Appointed(2)

Right, okay guys we've been talking about things that we are appointed to and here's what we finished

Last week

We said we were appointed to follow as in one of the things God calls us to is to follow

Implicitly immediately no questions asked day. That's the kind of following he likes and we talked about how here is the man walking

The shores of Galilee and he turns to fishermen who are busy washing their nets and he says come follow me and there's absolutely

No hesitation. There's no there's no thinking it through

There is an immediate dropping of the nets saying bye to their dad and walking away

We are appointed to follow the second thing we said was we were we are appointed to bear fruit

And that was in John that was from John chapter 15 where it says that

John 15 · chapter mention

one of the reasons you were chosen was so that you would bear fruit and

What do you mean by bearing fruit if you're a Jesus tree?

You must bear Jesus fruit just like if you're an apple tree you bear apples

So bearing fruit is not getting people saved bearing fruit is beginning to look more like Jesus

The third thing we said we were appointed to was we were appointed to walk like him

Walk like him as in one of the things that was so obvious in Jesus's life was

His words and his works and he always had them go together

There was never a separation between Jesus's words and works and whenever anyone questioned his words

He would say well saying it is easy

So let me show you that I actually can do what I say and then he would turn to the man who was

Paralyzed and it's a rise up pick up your bed and walk so we talked about being appointed to walk like him

Then we said we are appointed to receive the Holy Ghost Ephesians 2 22 actually says that

You and I are being built together to be a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit

You and I are being built together to become a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit

and we talked about

The fact that we appointed to receive the Holy Spirit

appointed to receive me because we began this whole thing saying a

Disciple is someone who is appointed to a unique

Lifestyle and there are specific things that God wants us to become and the last one we talked about last week was you're appointed to great

Kindness you're not appointed to wrath first. Thessalonians 5 says hey you weren't appointed to angry rejection

Jacob you were appointed to tremendous kindness and it says so in Ephesians 2 7 where it says and God raised us up and seated

In the heavenly places why so that he may shower us with grace and kindness

That's what we covered last week. So we move on from that today

so here are the things we'll talk about today that we are appointed to one and

Diana and the rest of the guys

Did a brilliant job conveying this guys. We are appointed to the body. We are appointed to the body Derek

Do you know where the pens are?

We are appointed to the body the moment you're a believer the moment you receive Jesus Christ

It is impossible to live as a believer outside the body. It's just not possible a

Believer outside the body doesn't exist a it's only it's only present-day Christianity that suggests that you can be a believer without being part of the body

Can't happen. It doesn't work

In fact first Corinthians 12 13 says the moment you're baptized what you're being baptized into you're being baptized into the body of

Christ

So to be a believer and not be part of the body is to not be a believer because you're not part of the body

You cannot follow Christ outside of the body. I know that sounds severe and sounds wrong to our ears

It only sounds wrong to our ears because of our individualized Christianity

But it is impossible

To follow Christ without being part of the body it is impossible

There are no individual

Christians, I know we've said this before but guys we are not microcosms of Christ. We are not little Christ

We are little parts of a body

We have little parts of a body nobody here is a little Christ because how we normally think is like this

Every Sunday and we only think church happens on Sunday every Sunday little Christ's come together to form a big Christ

This is what we think Christianity today is like this is

Not biblical. It's not little Christ's coming together to form a big Christ

If that were the case Christ draws his identity from us, but here's what's really happening

Throughout the week the moment you got born again, here's what happened a nose and I a

mustache a mouth teeth

years all came together to now form

What is?

