focuses more on the experience of “The Presence” than the Person who is present. The doctrine-centered church – puts correct doctrine before the person of Christ. The cause-centered church – puts the cause before Christ. The meeting-centered church – has an ultimate goal of meeting together, not meeting Jesus. The fellowship-centered church – puts a premium on our relationships with one another. Losing Jesus in the Midst of Religion (a lesson from Luke 2:41–44) All who want to live Christ-centered lives can learn a lesson from this story. 41 Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. 42When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. 43After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Luke 2:41–44 (NIV 1984) 1. They lost Jesus while doing their religious duty (v. 41) 2. They lost Jesus but didn’t realize it (v. 43) 3. They assumed Jesus was with them, but He was not (v. 44) This is what being Christ-centered means. Jesus is on the throne; He is at the center. In everything He has the chief place, the first and most important place above all others. 26 Spirit-Empowered 1. To be Spirit-empowered simply means allowing the Holy Spirit to lead(3) and empower us. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Romans 8:14 To be Spirit-empowered is to carry out the divine work God called us to do through His Holy Spirit expressing His divine authority. What is the work God called us to do? To point people to Christ and to be His witnesses. 2. The word empower means “to give power(4).” The word “empower” means “to give power, to authorize.” It also means “to enable or permit.” When you are empowered, you are enabled or permitted to do the ministry you are called to do. Being Spirit-empowered is letting the Holy Spirit take the lead and empower you. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Romans 8:14 To be Spirit-empowered, we have to watch out for two extremes: 1. Some churches are so experience-driven in the quest to become Spirit-filled that they become weird. 2. Others are so devoid of the Spirit that they are dead. Being truly Spirit-filled and Spirit-empowered will keep us out of both extremes. To avoid these extremes and to stay on the safe side, we need a healthy balance of the Spirit and the word. The Spirit without the word opens us up to delusion. The Holy Spirit will always guide us according to Scripture, never contrary to them. "I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:49 (NIV 1984) “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NIV 1984) 27 According to Acts 1:8, the evidence of being Spirit-empowered is that we become witnesses for Christ. In other words, we become more missional, not more mystical. When Christians are Spirit-empowered, they become bold, public witnesses to the resurrection and to the gospel. The foremost evidence of being filled and baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit is that we are bearing fruit. In doing so, we “prove to be His disciples” (John 15:8). Socially Responsible We are committed to social responsibility for three reasons. 1. Jesus calls us to serve(5) the least of these. 35 “‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me....’ 40And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” Matthew 25:35, 40 Christ looked at human suffering as a whole when He mentioned six examples of need (Matthew 25:36–40). Hunger and thirst are the most frequently noted in Scripture and the greatest need in the world today. Hospitality to strangers became a major sign of loving compassion for the early church and was a requirement for leadership (Romans 12:13; 1 Timothy 3:2, 5:10; Titus 1:8; Hebrews 13:2; 1 Peter 4:9; cf. Judges 19:15; Job 31:32). Providing clothing for those who had none is noted in Deuteronomy 15:11; Ezekiel 18:7. Visiting and caring for the sick was at the heart of Jesus’ miraculous ministry, and no one exemplified this better. Visiting those imprisoned is mentioned in Colossians 4:18; Hebrews 10:34; 13:3. Many believers were put in prison, and in the first century (as in the Third World today), prisons were terrible cesspools of filth and degradation. These six items represented a ministry of mercy to those in need, which will always be at the core of true kingdom living.6 2. Jesus calls us to be salt and light(6) in our communities. 13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be 6 Grant R. Osborne, Matthew, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Michigan: Zondervan, 2010). 28 hidden.... 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:13–14, 16 3. God calls us to stand for justice(7). He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 17 “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. 18He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. 19Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” Deuteronomy 10:17–19 Although social responsibility is expressed in different ways to different regions, the one thing that should stand in common is to be unapologetically Christ-centered. Several expressions of social responsibility across the Every Nation world range from rescuing victims of child trafficking, providing shelter for young girls from abusive backgrounds, serving children living in brothels, taking care of kids infected with HIV, relief and development, short-term medical missions, inner-city after-school programs, adoption services, and providing scholarships to poor but deserving students. Avoiding extremes: There has been an issue raised concerning the balance of gospel preaching versus social responsibility. In Every Nation, we don’t believe this to be an issue because we believe in both. We care for the poor while staying faithful to our commission to preach the gospel. Jesus preached the gospel to many poor people, but He also healed a lot of sick people (Matthew 11:4–6). He reached out to foreigners and condemned those who oppressed the needy. He also pronounced woes upon the Pharisees who were big on religion but not all that concerned with needy people. The bottom line: Social responsibility is about helping people and pointing them to Jesus. Every life changed is a generation changed. Where are we called? To every nation. 