Making Room for God: Active Faith and Witness
Summary
### Summary
This morning, we gathered to reflect on the importance of making room for God in our lives, not just as an addition to our busy schedules but as the central focus. We explored the idea that God desires more from us than just fitting Him into our lives; He wants us to clear out space for Him to work freely and fully. Using the analogy of watching others play video games, we discussed how many of us are content with observing others live out their faith rather than actively participating ourselves. This passive approach is not what God intends for us. He calls us to be active participants in His work, to get in the game and play our part.
We delved into 2 Timothy 2, where Paul encourages Timothy to be strong in the grace of Christ and to entrust what he has learned to faithful people who will teach others. This model of gospel reproduction is essential for the growth and sustainability of the church. We also examined the alarming trend of churches closing their doors and the importance of being faithful witnesses who actively share and live out the gospel.
We discussed the role of serving both within the church and in the community, emphasizing that our service should always be connected to advancing the gospel. We are called to be more than just good people; we are called to be gospel people. The work of the ministry involves equipping the saints to serve, share the gospel, and go on missions, both locally and globally.
Finally, we looked at the characteristics of a faithful witness: being focused, diligent, and dedicated like a soldier, athlete, and farmer. We are called to throw out the nets and fish for people, making it the defining characteristic of our lives. The joy and purpose we seek in life are found in fulfilling this calling.
### Key Takeaways
1. Making Room for God: God desires more than just a small part of our lives; He wants us to clear out space for Him to work freely. This involves removing distractions and reorienting our priorities to make Him the central focus. Only then can we experience the fullness of what He has for us. [28:02]
2. Active Participation in Faith: Like watching others play video games, many of us are content with observing others live out their faith. God calls us to be active participants, to get in the game and play our part. This means not just attending church but actively engaging in the work of the ministry. [33:22]
3. Gospel Reproduction: Paul’s model of entrusting the gospel to faithful people who will teach others is essential for the growth and sustainability of the church. We are called to be faithful witnesses who actively share and live out the gospel, ensuring it does not stop with us but continues to spread. [38:36]
4. Serving with Purpose: Serving within the church and in the community should always be connected to advancing the gospel. We are called to be more than just good people; we are called to be gospel people. Our service should point others to Jesus and meet their greatest need, which is Him. [44:55]
5. Characteristics of a Faithful Witness: A faithful witness is focused, diligent, and dedicated like a soldier, athlete, and farmer. This involves making sacrifices, staying focused on our mission, and being diligent in our efforts to share the gospel. The joy and purpose we seek in life are found in fulfilling this calling. [55:59]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[28:02] - Making Room for God
[29:59] - Introduction to 2 Timothy 2
[31:27] - The Analogy of Watching Video Games
[33:22] - Active Participation in Faith
[34:32] - Joining in God's Work
[36:13] - Paul's Encouragement to Timothy
[37:48] - Gospel Reproduction
[39:25] - Are You a Faithful Witness?