The body of Christ did someone say Jacob

True and so that's how you thank God. That's not what the body of Christ looks like

But but but this is what the body of Christ is like a little parts coming together

So one of the things you're appointed to is you're appointed to the body

You're appointed to the body if you're a believer you're appointed to the body and here's the other thing guys

The moment you're appointed to the body

You're appointed to the body

Guys

The moment you're appointed to the body I have relational ownership over you. I

Own you

Ruth says this

to her mother-in-law

Where you go, I will go your people become my people your God becomes my God

I will not leave you till I

die

There's this thing called relational ownership in the body

Where my elbow in a way has a relational ownership of my wrist because if it doesn't my hand won't move

So you have a right to own me and even though I have a right to own you I choose to be a servant

And then everybody becomes like that the body begins to function correctly

There's relational ownership in the body

We own each other in Christ and

Yet even though we have the right to own each other we choose to be servants

Isn't this what Christ displayed in John chapter 13?

John 13 · chapter mention

I mean if there was anyone who had a right to own it was him the king of the universe

And what does he do he goes down on his knees and he starts washing their feet saying if your teacher becomes a servant

This is what is expected of you if the master has become a servant then that's what expected of songs guys

Exert relational ownership in your mind and

exert servitude in your heart know that you can and must and should

depend on the body around you I

Feel bad when people are in trouble and they could don't call on the body I

Feel bad when people need help, and they don't depend on the body

It's like having a bank account that you're not willing to draw from

Any questions on that

Yeah, can I switch the mic I thought you were gonna come up with a more profound question Derek

Check yep

I

Check

Check yep

Yeah, I should know that I have relational ownership over you as in I

Because you're part of this body

You have a right over my life, and I have a right over your life

But having said that in my heart

I will always come to you as a servant to serve you and when you have the same attitude

Then what happens is exploitation goes out of the window and dependence increases

When I don't think like that that's when abuse happens

Where the pastor can begin to abuse people when he can begin to exploit people but when Jesus comes with a mindset that I'll wash

your feet

Even though he's master he now comes as a servant when everybody in the church begins to function like that

exploitation goes out of the window and

Servanthood and dependence kicks in

This is the degree of relationship that the body is supposed to function in a

We've we've diluted it to fellowship with coffee and cookies a pathetic it is

Choose to choose to own each other it says that about marriage is that the wife's body doesn't belong to her and the husband's

Body doesn't belong to him

This is where we need to go you should read what Ruth says to Naomi it is the crux of how a church should be

Where it is saying I

Death will do us apart. I mean imagine having a church commit to that a

That listen and by a church. I don't just mean a local body because tomorrow you may move to a country like Chilliwack

But you can still be part of the body, right?

And you say to each other listen you and I have committed to each other to a point where only death will do us apart Wow

I

Want to say that to you way, I'm not looking for a job. I'm not looking for another pastor

I'm not looking for another church, so till death do us apart you and I are stuck

Look happier

Look happier Rennie you look kind of sad when I made that statement

Yep

Responsibility

The second thing we are appointed to guys so the first thing we are appointed to is the minister appointed to we are appointed to the body

Hey go over this every I mean at least I've been going over this every day over the last one week saying Oh Shucks father

So I'm appointed to follow you and I'm supposed to follow you implicitly immediately to I'm appointed to bear fruit

I've got to begin to look more like you in character and nature three. I'm appointed to walk like you

So I've got to do the same works and speak the same words that you do and actually see results for I'm appointed not to

Angry rejection, but the kindness father. It's your nature to shower with kindness

You are a God who's embarrassingly lavish and extravagantly kind want to experience that

These are the things that we have to go over in our head because as we think so we inhabit yeah

So the next thing we are appointed to is we are appointed to the ministry of reconciliation

These are things common to every believer rate

Appointed to the ministry of reconciliation

Big word what it simply means is hey

I've called you to show and tell I've called you to show and tell

Appointed to the ministry of reconciliation because guys every church is supposed to be apostolic and by all I mean by that is

Every church is supposed to be a church that is set apart to be sent to represent him accurately

That at the end of the day is the definition of being apostolic that you're a people we are a people

That are set apart

Why were we set apart? I love the question. Why every time someone read stuff here? Why are we being set apart?

Why have we been pulled out of the world?

