IRRESISTIBLE, UNDIVIDED & INTENTIONAL Matthew 16:13-18; Acts 2:41-43

Transcription

1 IRRESISTIBLE, UNDIVIDED & INTENTIONAL Matthew 16:13-18; Acts 2:41-43 There is something burning within me that tells me we need to be about the Father s business while we still can. That s all that really matters. People are dying without Christ and enemy is stealing the lives of our loved ones and I am really tired of it! I want to speak to you briefly this morning about what I believe is our mission what my vision is for us as a local assembly of believers in Jesus Christ. The mission that He has given to the church, Our mission is: to help people to become fully devoted followers of Christ; to make disciples. That is the reason He saved us. It s the reason He called you and me out of sin into the light of His glory and salvation. It is the reason that Miriam and I started on this crazy journey as pastors following Jesus almost 27 years ago. We did it for the joy of seeing people come to Christ and being filled with His Spirit. We did it for the excitement of seeing a people step out in faith and tithe for the very first time, be set free from fear and begin to live with the expectancy of God s provision. We did it to see lives changed, marriages put back together and to see people set free. We did it to see Christ lifted up and glorified in South Louisiana, Mexico, and Texas. We 1

2 are not perfect and we have made many mistakes along the way but our entire family has given their lives to the mission. So here are a few questions: Would you be willing to join us? Would you give your life to the mission of leading people to become fully devoted followers of Christ? Would you give yourself to something greater than the world could ever offer to you? I want to share my vision with you this morning for Church on the Hill. I believe it is what Jesus has called all to believers to, but specifically those that feel led to be in covenant here with us in this season I believe we are called to become: I. AN IRRESISTIBLE CHURCH A. A church where Everyone is Welcome! James 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. James 2:8-9 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well; 9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 1. There is nothing more grievous to the heart of God than prejudice. 2. Prejudice is no new thing, in fact it is as old as man himself. Pride is born of comparison, and Prejudice finds its roots in the sinful pride of man. 2

3 3. prejudice: an opinion or decision of mind formed without due examination of facts or arguments which are necessary to a just and impartial determination; prejudgment. B. Jesus opens the door of salvation to all and is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. And all that will come are welcomed and this place should not be any different! Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. 1. Here is what I want you to know, Jesus stands before us today, and He is saying you are welcome. 2. It doesn t matter the hurt you ve suffered. It doesn t matter the pain you may have endured or even caused. It doesn t matter what you are going through in life, this is a place that you are welcome! 3. So, here s the role that I need each and every one of you to play; I need you to welcome people. 4. I need you to welcome people in the community, your friends and your family, people that don t know Christ, people that don t have a church home, people that are hurting. 5. I need you to welcome them. I need you to bring them. 6. Barna research tells us 72% of un-churched people say they would come to church if they were invited. 3

4 7. So, can you think of 3 people you could invite to church next week? Write their names down and do it! C. An irresistible church is one where Everyone is Needed 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. (NLT) 1. God has given us all gifts and talents to be used for Him, to see lives changed. Every one of you has a God given gift or talent, and if you re not using it, then there are things that are not getting done for God s glory because you have not stepped up to the plate. You are not using the gift God has given you in the context of this local church. 2. Why the local church? Because God has chosen it to be the agent of change and redemption to the world; and we all have a part to play in His plan! 3. There are no little I s and big you s. We cannot do it without you! Every part of the body has a function and a purpose and we are not complete without every single one of doing what we were designed to do! 1 Corinthians 12:21-22 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable 4

5 D. Our vision is to become an irresistible church where Everyone can be Changed! Romans 10:13 for Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (NLT) 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. A. Say it with me, where everyone can be changed. Romans 10:13 says, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 1. When we gather we all bring carry with us the baggage pain of our hurts, failures. We all have a story and we all have our secrets that we fear having exposed. 2. But what this verse is saying is you can come as you are, and if you truly call on the name of the Lord, you can leave this place changed! 3. You can be different and new, and have a fresh start, and it can happen right now for you. B. There is nothing more tragic for me than people who come to church for years but never change! If you are not changing then you are already dead! Our God has so much more life for us that we can even imagine and the amazing process of the new birth is what starts that process. 1. Human nature causes us to imagine just because we have been at this a while there is nothing new to learn and no 5

6 more growth required; but nothing could be farther from the truth. 2. Dr. Ed Young said: " the cycle of success: change - conflict - growth! Don't bail out right before the breakthrough!" 3. Without some measure of conflict there is probably no measure of growth. C. When you truly come into the presence of God, you can t help but be changed. Look at the instructions Samuel gives to Israel s newly anointed King Saul: 1 Samuel 10:6-7 Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. (Changed into a different person.) 1. I want you to feel the power of these words. The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will be changed into a different person. Say this with me: Changed into a different person. 2. The vision is for us all to be changed. It s not for ten or twenty or thirty, but for every single one of us. 3. When we make the commitment to become fully devoted followers of Jesus and no longer half-hearted, to doing whatever Jesus says, the Spirit of God is going to come upon us, and our lives are going to be changed. 4. When we do that as a church, this entire community will be transformed and changed, and we will never be the same again. 6

