This broadcaster has 193 podcast archives available on-demand.
Keep up-to-date with this broadcaster on social media and their website.
May 25, 2022 12:30 am
Today Pastor Russ Andrews continues through the book of Luke and answers 3 questions: "What are the characteristics of an effective church, what was the main purpose of Jesus's ministry, and what was His strategy?"
On the 40% of the people have to walk 30 or more for clean water. Two thirds of the world population could face water shortages by 2025 something the day your gift to help install Jesus well providing water for the entire village with 25 year wages install 30,000 and they need your help to give life to thirsty people join Truth Network in supporting this cause go to TruthNetwork.com or call 855573751 the spring of living water to the world. Currently, I gently dig near Mima with storytime Mima and answered prayer for stories that point children to God on the Truth Network for kids your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting just a few seconds enjoying it, share it the most of all thank he for listening to The Truth Podcast Network. This is good Truth Network this is part one of a special two-part episode.
Do you feel like you're on a religious treadmill. Do you feel like Christianity is just a system of rules and regulations, I can do this but I can't do that.
Do you feel like your efforts to reach God. Find God, and please God do you feel like your faith is did or allow today. Pastor Russ Andrews will walk us through Scripture to answer these questions join us on finding purpose, glorifying God by helping men find their purpose for living. For more information and to connect with Russ Andrews and finding purpose could visit us online@findingpurpose.net connect with us on Facebook. Now let's listen to Russ Andrews as he teaches us how to be a Christian without being religious, will be Luke chapter 9 will be looking at verses one through 17 have a tunnel to much message marks of an effective ministry church is only up to three? Here's the first one.
What are the marks that is one of the distinguishing characteristics of an effective church or ministry. Second, what was the main purpose of Jesus's ministry in third was a strategy to reach the whole world will for any church or any measure, to be effective, it must have the anointing of God, including the man who's in the pulpit about to be anointed by God. We should not be in the pulpit. So with when you look at our landscape and all the different denominations and churches and all the really thousands of ministries that… Our country. How can you determine whether the one you are attending all a member of has got special anointing own attack. Could you tell but two words ready and ended Greg Castleberry, a minister talk about this Sunday morning time and fruit, fruit.
So the question is, is the church or ministry that you a member of God.
You really need to think about this talk about Soltan, and the only measure involved with including this ministry has been very fruit for a long time and how do you answer this question.
You do this by looking for the depot just for these distinguishing marks as I hear some of things to look for men, women coming to Christ by faith. That is all that all the people being born again in your church or ministry and you can witness it.
The change in their lives with your last minute women repenting of their sins hard to repent.
If the word repent and sins never mentioned any church is the gospel been presented clearly does the church or ministry truly hold of the Bible is the inerrant word of God. Amen. Women growing deeper in the relationship with Christ the Lord is discipleship taking place. Is there a person is there genuine hunger in the in the place you're going for God's word and forgot Jesus is the word being preached with power and authority. So these are just a few of the most important marks of an effective church or ministry master question.
How is your church or ministry measure up houses Bible study measure up. In Matthew seven, verses 15 through 20. Jesus says watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves about their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes or fix from thistles. Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit is on the site.
A good tree. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit is impossible. It is a good tree and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit is impossible. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down to the far, this by their fruit you will recognize them by their fruit. If somebody brings you an apple pie and you cut into it and did not he apples. Guess what is not an apple pie document with that great analogy this afternoon that was divine inspiration. Joe noticed it in here Canada anytime sort fruit is used in these six versus seven times that estimates complete a full why why Jesus is Lord fruit seven times as he reports what he wants us to be fruit, judge or switch to judge fruit to make sure that it's good fruit.
Not bad fruit.
