Local Churches in Unity & Cooperation, p.3

Willis Tiger Bibles and let's go to Matthew, not as the foundation stone for this series that Lord willing, we will complete this morning talking about local churches in unity that's essential. Don't skip over that word and the cooperation of the denomination. We used to connect to the Southern Baptist convention had a lot of emphasis on cooperation. But there was very little emphasis on true biblical spiritual unity, which is the only way you can have true biblical spiritual cooperation. Matthew chapter 9 the Lord tells us in verse 35 or the text.

Narrative tells us in the Lord speaks nine 2035 Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness saying the people he felt compassion for them because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Focus in on 38 therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.

Are you doing that am I doing that. Are we as a local church family, saying, Lord, we want to get EL on this. Would you use us as an instrument in your hands to indeed be thrusting out laborers into this harvest, or perhaps Lord would say this if you're not prepared to train the labors. Why would I give you the labor and I would say that's a good question. Well, that's why we are where we are in developing our pastors training Institute. Once again it's not something brand-new we been mentoring and training men for years is just we've never really structured it and organized it like it needs to be to be as efficient and effective as it ought to be and that's where we are now putting that final beam if you will, and the structure of our missions, arm, and that some will talk about no real quick. I'll not spend long here but we talked about the creator of local church unity and cooperation is Jesus Christ. Now I've changed the wording little bit because all of the local church in the earth sold the reason why we are our so intentional about us having unity and oneness is because our Lord desires that chiefly when I go through all the text again. But it is so far in our Lord's teaching that he is one shepherd with one flock there is this unity God's ordained for the people of God and among God's local churches are right now Roman to. We talked about what we are talking about essential pillars of our unity and our cooperation that this is where it begins to break down and it hadn't done this generation after generation after generation.

There has to be an active intentional policing if you will.

If you're going to avoid your unity in your cooperation falling into some sort of a secular worldly concept versus having the high and true unity and cooperation of a thoroughly biblical concept.

So we are talking about true doctrine be led by the true spirit and walking in true discipleship. The only way we could unite with and the only way we can fellowship with other local churches to get God's work of church planting and missions accomplished, as if those churches are genuinely striving after these troops if they're not generally committed the sound doctrine will talk about nonessential doctrines that we can all disagree on what you been around long enough were balanced in that way, if they're not showing that they are striving to build the church listen to me now by the power of the true spirit of God. In other words, there church should not be able to be explained by were clever were created by music program. This brings a man etc. etc. well, our music program is strong enough to recommend that we choose not to build our church on the music program. Perhaps I could put on enough creative shenanigans from the pulpit to incite the carnal desires of men and bring them in, but we choose not to do those things. What I'm pointing to you is that we cannot unite with the church that puts on something of a of a honky-tonk are rock concert as their worship service or who has all kinds of creative gimmicks they used to keep people interested and involved. It is just impossible. So we talk about these three essential pillars that we've already talked about the pillar of grounded in true doctrine and we talked about being empowered by the true spirit and I just like to add a second note to that and that is that the hallmark characteristic of the spirits empowerment is listen to me genuine conversions which leads to a regenerate church membership, not just people who jump through a hoop not discreetly took a class, not just people who observe the ordinance of baptism, but people who manifest and show a good biblical evidence in their heart and life. They are born of the spirit.

Therefore, God has added them to the church. Not million.

Interesting.

When we had people.

The church were just identifying those God has added eye with me is not about us adding or building anything.

It's about us identifying who he is adding now we come to the third pillar essential pillar in unity and cooperation among individual local churches and that is I striving to walk in true discipleship. I use the word discipleship you could say true methods. True polity. You could use a lot of words but I like the word discipleship, and even though I'm defining it differently because here I'm not talking about necessarily the discipleship of the individual believers though that's included. I'm talking about the corporate discipleship or the corporate walk of each local church.