We've been pulled out of the world so that we can be set apart

Kados holy to do what to be sent right back into the world why?

so that we may accurately represent the king and

And

When a sent people when a people who've been set apart to be sent choose not to go they become stale

They become purposeless and they become presence less. That's a sadist party. They become stale. They become purposeless

I can handle stale and purposeless. I got bread that is old in my fridge, but what I can't handle is prescenseless

Prescenseless where

Where suddenly it's not that God is in present but you lose out on his presence because you aren't moving where he is moving

God will always graces with his presence. Hey spirit lives in us, but you begin to get dull to his presence because

We're not in the same frequency. It's like a husband and wife who've had an argument and are sitting two inches from each other in a car

And yet there's a wall that is about six feet thick. I

Mean some of you know that feeling right?

No, you don't that's good

But the point is this guys

The moment I choose not to go and

You cannot follow Christ without going we've talked about this if you want to follow Jesus you must go I

Have to live with this attitude that father every morning when I wake up

I am part of a people who are sent and what am I sent for to accurately represent you?

I'm appointed to this so father every day give me opportunities to show and tell

Show and tell I got to show who you are not just through my nature

But through some of the things people spoke about here laying on a fans and praying for the sick guys

This should be so natural

This should be so natural for us a and the day is coming because remember what mark read

That things are being renewed repent in the areas that I need to repent it

We've seen starting a brand new series next Sunday

I was talking to some of the guys about this last night and so mark didn't know that and so I love the fact that

That's what God said through him. I will talk about that before I finish

Yeah, that's exactly what mark was saying Romans chapter 10 says

Romans 10 · chapter mention

There it is impossible for people to come into a place of reconciliation with God unless they're here

And it's impossible for them to hear unless someone is sent to speak to them show and tell show and tell

Come back next Sunday with stories of show and tell

Somebody's cat was sick. I prayed for it and the cat recovered

Someone's stomach was hurting someone needed comfort saw Bruno at the gate of the mall gave him some food

had $30

indulged in random acts of kindness

Stood on my balcony and began to speak over the city show and tell

Show and tell

Hey, we can do this guys

It's not a big ask

The problem is being intentional about it

It's surprising how intentionality pulls together

opportunities that you otherwise don't notice

Intentionality pulls towards you opportunities that would otherwise slip by you

That's what intentionality does

I

Mean today when Marcus and what's his name Karen? What's your husband's name Mike? Yeah

When Marcus and Mike were playing they would intentionally

Playing a certain way so that

Rachel and Betty and Don could be

Supported in their singing it is very intentional the way they were playing that's not the way they play when I lead worship

And they were sounding better than I've ever heard them before

But intentionality pulls together

Opportunities that you would other otherwise miss

Third

Third or whatever number you're appointed to afflictions you're appointed to affliction

You're appointed to afflictions as in not sickness and disease

But it says in first Thessalonians 3 verse 2 to 4 that Paul says listen

1 Thessalonians 3:2–4

I'm writing to you to establish and encourage you concerning your faith so that you won't be shaken by these afflictions

For you yourselves know that we are appointed to this what does Paul mean by this guys bear the scorn and the opposition of the world

You were appointed to that

You and I were appointed to bear the scorn and the opposition of people around us

This is why we like putting a basket over the lamp

Jesus said if you like the lamp would you put a basket over it?

No, Jesus, but the reason I do it Lord is because I do not like to be scorned

And I don't like to be opposed. I like to be liked

But you were appointed to this

The moment he became a believer God said hey

Forgot to tell you yes, you'll get a hundred fold for everything you've left and yes, you'll get eternal life

But oops, let me slip this one in two. You'll also get persecution

He says that in Mark 10 28

to Peter

And so you are I'm so encouraged by this verse that Jesus. I am actually appointed to

Scorn and opposition

That I was appointed to this by you that heaven has this desire for me

And I'm not even going into persecution and suffering because we don't even know what that smells like in this part of the world

But scorn and opposition we know

So let's man up and bear it a

Because when we find out that this was what we were meant to face

Find out that this was what we were meant to face

We have the courage then to speak what we need to speak boldly knowing we were not supposed to be cool and hip