See the first key mark of an effective church or ministry is it is a very fruit in the second key mark is of an effective ministry is is time. I don't know this. First John 54 says who is it that overcomes the world. The only overcomes a given site of those who believe that Jesus is the son of God. Listen, it takes time to overcome the world and in Revelation Isis in first Johnny told my head that we ought to be over commerce that brings us to Luke chapter 9 verses one through nine, and what I wanted her to such as are light yet section verses one through nine in at least nine verses one a look at the marks of a biblical and godly ministry. And secondly, will have much time do we get to verses 10 through 17 how to show you what the main purpose was for Jesus coming to the world by the way is still is my purpose. So let's look at Luke nine and read verses one through nine. Together, are you with me. When Jesus called the 12 together as he called them he gave them power and authority to drive out demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and heal the sick. He told them, take nothing for the journey. No staff, no bag, no bread, no money and no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter stay there until you leave that town if people do not welcome you leave your town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them. So they set out, that is the toil they set out and they went from village to village and what were they doing they were proclaiming the good news in healing people everywhere you look at verse seven now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on and he was perplexed, confused because some were saying that John that his John the Baptist had been raised from the dead others that Elijah had appeared, and still others at one of the prophets of long ago come back to life.
The reason I was saying all this is because it was though Tess was talking about Moses that a prophet like you will come one day and that you have. It was prophesied that Elijah would appear before the great day of the Lord, but Herod said I beheaded John does not job ahead of him is he was brought up in a planner who then is this I hear such things about and he tried to see Jesus. Listen this this this verse right here. Packed full of so many truths and principles for ministry we could be here all night, but I just want to point to five truths and in here they are. First, Jesus called the 12 second, he gave them power and authority to do the work that he will send them out to do. Third, Jesus is about to preach about what the kingdom of God and then he commanded them to take nothing with them. This invoice is totally prepared.
They were prepared but different in the world since before there is any authorized them to share the truth and then to move on to look at verse one when Jesus had called the 12 together about what this word in the Greek the word call means to someone know which Jesus some of them. The 12 of them together and he summoned them for their special meeting in Mark one verses 16 to 17 how to sell the folks of this court called a minute.
It made inmates to summon in Mark 116 or 17 Jesus all Peter and Andrew and he said, follow me and I will make you fishers of men say sitcom will come as a command and listen when Jesus summons a man into ministry was a church or mission like finding purpose is the sum is that you drink and ignore me you can but you shouldn't because he's calling you and I will say is ineffectual: oversee ways: you you coming just like the summit you get from the court courtroom. You gotta gotta show up. You know you don't want to because the act is what happened with me. So in the lessee.
I want a similar 1999, but in the ruling started back around 1989. Four but five years I kept asking Jesus to call me what was happening. I was losing my interest in what I was doing it just did not satisfy me anymore. When a couple mission trips bleeding out to Latvia and Belarus. That's where Rosa was not good of the division or regulated, to be mission. He did called me to be a missionary but not there. It takes a special breed and then around 1999 I feel the nudge if you will to drive out to Wake Forest. I heard it was a really good seminar there. I've never even consider similar but 1 Paul he disappeared for three years and that was probably his seminary. He was going there but he was studying under Jesus direct teacher and maybe some of the other disciples, we don't know what happened do that. But he was outgoing from the same for three years with similar space to three years. It took me for I guess from Beth on a little bit slower but it took me four years but the mother's. The moment I stepped on the campus in the moment I met with the admissions director is like this is what God want me to be. It was for the best years of my life but I knew that he was calling me. I just didn't know what to just right now I got to go there.
I got a throw away all my suits us tolerant input on blue jeans and a Lacoste in a backpack and show up 45 years old and I was older than some of the professors.
So here's the problem today many men and women were never called Joe that God didn't appoint him or send for them so wildly in the pulpit. Men and women because they chose this event, they could be good to get a similar usually administers really the most. This is the pastor of a church with them is how to respect each person a community of this publication or the use of the site is a very respectable position just like an adult or lawyer so that that's what they chose to the prophet Jeremiah warns about people. A minister who would never summoned by Jesus you read Jeremiah 23 carefully just to get a couple key verses Jeremiah 23 verses 30 and 32 says therefore declares the Lord, gives the false prophets. They tell you false dreams and lead my people astray with their reckless lot. This is God speaking to prophets and priests and preachers, yet I do not send them upon them, and they do not benefit these people in the least declares the Lord. This one is a declaration God means it. So Jesus some of the toil and he commanded them to go. Why is God the father is Jesus volunteer but he got the file eventually summoned the sun and said don't you go to earth. Jesus submitted to us have the father's will and got cinnamon to the world on a divine rescue mission dealers mission was to save us from our sins. John 317 says for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him, don't you love that he did not come to condemn anybody think about the woman: active adult with no condemnation what he restored her the truth he called her to himself. One of the will. Same thing.
