M.O.G.S.

'For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. '
- 1 Corinthians 1:11

We try to seek out great Men or Women of God.

We can develop Man of God Syndrome (M.O.G.S.).

What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? '
- 1 Corinthians 1:12-13

Symptoms of the Man of God Syndrome (M.O.G.S.) can include:

• The wrong foundation

'For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.'
- 1 Corinthians 3:11

• The wrong focus

• The wrong fruit

'each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. '
- 1 Corinthians 3:13-15

Jesus served us and empowered us.

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
- Mark 10:45

'(although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), '
- John 4:2

'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. '
- 2 Timothy 2:2

We’re all called to be the People of God.

'How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? '
- Romans 10:14

Who do you think Paul is, anyway? Or Apollos, for that matter? Servants, both of us—servants who waited on you as you gradually learned to entrust your lives to our mutual Master. We each carried out our servant assignment. I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow.
- 1 Corinthians 3:5-7, MSG

The Recipe for Ministry

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

- Ephesians 4:11–13 NLT

Ministers Are Not Just the Few, They’re the Many

12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

- Ephesians 4:12 NLT

12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.

- Ephesians 4:12 NIV

Ministry Is Not Just About Doing, It’s About Building

12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

- Ephesians 4:12 NLT

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

- 1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV

Maturity Comes Through Participation, Not Observation

13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

- Ephesians 4:13 NLT

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

- 1 Peter 2:9 NIV

45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

- Mark 10:45 NLT

Discipleship is Relationship

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””

- Mathew 28:18-20 NIV

“I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me,”

- John 14:30 NIV

“He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.”

- Colossians 2:14-15 NLT

Discipleship begins with our relationship with Jesus.

“Jesus called out to them, ‘Come, follow me…….’

- Mathew 4:19 NIV

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

- John 15:15 NIV

“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!””

- Romans 8:15, NASB2020

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

- 2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

“The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.””

- Heb 10: 15-17 NIV

“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: My anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place—on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the crops of your land—and it will burn and not be quenched.”

- Jeremiah 7:20 NIV

“Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “See, I will make this people eat bitter food and drink poisoned water. I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known, and I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them.”

- Jeremiah 9:15 NIV

Discipleship grows in our relationship with one another.

“…so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”

- 1 Thesalonians 2:8 NIV

Discipleship multiplies through relationships.

One Move That Changes Everything

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

- Matthew 28:18–20, NIV

The Authority of Discipleship

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

- Matthew 28:18

The Assignment of Discipleship

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations

- Matthew 28:19a

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem… to the ends of the earth.”

- Acts 1:8

The Act of Discipleship

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

- Matthew 28:19b

The Assurance of Discipleship

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

- Matthew 28:20

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

- 2 Corinthians 12:9

Famous Last Words

'After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands…'

- Revelation 7:9

'And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.'

- Matthew 28:18

‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”'

- Matthew 28:19-20

The last words of Christ should be our first priority.

We can bring the Great Commission into every other mission.

In God We Trust

“Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him...but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.”

- Psalm 37:3-7,9 ESV

Consistently do good and be a light along the way.

“Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.”

- Psalm 37:3

Put total trust in him with a tender moldable heart.

“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.”

- Psalm 37:4-6

Wait patiently for God to move in his time and way.

“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him...but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.”

- Psalm 37:7,9

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

- Matthew 6:31-33 ESV

The Sound of the Free

11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers,[a] who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

- Luke 17:11-19

Don’t Just Walk Away… Come Back With Praise.

15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice…

- Luke 17:15

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess His name.

- Hebrews 13:15

Don’t Just Say Thanks… Fall at His Feet.

16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.

- Luke 17:16

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

- Romans 12:1 NIV

Don’t Just Get Healed… Leave Whole.

9 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

- Luke 17:9

14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”

- John 5:14

Set Free for a Purpose

Set Free by Power

As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

- Acts 16:16-18

Set Free on Purpose

27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”

- Acts 16:27–28

Set free to set others free

29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.

- Acts 16:29-33

Freedom from Church Hurt

'And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.'

- Acts 15:36-41

Church hurt exists.

No church is free from Church hurt.

Church hurt can lead us to the Head of the Church.

'The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound…'

- Isaiah 61:1

Church hurt can give us the opportunity to love like Jesus.

'A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.'

- John 13:34

We can be free from Church hurt.

‘…Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. '

- 2 Timothy 4:11b

A Mystery, a Mirror, and Marriage

'So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.'

- Genesis 2:21-25

“But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

- ‭‭Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God hid a mystery in marriage.

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” 

- Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭31‬-‭32‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God made marriage to mirror the gospel. 

This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 

- ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭32‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Society’s attempts to conduct romantic relationships apart from God don’t mirror the gospel.

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you...” 

- ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬-‭11a ‭ESV‬‬

But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

- ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬b ‭ESV

We don’t throw stones. We show people to the Cornerstone.

“The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.’”

- ‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭3‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬‬‬