Are they functioning in the end, biblical methods and biblical practices now this backup for the second it's taken us 40 years to get where we are. So we have a lot of grace and understanding on the brothers throughout their pastoring their churches haven't even started well but this is where they want to go, so if they're headed in the right direction associate show sincerity, and that they were for them. Amen we want to come alongside them and say hey look, let us help you and you may not have to make all the mistakes we made in this four decade journey and that's that's the reason why anchored in truth missions exist to help folks along this path. If there striving to be glory of God focused, Christ honoring in Bible saturated in local church life. So were talking about our walking in corporate discipleship as a local church that we been building off the teachings of the end of a concerning unity out of Ephesians chapter 4 will go back there and read it again and visa check for the apostle lays out this great treatise of the wonderful truth that establishes how we function in unity now in the context he's talking about the unity in one local church. The church at Ephesus, but it applies to any Christian unity and it certainly applies to individual local churches who are in unity together and Ephesians 4, five, for example, he says we have one Lord, one faith and one baptism, the other words we all are united in that we ought you don't have one, Lord, and you have another. We all have one Lord, you didn't have one baptism, and you have another different kind of know we had one baptism all right. One has one, one faith, a different faith know we all have one faith and then he continues in Ephesians 4/we are called in one hope of your calling. So he says it's it's absolutely impossible for you to listen to me. It's impossible for you to be a true child of God walking in the truth and in the power of the Spirit and not have unity with other brothers and sisters who are doing the same.

Okay, so it should be therefore understood local churches and I and who as corporate units are striving to walk in true discipleship should find themselves automatically in unity with other local church, why do not have time but I could tell you testimony after testimony after testimony after testimony of local church pastors. Sometimes it's it's just men who are leaders in the church who stumble upon our ministry and immediately they're drawn to it. We had a dear couple visit us from middle Tennessee cup three weeks ago. A lot of the here. They are not. They been coming some and he's been that the man has been quite prominent in Christian music for years and I may have told you this and they said we found your ministry by googling the name Beth Moore and you came up. I'm not sure how that works. And then she said we begin listening to your preaching and were just drawn to the business. This is where we want to be and we find that that's happened thousands and thousands of times of the year when a singer just a connection is a spiritual connection and that's how anchored in truth missions escrow we have not sought out well at the sunset through but our primary growth is not us seeking those to join us is those who find us and say can we join you. We need to be with somebody else's lonely out here by ourselves. And so, that connection that unity is growing and these are people who want to be striving in true discipleship in the local church now try to skip some notes here.

Romans 1619 is a good cross reference here. Paul writes to the local church at Rome and he says the report of your obedience has reached to all who is the all their remains. This local church at Rome. Your obedience and you could translate that fuel amplified out in Jeff. Now the terminology your true discipleship has now been heard abroad in the other local churches.

He says church at Rome up here finding a unity and a connection with the other local churches and likewise are seeking to walk in true discipleship.

No support that he didn't just say your confession of Jesus.

You could say that I don't thickly ensure obedience the fact that you are striving to live out the truth is marking you out and connecting you to other local churches, folks, we are living that reality will keep growing and living it more and more and more, so we make the point that churches walking in true discipleship should find each other. Should you not together should cooperate together for mission now. We talk about true discipleship as a in a corporate local church setting. We means that is a church that is developing and striving to maintain true biblical methods are sometimes a safe methodology, and have true biblical methods and I've sort of coined this title, if you will have offended any church literature ever but you need to have what I'm going to call structures of grace towards God's grace say this God's grace put us in the local church, God's grace gives us truth from the word of God, in wisdom and the power to walk in that wisdom, but God in his grace also said I'm going to give you the organizational structure or methods unity and after all these decades of studying and laying it out. I have found no reason to change these three structures of grace that churches striving in true discipleship must be living out number one congregational worship centered on the preaching of the word and the power of the spirit said again congregational worship. What were doing this morning centered on centered in preaching of the word in the power of the spirit. The other structure. The one were not doing right now overdoing it, but we don't have our formal weekly meeting every member ministry through small groups in our ride this horse just a little bit so the last 2 to 3 decades badness in specific evangelicals in general have all but lost small groups. We always called it Sunday school and that's fine. Understand that name. Good matter to mail think miter got a lot beyond us. We changed small groups some time ago because we want to accomplish more out of that organization. The just meeting on Sunday and having little Bible study.