This was Jesus soul purpose in life to save us to rescue us so that was his purpose was a strategy is what is a strategy to go out and preach to the masses. However, he poured himself into how many men the 12 and then according to Mark he sent them out to God to do want a decent amount to about to nothing for two reasons. First of all you in a court of law you the testimony of two sites you got to men going out whose lives have been changed of these years, ornery fisherman and they start preaching with power and authority, but their insert the you got the testimony of two.
They support each other was a gosh to him. I believe it. He also wore nothing them to support each other and hold you accountable. That's what lots of times you know you know when you go to mission.
They do not go by yourself. You go with somebody else. So Jesus strategy this issue serve as a model for ministries and this is why I'm so excited to have my brother Jim Briggs sure is to come on board. Jim felt God's call to come to the ministry and he felt God's call to come to this ministry. Thank goodness in one of his main desires is to pour into our leaders to develop them into greater leaders was that called discipleship.
That's another mark of an effective ministry or church directly discipling people unless the gray command go out or not they converse about what make disciples of all men. Number two. Jesus did not just send that his disciples get in power and authority we sent them just into heaven to go. He gave him he he poured into them power and authority. In other words, he and no one of them. In this case for two special things preaching. Do you know what, if you listen to preaching and it is not been anointed by God.
It carries no power and it had no authority and nothing will happen just hot air but you can take somebody like I remember read about when Charles Spurgeon was was going to church leaders about 16. It was snowing.
He could get his church so to this other church and the Pritikin job is too much snow, so this week and who is not educated did have a similar to grace that at least one person which says something is Isaiah 22 something. This is looking to me, all you ends of the earth and the Savior. He said it's not too hard understand. Look look look at him on the cross. Look at him, sweating blood of tears look what you say, to me, all he is the earthy look of this man is a young man you look miserable. You need to come to Jesus's choice. Spurgeon was a great sermon note the likes of you here then a battle for country preacher, but it is endued with power and authority transforms the life of someone like Charles Spurgeon.
The second thing they don't do is to serve the supernatural miracle, specifically driving out demons and healing the sick. So once again we have a model here for what an effective church of ministry should do preaching to catch this in supernatural miracles before you think I jumped on board the healing platform. I'm not endorsing at all.
Kenneth Hayden or Benny Hinn because I was rather false teachers but I do believe that God still performs supernatural miracles was the greatest supernatural miracle he ever performs your salvation. Think about it he rescues you from the committed dominion of darkness and brings into the kingdom of light into the kingdom of the son… The greatest miracle there is when you say it using a supernatural miracle. But I also believe, listen the reason that they did supernatural miracles back then the toil is to affirm their message because they do not have the written word of God there listen to an oral message is or to confirm that this is a truth anointed prophet.
The toil they will preach in order God. He affirmed their ministry with miracles the same way he affirmed Moses with miracles. This is my man look at his miracles.
This verse of confirm. Jesus said if you don't believe what I say loosely the miracles miracles affirmed the anointing of someone so why do we not have a lot of miracles in America think of still physical miracles, but in the not in any year why we don't need them to affirm the message. While not got about 75 I was in my office there Bibles galore in America there's preaching on the radio there Churchill Everest record. Although most of the windows hit with a lot of good churches out there. We only miracles sit for the miracle change hearts and change lives. Would you go somewhere like Iraq or Iran or Pakistan or Ukraine. I geared to the sin physical miracles. There are no folks that fact that there seemed the parents of Christ in the flesh doesn't supernatural miracle. Why they don't have access to the written word of God, like we do so in those circumstances I believe that God the supernatural things to affirm his message" for purpose to make to draw people to this jacket is a healer, no.
So the people believe and be saved. Jesus on northern 12 with power and authority to do what to preach the good news about the kingdom of God. Why is this what he did this he poured into toil and he said, and that the same thing he was doing the very first thing that you see John the Baptist and Jesus do is they preach the message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Mark 114 15 says after John was put in prison.