Such an encouraging verse I never thought that verse will ever encourage me

Fourth thing you're appointed to you're appointed to equip

I got to erase this guy after

Four things you're appointed to you're appointed to equip

Four things you're appointed to you're appointed to equip

Some of us some of us

Some of us are appointed to equip some of us are appointed to equip some of us were called to be equipers

It says in Ephesians 4 verse 11 to 17 that christ

Ephesians 4:11–17

See guys, the holy spirit gives us gifts, but christ appoints equip us to the church

The spirit of god gives gifts as he pleases but christ appoints some in the church

To be equipers some to be apostles some to be prophets some to be teachers some to be pastors some to be evangelists

And many sitting here

Perhaps are

Called to be apostles prophets evangelists pastors or teachers or sometimes a combination of more than one

For what why?

For the equipping of the saints why so that the saints may engage in the work of ministry

Unfortunately, we can't go into the details of it right now

But guys if you know because you have heard god or if you know

Because you have heard god through prophetic words spoken over you if you know

Because the spirit of god has kept revealing it to you over and over again that you were called to be

One of these five equipers then you need to come and speak to

Me or someone else who's in leadership here so that

The process of helping you develop into all that god wants you to become may happen

If you know this not because you read it not because someone gave you a gift

Booked for your birthday not because you suddenly wanted but because you know it

Then you must come and talk about it

So that room is created for you both in the body and outside the body to flourish in this calling of being an equiper

Often churchianity is divided into

Ministers and

equippers

Neither is more important than the other jesus was both he both ministered and he equipped

When you know what you're supposed to do life becomes so much easier men it's like these yeah

Yeah, go won't go into that because I won't finish and I need yeah, and I really want to finish today

Okay, any questions on that actually I want to finish, but if you have questions we can wait

Everybody is called to minister

Some are called to equip

Neither is important more important than the other because you can equip

nobody if they don't minister and

Or you can equip people and they never minister

So some are called to equip and if you know that

Of the five things mentioned in ephesians 4 11 to 17 and all of them are active now

Because the church is still alive and the holy spirit is present

If you know that then have the courage and the audacity to come and say this is going to sound really

Pompous and audacious and proud, but I want to say to you that this is what the lord said to me

And we can start there and see where it goes from there

The difference between equippers and ministers we'll do another day

The next thing is

Guys, you'll find the summary of these notes on axe 29.ca

tonight or tomorrow

The next thing you're appointed to is you're appointed to spheres

You're appointed to spheres that's what paul uses

At least that's the word niv uses not paul. You're appointed to spheres as in paul says there are spheres or there are jurisdictions or there are

Areas that i'm appointed to and i'm going to stick to those areas. This is in second corinthian stent

I'm going to stick to those areas. I'm not going to build on someone else's foundations

I'm not going to take what someone else has built and run with it

God has appointed me to a sphere and within this sphere. He gives me the grace and the authority to develop it

Find out your my favorite word nowadays is horizon

Or find out your sphere of operation or find out the area that he's called you to it doesn't matter

How small or how big it is?

The beautiful thing about any vineyard that god appoints to you is regardless of the size of the vineyard you will prosper

And what you will do is will prosper people are continuously looking for big fields to cultivate

And then they get overrun by the brambles and the beasts in that field when god since

The beginning of time has always given you a little bit

He gave adam a little bit and that said go forth multiply subdue

He gave israel a little bit and said take it a step at a time

And then i'll give you the rest of the promised land. This is the way he works

I'm going to give you the promise

We unfortunately

Dream big it's one of the favorite sermons of every youth pastor dream big really bad idea

Dream with god and let your dream be as big as the dream that god appoints to you

And then let it keep getting bigger because god will have to get bigger for you before the dream gets bigger

And so what is your sphere what is your sphere that you're called to

I mean if fin and ari were here, I would say that to fin and ari too that

Fin and ari you need to know your sphere at the age of 11 and 12

Leave alone at the age of are you 90 or 91 now?

