The church of Christ on McDermott Road

The long-term vision of McDermott Road is to “present everyone mature in Christ” and our daily mission is, “helping people become more like Jesus.” So, what are you doing to support that vision and mission? What is your personal role and responsibility within the body of Christ? How are you becoming more like Jesus? How are you helping your brothers and sisters become more like Jesus? How are you helping the world know about Jesus, so they can also become more like him? (Scripture: Romans 12:1-8)

 

If our mission is to become more like Jesus and help others do the same, we must familiarize ourselves with some of the spiritual dangers and obstacles to receiving and obeying the message of Christ. In his parable of the sower, Jesus explains three different enemies that keep a person from reaching fruitful maturity in Christ. What are we doing personally and collectively to guard against, and overcome, these dangers? (Scripture: Matthew 13:18-23)

Our plan for “helping people become more like Jesus” is to prioritize faith, hope, and love; as well as practice spiritual training, support, and service. This is the path of discipleship that has been practiced for 2,000 years. So, when someone commits themselves to partnering with McDermott Road in gospel work, we encourage them to share in these New Testament priorities and practices. (Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-16)

Like the apostle Paul, our vision is to, “present everyone mature in Christ.” In other words, we want as many people as possible to know, follow, and become like Jesus. We strive to make sure everything we do—from our Sunday morning worship to our youth group games—supports this goal. We exist to encourage and model spiritual transformation. (Scripture: Colossians 1:24-29)

The church in Antioch was a special kind of church. It was the kind of church we want to be. It was the kind of place where, “a great many people” believed, were added to the Lord, and were taught. These new believers were from various ethnic backgrounds and nationalities. What they had in common was their devotion to Jesus. They were reaching out so much to the community and becoming so well-known that the community created a nickname for them, “Christians.” If our community created a nickname for us, what would it be? Would they known us well enough to call us anything at all? The same Lord who called the Antioch disciples to reach their community is calling us to do more to reach our community. (Scripture: Acts 11:19-26)

Luke records an amazing phrase about the church in Jerusalem, “There was not a needy person among them.” Through generosity and self-giving love, they made sure everyone’s needs were met. People sold houses and land in order to feed and clothe others. The ministries we are doing today are an attempt to carry on this tradition. We are trying to meet people’s needs for food and clothing, but also counseling, family support, learning English, and so much more. We believe the Lord is calling us to deeper generosity and even more service, until there is not a needy person among us. (Scripture: Acts 4:32-37)

When they were walking in the Spirit, the first-century church was truly a family. Luke wrote that they “had all things in common.” Which means they shared nearly everything, their homes, money, food, and lives. They were not devoted to their own individual pursuits, but to their common goal and mission. In many ways, our church building is a “common house.” It is a house we share with one another, to connect with each other and share our lives with one another. In order for us to make room in this house for our growing family, we must learn from the early Christians. (Scripture: Acts 2:42-47)

The book of Acts is a book of constant motion and constant growth. Individuals grew more and more like Jesus, congregations grew in number, and the boundaries of God’s global kingdom grew. The Holy Spirit was the One bringing this growth, empowering the church to take the message about Jesus “to the ends of the earth.” The Lord is still calling Christians to more growth. He is calling each of us to continue growing in the strength of the Spirit, to continue growing our influence in the community, and to continue growing the boundaries of the global kingdom. (Scripture: Acts 1:6-11)

Following Jesus is not for the faint of heart. Paul compares it to fighting a fight and a running race. He tells Timothy he will need to be sober-minded, endure suffering, and work hard. This difficult calling is not just for apostles and preachers, but every follower of Jesus. That said, Paul also makes it abundantly clear that it is worth it. The King will reward those who remain faithful. So, what does your race and your fight look like? What does McDermott Road’s race look like? Let’s fearlessly and faithfully fulfill our ministry. (Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:1-8)

Paul’s positivity was about faith in Jesus, not about naive optimism. Paul was no fool and was under no illusions about the state of the world. He knew people were going “from bad to worse.” However, he wanted Timothy to remain encouraged and persevere faithfully and fearlessly. All around the world we can find reasons to get discouraged and give up or we can find examples to follow, people who are continuing to be the disciples Jesus has called them to be. This weekend our building is filled with missionaries who both need encouragement in their mission, but can also provide encouragement, inspiration, and examples for us to follow. (Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:10-17)