TAKING IT FURTHER

RESOURCES

Hebrews 3:13 “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

“When we encourage fellow believers, we are building unity in the body of Christ. When we encourage the lost, we are showing them Jesus and opening doors for gospel conversations.” Allison Kennedy

“When we meet together, do we minister Christ to one another for the building up of God into man and of man into God? This is God’s main goal, and all other things that are so necessary are for this and with this in view. We need to see this central matter that, no matter what aspect of the work is our service in, our intrinsic work is to minister God into one another.”Stefan Misaras

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Cor. 15:58

What a joy and privilege it is that Jesus invites us to partner with Him in all that He is doing. He’s calling each of us to be engaged in His mission. The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 shared what that meant to him - that Christ’s death and resurrection coupled with the grace extended to him (despite all he had done to persecute the church), resulted in a passion to serve and invest his life in the church. When you read his words, his personal story as well as his presentation of the gospel, it is not surprising that the result is this: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.” (vs. 10).

Paul’s gratitude for salvation and the ensuing intimate relationship with His Savior resulted in an active and engaged ministry both inside and outside the church. It made him want to be involved even more. He wisely reminded the Corinthians that he wasn’t serving in his own ability, but rather it was the grace of God with him. The fuel for being engaged in mission is grace.

He goes further in sharing his perspective on ministry when instructing the Philippians: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.” (Phil. 1:21-26)

Why is it important to be engaged in mission? A key reason is what it means for one another. Paul explained to the Philippians that serving them was fruitful labor and that the fruit he was looking for in them was their spiritual progress and joy in the faith. What an incredible purpose and calling we have. By God’s grace we can participate in helping to grow each other up in faith.

Engaged in Mission:Grace-Fueled Fruitful Labor

L E S S O N O N E

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1. Based on 1 Corinthians 15:58, what are the three things that Paul exhorts believers to embody in their service of the Lord? Why are these so important as we engage in mission? How can they help you from getting discouraged in your service?

2. After reading 1 Corinthians 15:1-10, why do you think Paul states that God’s grace did not prove vain? Why is grace so important as we engage in mission?

3. Review Philippians 1:21-25. How would you describe “fruitful labor” in your own life?

4. Jesus told us the key to being fruitful in John 15. Discuss that important “posture” that Jesus exhorts us to take to ensure fruitfulness. How would you define abiding in Christ? Why is that important in the context of this study on engaging in mission?

Living Out Our BRAVE Life

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One of the most powerful ways we can pray for others is to pray scriptures. Here are two examples* to get you started:

• Lord, I pray for _________________________ today. Establish ____________________ in love. Show her, together with the believers in her life, how to grasp how wide and deep Your love is, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge. I pray that __________________ may be filled to the measure of all Your fullness. (Ephesians 3:14-19)

• God, my prayer is that ________________’s love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that __________________may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to Your glory and praise. (Philippians 1:9-11)

*Rachelle Rae Cobb: How to Pray for Other People

Transformation Through Prayer

Hide It in Your HeartEnjoy this short video on learning to memorize scripture from Southern Baptist Theological University professor and bestselling author Donald Whitney: https://bit.ly/2Vpyehr. He has great encouragement on not only the value of memorizing (which you should be fully convinced of at this point in our study) but also some of the tools and approaches he uses to memorize verses. Keep at it. And as he says, if you only memorize one verse a month, you’ll have twelve verses memorized over the course of a year which is a terrific accomplishment.

5. Paul was motivated to keep serving and investing in others for the sake of his fellow believers (Philippians 1:26). Who in your life has invested in you for your spiritual progress and joy in the faith? Who are you investing in for those reasons?

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Romans 14:19 “So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”