29 In Every Nation The Great Commission 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18–20 The calling of Every Nation is to establish churches and campus ministries in every nation. We are praying for and reaching cities all over the world that have high concentrations of university students. [The teacher can look up the current Every Nation stats. How many nations are left to reach? In Asia? In the world?] Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. Psalm 2:8 (NIV 1984) And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’?” Mark 11:17 (NIV 1984) The Great Commission is to go and tell(8). 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:13–15 While it is important to build great churches that attract many unbelievers to encounter God through our God-inspired and anointed service, the spirit of the Great Commission is about “go and tell,” not “come and hear.” 30 In our churches, there must be a deliberate and intentional effort to send missionaries to reach the nations. First, we see that God does not discriminate or show favoritism to any people, or any race. It is God’s desire that all who call on Him will be saved. But there is a condition. For people to be saved, they must first believe(9). For people to believe, they must first hear(10). For people to hear, someone must preach(11) to them. For people to preach, they must be sent(12) out. The failure of the world to hear the gospel goes back to the failure of the church to send missionaries. Blessed to Be a Blessing 1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. 2I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:1–3 (NIV 1984) This passage in Genesis 12 is the original Great Commission of God. We have been mandated to be a blessing to all peoples and nations on earth. But for that to happen, we must have a proper view of God’s blessing on our lives. Again, let us try to avoid both extremes. We don't want God’s blessings to be barely enough to meet only our needs, and we don’t want to have overflowing blessings to meet just our needs either. The healthy view is to know that we are blessed for a purpose, or blessed to be a blessing. We should pray that God’s blessings overflow in our lives so we in turn can become a channel of God’s blessings to many people and to many nations. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:11 (NIV 1984) 31 How then can I be involved in the Great Commission of discipling the nations? How do we get involved? 1. Go(13) This is for people who have a heart and a calling to go overseas, whether short-term or long-term. Those with a heart to become long-term missionaries are encouraged to talk to their local church pastor to assess their calling and discern the timing. They will then be sent to the School of World Missions to prepare them for the nation they will go to serve. For those who have a heart for short-term missions, we have almost a hundred short-term mission trips per year offered through the Ten Days program. 2. Give(14) Beyond our tithes and offerings, Victory members are given the opportunity annually to commit to give a monthly pledge to support our missionaries and our world mission efforts to reach all nations. 3. Pray(15) Equally important is praying for our missionaries and the nations. This idea of holding the ropes is serious business, especially when the gospel is taken to resistant and hostile territories. The Promise Despite obstacles and challenges in reaching the nations, we are full of faith that one day we will see the nations come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14 32 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands... Revelation 7:9 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 11:15 Application 1. Jesus should be at the center of all we say and do. At times, our Victory group may not have Jesus at its center. How can we ensure that our Victory groups are Christ-centered, not leader-centered, need-centered, etc.? 2. What spiritual gift have you discovered in your life? Is the fruit of the Spirit evident in your life? How can the gifts and fruit of the Spirit be cultivated in your life? How can your gifts be used by God as you make disciples? 3. Share your personal initiatives (if any) on being socially responsible. How can you or your Victory group be part of our church’s initiative on social responsibility? 4. Is there a nation that God may be calling you to pray for, support, or go to? Share what the nation is and why you may have that burden. What are you doing about it? [At this point, the teacher will ask two to three participants to share what they have discussed in the group discussions during application.] 33 34 Session 5: Core Values You can hardly walk into any bank in the Philippines or into a jewelry store without being greeted by armed security guards. They are there for two reasons. To guard the treasure or the money, and to keep thieves from stealing the money. In 2 Timothy 1:14, Paul’s words to Timothy were, By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit... Like Timothy, every ministry has a good deposit that must be guarded. As we talk about the Every Nation core values today, we should look at them as a good deposit that we must guard together. They must be guarded with the help of the Holy Spirit or they will be lost. Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 1:13 The Every Nation Core Values Our Every Nation core values define who we are as a movement of churches. They describe our ministry distinctive and address how we do what we do. They communicate what is important to us and influence our overall behavior. Every Nation has five core values that describe how we build: Lordship, evangelism, discipleship, leadership development, and family. Lordship 1. The starting point for all our other core values is the Lordship(1) of Jesus Christ. The starting point for all our other core values is the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus is “King of kings and Lord of lords,” we believe that obedience and whole-hearted submission to God’s will and His word is the starting point of the Christian faith and the foundation of all spiritual growth. 35 2. “Lord” means master(2). Therefore, to say that Jesus is our Lord means that we will do what He says. Like any King, Jesus expects more than intellectual assent; He expects us to obey Him in everything we do. If Jesus is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all. Jesus is referred to as Lord 100 times in the book of Acts and 622 times in the whole New Testament, while being referred to as Savior only twice in Acts and twenty-four times in the New Testament. 3. The Lord expects us to relate to Him as Lord(3). While Jesus is certainly Savior, for that is what He does, the primary way He expects us to relate to Him is as Lord, for that is who He is. We do not make Jesus Lord; He already is Lord! When we reject the Lordship of Christ, we make up a Jesus who is less than the Jesus of Scripture. Lordship means there is a boss, and it’s not you. God is the boss. He makes the rules. He calls the shots. Our job is to simply listen and obey. 4. Continue(4) to walk under His Lordship all throughout your Christian life. (Colossians 2:6–7) If we want to receive Jesus, we must receive Him as Lord and Christ, because that is who He is. But it doesn’t end there. We must continue to walk in His Lordship all throughout our spiritual journey. Why do people call Jesus “Lord, Lord” but do not do what He says? (Luke 6:46) According to Pastor Steve Murrell in his book, 100 Years From Now7: 1. Some are sincere, but ignorant(5). Because of ignorance in God’s word, there are gaps in our obedience (forgiveness, baptism, purity, generosity, etc.). 7 Murell, 100 Years From Now: Sustaining a Movement for Generations, 91–92. 36 2. Some are sincere, but independent(6). The person is not part of a discipleship group or connected to a local church family. 3. Some are sincere, but in bondage(7). Some wanted to serve God but are bound by past or present sins. They fall into the same pattern of destructive habits. Sometimes freedom comes instantly; other times it requires the tedious process of discipleship and renewing the mind. 4. Some are not sincere(8) at all. Some have no intention of obeying God. They are counterfeit converts, religious phonies. But not everyone is. Some people need teaching, some need discipleship, and some need deliverance. Put simply, they need to repent and surrender to His Lordship! As Victory and Every Nation, we commit to remain faithful in preaching the message of repentance and the call to surrender to the Lordship of Christ. Evangelism 1. Because God’s heart is to reach the lost, we seek to build churches primarily through evangelism(9). “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:7 We are committed to this core value of evangelism because we value the gospel as well as the lost. Jesus conveyed His heart for the lost by sharing to us three parables out of Luke 15. 37  a. Lost Sheep A shepherd owned 100 sheep, but one was lost. So the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine and goes after the lost one until he finds it. b. Lost Coin A story about a woman who lost a coin. She searches the whole house until she finds it too. Both the woman and the shepherd are thrilled over finding what was lost. Jesus said in Luke 15:7 (NIV 1984): “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” c. Lost Son A story about a lost son who returns to his father. The father then throws a huge welcome-home party for his son. Unlike the religious leaders of His day, Jesus was seeking and searching for lost souls. Biblical disciple-making begins with a search for the lost, not the gathering of the already found. The 99-and-the-1 strategy is based on a universal principle that teaches us to have an outward rather than an inward focus. If a significant percentage of our congregation does not begin to intentionally, strategically, and sustainably engage the culture and community, then the church will become increasingly inward-focused, consumer-driven, and spectator-oriented. The mission will be all about endlessly feeding or entertaining the ninety-nine while ignoring the one. 2. The goal of engaging culture and community is to preach the gospel to the lost(10). 19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. 1 Corinthians 9:19–23 38  Paul’s goal: to win as many as many lost people as possible (v.19) Paul’s strategy: to become all things to all men (v. 22) Paul’s motivation: for the sake of the gospel (v. 23) To engage means to build relationships with other people so that we can connect them to God. Engaging is bringing people closer to God to the point of putting their faith in Jesus as the Savior and Lord of their lives. If we engage people we don’t know yet, we can start by getting to know them and having pleasant conversations with them. If we already know them, we create opportunities where we can share our faith, like small groups or church events. The key is to build trust and sincerely care for them, and convey that our intentions are good. Trust is constantly built through love, by displaying our faith, and through our actions to others. Discipleship 1. Discipleship is all about relationships(11). 2. Discipleship is a call to follow(12) Jesus, fellowship(13) with other believers, and fish(14) for people. Because we are called to make disciples, our primary focus is on ministering to people, not conducting meetings, administrating programs, or building buildings. We are committed to discipleship because we value spiritual progress. Jesus put such a high value on discipleship. It was the only mechanism He put into effect to effectively reach the whole world. Discipleship is all about relationships. It is a call to follow Jesus, fellowship with believers, and fish for the lost. At the very heart of discipleship is helping Christians to help others follow Jesus, fellowship with believers, and fish for the lost. In short, we don’t only make disciples—we make disciple-making disciples. Four essentials of effective biblical discipleship (4Es): 39 1. Engage(15) culture and community. 2. Establish(16) biblical foundations. 3. Equip(17) believers to minister. 4. Empower(18) disciples to make disciples. Leadership Development Because we are called to raise up spiritual leaders, we prioritize leadership training and deliberately create opportunities for young potential leaders to develop their gifts. As pointed out in Ephesians 4:11–12, the primary job of the pastor is to equip and empower multiple generations of leaders, and then get out of the way so they can lead. If ministry is centered around a mega-leader, the others never get a chance to lead. Raising leaders takes time, patience, and hard work. There are four essential parts to developing an empowering leadership culture. We call our leadership development process iLead. Here are the four pillars of leadership development. There are four pillars of leadership development in our iLead program. 1. Identification(19) The first phase is to identify potential leaders by helping them identify their calling, gifts, and opportunities. 2. Instruction(20) Instruction can be carried out in multiple mediums. It can be face-to-face, through class instruction, conferences, podcasts, distance or e-learning, books, TV, radio, or the internet. 40 Instruction can even be self-directed (self-study). Whatever the medium, the goal of instruction is transformation, not just transference of information. 3. Impartation(21) While instruction can be done from a remote location, impartation requires close proximity. Disciple making invades personal space. I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong... Romans 1:11 (NIV 1984) Impartation transfers spiritual gifts and makes us strong. When you surround yourself with people who are passionate for the lost, it won’t take very long for you to catch the same passion for reaching the lost. That’s impartation. 4. Internship(22) On-the-job training seemed to be the primary method of leadership development in the New Testament. The first three are all vital, but the greatest learning comes from actually doing ministry. Internship has three parts. Observation means we watch while the leader leads. Participation means we lead with the leader. Evaluation means the leader watches us as we lead. Family 1. Because the family is the foundation and validation(23) for all ministry, we refuse to sacrifice our marriages and children on the altars of temporal success.... for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 1 Timothy 3:5 41 And, because we believe God has called us to be a spiritual family, we reject the idea of disposable relationships and choose to walk in lifelong love, respect, and unity. Next to God, our family—not ministry—is the next priority. This core value says that our spouse and kids are more important to us than the ministry. How can we determine if a person is qualified to be a pastor? Too often it is based on education, oratory skills, and administrative abilities. But the Bible says we should examine a man’s family. Not his family tree, but his relationship with his wife and children. If this area is in order, then he might qualify to lead a church. A spiritual leader’s home life will either validate or repudiate the message he preaches. 2. Proper ministry priority can save(24) your family, not lose it. By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. Hebrews 11:7 Noah’s response to God’s call to build the ark saved his family. God expected Noah to get on the ark along with his family, not leave them behind. Unfortunately, too many leaders lose their family in the process of saving the world. One sad example is the life of Eli. 12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the LORD.... 17Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the LORD, for the men treated the offering of the LORD with contempt. 1 Samuel 2:12, 17 “And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.” 1 Samuel 3:13 Eli wasn’t judged because of the wickedness of his adult sons. He was judged because he knew about their sin and he did nothing about it. He stuck his head in the sand and went about doing ministry business as usual. The leadership lesson here is obvious. If there’s a problem at home, admit it and do something about it. Get help if you need to. It's about priorities, not perfection. 42 Our family may not be perfect, but they are our top priority! Application 1. Which of the core values resonates with you the most? Why? How is this evident in your life? 2. Which of the core values do you still need to think through and apply in your life? What is it about that value that you need to understand? [At this point, the teacher will ask two to three people to share what they have discussed in the group discussions during application.] 