Revelation
Review / Mission
Jesus has given the church a mission. That mission has to get executed in every conceivable context. The Gospel must be preached in all nations before the end comes (Matthew 24:14). This requires one be in a fallen context while making the Gospel clear in the context. This is done with people who are learning to be followers of Jesus and is messy and not easy.
1. Jesus is the reigning King who rules and walks among his churches
2. Jesus sends correspondence to 7 churches in Asia Minor to equip them for the fight they were in and the fight to come
3. Ephesus is doctrinally sound and not very loving
4. Smyrna is one of two that receives zero rebuke but they are encouraged to endure the suffering that they are about to undergo
5. Pergamum is a church who is in a highly spiritually charged climate and has lost some to death for the faith but many have turned to false teachings and risk having Jesus war against them
6. Thyatira is a church who loves, serves and patiently endures in the faith and they are growing in their works but they have a self-proclaimed prophetess who has led many of the people away from the faith in thought and practice. Jesus threatens to come and send them into tribulation unless they repent.
7. Sardis has a reputation for life but Jesus says they are dead. Their works are incomplete and Jesus threatens to come when they don’t expect it and remove their lampstand. There are only a few there who have remained faithful.
8. Philadelphia is the second, like Smyrna, who receives zero rebuke. Jesus reminds them that he opens and shuts doors for them and he will make their tormenters come and acknowledge Jesus loves them. They patiently endure and Jesus says as a result he would keep them from the time of trial coming on the earth.
9. Laodicea is just a mess. They are useless to the mission and in dire need of Jesus. They have everything but Jesus. Jesus offers them intense fellowship if they will repent.
Why a new church in Rome, GA?
1. Rome is not un-churched but under-churched
2. The church climate is one of a buffet not one of mission
3. The great commission is not complete (teach them to observe all that I have commanded you)
Who is Three Rivers Community Church and how does TRCC address the need?
We don’t want to be the biggest church in Rome. We would like to church Rome.
No doubt, there are going to be tough days ahead. We will face challenges. We will fail. But if we keep Gospel front and center and seek to obey the Great Commission and use Scripture as our manual it will be hard to be off-center.
1. Mission: For the glory of God we will build the church both local and global by being and producing radical followers of Jesus Christ
2. Glocal: The church must be locally and globally relevant
3. Radical Followers of Jesus Christ: Radical – arising from and connected to a root source.
A. John 15
1. Radical Life – a life lived out of abiding in Jesus Christ involving what I see in Acts
a. Communion with God the Father, Jesus the Son and Holy Spirit
b. Community
c. Collision
2. All of the radical life must be generated from the Gospel and feed off of each part
*If one gorges themselves on either part of the Radical Life without participating in all parts they are out of whack and missing the intended cycle of ministry that can lead to effectiveness.
Communion – Those who gorge on communion become part of the church-shopping network that treats the church as a buffet
Community – We don’t have any of those, most of western culture is lacking the biblical concept of “koinonia”
Collision – Those who gorge on this tend to be separate from the life of the church and start new ministries disconnected from the church with no connection to the church for those reached and those people end up not discipled.
a. Communion – Worship is the end, teaching, community and
corporate / private worship are means
b. Community – Connection to other Christians in fellowship
on the same mission
1. Connect Groups
2. CTM (Culture Transforming Ministry)
a. Radical Kids
b. Connect Groups
c. Buddy Break
d. Young Moms
e. Project 127
Theology in the Dirt 