Spending most of the time talking about football game yesterday we wanted to have more of a 24 hour day, seven day a week connection of a small group so that real biblical spiritual body life can be taking place among those people. If I throw all of you out there and I said okay I'll take care of one of the Almighty one others needs 75, 80% of you going to be drunk that the cracks can't do that.

But the Bible.com go in there. The bow gives us thorough teaching on the churches of God organizing themselves into smaller units so that truly effective body life can be accomplished and then released him church and then as the community and the world sees God's church meeting together caring for another encouraging one another, discipling one another, correcting one another, holding one another up etc. etc. then the world says that's not normal. They have something we don't have as Jesus said, then all men will know you're my disciples, and because of the love you have one for another, so we would require. The church is going to be in fellowship with us and do an cooperate for us in missions that they be striving toward developing and every member ministry through small groups part of their overall approach to church life. So congregational worship was number one centered on preaching of the word and the power of the spirit. Number two was every member ministry through small breaks number three personalize strategic world mission that is where the church does not just institutionally throw money out at an institution that the missed missions institution is is that's our missions work is not initially wrong or evil is just not primary and foundational power.

God wants us to function in the New Testament. Local churches took ownership of being a part of the cooperative effort to get missions done so that's why we use the word's first personalized in strategic now if you're doing those three right you will have time hardly anything else. Amen. If you're really doing those three right you have to offer. And that's what bugs me about churches they'll site will project.

Don't you think you can do this and this and this and this is that's not necessarily wrong, but we must do these first three and when you get those done well then we'll get to those other seven things you are a student you know what's been 40 years. Now you know what I found, nobody's got through the first three I got and that's a thick look.

You gotta keep the main thing the main thing I'm tell you Satan is thrilled when he gets us off on secondary things that another silly evil with her not primary to the task of the charter and I think that's one of the, the wisdom's. Maybe God has given us to keep it centered on what is thoroughly biblical and stay with it and do it well and then multiplied for the glory of God. Now these three structures of grace are there to listen. And out of these three strokes of structures of grace and flow all the means of grace that God is given.

That's a phrase theologians used to talk about the means of grace.

The means that God's grace uses to build his church and build up his church like preaching the word Christians in fellowship together praying in Bible study, evangelism, genuine conversion, church discipline, meaningful membership, the proper observance of church ordinances.

Different theologians would list different things but these means functions out of those structures and then you have the totality of God, of what God wants us to be doing and what I'm calling walking in true discipleship.

Now, so were saying to brothers out there and churches out there if this cranks your tractor. If this first year that's where God has you then consider partnering with us big beak become a part of the anchor in truth family fellowship of churches, church plants, for the glory of God.

Now, as I as I summarize this section up and bring it to completion, and this will be on the screen.

Let's remind ourselves that God often brings unity out of division. God sometimes. Now what you'll find is in a in a particular local church setting. This happens a lot as a church matures, it doesn't really happen much at all. Seven in maybe tiny ways.

Thank God for that.

There's nothing worse than disunity and divisions in the church but you know as you study this truth, you find that exactly not God bringing unity through division exactly God separating off that was that which was never a part of what he was about what he was doing now. Here's an important verse first Corinthians 1117 through 19, or strengthens, 11, 17 to 19 Paul writes to this church at Corinth and he says, but in giving this instruction I do not praise you because you come together, not for the better but for the worse. For the first place. When you come together as a church.

I hear that divisions its is the Greek word that we get schisms from means I rent a tirade that separating a part. I hear that divisions exist among you, and in part I believe it for. There must also be factions know this is a different record there no seasickness, there must be did you hear that your thought that there might be. This is not this is an immature church. The church at Corinth church just trying to get going and he saying in that context, there must be factions among you by the word factions at the end of verse 19 is the word we get the of the English word heresy from HHS like a storming of the city.

It's a it's a group saying were storming the compound and were taking some with us.

Paul says to the immature church at Corinth trying to get going. There must be some arise among you to storm the complex and try to take people away with them while well I'm glad doesn't end there. The text goes on verse 19 for strengthens 11. There must be factions among you, so that those who are approved by become evident among you who are the approved pieces. This is a way God shows the true spiritual people in the church who those are who are approved of God versus those who are not approved of God that's look, I'm not saying this.

This is what the text to say that the word of truth is an interesting word in the day our Bible was written. Men were paid in weight coin Woodway a certain amount and so that amount of weight had a certain amount of value. So if you paid with five coins.

It was because those five coins equal to certain weight is not truth.

Our currency today, but if true, then, but unscrupulous moneychangers would take those coins and shave some metal off the top summer in the age he really could tell it. So when he gave you five coins. He was really only give you the value about 4 1/2: he was unscrupulous and you know what they use for him to use the same Greek word for approved appear, but in the negative.

He is unapproved. He's not true he's not the real thing he shaven off some stuff that I'll be there.

But then there were honorable, scrupulous moneychangers who would never do such a thing and they would say go to Joe down there on the corner. He's a good money changer because he's a prude.

He's the real thing. He walked Tom a different phrase he will shortchange you well. That's the word here and that's the background of the word so the be some pictures on the screen here notice this this block of steel and illustration that block of steel represents those in a church or you could say those local churches corporately speaking.

Who are the approved of God right now.

The next screen. Those are metal shavings.

There's not much to this bunch.

There's not a lot of weight to them. Notice the difference between them and the block that represents those in a local church or corporate local churches out there who they're not approved of God and then in third screen. This you can't tell it. But that's a big magnet that represents one of these faction's policy must come through because when that faction comes through. It separates out those that are God's.

And those that are not God's. Here's what works in the video here comes the factious man of the faxes group and he tries to pull the approved of God away and notices having no effect but just won't follow him. That busted fingers mind by the way, but you take that factious mentor faxes group to the unapproved of God, they stick right to them and they follow him away and what does God do. He leaves behind a pure church. He takes out from the Fellowship of local churches. Some local churches and leaves a pure fellowship of local church that's part of God's method. I wish somebody had taught me this 40 years ago.

As I kept thinking I was the problem and then I found out I was part of her health because I need to grow and mature and we all do. But this is not talking about removing those that are immature is talking about removing those who don't have the approval of God, they're not born again, but not truly God's so here's what I'm saying to you and by the way you've lived, if you're been in grace like church half as long as I have you watch this happen. We believe this realities of this is news to you but for those brothers out there and I talked to them every week for the Steve talks with every week, and brother Matt and their staff members talk to them every week they go through some of these things and I think the world's falling apart and it's great for us to tell them look timeout. Sometimes the unity you're striving toward has to fight has to happen through with the world will call division or faction.

All right now let's go to Rome in three and I'm going to blitz through here some biblical examples. Now of local churches in unity and cooperation. Actually, when I first started this, I was blown away by it. So thoroughly taught in Scripture and others. No command that chair to churches who are alike in doctrine in spirit and in practice should unify and cooperate.

It's so clearly understood that. It's as if there was no command necessary. You don't really have to be commended because it's so understood in the tech i.e. the earliest days of acts illustrate this so true and so powerfully in acts chapter 8, for example, we see the empowered church goes forth from Pentecost and I go forth with a spiritual doctrinal unity in a cooperation among them. The believers are scattered around space left them after the martyrdom of Stephen and Philip.

The Bible says went down to Samaria and preached and many were converted their acts 814 I don't worry about getting this down because this is will be like getting a drink out of a fire hydrant.

All right get the point.