Jesus wanted to gallantly proclaim of the good news of God, the Thomas Kelly said the kingdom is at hand repent and believe the good news was last anywhere that message in your church.
You think I'm down the chortle, but I am but not of the true church.
Okay I'm up for true churches and get got one in a very dark world right now is time to record repertoire to recognize what is true and what is false in the way you do that is you study God's word so she can discern the truth from error. You're the last chapter of Mark. So Jesus began his ministry, preaching a message of repentance for the salvation of sins and owes the gospel, the good news. That's the last thing he said to the disciples before he ascended, Mark 16, the last chapter of Mark, Jesus.
It is also last words before he ascended going to all the world. 12 and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved to baptisms and save you with us with just a follow.
Yes, your salvation is the evidence that you can say, but who does not believe will be condemned at the Lord Jesus had spoken to them. He was taken up into heaven. He said the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere in the Lord working with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. He confirmed his word. Number three. Notice that Jesus sent them out with the command go out into all the world to his another mark of an effective church of ministry is a sending church is since missionaries out into the city added to the estate out across the world and that's what a lot of us with really good summers are doing this in commissioners, all of the world. Effective church of measure must do the same thing preach the good news to all creation. So what is the good news is the gospel of Jesus Christ who came to save men from their sins that they might have eternal life enhancing about that the gift of eternal life over to the world on a plate and all you have to do is eat it, receive it. This is why Jesus said you must be what born again another phrase you never hear in church rarely number four Jesus commanded his disciples to take nothing with them. Figure verse four.
Jesus told him take nothing for the journey, the staff, no bag, no bread, no money and no extra turning I got this phone I go on a trip, but bag was more than 75 pounds regular airport as I don't leave anything out that I might need to want to Jesus in the mail without nothing or anything is suggested to get them to rely on him and him alone in 18 €25 allele for the stores of famous store. Shortly after getting out of prison. George Mueller placed his trust in Jesus Christ.
And then he later married and he settled down in Bristol, England, where he he I should begin to grow his faith, and you begin to notice all over London. All the children home is true that will run around wow it did have much clothing that they will begging for food and money facility. Some of the ninth 1835 at a public hearing.
He present a plan for an orphanage, God put the desire to build an orphanage in his heart, and after he present the plan contributions begin to pour in and shortly after thereafter. His first orphanage opened, and they took him 26 children since the beginning of his orphanage ministry. That lesson from that. This is what I admire about from the beginning. He never asked for money is available in a restaurant you practice that will that's another sermon list on Mars faith. He never went around telling about the ministry needs which is what I was holding my banana model doing so, you believe in praying earnestly and trusting the Lord to provide the Lord did, although sometimes the last moment. One morning, all the children. This one orphanage were down and they had all the plates and utensils in the glasses and it was nothing to eat and there's nothing to drink and George Miller said let's bow ahead. He said Lord. He said the Lord forgive us this day our daily bread is a knock on the door and the matador was a baker. He said Mr. Miller, I can sleep last night somehow I felt he didn't have bread for breakfast. I got up at 2 AM and break thanks in first grade you need any.
It was a second knock development was drive along and he lost the steering in his truck and it just careened off the road run for the office, so he had. It was loaded down with eggs and milk and cheese and what not. Illinois said look I got a truck full of eggs and milk and cheese in our school deleted about that.
I call that a supernatural miracle in stores like this, became the norm for his work and during the course of his 99 years Mueller house more than 10,000 orphans prayed in millions of dollars travel to scores of countries preach the gospel and recorded 50,000 answers to prayer. When we pray more, you wonder why you have not why I have not because we asked not in Matthew 625 and 33. Jesus is therefore tell you, do not worry about your life what you eat or drink about your body, what you wear, but seek first his kingdom man in all these things will be given to you as well. Being a Christian is not about being religious but about having a dynamic alive relationship with Jesus Christ you been listening to finding purpose with pastor Russ Sanders glorifying God by helping men and their purpose for living. You discover more about finding your purpose in life by checking out the resources finding purpose.net will connect to finding purpose on Facebook pastor Russ would also like to extend a special invitation for you to join him in over 300 other local men to study God's word together every Tuesday night at 7 PM in downtown Raleigh. Find out more finding purpose.net. This is the Truth Network