THREE PROMISES OF JESUS
FOR CHURCH PLANTERS
INTRODUCTION
· Starting new churches
is more strategic than winning strangers to faith, and starting churches is the
most effective way to evangelize whole populations.
· Three powerful promises
make church planting effective wherever
wherever believers apply them.
1. JESUS WILL BUILD HIS
CHURCH, AS WE WILL ALLOW HIM.
Matthew
16:18-20 GNB “Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my
church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it. I will give you
the keys of the Kingdom of heaven; what you prohibit on earth will be
prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on
earth will be permitted in heaven.” Then Jesus ordered his disciples not
to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
· Peter
was the first to
confess that Jesus was the Messiah, so he would have the privilege of
using theKeys to introduce Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles into Jesus’
new church.
· Peter and the other
apostles normally formed new believers into home-based fellowships like he did
following Pentecost and did with Cornelius’ family and friends.
This
promise is repeated in…
2. GOD WILL DO WHATEVER WE
ASK, AS WE AGREE TOGETHER.
Matthew
18:18-20 GNB “And so I tell all of you: what you prohibit on earth will be
prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.
And I tell you more: whenever two of you on earth agree about anything you pray
for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, I am
there with them.”
· To plant a church,
agree together with one or two others, pray to exercise your authority, and
come together as Jesus’ followers.
· Experiencing the real
Presence of Jesus in your midst is what make a church a real one.
This
promise is repeated in…
3. JESUS IS WITH US, AS WE
OBEY HIM.
Matthew
28:18-20 GNB Jesus drew near and said to them, «I have been given all authority in heaven
and on earth. Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples:
baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach
them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I
will be with you always, to the end of the age.»
· Our task is to make
disciples. The apostles’ main method of making disciples was to baptize
repentant seekers and form into new, little churches.
· The main task of
churches is to teach folks how to obey all of Jesus’ commandments.
CONCLUSION
· Start new churches
everywhere, within every social group and economic class, now.
· You and your friends
have all the authority you need to do so, already.