All right now, after Philip goes in preachers and Samaria. The Bible tells us the local church in Jerusalem. I call it the mother church since Peter and John down to Samaria where Philip went something for say to begin mentoring that local church and overseeing that new local church plant in Samaria. So, immediately immediately, as the New Testament unfolds and at least the parts of the book of acts foregoes what we find we find an older, more established church, mentoring, and overseeing the planting of a new church, this time in Samaria and were just barely getting started and then the further show the unity and cooperation among local churches.

We find that to you in acts 11 the local church in Jerusalem since Barnabas to the local church at Antioch who had also had some people get converted and we know that they came there and they worked among the church and built them up. Acts 11 also records that the local church in Antioch sends a love gift back to the mother church in Jerusalem for famine relief. So here we had this reciprocal back-and-forth the local church of Jerusalem is primarily getting spiritual biblical guidance and oversight for these new churches that are getting going but the new churches. Some of them were in a pretty good financial situation, they send money back to the local church in Jerusalem.

The mother church to help them with their financial needs on and on it goes. Acts 15 reveals that there were some rogue self-appointed men from the church in Jerusalem and they came down to Antioch. The local church at Antioch and they begin teaching in the local church at Antioch that you had to add circumcision to the gospel. If you really want to be God's child, so the local church at Antioch Civil War to go to the drill division here someplace.

Jesus only. Some say is Jesus plus circumcision.

What are they do they send Paul and Barnabas and some other brethren back to the mother church of Jerusalem and bear the doctrinal issue was resolved and their conclusion was spread among the other Gentile churches so that they would know how to handle the issue.

Also-look, here's what I want to notice I'm not against mission boards are mission agencies per se. They didn't go find a mission agency president and say fix this. They went to the mother church the local church and said help us fix this. I pick it up on the church. Are you understanding that God can do all he wants to do in the world to churches. All the other institutions may not be wrong, but if the church is a right they are unnecessary. All right, let's go. Let's move on to Paul's commissioning.

The apostle Paul, you knows converted acts chapter 9 and then we see the apostle Paul receiving the blessing of the local church at Antioch before he is sent out to do his missions work I did in acts 15 and Galatians 2 we see Paul also setting forth that he additionally sought the blessing of the local church in Jerusalem quote the mother church and therefore all men should honor his ministry were all men to honor his ministry because he was sent out by mission board or mission agency know all men should honor the apostle Paul's ministry because the local church at Antioch and the mother local church of Jerusalem gave their stamp of approval to his work.

Are you with me. It all came out of the local church is Paul's entire I'm sorry. Let's go to see the complete New Testament record. We will not cover all these would escape here and there list like the apostle Paul again to note that Paul's entire ministry was marked by leading local churches to unity in a cooperative spirit together. Paul traveled. Paul preached souls were saved in local churches were established.

He tried to disciple those local churches. He trained leaders and then he led them to cooperate for the mutual edification support and planting of steel more local churches and we find this repeated all through the balance of the New Testament in acts. I'm sorry. In Romans 15 we find that the Macedonia and Arcadia churches were pleased to make a a a offering to those suffering saints in Jerusalem. So here's what Paul's doing. He's holding up the model I listen to me he's holding up the model of two local churches so that other local churches will learn to do better by their model churches helping churches in Rome in 16 verse 16 pulses great one another. The Holy Spirit kiss and all the churches of Christ. Great you that he take the context of Romans 16 listen this now he mentions the local church at Rome he mentions the local churches of the Macedonia region. He mentions the local churches of the Acadia region. He mentions the mother local church in Jerusalem, and then he mentions quote all the local churches in the quote. What is he pointing out peacefully asked chronologically.

Time goes on.

This group this is cooperative, uniting fellowship of local churches grows and grows and grows. Now when entente pointed out, but there were a lot that fell by the wayside.

Also, some did make it the long haul.

