Paul wasn’t one of those people who just talked about sharing Christ with those who were lost, he actually did it! We can see the heart that Paul had and we see these things displayed in his life.
The first place we start is the reminder that it was Christ who started the Church, He died for the Church and set the Church on it’s course of world redemption. And Anything that Christ starts works, and will continue to work. I believe that the church still has the power of God flowing through it and that God wants to bless the church today!
The first place we start is the reminder that it was Christ who started the Church, He died for the Church and set the Church on it’s course of world redemption. And Anything that Christ starts works, and will continue to work. I believe that the church still has the power of God flowing through it and that God wants to bless the church today!
Church still works today! It is God’s plan for world redemption until Jesus comes back for us His church. Anything that Christ starts works, and will continue to work. There is much skepticism of the church today. Is it relevant? People on the outside are wary of the church. Is it worth my time? Why should I go? There are a bunch of hypocrites, seems like they fight there a lot, they are always wanting my money, is it really necessary?, etc. I believe that the church still has the power of God flowing through it and that God wants to bless the church today! There is no plan B!! This is it, so we must succeed. We have to!!
It first starts with our transformation in every area of our lives. This is the prerequisite and the requirement before we can do anything. Once we allow the Lord to do this transformational work in our lives then the Lord can begin to use us to be a conduit, a vehicle through which He can move in the lives of people so their lives are transformed as well!
Somebody might say “Isn't our church getting big enough?” But we don't grow for our benefit. We grow because everybody needs Jesus, because people need the Lord. See, the wrong question is, “How big should we get?” The right question is, “Should anybody be left behind?” The answer is no! The church that doesn't want to grow and reach out is basically saying to the world, “You can go to hell.” And when you don't ever share your faith, you are saying to the world, “You can go to hell. Beats me. I’m in. Best of luck to you.”
You were made to make a contribution, not just to consume. God made you to make a difference. What matters is not how long you live, but how you live. We’re all meant to give something back. We’re all meant to make a contribution. The Bible says we’re created to serve, we’re saved to serve, we’re gifted to serve, and we’re shaped to serve.
We all have a tendency to get comfortable when things grow and if we are not careful we can let the weeds grow as well. If, in our excitement and confidence, we don’t tend to the garden like we once did, the growth will go for a while but eventually will stop and the weeds can take over. All of a sudden we look up and wonder what happened and why we plateaued? Things may even get to the point where we ask, why are we declining either personally or corporately?
We must begin with transformation in every area of our lives. This is the prerequisite and the requirement before we can do anything. Once we allow the Lord to do this transformational work in our lives then the Lord can begin to use us as a conduit, a vehicle through which He can move in the lives of people so they can be transformed as well! What can jump-start this transformation? Connecting Deeply to Christ and the Church.
I am so excited about what we are sharing with you today! Our Vision Team has been working on and crafting this report for over a year & a half. Recognize them! This is isn't the Preacher’s Vision – this is this team’s vision alongside me. Remember last week we talked about a lot of "what if’s". What if we allow the Lord to do this or ask the Lord to do this or our members stepped up and did this, or our Church fulfilled it’s calling in certain ways? This morning we want to start looking at how to turn many of those "what if’s" into reality.
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Things Jesus Never Said
