As disciples of Jesus Christ, we want to be with Him, equipped by Him, empowered through Him, and sent because of Him.

 

To be with Him: Mark 3:14 Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach

Equipped by Him: Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Empowered through Him: Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Sent because of Him: Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.

 

The 4 E's

 

Engage ->

We must engage in the reality of who Jesus Christ is! It is all about Jesus. We want to know Him and be known by Him. We do this through the teaching and study of the Bible, the Word of God. Peter says it so perfectly in John 6:68, ""But Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You (Jesus) have the words of eternal life.'" We desire this truth to be a reality in our everyday lives as the church body, both individually and corporately.

  

Equip ->

It is the role of the church to equip the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12). As Christians we have all been given gifts, received callings and stewarded responsibilities. We desire the disciples of Jesus Christ to discover and fulfill their God-given roles in their families, in the church, in the workplace, in their neighborhoods and on mission in the world. The church is the place where we equip, teach and encourage Christians to do the work of the ministry.

 

Empower -> 

Upon Jesus’ death and resurrection, He gave His disciples specific instructions in Luke 24:49 & Acts 1:4 telling them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the Promise of the Father, waiting until they have received power from on high. Jesus is speaking of receiving the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the empowerment of the Christian life. The Holy Spirit is the Helper Jesus spoke of in John 16. Jesus did not leave Christians as orphans when He ascended to the right hand of the Father, but He sent the Holy Spirit (John 16:7,13-15). We desire to live the empowered life Jesus has granted us. There is no other way to live out the call and commission we have received. We must be praying and seeking always to be being filled with the Holy Spirit to walk out the Christian life in His strength and supply (Ephesians 5:18).

  

Evangelize ->

We have been called to come on mission with Jesus. This mission, this call is to go into all the world and make disciples. To spread the good news of the gospel of grace, to baptize in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and to teach all that was commanded us. This is the heart beat and mission of the church (Matthew 28:19-20). This is why we have been appointed. Mark 3:14 says "Then Jesus appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach." This is who we at Calvary Chapel San Ramon desire to be. Not ever departing from the intimacy of being with Jesus while not ever abandoning the heart of being sent into our world by Jesus.