That's because God sometimes continues the unity by dividing off those that don't belong and that's never bother us with a steep palmitate the number of people we've had fellowship with in cooperation with in a country's missions and as time went on. Either they separate from us or we told them we can work with you because either the doctrine spirit empowerment are true discipleship was blatantly neglected. Not that they were striving and just not there yet will always welcome brothers in churches like that but they refuse to try in those areas. First Corinthians 16 we see the local churches of Galatia and Asia and the local church at Tukwila and Priscilla's house and a united cooperative effort. First Thessalonians chapter 1 he commends the church at Thessalonica because they were good example to the local churches in Acadia and Macedonia. In Romans chapter 16 again when he tells them the report of your obedience is not all what you mean you're impacting all these of the local churches.

Time does not allow me to do for shrinkage 14 second Corinthians 8 second Corinthians 8 again. Philippians 4 Romans 15 again but let me go all the way down the third John 15 through eight. I think this is when you get the third John, you've come to the very last writing of the New Testament outside of Revelation. All right, so in the very last chronologically speaking, written book in the New Testament outside Revelation. Here's what John the apostle says.

John writes us a glove. You're acting faithfully and whatever you accomplish for the brethren he's talking about those outside of your church and especially when they are strangers and they have testified it to your love before the church you will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God, for they went out for the sake of the name except nothing from the Gentiles, rather accepting nothing from the Gentiles therefore knows what he says or therefore we all to support such men so that we may be fellow workers with the truth all the way down to the last epistle of the New Testament. The apostle are stressing again support those who help the cooperative work of missions among the local churches that you think this is a New Testament concept and I've left out 70% of it. So what we are doing what we've been about for decades getting anchored in transmissions where one local church can be used to help unify with and cooperate with and motivate other local churches to be true churches themselves and in plan of the churches is a 2000 year old truth, adjustment, neglect is just been neglected in one of the ways it's been crushed and ruined is because in our efforts of cooperation listen to me. We left out. True biblical unity. We just tried to cooperate because we all had the same name just tried to cooperate because we all were in the same denomination that did matter to God, where we anchored in true doctrine empowered by the true spirit and walking and true discipleship. That's what we have to have one local church to the other to have true unity and true cooperation.

Now this is killing me book you only get it once the days of Behringwerke with 250 more minutes are. Here's a question to be on the screen. Do we qualify as a mother church do we qualify as a church in Jerusalem on a list all have false humility… Be honest look at the Scripture to look at the landscape of churches unless asked that question. If so, what is our role as a mother church.

What is this cooperative missions effort that we, as a mother church should be about what I submit to you that cooperative missions effort that should come out of this mother church third of the mother churches, but this mother church is anchored in transmissions anchored in transmissions is the embodiment of this mother churches role that we have what I left out a verse in Corinthians with you just if I could just make your brains works hard this morning. I just keep your brain off of the ice storm.

Just think with you for a moment in Corinthians, Paul wrote the Corinthians will have time to bring it back up. Here's what he said in effect, in effect, he said you guys live right and do right because it's your duty to do so before the other churches that year that you have a duty grace laughter to the shows to baby biblical to the glory of God focused Bible saturated Christ honoring not just in words, not just on paper but in the function of our body life why we have a duty to help the other churches get it right. They have the think.

I think Christendom as a whole dismiss the sentence and just not but this is €2000 stuff. God's called you to something bigger than you. God's called you something bigger than your class enjoying each other this week in small groups.

God's called us into the duty of doing it right. More of his churches will be inspired mentor disciple to do right. Also, are you with me church.

What I to burn 40 years on you to get this far you miss it.

If we are a true mother church that we should be able to say imperfectly yet with some good degree of consistency.

We are a church, embracing true doctrine. We are a church experiencing true spiritual power, though not enough and we are church walking in true discipleship.

Another way to say that that we are biblically and spiritually healthy. This should pop up on your screen and that is we want to be sound theology and a proven methodology. It's easy to have sound theology get your statement of faith put in a file somewhere say that's our statement of faith will who cares UPI okay, those are dime a dozen.