Amazing gisela for 91 you're doing so well

You know

Yeah, december 7th or 8th, right

7th mine's july 17th in case you didn't know

I said mine's july 17th in case you didn't know. Yeah

Yeah, it is

Have you seen that t-shirt that roger federer wears he was born in july, too

His is all the greatest people were born in july

Um

Guys strive to find your present framework and then count the cost and have the courage to walk in it

And if you don't know it

I know we we flog this horse so often in this church, but if you don't know it

Find it out before the end of the year it

And the only way to know it is to be diligent and not lazy and present

Till god gives you an idea of what you're supposed to do and you must find it

Because it takes away

the need

To be anything else it removes ambition it takes away drive

You just begin to function as you were supposed to function just imagine that

One of the things i'm looking forward to is to dedicate matt and rachel's baby

One of the favorite things I like doing at dedications is to ask god father. What was this baby meant to be?

Who is this baby meant to be to give the parents an idea of this is what this child is called to?

I mean you don't even have to wait for the baby. We can pray for the baby right now and speak it if the lord should reveal it

Where the parents know before the child is born that this is what my child is called to hey

It's very biblical. It happens in the bible over and over and over and over and over again

and

Find your sphere and framework and man life becomes so much easier

And I know i've said this before but it's so worth saying god allocates resources not based on what you're doing, but who you are

God allocates resources not based on what you're doing, but who you are find out who you are and you will always have the resources for it

Always

The next thing you're appointed to I love this one you're appointed to authority you're appointed to authority

You're appointed to authority

Ah jesus says that to them, eh

He doesn't say that in matthew 28 he does but far before matthew 28 in matthew 10

He says to the disciples that he's sending out two by two and to the 12. He says listen

I have given you I am calling you to I'm appointing you to exert authority over what he begins with

Serpents and scorpions he talks about demons. He talks about powers

He talks about nations in revelations 2 verse 22 or 24

Revelation 2:22

It says to him who overcomes I will give you authority over nations

That's the extreme end of it, eh because god's always been looking for nations

Because god's always been looking for nations

Genesis 1 28 starts with that whole idea listen be fruitful multiply and then do what subdue

Why because i'm giving you all this to exert authority over on my behalf

Acts 26 verse 18. I think paul was in front of agrippa and he begins to say this to agrippa he says

Acts 26:18

I have been sent to open their eyes in order to turn them from darkness to light from the power of satan to god

That they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those that are being sanctified by faith in christ guys

One of the reasons we have authority is

When christians think of authority, it's just to meet in conferences and cast down a few demons they can't see

And they feel very powerful after that and they go back to the churches and nothing happens

But authority was really given so that we can open eyes that are blind

To bring people out of darkness into light isaiah 49 talks about it where it says god says

That listen go and say to those in darkness come out. It is safe to come into the light

Say to those that are prisoners you've been set free

That's the authority we are talking about

And it's absolutely exertable. You should ask this guy what fun it was in shalom

Not just dealing with powers and the demonic but having a whole nation begin to turn

This is what we've been called to guys

And you can't learn this unless you walk in step with others who are doing this

No maverick ever learns this the easiest way to be

Subdued by the demonic is to walk as a maverick

Is to walk as a maverick

When you walk with others who perhaps are running 10 steps ahead of you

You learn this and i'm one of the things i've been talking over the last week with people is how can we create in acts 29?

situations where just like all of

The household in langley did what they did here that we have occasions to now

Learn how to exert authority first in jerusalem so that we can then go to judia and samaria and the ends of the earth

Hey, i'm so excited about where we're going

You'll find out next week

See the thing is guys the moment you were seated with christ in heavenly places authority was no longer a choice

The moment you were seated with christ in heavenly places

The question of whether you have authority or not

Was late to rest

The question now is not whether you have it or not. The question is whether you will learn how to

Exert it or not

It's not whether you have it or not

If you've been raised with him then you have been seated with him in heavenly places so that is settled

Now it's only a question of will I will I learn

And at the end of the day real authority is simply a battle for intimacy real authority is simply a battle for intimacy

And your purity or your intimacy

Is always evidenced in purity your intimacy is always evidenced in purity

Your intimacy is always evidenced in purity

It is very hard this for the enemy to touch someone who begins to walk a pure life

This is why jesus said he has nothing in me

He has nothing in me

And what could the devil do when you have no hook nothing

Nothing

Next one

You're appointed to good works. You're appointed to good works. You're appointed to good works

You're appointed to good works

You're appointed to good works

For we are his workmanship created for good works in christ that he prepared before the foundation of time

Efficiency 210 guys all your gifts all the opportunities that will come your way this week

Your work your relationships every circumstance that will come your way this week

All of it is for one purpose for the fulfillment of matthew 28 18 to 20

All of it

Is

Matthew 28 18 to 20 say it says go

It says make disciples

It says draw them into the kingdom community

It says

Teach them by asking them to observe how you live

And to that the only thing i'll add is

Be super generous as you

Walk in good works good works is a sum total of all the things god intended for you to do here on earth good works

Is a sum total of all the things god intended you to do while you're here on earth

And he created you uniquely so that you may accomplish them and every situation all your relationships

All the giftings you have the talents you have the work and the vocation you're presently engaged in

All head towards one common end or one common calling matthew 28 18 to 20

Go make disciples

Draw them into the kingdom community

Teach them to observe your life and learn from you as you imitate me

And be generous. Why am I throwing in be generous because in second corinthians 9 8

There's this amazing scripture which says hey jacob if you are generous. Here's what i'm going to do

I god i'm absolutely able to make all things abound to you

So that you have an all sufficiency at all times to abound in every good work. Let me say that again

When you and I choose to be generous, you should go read psalm 41

It'll blow your minds when you read psalm 41 and you find out what happens to a generous one

Don't read it now, but here's what god wants to say if you're generous

Here's what's going to happen. What's going to happen jacob. I god i'm absolutely able

To make all grace abound to you so that in every

Situation you will have an all sufficiency for every good work all the time

That is nuts, man

What a way to live

Last two derrick you coming up after this

This

Uh psalm 41 you can read it at home

Huh? I'm almost at the end. I've got just one more left. This is my favorite one. Eh,

Because this is what we're going to head off on

Uh next week guys before I say that, you know, one of the things we haven't done at acts 29 for the last 12 13 years

we've we've known jesus as

Elder brother as friend as healer baptizer redeemer

Uh, we've known god as father

but

One of the things god wants now god wants us to discover off him now is to recognize jesus christ as king

To see him as king

We obey him because we love him now. He wants to shift that and say obey me because i'm your king and I command you

To be captured by his majesty

Majesty

Not drawn by chords of love god's done that but now to be captured by his majesty

To see the one who rides on a white horse and on his thigh is this

Inscription which says king of kings and lord of lords

The one who when he approaches the church begins to sing open up you

Doors lift up you ancient gates for the king of glory now comes in who is the king of glory the lord strong and mighty mighty in battle

One of the things we're going to do over the next many weeks till he tells us to stop

Is to begin to recognize him as king and rise and obey him because he commands his king

Something i'm so looking forward to

And so last thing we are appointed to is we are appointed to mica six eight

We are appointed to mica six eight and here's what mica six eight says and it is the nature of your king

A

Micah six eight says

What is required of you axe 29?

Here is what is required of your what are you appointed to axe 29? Here's what you're

Appointed to you are required to act

justly

To walk with mercy or compassion

And to show humility

three things and this is why

In matthew, I mean today what's his name don was singing hosanna hosanna and as he was singing that i'm picturing jesus

Coming to the gates of jerusalem, but what is he writing?

a blooming donkey

Behold your king who comes riding her

donkey

And we'll talk about the justice of god the mercy and the compassion of god and the humility that the king walks with

I'm so looking forward to it direct