43 Session 6: Every Nation Culture Ministry culture is important for establishing what is considered normal and standard within the organization, and influences all aspects of ministry life. Culture is sometimes referred to as something we do without thinking. This culture provides stability, identity, and a competitive advantage, resulting in health, growth, and vitality in the movement. Process flourishes best in a healthy culture. Neither one is effective without the other. Many have attempted to copy a discipleship process, but without a discipleship culture, the process becomes like a muscle car with no fuel. There are four ingredients to our unique culture: Vision, Generosity, Diversity, and Sacrifice. Let’s start with VISION. The following session is adapted from Pastor Steve Murrell's book, 100 Years From Now8. Vision Where there is no vision, the people perish... Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint... Proverbs 29:18 (NASB) When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. Proverbs 29:18 (NLT) If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves... Proverbs 29:18 (MSG) According to George Barna, vision is the insight God provides to instruct and direct our paths, a reflection of what God wants to accomplish through us in building His kingdom. Because the Great Commission commands us to reach all nations, we can never be content just being a local church doing local ministry. Remember, Jesus died for the whole world. Our vision must not stop short of reaching every nation in our generation. To help Abraham embrace a bigger vision, God used three word pictures to break him out of his limited mindset. 8 Murell, 100 Years From Now: Sustaining a Movement for Generations. 44 1. Dust “I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.” Genesis 13:16 (NIV 1984) 2. Stars He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Genesis 15:5 (NIV 1984) 3. Sand... I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Genesis 22:17 (NIV 1984) God picked these three items because they were beyond Abraham’s ability to count—dust, stars, and sand. That’s thinking big! To communicate the power of vision even in the midst of evil, violence, and injustice in the early days of Israel, God’s vision prevailed. The Power of Vision 2 And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. 3For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” Habakkuk 2:2–3 Here’s what we can learn about the power of vision from the prophet Habakkuk. 1. Write the vision(1). A vision must be written before it can be successfully passed on to others. 45 2. Make it plain(2). Make it as clear and understandable as possible. 3. That he may run(3) who reads it. Vision is for runners, not simply for brochures and bulletin boards or web pages. The idea is that thousands all over the world will run with the Every Nation baton and pass it on to millions more. 4. The vision is yet for the appointed time(4). The Every Nation vision and mission is bigger than Every Nation’s founders. It may not be accomplished in our lifetime, but it will happen at its appointed time. It will require all of us to make disciples and to equip and empower multiple generations of leaders all over the world. 5. At the end it will speak(5); it will not lie. Vision is always future-focused. It is not the current reality, but it is still true. It paints a vivid picture of where you would like the organization to be. Visionaries are preoccupied with the future, not stuck in the past. 6. Though it tarries, wait(6) for it. The bigger the vision, the longer it takes. We need patience. We need to wait. Not a sit-around-doing-nothing kind of wait, but a work-hard-pray-harder kind of wait. 7. It will surely come(7). 46 If the vision is from God, it will happen. Generosity In Victory and Every Nation, we are grateful to God for the culture and the spirit of generosity that is among the people. There are many stories in the Bible and certainly countless contemporary examples of how the Lord uses people to meet needs. We can be used by God as channels of His blessings to bring provision to accomplish His purpose. We see in the Bible that both the Tabernacle (Exodus 35:5–36:7) and the Temple of God (1 Chronicles 29) were built from the generous, voluntary, and willing gifts of both the leaders and the people. Looking at 1 Chronicles 29:1–9, we can learn four things to encourage people to be generous and become channels of His blessings. 1. Our giving is not for man, but for the Lord(8). And David the King said to all the assembly, “Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced, and the work is great, for the palace will not be for man but for the LORD God.” 1 Chronicles 29:1 The primary motive of our giving is not for the glory of man or the ministry organization, but for the worship and the glory of God. And because this is the Lord's work, it deserves all our commitment and involvement. 2. We give something that is very personal(9) to us. 2 “So I have provided for the house of my God, so far as I was able, the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, and the bronze for the things of bronze, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, besides great quantities of onyx and stones for setting, antimony, colored stones, all sorts of precious stones and marble. 3Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God...” 1 Chronicles 47 29:2–3 3. Generosity means giving willingly, joyfully(10), responsibly, freely, and wholeheartedly. 6 Then the leaders of fathers’ houses made their freewill offerings, as did also the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officers over the king’s work.... 9Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly. 1 Chronicles 29:6, 9 4. We generously give back what rightfully belongs to God(11). 