Do you have your church lived out a proven methodology offer/strategic were missions that I developed years ago and you embrace the biblical is stronger than it's ever been. Our methodology for every member minister to small groups has been in the upper 80% of attendants compared to worship attendance for almost forever unheard eventually unheard us. You see how your in this with me. It's our duty to walk this out to help God's other churches as they also help others and help us in return. So now we come listen now we come to the final structural beam in the house of anchored in transmissions. Now Marty been doing it, but had been structured like it needs to be in something like it ought to be. That's where we are right now as were installing this file only essential structural beam and all were about his mission and that is the pastors training Institute pastors training Institute is that final structural beam in our effort to be a part of what the Bible the New Testament so lays out we should be doing now just hitting all notes a few things here in the pastors training Institute will go to take the four decades of our experience of reforming and revitalizing grace life church and teach that I teach a master plan if you will. Sometimes I call it the encyclopedia of the local church. We hit on the being glory of God focused.

We don't being Christ honoring week hit on being glory of God of local church centered. We we teach a lot on preaching the word in the power the spirit with Tim seal amplifies that in his in his teaching on expository preaching. We teach on personalized strategic were missions teach on every member minister through small groups. We we give you the sound theology, but then we give them the proven methodology and on and on and on we could go how to develop elders, conflict resolution, church discipline issues, biblical counseling, not just from a textbook for foot, but from four decades of learning and application.

I would've given my right leg for that 40 years ago some pastors and sit down here let me show you how this is work here.

Not that they have to follow our pattern exactly, but do what's worked and then develop out of that your own processing your own local church now to those local to those training elements that come out of the Balkan war from our local church life will also have some courses like biblical theology, just the ones we think are important church history in intensive own first Peter because it teaches so thoroughly on suffering and leadership in God's work, biblical pastoral ministries of first and second Timothy now what we want to emphasize is are you listening the professors of the pastors training Institute are also possessors that's important. Our professors are possessors Dave Lee of the reality of planting a church establishing the church well's branding and sound doctrine striving to be empowerment free spirit and walking in true discipleship. Or they have decades of learning concerning the reforming and revitalizing existing churches to walk in biblical and spiritual health. Now for those who have not maybe had that extensive of time in the local church setting, reforming and reviving it by the wife. That's a very very small fraternity of men who long term have experienced those things, but there are some trustworthy brothers that we will bring in flat church history Dr. Tom nettles who loves our work and is it been very commendable of our work. Tom nettles is the preeminent Baptist historian in the world is in negotiation about that.

He was delighted to come in. He's on teaching intensive this summer on church history. Madeleine if you could take that if you want to it. It will be rich if you this applies to you are is of interest to you. I should say one of the things I want talk about is a continuing relationship or listen to me. We are not interested in God just popping in finishing the curriculum get the certificate and leaving is not an understatement where innocent guys who want to be trained and mentored and then when they go out. We will continue to help them to oversee them to encourage them to financially support them whatever they need. By the way we've been doing that is that now we want to do it even better as time goes on. Now the three tracts not sue you and I had talked about.

This was not really in essence different from what we've Artie talked about three tracts. I see this functioning okay not call these relationship tracks because were talking about relationships with guys were training that never ends what one of the premier local churches in America. I mentioned it's name of the pastor's name all of you would know it, but their approach to when they have a church planter go out is a supporting two years and then he's cut off you just start getting in trouble in two years you just start realizing what it's about. In two years so we've literally had some of his men call us and say can we connect anchored in truth is we need a continuing mentor. We need continuing encouragement and correction and oversight support, and so were talking about this. Continue relationship begins in the pastors training is to a long three different tracks track number one is when the it's it's a student who is already an active member of and anchored in truth, partnership, church right there already part of the church that we've connected with a connected with us and they will come through the training. Now they can come to muscle shows to be trained or they can stay in that church and be trained to the Internet.

All the classes are offered over the Internet and one thing that we want to make clear, here is the entire time were training them, they remain under the authority of their pastor and elders in their local church is not out were noticing separating them from the people who raise them up were just coming alongside and helping to train them there.

When they finished the curriculum and they their their pastor and their local church feels their properly mental ward then they will go out under the authority of their local church as the primary mentor and sponsor and all the country family will stand behind them to help them in every way we can write, so that's people who are members of grace life for people who are members of any church and fellowship with anchored in truth ministries are track number two would be men who strongly feel called to preach, but they find themselves in biblically spiritually unhealthy churches and they have no hope that their church is going to try to become biblically and spiritually healthy, and they may contact and say I would love to enroll and I'll remove my life and move my family to grace like church.

Now they could say maybe it brother Donald Sims churches shovel meals and shovel Tennessee's lungs as a church we know is solid in our fellowship.

We want to move our lives there. We want to join your church. We want to be trained there and then they would go out fully under our authority within a country family backing us up as we send them out all right, but that's only if they come from a church that is not sound in doctrine and spirit empowerment or in true discipleship. Now track number three would be for an unlimited number of students who would say hey were on board we been connected with the offer years, but we need this course in this court. Then we would say okay tell us where you been, what you've learned and we will approve them to just take what they need to take to be more sharpened and better able to continue on in their pastorate, and in their church planning work so in a summarized Reader's Digest version that's where we find ourselves, and the prospective students for the pastors training Institute will be required and after I've edited this Psalm to listen to these messages and sign on to what were about okay and do we qualify for this. Are you committed to make sure we qualify for this. I can't bring guys in here and they say well your teaching solid. Love your people but you know more sound than 90% of them out there which means you're not sound at all. I'll think that's true, here's what I'm saying to you church what I say last week taking vitamin B shot, gird up your loins. Our best work is ahead of us don't dispositive small things Jesus had 11 true disciples and change the world. Trust me if I wanted big numbers we could probably get some pretty big numbers but I would be teaching this this this screams out a lot. I'm jungle close with this illustration of a gun you have this giant this this picture in mind this giant circle and in this giant circle is what we call Christendom.

It's everything out there that claims to be Christianity on Ellis reduce that down a lot and you get to a smaller church circle that's called evangelicalism.

Still a great big group of everybody who considers themselves basically non-Orthodox or non-Catholic. Why did you get inside it evangelicalism you narrow that down even more you a smaller circle and that circle would be truly conservative Bible believing evangelicals going now you sick draw that down a bunch more and you get to that circle that is those evangelicals who are committed to the doctrines of grace reformed theology small then you reduce that down a good bit more you get down to those who are reformed and thoroughly bad to stick that don't believe in what were evangelistic. We don't really believe that you sprinkle babies and you're done. Believe you're the pill all repeated.

Believe in baptism should be a symbol of a true profession of faith in Jesus Christ. Then you get that no smaller circle. From there, and you get count of those reformed Baptists who are striving to walk in this truth that is heard about us and wants to connect to us seeking that no smaller group that says we think we want to connect to you, but they listen to the sermons and we interview them and either they are us.

Say you don't fit in, you get now no small pretty soon you get down to a little group of Christendom that fits us and you say it will impact the world. God's going to be in that it take God to do that. God says he took 11 fishermen.

The other guys change the world cannot do it again.

Jesus said, look out there like sheep without a shepherd so qualified godly men. The teacher and preach to them organizing the structure. The teach them how to care and love for each of the teachers how to evangelize and build new churches look at him like sheep without a shepherd. Use of this in good seats.

The Lord of the harvest, that he might thrust out labors in that artist.

I challenge you race church to join me in all of us together as we continue this pilgrimage, God's had a song. Who knows.

By the time we all get to heaven will be 770-700-7000 Lord God focused, Christ honoring Volvo century church near Steve you ready here's the key that glorify God that we look at of God gets the glory, because the functioning according to his wisdom, and by his power. It shows his beauty is wonder to the world. That's why we break that's why we exist. God not be made much of through us will if your post what I just preach, would you stand a new jump in detriment. I know you don't but I'm just excited that after this labor for all these years and you are key part of that overall labor where finally installing that final be in the structure.

Now let's feel that house up to see what God does with a man