Following the first three values of Family Church (Christ Centred, Commissioned & Discipled), Pastor Andy continues the series speaking about ‘We are Empowering’. This means we are equipping disciples to serve God’s purposes in all spheres of life (not just in church).
Pastor Andy says he does not wish the church to be a storage unit for people, but rather a place where people are equipped and empowered then mobilised. We don't want to be a place where people come, sit and nothing changes. We want to see the power of the Holy Spirit quicken and mobilise your life. This is the primary purpose of church leadership. Ephesians 4:11-12 (NIV) states “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built”. Reading on, v13 says “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” These gifts are known as the Ascension gifts, not the gifts of the Spirit mentioned elsewhere. Anointings or graces placed upon church leaders are there to enable everyone else to become equipped for God’s business wherever they are. A Biblical model is everyone in church finding the purpose of God for their lives, being equipped by Church leadership to be doing the things God called them to do, i.e. works of service.
1 John 3:8 (NIV) says “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work”. Jesus came to destroy Satan, so when we are busy with the business of the Kingdom, we also are destroying the devil – shutting down another kingdom which destroys people's lives. We were made for the purposes of God, for his salvation, but also to do God's business on the earth, which He prepared beforehand. Adam was the first great example of this. God made Adam for a relationship first, but then positioned him to do his business in Eden. Adam tended the garden, controlled the flocks, and had all authority over every animal, every growing thing, and every creeping thing. He was fulfilled in what he did because he was made in the image of God and carried the likeness of God. God is purpose-driven.
As a church, we want to equip people; this is our heart, our agenda, one of our values. We want to be a church that equips people for ministry in the church, but also in the sphere of influence we all have. The best evangelism is when we all introduce Jesus to our friends and family – not just stage centric evangelism.
We want to be a place where the Holy Spirit empowers people. We believe that we are spiritual people and we believe we shall receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon your lives (Acts 1:8). Power always has a purpose. We want to be people who are experiencing the power of God and seeing the power of God come through our lives. As we minister to others, we want to be a place where people flourish and grow.