[40:16] - The State of the Church
[42:35] - Equipping the Saints
[44:55] - Serving with Purpose
[46:19] - Advancing the Gospel Globally
[48:45] - Statistics on Ministry Participation
[50:19] - Equipping the Church
[51:51] - The Danger of Complacency
[53:56] - Reaching People Outside the Church
[54:47] - The Sacrifice of a Faithful Witness
[55:59] - Characteristics of a Faithful Witness
[57:01] - Training Like an Athlete
[58:49] - The Diligence of a Farmer
[01:00:33] - Being Fishers of Men
[01:01:38] - The Story of the Fishermen
[01:04:15] - Finding Joy and Purpose in Fishing
[01:06:03] - Conclusion and Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
- 2 Timothy 2:1-7
- Ephesians 4:11-12
- Matthew 4:19
### Observation Questions
1. In 2 Timothy 2:1-2, what does Paul instruct Timothy to do with the teachings he has received? How does this relate to the concept of gospel reproduction? [36:13]
2. According to Ephesians 4:11-12, what roles are given to the church, and what is their purpose? [42:35]
3. What analogy does the pastor use to describe passive faith, and how does it relate to the idea of active participation in faith? [33:22]
4. How does the pastor describe the characteristics of a faithful witness using the analogies of a soldier, athlete, and farmer? [55:59]
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is it important for believers to be "strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" as mentioned in 2 Timothy 2:1? How does this strength enable them to fulfill their calling? [36:13]
2. How does the concept of "equipping the saints for the work of the ministry" in Ephesians 4:12 challenge the traditional view of church leadership and congregation roles? [42:35]
3. The pastor mentioned that many churches are closing their doors. How does this trend highlight the importance of being faithful witnesses who actively share and live out the gospel? [40:16]
4. What does it mean to be a "fisher of men" as described in Matthew 4:19, and how can this become the defining characteristic of a believer's life? [01:00:33]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current schedule. Are there distractions or activities that you need to remove to make more room for God? How can you start making these changes this week? [28:02]
2. Think about your involvement in church activities. Are you more of an observer or an active participant? What steps can you take to become more engaged in the work of the ministry? [33:22]
3. Identify one person in your life who you can entrust with the teachings of the gospel. How can you begin to mentor and disciple this person to ensure the gospel continues to spread? [38:36]
4. Consider your service within the church and community. Are your actions connected to advancing the gospel, or are they simply good deeds? How can you ensure your service points others to Jesus? [44:55]
5. Evaluate your focus and dedication as a faithful witness. Are there areas in your life where you need to be more diligent, like a soldier, athlete, or farmer? What specific actions can you take to improve in these areas? [55:59]
6. How can you start "throwing out the nets" and actively fishing for people in your daily life? Identify one practical way to share your faith with someone this week. [01:00:33]
7. Reflect on the story of the fishermen who never fished. Are there ways in which you have been talking about faith without actually living it out? What changes can you make to ensure you are actively participating in God's work? [01:04:15]
Devotional
Day 1: Making Room for God
Description: God desires more than just a small part of our lives; He wants us to clear out space for Him to work freely. This involves removing distractions and reorienting our priorities to make Him the central focus. Only then can we experience the fullness of what He has for us. Many of us are guilty of trying to fit God into our already busy schedules, treating Him as an addition rather than the foundation. This approach limits our ability to fully experience His presence and work in our lives. By intentionally making room for God, we allow Him to transform us and guide us in ways we could never achieve on our own. [28:02]
Isaiah 55:6-7 (ESV): "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."
Reflection: What distractions or priorities in your life are preventing you from making God the central focus? How can you begin to clear out space for Him today?
Day 2: Active Participation in Faith
Description: Like watching others play video games, many of us are content with observing others live out their faith. God calls us to be active participants, to get in the game and play our part. This means not just attending church but actively engaging in the work of the ministry. Passive observation is not what God intends for us; He wants us to be involved, to serve, and to share the gospel actively. By stepping out of our comfort zones and engaging in ministry, we fulfill our calling and experience the joy and purpose that come from serving God and others. [33:22]
James 1:22-25 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."
Reflection: In what ways have you been a passive observer in your faith? What steps can you take this week to actively participate in the work of the ministry?
Day 3: Gospel Reproduction
Description: Paul’s model of entrusting the gospel to faithful people who will teach others is essential for the growth and sustainability of the church. We are called to be faithful witnesses who actively share and live out the gospel, ensuring it does not stop with us but continues to spread. This model of gospel reproduction involves mentoring and discipling others, equipping them to share the gospel and teach others in turn. By investing in others, we contribute to the multiplication of disciples and the expansion of God's kingdom. [38:36]
2 Timothy 2:2 (ESV): "And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also."
Reflection: Who in your life can you mentor or disciple in their faith journey? How can you begin to invest in them and equip them to share the gospel with others?
Day 4: Serving with Purpose
Description: Serving within the church and in the community should always be connected to advancing the gospel. We are called to be more than just good people; we are called to be gospel people. Our service should point others to Jesus and meet their greatest need, which is Him. This means that our acts of service, whether big or small, should be done with the intention of sharing the love and message of Christ. By serving with purpose, we fulfill our calling to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a world that desperately needs Him. [44:55]
1 Peter 4:10-11 (ESV): "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."
Reflection: How can you align your acts of service with the purpose of advancing the gospel? What specific actions can you take this week to serve others and point them to Jesus?
