LHIM Everything

Kingdom

The Kingdom is the time when God sets everything wrong with our world right–an age of unprecedented healing, justice, peace, restoration, and renewal. Those who enter the Kingdom receive eternal life and rule with Christ over the nations.

Cross

Resurrection

The gospel has three elements: the Kingdom, the cross, and the resurrection. We have to be careful not to leave out one of these essential ingredients.

God is at work in us today to do His will through us.

The book of Acts shows God working in the lives of His disciples through Jesus Christ by way of the holy spirit. God was the one reconciling people to Himself.

God directed the ministry of reconciliation. God used various methods to reach people, but He brought about the reconciliation, drawing people to Him, as the disciples joined in His work.

Peter answered their question of what this meant by quoting Joel 2:28-32. In your own words, what did it mean? ________________________________________________________________

if you’re a Christ-follower, you’re not like everyone else!

advantages of indigenous missionaries from HeartCry:

2. Financial Resources. It costs a great deal of money to send and support North American and Western European missionaries. For what it costs to support one North American missionary with a monthly support of $4,000, it may be possible to support 20 indigenous missionaries!

3. Language and Culture. Any cross-cultural missionary will testify that language and culture are two of the greatest obstacles to the work. It often takes a cross-cultural missionary his first term (4-5 years) just to learn the language and adjust to the culture. Five years and a quarter of a million dollars are spent on the mission field to learn the language, adjust to the culture, and do a minimum of ministry. In contrast, the indigenous or native missionary has no need to learn the language or adjust to the culture that he has known since birth. From his very first day on the mission field, the indigenous missionary can concentrate on his two priorities – evangelizing the lost and planting churches.

4. Identification. There is much anti-American and anti-European bias in many of the least evangelized countries of the world. In many people groups, it is virtually impossible for a Western missionary to preach the Gospel, because he is rejected for his nationality long before he has the opportunity to communicate his message! In contrast, the indigenous missionary has little problem with such bias, because he is of the same flesh and blood as his audience

5. No Difficult Transitions. Having experienced the prestige of a Western missionary as pastor, the church is often no longer willing to accept one of its own. This is not a problem when the church is planted by an indigenous missionary and stays w/ that leadership

6. Focus. It seems that many North American and Western European mission agencies have lost their focus. The Great Commission is first and foremost about preaching the Gospel, discipling believers, and planting churches. Many Western agencies seem to have an exorbitant number of missionaries working as administrators and “facilitators,” while few are ministering as preachers and church planters.

did you know Jesus said:

Barna ranked Albany, Schdy, Troy as the most post-Christian city in America 2013…then they revisted it in 2015

Who will preach the gospel in Troy? Schenectady? Albany? Colonie? Watervliet? etc.

we’re already here!

all it takes is a shift in thinking

Word of knowledge 1 Corinthians 2:12-14 We can know because we have been given the holy spirit. The natural man cannot understand the things of God. Why? _______________________________________________________________

What would our church be like if we loved each other like Christ loves the church?

Was everything that Jesus did an act of love? ____yes _____no

He invited Andrew and the other unnamed disciple to come home with him. He went to Peter and Andrew’s job, went to Peter’s house, found Matthew at his job… He not only loved people who came to him, but he also was aggressive in going to those in need.

What adjustments can you make in your life to better love your neighbor? _____________________________________________________________

Why does the vinedresser cut away dead or overgrown branches or stems?

Jesus established a new standard for prayer. Before Jesus, believers prayed directly to Yahweh; while Jesus was on earth, they asked him; and after he ascended, we are to ask the Father in his name. Ephesians 1:15–20; 3:14–21

Jesus is the head of the body or church, and each individual member of the body is directly connected to the head as we obey. He teaches, leads, and guides us to the Father.

The Scriptures do not provide a technique or __________ for God speaking to His people. The important issue is that He does speak and that we listen.

Jesus tells us who he is: