This Is Grace, Part 2: What we Believe, Teach, and Do

Sermons – Grace Evangelical Free Church // Wyoming, MN

Good morning! My name is Colin Rueter, one of the pastors here at Grace. My sermon this morning is part two of “This is Grace.” Last Sunday, Pastor Dave walked us through the good news of Jesus, the Gospel and our Statement of Faith. The gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, is what unifies all Christians. The Statement of Faith from the EFCA (denomination) is the next level of distinctives from other churches. Do we remember the four parts of the Gospel? GOD, MAN, CHRIST, RESPONSE

This morning, I have the privilege to share more specifically what makes Grace Church more refined in belief: our mission statement, the building blocks of being a disciple here, and our core values. Pastor Dave was at the wide end of the funnel, the low-hanging fruit of Christianity, and I am now narrowing down to the distinctives of Grace Church. This is what makes Grace distinct from other churches. We are not saying we are better or that we are the true church, the aim is distinctives for us as Grace Church, key aspects that we speak to, aim for, and treasure from God’s word. These have come about, primarily, from the church seeking to say: “Who are we and what do we believe?” and putting those down in writing. The aim of what we do is to present one another mature in Christ – in order to do that we need some guidance from God’s word with specifics for us at Grace Church in Wyoming, MN in the year 2025.

It is interesting doing this as a new pastor, because I am learning to know these better, love them deeper, and share them with joy to others. But as Susan and I prayed about next ministry steps, we looked for specific values and theology, specific doctrines and methods in ministry, where I could thrive as a pastor and enter into the Lord’s work faithfully. We have that here, projected in the mission statement, practically set in the core values.

So, whether you have been a part of Grace for years or months, or this is your first time, our prayer is that you would know, love, and share the mission and values of Grace with the utmost joy as you share the Gospel with others. Pastor Dave’s aim from last week: Firmly establish us in the truths of God so that we might live out our faith with greater confidence, clarity, joy, and unity.

Main Point: At Grace Church, we would be unified on specific truths of God for our faith from His word to reach maturity in Christ.

As we grow in our love for these truths within the family of Grace Church, we pray it will lead us to joyful obedience as we reach Wyoming and the ends of the earth with the Gospel.

This morning, I would like to walk through three specific aspects of Grace Church: 1) Our Mission; 2) Building Blocks; 3) Core Values

#1) Our Mission

‘Become a People Treasuring Christ and the Building of His Kingdom’

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44

The mission statement is in place to give us a specific aim within the Great Commission, which is the mission of every church over all time. Grace Church exists in a specific time, a specific location, and thus, our mission must be Grace-specific.

The key in the mission is to become something – what? A people who treasure Christ – He is our supreme worth, treasure, most valuable possession, our hope, and our joy.

We not only treasure Christ, but we treasure Him building the Kingdom. We don’t build it, He does, we act as citizens and ambassadors within that Kingdom…but Christ builds it.

Matthew 16:18 – “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

2 Cor. 5:20 – “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

Hebrews 11:10, 13-16: “For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God…These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”

To help guide and guard the process of fulfillment of the mission, we have something called Ministry City. Ministry City is a way of putting “flesh on the bones” of the mission. I am not going to explain it in depth here this morning, but I want to share that this structure exists to guide, protect, and bring clarity to what we do for ministry, how we do ministry, and that it is grounded in the word and aims to bring glory to God.

#2) Building Blocks

1) Membership [Acts 20:28; Romans 12:3–13; Hebrews 10:24-25]

Baptism: Matthew 28:19–20; Acts 2:38–41; Colossians 2:9–13

One act of obedience as a Christian is to be baptized. From this act of obedience is the step to covenant membership – we call meaningful membership – into a local church body. If you are interested in this step, talk to Pastor Dave, myself or one of the elders. It is meaningful because it is more than just getting to vote or snagging a cool mug. It is a commitment to a specific people in a specific time and place for God’s purposes. Membership is not you deciding what church suits your preferences, but seeing the good hand of God in connecting you with brothers and sisters that He has chosen for you. This is good, both for the church and for you. This is a practical and important step to work out the over 50 ‘one-anothers’ in the New Testament.

2) Sunday Morning [Acts 2:42; Ephesians 5:19-21; Colossians 3:15-16; 2 Timothy 4:2]

This is primarily the worship service that you are sitting in now. I am including Berea in this as a privilege to sit under teaching within the scriptures and interact with others as a means of grace for our spiritual well-being. Please come, as you are able, to Sunday school for kids and Berea for teens on up.

Sunday morning is, primarily, this service. Being here, as you are able, to sing, pray, confess sin, and sit under the proclamation of the word is God’s kindness to you each week. It is a means of grace to sit next to your brothers and sisters each week. Sunday morning is the best way to be present with this family, to be seen and see others. You can truly be and are a blessing to someone here this morning. As we live our lives with one another, as your story is shared and you’re prayed over, your presence here at Grace us a blessing, a sign that God is at work and His grace empowers. More could be said, but I will simply say don’t neglect this gathering, brothers and sisters. The local church is a gift, a visible gathering of the blood-bought people of God to lift His name high and a means of grace to transform us more into the image of His beloved Son.

3) Discipleship Groups [Matthew 28:16-20; Colossians 1:28-29; 2 Timothy 2:1-2; Hebrews 3:12–14]

We call these DG’s. Every church has language unique to them, we are no exception. A building block of being a healthy church at Grace means we have an arena of shepherding and discipleship. In these smaller groups outside of a Sunday, an elder oversees each group, fellowship happens, prayers are spoken, care is given, love is seen. The elders have the opportunity to interact on a smaller level with people that God has given them to know, lead, feed, and protect. It is our privilege as elders to engage the souls among us. It is a privilege to interact as people of Grace outside a Sunday to act upon the “one anothers” in scripture on a micro-level. If you are not regularly going to a DG, make it a priority after establishing being here on a Sunday. If you need a ride, ask. If you can’t make one night of the week work, ask an elder about another evening group to join. We want and need you plugged in.

4) Everything Else (Every other ministry that occurs within Grace Church: G2g, Masculine Mandate, Adorned, etc.)

Every other ministry at Grace falls into this category. This is simply an area of various ministries that we have here. Like any ministry, we pray about, evaluate, and act upon whether they help us fulfill our mission and the Great Commission. As elders, along with the ministry leaders, we want to do ministry well for the sake of the saints and the glory of God, not because we have always done a particular program. Does it help us make disciples….?

#3) Core Values

We at Grace Church earnestly desire and prayerfully strive to be a purposeful church. This is why we have a mission, guiding principles (Ministry City), and why Core Values are written and spoken of. More than just ideas drawn from a hat, these are specific values that we see in the word of God, values that we treasure, and values that each of us here at Grace should aim at and grow in.

…God-Centered

We value the centrality of God in everything. We exist by Him, through Him and for Him. The chief purpose of every decision, event, meeting or ministry exists to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. (How is God glorified?) [“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:36]

Application of Core Value: The goal of this church is not to make great the name of Grace Church. We pray, worship, and preach from the knowledge and joy that without God, we are hopeless. Ministry exists so that we would know the Lord our God.

…Christ-Treasuring

We value Jesus as the One who reveals God to us, and it is our goal to not only trust and obey Him but to treasure and savor Him with all our heart, soul, strength and mind. (How is the Lord Jesus exalted?) [“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” Col. 1:15-18]

Application of Core Value: Jesus is everything. In our worship service, we look to Jesus. In our classes, we desire to know and seek Jesus, for adults down to the kiddos. We see Him as the treasure, not the means to a treasure. This is the heart of the Gospel – not a ticket to Heaven, but a reconciliation and relationship to Christ.

…Faith-Building

We value faith in Christ as both a gift from God and the vital and fundamental response of the Christian to God. Without faith it is impossible to please God, and therefore we make it our goal to build each up in the faith. Helping each other to live daily upon the promises of God must be a high priority. (How is our faith in God strengthened?) [“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:23-25]

Application of Core Value: Evangelism: Heaven rejoices when someone comes to faith. We rejoice. AND, we long to grow in faith together, which is disciple-making. We desire to present everyone mature in Christ. In discipleship, in ministry, the aim is not knowledge alone, but a maturing of acting in faith to the glory of Christ.

…Prayer-Empowered

We value prayer because we are dependent people. We believe that we must make prayer the visible engine of all our efforts in ministry and worship. (Have we dependently asked God’s help through prayer?) [“Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:5-7]

Application of Core Value: Prayer should be step #1 in all we do. We pray throughout morning service, before classes, we pray for one another during DG, in our one-on-one meetings as we disciple, and corporate prayer every Wednesday at noon. We pray in the morning, over meals together, and before we lay down at night. Prayer is dependence on the One who we need. We can do this better, but we aim to be a church that thrives in prayer.

…Bible-Saturated

We value being saturated with the Word of God, the Bible, which is God’s reliable, authoritative and sufficient revelation. We desire to grow a love for the Word, as well as a deepening understanding of it, in each person within the church. (What does the Word say or infer? Is the Bible front and center?) [“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105]

Application of Core Value: We love the Bible. This is the truth. It is a lamp to our feet and light for our path. When we desire to know God’s will, we pray and we seek the word. The sermons on Sunday are not man’s wisdom, but God’s revelation to His people. The curriculum we use, the basis for our discussions, the guidance for our families is the word of God.

…Disciple-Producing

We value growth in “Christ-likeness” in every believer, as all of us become the disciples God intends us to be. We value an intentionality to make and reproduce disciples according to God’s Word. (How are we growing closer to Jesus [and into the image of God]?) [“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 28:18-20]

Making disciples is a process, which means form and structure is needed in order to guide that process. As a mature believer, you know that investing into another person is the supernatural working of God to help them contemplate and grow in their faith as you are growing as well. Each of us should be thinking and acting towards the aim of presenting one another mature in Christ.

If you look at the Building Blocks within Grace, you will see a formal structure of Sunday mornings becoming more flexible in our DG’s that have specific structure, yet a little more informal, which should lead to smaller groups of discipleship (one-on-one; couple to couple) – still with structure using our discipleship tracks to guide and evaluate growth in faith. The tracks in particular grant clarity to know what we are doing (making disciples) and tracks (pun-intended) for that action to answer the question: how do we know we are producing disciples?

Application of Core Value: We have DG’s, growing as followers of Christ, taking one step closer to Him by fellowship, study, and prayer. We have Discipleship Tracks to help grow and mature followers in all areas of life. Parents, your children are little disciples, the Family Roadmap is a view of how to make progress by God’s grace. As followers of Christ, our thought should be towards helping one other person take the next step towards Christ, in relationship, likeness, and action.

…Family-Strengthening

We value building up strong marriages and families, where God’s Word is taught and lived out, where husbands love their wives (as Christ), where wives respect their husbands, where hearts of parents are turned towards their children, and children towards their parents. (How does this positively and negatively affect families?) [“But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.” Psalm 103:17-18]

Application of Core Value: We love marriage, dare I say Biblical marriage. We love families, whether we are single, married, with kids or without, we uphold the gift of God in these areas. The best thing for this community, the state, the nation is healthy marriages and healthy families. Pray for the marriages in this church, pray for the kiddos here to come to saving faith, pray that we would see, value, and uphold biblical marriage and family.

…Love-Expressing

We value the Spirit-led expression of love within the body of Christ and towards unbelievers. We desire to grow as a true family grows or as a healthy body functions. We believe this love comes by the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ. (How does this demonstrate the love of Christ?) [“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35]

Application of Core Value: We think of others more than we think of ourselves. Love sacrifices for a greater good. It was the love of God that sent Christ for redemption. We seek to imitate this. The watching world will know that we treasure Christ when we love one another like He did. Relationships built in DG should grow our love and action towards others in this church.

…Relationship-Pursuing

We value the intentional pursuit of authentic, healthy relationships. God created us for community and in a world where so many miss the mark, the church must strive to get it right by actively pursuing the “one another” commands of Scripture. (How does this build and strength biblically healthy relationships?) [“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2]

Application of Core Value: It is nothing to gather here on a Sunday morning if we don’t grow in relationship to one another. This means sacrifice, being open and honest to who we are and what we struggle with, this is a growing trait of the Christian. To be in authentic, intentional, confessional relationships is the beauty of this family. Confess sin, minister to one another with the Gospel, and listen to one another. This is acted out in DG’s and smaller gatherings as you get to know others. How can you bear one another’s burdens unless you grow in relationship.

…and Mission-Mobilizing

We value missions and evangelism as the privilege God has given us as His ambassadors, accomplishing His goal of spreading the knowledge of His glory to all the nations. We desire to pursue Christ’s guidance and empowerment in the building of His Kingdom among all the peoples of the world, because we treasure Him above all things. [“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.” Psalm 67:1-4]

Application of Core Value: We, of course, desire to reach Wyoming and into surrounding communities. We support the gospel reaching the nations. We desire all nations to praise the Living God, to know that redemption has come, and to fulfill the Great Commission by supporting and sending into other cultures with the gospel.

One final note on distinctives as Grace Church. For the last number of years, we have had a section in our membership book that list some of the theological convictions that leadership have held to and taught. The helpful step for leadership has been to put these in writing, like the list at the back of the Membership booklet. As elders, we see this as a working document that we are discussing and hope to teach in the coming months. These distinctives have brought clarity in theology and unity in decisions for us as elders.

Close

We want to be a faithful church and want you to be a faithful follower of Christ. Our prayer, again, has been and will be for us to do this together – seek to treasure Christ and the Building of His Kingdom. This is an invitation to seek the things of God, to grow and grow together. Join us, ask if you don’t know where to start, it is for our joy and the joy of our neighbors. This is the call that God has placed on us here at Grace Church and we long for you to be a part of it.

Grace Church, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete one another’s joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. May we aim to do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than ourselves. Let each of us look not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others. May we have this mind among ourselves, which is ours in Christ Jesus…Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone here at Grace Church mature in Christ [Phil. 2:1-5 & Col. 1:28]. Let’s pray.