Video Transcript: The Global Church

Brian - You know, in the last session, we were talking about local church. And  when you look at the New Testament, the majority of references to the church  are talking about local bodies of believers. At the same time, there's a clear  picture of how local churches are all together part of the global church. And  that's a perspective that is essential. And every Christian law, every Christian's  life. And every church's life to realize when there's a bigger picture going on  here, and God's got a grand global plan that is, is much bigger than just my life.  And the church that I'm a part of right here.  

Francis - Yeah, I was actually confronted on that. After I had started church, I  was there probably five years. And this guy asked me one day because you  know, in your purpose statement, everything else, it's all about this city in this  church, I don't see anything about the rest of the world. And it's like, wow, you're  right, you know, biblically, that's not right, that the believers were aware of the  other situations and helping believers in other situations. And I'm telling you,  once I started getting the church focused on Christians and other places, and  the need that they had, and how we could actually once again give and help  those needs, we've been given a gift as a local body, to the church at large. And  that's when the church came alive. I saw people in the church just get so fired  up, and use their gifts, you know, to help people in other areas, and it was like  the joy level in our church, like rose so many notches, because there's  something that fires you up about being able to help someone rather than just, It is more blessed to give than to receive, it just really is the happiest people,  they're the givers, you know, just this love compels them, they start giving, I  mean, just like to feed a bowl of rice to a kid who wouldn't have gotten a meal. I  mean, you know, the see the smile on their face, you know, and helping the  poor. I mean, that's a rush, or to teach, you know, believers in other places that  are just soaking in and going. I didn't know I didn't know some of these basic  things, whatever that gift is of yours. To use it even in a global context.  

Brian - It's so key because a lot of people think that, well, there's so many needs right around me, I don't need to, we don't need to spend time caring about all  these needs around the world. But the reality is when we really start getting  serious about needs around the world, the Lord uses that to open up our eyes in an entirely new way to needs right around us. I know in the church that I pastor,  some of the most fruitful ministry we've got going on in Birmingham right now is  burst out of time overseas, where people have gone overseas, and seen and  been a part of ministry in different contexts in the world and then realized, man, I can do the same things right across the street. And so it's not an either or it's  always a both and and so I want to really encourage folks is there if you're  walking through this with a disciple with a small group of people, to really  intentionally help them begin to think about how to pray for the nations and how 

to pray for the global church, and to integrate that into how you're teaching them to pray. And when you're praying together? Like he's just praying for you think  about it. Even in the weeks you've been walking in this is most of your prayer  time together been focused on just what's right in front of you, are you praying  for God's kingdom to come in the world, and our brothers and sisters around the world are facing all kinds of different challenges, some persecuted for their faith? So praying and giving? How can we use our resources to serve our brothers  sisters are aware, and some of the, what were some of the wealthiest people  ever walked planet Earth? And we've got brothers and sisters who are starving.  So we've got it in discipleship, think about intensely, how can we give and then  maybe even I think one of the most effective tools in disciple making is short  term missions. And the whole point of short term going somewhere else is to  help serve the body there help advance the gospel, there in different ways. But  in the process of you go in with somebody that you're discipling into a context  like that. There's so much transformation that happens in your life, and that  person's life. I always, I always tell folks, I can accomplish more in helping  somebody grow in Christ in one week overseas. And I could have a year back  here because there's so much can be done. So maybe think about are there is  there a way where you and the person or people you're discipling could go into  some other context and be a part of the spread of the gospel there and build  that into what you're doing.  

Francis - Yeah. And in there's even a sense in which there may be some local  things that they could do. So you're having to spend all the money you know,  you just have to think through and help work through. Okay, when is it right,  when is it good? But but even for in my context, right now, I'm working with a lot  of people that are, you know, ex addicts that some still live on the streets, they  feel like they have nothing during government assistance. And yet when I'm  showing them what's going on Ethiopia or you know, Cambodia, it's like, wow,  I'm not so poor. I can actually helping these people. And it's actually been a  sense of healing for them. Because they're thinking, wow, I've just been looking  at myself thinking I'm, I got the worst situation in the world. But now I'm looking  at these other people. And gosh, I can actually help them. And it's crazy,  because that's the very thing that's helping heal them, that where they go, Wow,  I have a purpose in life, this is exciting, I can actually save what I was going to  spend on, you know, this meal, or whatever else or this drink, and now would  actually help save a life. It's, it's the joy that I'm seeing arising in their life.  

Brian - And, you know, bring that all to one other critical point. And we're all in  the settlement, this whole picture revolves around the gospel. And there's nearly 2 billion people in the world today who've never even heard the gospel. So the  person or people, your disciple need to know that and to gather for you guys to 

feel the weight of that there are millions upon millions of people who haven't  even heard the good news of Christ. And so that means built in disciple making,  we've got to be thinking, how is my life gonna count for the spread of the  gospel? And this is the beauty of this, our making so with this grand global  mission in the world, how can we be a part of making the gospel on the ends of  the earth? And Jesus says, make disciples, when we're making disciples, this is  his plan for how the gospel will spread to the ends of the earth. So all the more  confidence to give yourself and to lead the people you're decipling on to give  themselves to this mission making disciples, because this is how the gospel is  going to reach the ends of the earth.