7 5. And here s the exciting thing, God wants to use us to do it. He s entrusted us with His mission and given us a vision to become an Irresistible Church! (Not by them all coming here, but by you all going out there) D. To accomplish our mission we will have to become II. AN UNDIVIDED TEAM A. What is our life s Mission? To help people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. 1. To accomplish what God wants, we will have to be United. Psalms 133:1-3 (A song of Ascents; of David.) Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing-- Life forevermore. 1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 2. The word that is used in both passages is the word that is best translated as harmony. 7

8 3. How many can hear harmony naturally when some is singing a melody? How many of you have absolutely no idea what I am talking about? B. Paul urged the church members to dismiss their pride and to live and serve together in unity. Anything less falls short of the gospel s standards. 1. True unity will be realized by authentic meekness and selflessness. It was ultimately exemplified in the earthly life of Jesus. The attitude the church should exhibit was the one Jesus maintained. 1 Ephesians 4:1-6 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring (making every effort) to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. C. Satan wants us Divided. Here is a paraphrase satirically written of our text in Acts 2 that illustrates vividly what happens when Satan destroys the unity of the church. All the believers were divided. They didn t have much of anything in common. Hoarding their possessions and goods they kept as much as they could for themselves. Every now Dockery, D. S. (1998). Holman concise Bible commentary: Simple, straightforward commentary on every book of the Bible (584). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers. 8

9 and then, if it wasn t football season and they weren t too tired, they would come to church for an hour and leave early to beat the traffic. They loved Jesus when it was convenient for them, yet they were despised by people for their hypocrisy. And very few people got saved. D. To be an Undivided team we have to give of ourselves, put aside our person preferences, sacrifice our comfort and be willing to do: 1) Anything short of SIN to reach people who are without Christ. 1 Corinthians 9:19 Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. :22b I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 2) Believe that we can accomplish More with Less through the power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." 3) Understand that we can accomplish far more Together that we can alone. a. As a team we can reach more, do more and have greater influence in this community that we ever could on our own. 9

10 b. But there are no superstars, only Jesus; no personal agendas, only His glory! c. We all need each other s help to prevail and win for Christ. No man is an island. Exodus 17:10-12 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 4) We are not a Mega-church, but we have a Megamission. 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, 20 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. a. We have been called, anointed and appointed and we can make a Difference because greater is He that is with in us, than he who is within the world It is by His Spirit within us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! 10

11 III. INTENTIONAL FORCE Acts 4:7-13 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what power or by what name have you done this?" 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. A. We have all heard it said that God does not call the equipped but He equips the called. 1. The NKJV says the religious rulers were astonished and amazed because these were uneducated and untrained men, the NIV says that they were unschooled, ordinary, but they marveled at their boldness and courage and took note that they had been with Jesus! 2. The Greek word for uneducated (agrammatos) is simply, illiterate 11

12 3. The one used for untrained or ordinary is a bit stronger; (idiotes) it means literally: an ignorant or unlearned person, a common man, without formal education or social ranking. 4. These men were: Unlearned, Untrained and Intentional. B. The religious rulers mocked them, the social elite looked down upon them, but no one could deny the facts, a notable miracle had been done at their hands. 1. And there was something different about these men; it was apparent they had been with Jesus. 2. They had received of the powerful baptism with the Holy Ghost and now that power, that life and His hope was being released into the world. C. Why would God choose to manifest this power through them? 1 Corinthians 1:27 29 God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 1. Because these unlearned and ignorant men had given their whole heart, and surrendered their entire future to HIM. They believed what He said to them years before in the shores of Galilee. 12

13 Luke 5:10b And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. 2. They had become fools for Christ. 3. These first disciples understood what did Jim Elliot, before he gave his life trying to reach the Waodani people of Ecuador when he said: He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. 4. When they intentionally abandoned themselves to Jesus they became an unstoppable force, that even the religious could not deny. Acts 5:38-39 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." Conclusion God has called us to this place, either by birth or by circumstance or obedience to His will but there is not one single person who is here by accident. We are all here by divine appointment. The same God who called us, has a purpose and mission for our lives in this city: To help people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. 13

14 Now the question remains for all of us this morning: will we surrender ourselves to Christ? Will we respond with complete abandon to Jesus as He calls to us still: Mark 8:34 "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. God wants to use us to reach our city, our county and our state for Jesus Christ! And so I want to repeat the questions I asked when we began: Will you join us? Will you partner with the Holy Spirit and us in the greatest mission of life? Leading people to Jesus and helping them to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ? Will you sign on to make Church on the Hill an unstoppable force for good in Hill County? The church is people, equipped to serve, meeting needs everywhere in Jesus name. And when love, acceptance and forgiveness prevail, this church will become what Jesus was in this world; a center of love, designed for the healing of broken people, and a force for God. ~ Jerry Cook ~ We can become that Irresistible, Undivided and Intentional force for the kingdom of Christ! 14