THE FOUR Ws

THE FOUR Ws:

RF Core Ministries

17 years ago, we had our first service as a new church. We had no idea what we were doing or what the future would hold, but we had a call and a dream and a purpose. That morning I spoke about our vision and our mission. That vision is still the same and we have tweaked our mission to reflect who we really are. I’ll speak more about that next week.

That morning I also laid out some foundational ministries that would form the skeleton of the body that would grow from this unlikely plant. Today, I want to revisit those ministries with some insights from the birth of the church in the book of Acts.

TEXT Acts 2

Background When Jesus ascended to heaven, He commanded His followers to wait in Jerusalem until the power of the Holy Spirit came upon them.

Let’s look at what happened.

Acts 2:1-2 (NKJV) When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

The were filled with the Spirit and spoke in the languages of all the people gathered in Jerusalem. They were giving God glory and proclaiming the good news of Jesus. The listeners were confused because they heard them speak in their languages.

Peter took the opportunity to preach to them. Then he invited them to repent and believe.

Acts 2:38-40 (NKJV) Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”

What happened?

Acts 2:41-42 (NKJV) Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

These four activities mark the NT church. Amazing things happened.

Acts 2:43-47 (NKJV) Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

In speaking of this passage, the Nelson Open Bible lists seven benefits of participating in the local church: “instruction, fellowship, observance of the ordinances, corporate prayer, effective outreach, common cause, and mutual assistance.  Participation in the local church is not optional for the child of God.  It is imperative and yields eternal benefits!”

When we started Restoration, we encapsulated these four principles into four words: Word, Worship, Witness, and Work. They were not original with me; I had heard a mentor of mine use them years before and they fit perfectly with what we wanted to do. These four words are the ‘how’ to our ‘what’: Restore the fallen; Rebuild the broken; and Refresh the weary. They give purpose to our ‘why’: helping people find hope in a spiritual family.  

You may have never heard them. Let me unpack them again.

1.    The Ministry of the Word

2.    The Ministry of Worship

3.    The Ministry of Witness

4.    The Ministry of Work

This is the rubric we use to discern faithfulness and success.

When we first used this, we looked at Prayer as a part of worship. That has changed for me. Prayer is the essential glue that binds everything together and gives it power. Without prayer, the four ministries are impotent. They lack the focus and unity to be effective.

So now the question: How are we doing?

You may be asking this morning, “What does this have to do with me?” The exciting thing is that you can use the same matrix to order and establish your life.  If you practice these four things, you will grow in the Lord and be more effective as a believer.  You will have order and passion in your life.

So, how are you doing?  Are you in the Word on a regular basis?  Is worship a part of your expression of love to God?  Do you share your faith with others?  Are you helping those inside and outside the church in practical ways?

Let’s covenant together today that we will practice these things in our life so that the power of the early church will flow in our midst every day!