Day 5: Characteristics of a Faithful Witness
Description: A faithful witness is focused, diligent, and dedicated like a soldier, athlete, and farmer. This involves making sacrifices, staying focused on our mission, and being diligent in our efforts to share the gospel. The joy and purpose we seek in life are found in fulfilling this calling. By embodying these characteristics, we become effective witnesses for Christ, demonstrating His love and truth through our actions and words. Our commitment to being faithful witnesses not only impacts those around us but also deepens our own relationship with God. [55:59]
2 Timothy 2:3-6 (ESV): "Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops."
Reflection: In what ways can you cultivate the characteristics of a faithful witness in your life? What specific steps can you take to be more focused, diligent, and dedicated in sharing the gospel?
Quotes
1. "I feel like that might be where we are as a church, and in the American church culture, right, where we've come to the point where, where we're good, like just watching, watching somebody else play the game, we're good with watching somebody else do, do the thing, and pursue Jesus, and, and we're good with just watching them do their thing, and just being in the room to, to, to be aware of it, like we're okay with that, and that's kind of where we've come." [33:22] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "God didn't want you to just come and, and sit and watch, like he, he wanted you to, to do more than just sit and, and be in awe, he wanted you to join in what he's doing, that, that's, that's his, that's his style. hope that's his desire for your life is not that you would just come to rooms like this but you would join in what he's doing and you would come and you would get in the game and you would play the game and then see what God would have for you." [34:32] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "The only way you're going to be able to continue doing and living the life that I've called you to live is this is if you do it in the grace and the strength that Jesus alone can give you you're never going to amount to it on your own strength you will never accomplish anything in your own strength that's what he wants them to understand." [36:13] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Are you a faithful witness that is teaching someone and then making sure you're growing them up so that they can teach someone else and witness about what God has done? Are you a faithful witness? And can I tell you, here's the stakes for that. It's projected that over the next five to 10 years, there'll be 100,000 more churches that will close their doors worldwide, most of which are in the United States and Western Europe." [39:25] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "We can serve a need, we can meet a need, but we're only going to meet so many needs when their greatest need, it's Jesus. And so when we so, when we serve, when we go out in the community to serve people, we bring the gospel with it, because if we don't, we're just a good person. And there's a lot of really good people who don't know Jesus, who might even be atheists. We're not just supposed to be good people. We're supposed to be gospel people." [45:39] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "If my job is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, then my grade is an F, right? In fact, if I'm honest, like, I didn't make many Fs in school, but the few that I did were like 60s, okay? 30 is way down the line. I don't even know what letter that is. Do they even give other letters? And so maybe this morning, man, it's, I apologize. Man, if we haven't equipped you well to go and do the work of the ministry, I'm sorry." [50:19] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "Maybe you don't need to join another group to do the same study over and over. But you need to reach out to somebody and teach somebody what you know. And to go, I'm going to go and find somebody. Who doesn't know what I know. And then I'm going to invite them in to learn what I learned. And I know you're going, well, I don't know enough to do that. Well, what do you know? Whatever you know, teach them." [53:08] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "A faithful witness is somebody who's focused. A faithful witness is somebody that is focused. Because here's our problem. The reason why we're not a faithful witness, man, is we're distracted and busy. Like, we're distracted and busy with all these other things in life. And so, man, I don't have time to do that. I don't have time to disciple somebody who doesn't know anything about Jesus. I can't fit that in my schedule." [55:59] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "If you want to find joy and satisfaction. And purpose in life. It is only going to be when you begin to fish. That's the reality. And here's how I know it's true. Like I take people on international trips every year. And at the end. Towards the end of the week. I always hear the same thing. Over and over and over again. And over and over again. And they're like man. This was the best week of my life." [01:05:25] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "Two of the most important days in your life. Are the day you are born. And the day you find out why. Can I tell you. Here's your why. To live for his glory. To fish. Will you fish? Will you fish with us? Will you fish with me?" [01:06:03] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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