14 “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.... 16O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own.” 1 Chronicles 29:14, 16 The greatest motivation in giving comes from a grateful and worshipful heart. The people’s generosity and willingness to give was an acknowledgement that everything they own and everything they have comes from God. Diversity The mere fact that our ministry is called Every Nation means that we embrace diversity as a key component of our church culture. We always celebrate diversity, ethnicity, nations, cultures, and generations. We intentionally and aggressively build multiethnic congregations. 1. Jesus died for everyone(12), not just for people like us. 48 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation...” Revelation 5:9 If Jesus died for every nation, tribe, and language, then shouldn’t our church reflect that diversity? 2. Jesus called us to disciple(13) every nation, not just our own. The Great Commission in a general sense means going to other nations by plane or by ship. Today, because of urbanization, the nations are coming to our cities from around the world. It is actually possible to go to the nations without leaving your city. While we still need to send missionaries for overseas and cross-cultural missions, many can now stay and reach the nations within our cities. The Truth about Ethnic Diversity It is sad that there are proponents against ethnic diversity. Even the New Testament is not exempt from ethnic segregation and division between Jews and Gentiles, or Jews and Samaritans. The apostle Paul always believed in ethnic diversity. Timothy, Paul’s young disciple, had a Greek father and a Jewess mother. Titus, another of Paul’s companions, was also Greek. They started a church in Galatia that welcomed both Jews and Greeks. But after Paul and Titus left Galatia, the church forgot about its cultural value of diversity. Segregation started to creep in. Paul later wrote to the church to rebuke them and addressed the issue of ethnic segregation and division. Paul saw ethnic division as a gospel issue. When Peter, a Jew, visited the church, he had no problem eating with the Gentiles—until other Jews arrived. Then he only ate with the Jews. Paul immediately saw this as a gospel issue, not a cultural or dietary preference. Listen to what Paul said. 49 5 We did not give in to them (segregation) for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.... 14When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?” Galatians 2:5, 14 (NIV 1984) 1. God does not show favoritism(14). And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. Galatians 2:6 2. The gospel should be preached to all ethnicities(15). 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles)... Galatians 2:7–8 Why does a healthy church require diversity? When the church gets serious about diversity, good things happen. We need to realize that the color line was washed away by the blood of Jesus. C.H. Mason, founder of Church of God in Christ, said: “The church is like the eye. It has a little black in it and a little white in it, and without both, we cannot see.” Sacrifice 1. As followers of Jesus, we can make a conscious choice every day to offer(16) our bodies as living sacrifices to God. I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Romans 12:1 50 Why do we say “conscious choice”? The Lord will not force it on us, but wants us to choose Him over our personal preferences and desires. Sacrifice, persecution, and even suffering for Jesus are part of the Christian faith. As His disciples, this is the cost of following Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Whether we go through good times or bad times, whether in lack or in abundance, we must be ready to make the necessary sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom of God and for the glory of the name of Jesus. 2. As His disciples, there is a cost(17) in following Jesus as our Lord and Savior. And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:27 For the early church, sacrifice and persecution were a regular part of their lives. A study of Acts will show accounts of sacrifice—arrests, beatings, threats, warning, prison, prison breaks, stoning, shipwreck, and more beatings. Yet through all the threats and persecution, the early church continued to boldly preach the gospel of Christ. Despite religious and civil persecution, they continued to plant new churches. Suffering and Persecution Here are some lessons we can learn from the suffering and persecution of the early church: 1. Persecution accelerates(18) the spread of the gospel. 2. Persecution prompted prayer for boldness(19). 51 3. Persecution resulted in rejoicing(20). 4. Persecution never stopped or hindered the mission(21) of the church. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. Acts 5:41 It is indeed an honor and a privilege to share in the sufferings of Christ. When we realize the price Jesus had to pay for our redemption and reconciliation with the Father, I don’t think there will be any sacrifice greater than what our Lord Jesus went through to save us. Giving up our wants, desires, and needs to further God’s kingdom and to glorify His Name is worth it all for the glory of the One who paid the ultimate price for my redemption. Glory to the name of Jesus! Application 1. Which aspect of our culture resonates with you the most? Why? How is this evident in your life? 2. Which aspect of our culture do you still need to think through and apply in your life? What about it do you still need to understand? [At this point, the teacher will ask two to three participants to share what they have discussed in the group discussion during the application.] 52