Intentionally Equipping For Ministry

24_08_31 -Ep.327 - Run With Horses Podcast - Intentionally Equipping For Ministry

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This week we are continuing on or journey of developing a discipleship pathway for the church that helps us intentionally be the church. How can we do the work of equipping the church for ministry?

Thank you for joining me today! If you are new to the show, you can find our past shows on our website, runwithhorses.net. If you have been enjoying the show, I would appreciate it if you would leave a review wherever you are listening! And as always, your questions, comments and feedback are welcome. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net. And now, on with the show...

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Habits – Fellowship
Acts 2:40-42 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

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MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH
A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the MISSION of Jesus as His witnesses TO THE WORLD, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and EQUIP OTHERS to join them on HIS MISSION.

The discipleship pathway is an intentional plan to equip others to be on the mission of Jesus.

Don’t forget the goals of the pathway. What are the goals of a discipleship pathway?
a. self-feeding Christians
b. everyday missionaries – everyone on the mission of Jesus
c. disciple-makers
d. pastors
e. new churches
f. all members of the church, shepherded well

We are still on the THIRD step in the Pathway; EQUIP
ENGAGE, CONNECT, EQUIP, RELEASE

What is equipping in the church?
It is preparing each member of the church to use their talents, gifts, and abilities to carry out the work of the ministry throughout their lives.
First, what is the WORK OF THE MINISTRY? The best simple definition I have heard is that it is the work of bringing God’s message to people.

We are all called and equipped, as members of the body of Christ, for this ministry. There is a further equipping, seen in Eph. 4 carried out corporately by the church as we build each other up and prepare members for ministry. Church leadership is given the responsibility of leading the way in equipping all members for service and engagement in the mission of Christ.

Eph. 4:1-5
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Eph. 4:11-16
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Walk Worthy
You are called
Attitude matters – humble, loving
Relationships Lead - who has God placed around you?
Unity is Important
The Church is key for maturity – seek, pursue Christ-likeness for everyone
We all have gifts the church needs.Use yours to build up the church.
The goal is maturity – Christ-likeness, nothing less
We build each other up.

**Be Intentional. As an Individual, and as a Church.**
Pray for growth. Work toward growth. Growth/ Maturity means a life lived on the mission of Jesus.
- Sharing the Good News
- Teaching biblical truth
- Practicing a lifestyle that puts Jesus and His mission first. Purpose and priorities!
- Serve others – consider others interests and spiritual needs
- Live out the one another’s – you need the church
- look for accountability – meet regularly with others who are on mission.
- sacrifice of time and resources for the mission – live with eternal values
- intentionally thinking about others. In your church, in your community.

# Where are these relationships intentionally happening? Sunday School, small groups, homes of motivated disciples who constantly reach out to others to build them up, coffee shops, restaurants, etc.
# Pastors – be visionary, help your people see the calling to be actively engaged in disciple making, make sure your church provides training and space to live out that calling!
From the pulpit – vision, theology, motivation
In the smaller groups – training, skills, encouragement
In the smallest groups – support, accountability and personal direction, training as needed.

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DOCTRINE
August – Jesus
September – Holy Spirit

Jesus Intercessor
intercede - to intervene between parties with a view to reconciling differences : mediate
Romans 8:31-35
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Hebrews 7:23-25
Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

1 John 2:1-2
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

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As a member of God’s family you have a part to play in preparing God’s people for ministry. Prayerfully consider how God wants to use you to build up you church family and strengthen them for service. And stop to think, what is your role in the mission of Jesus to the world?

Thanks for joining me again today! If you enjoyed the show you can listen to all the past shows wherever you listen to podcasts. A good place to start is at runwithhorses.net. You can also write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.
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