Vision Sunday 3/4/18 -Worship set -Vision Sunday Intro Video ------------------------------------------------------------ (1) Introduce Vision Sunday "To keep the body informed on what has taken place in our church and what is going to take place in the days ahead." (Why important? Elder Guided Church) (2) Introduce our Elders and what it means to be an Elder Guided Church -Myself, Allen, our Executive Pastor, Paul Prachar, Sean Worthington, and Jay Lanham (VB). -As Jesus leads us, we lead you. We lead you by prayer and fasting and we lead you by listening to the Holy Spirit. The staff makes the day to day decisions for the church through the Leadership Team that has been established. The Elders serve as guardrails and guides to make sure the church is running in the right direction at all times, and it is our privilege to do so. -Scripture calls this position (overseers). (3) Introduce 3 New Elder Candidates: Taren Sufferling, Mark Bebee, and Jon Knott -They will be in this candidate process until we lay hands on them, publicly in your presence on Sunday, May 6. -In that time frame, if you have anything against any of these 3 men that could be disqualifying to them in this process, please let the Elders know. -The Bible makes it clear the kind of man that God wants in this position. -A man of noble, upstanding character. -It is with fear and accountability before God that these men step into this position. -Have them share why this journey is important and why they are undergoing this process. -------------------------------------------------------- (4) Looking Back over 2017 -God has done some wonderful things this past year. -We rejoice every year in the provision of God blessing His local body. -New people added: -We saw 23 people follow Jesus in believer s baptism. (Down because of Irma) -We saw God bring a great number of people to our Christmas Eve Eve service this past year. -We saw God bring another great crowd for our Easter service a year ago. -Easter is April 1 #myeasterstory -Begin thinking about your Easter story...
-At the end of that 5 week series, we are going to celebrate Believer s Baptism at the beach. -Look for opportunities to invite people -New Faces Added: -Jason Osborne (sound and graphics). -New Ministries Added: -Launched Bridge Global Outreach (Bridge GO) with 4 primary mission focus partners. -In Guatemala, Zambia Africa, Mozambique Africa, Moroco North Africa. -With that we launched a short-term trip strategy to our Starting Point Places in the world as well as to our Focus areas, with the desire that many of you would step out and take our challenge to go out of the US and see how the majority of people in the world really live. -Launched Radical Mentoring for Men this past year -Launched the United Marriage Class led by Pastor Steve Cleckner. -New Accomplishments: -Disaster Relief with goods collected and materials and workers sent for those hit the hardest in both Texas and in our state. -We raised money for the needy families in our own community during Stuff the Stocking and we gave away lots of pajamas to foster and adoptive families. -Last year we began the process of elder rotation so that God can equip more leaders to faithfully guide and serve His church. -Now, we are seeing that process come into reality. -New People Added, New Faces Added, New Ministries Added and More things accomplished. -We applaud what God is doing among us and how He has worked in our past in 2017. ------------------------------------------------------- (5) Looking Now -2017 Budget presented by Allen Smith -New Hires by Allen Smith -Commend and praise you on your faithful giving. ------------------------------------------------------- (6) Looking Ahead -Our church is growing and we are experiencing the presence of God. -Received a letter from someone coming from an hour away to our church saying that they can t find a church near them with such an obvious presence of the Holy Spirit. -I made this statement last year: As we allow Jesus to sit in the head seat and lead us where He wants us to go, we believe Jesus will open up clear doors that He wants us to walk through. We believe
that as we obey Him in these areas, God will pour out His blessings upon us like no other time. -Today, the Elders, in agreement, want to stand before you and let you know the clear direction that Jesus has given to His church. -A few weeks ago, I preached a message in our Jesus Said series about launching out into deeper water to catch fish. -Luke 5:1-11 (NLT) One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. 2 He noticed two empty boats at the water s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish. 5 Master, Simon replied, we worked hard all last night and didn t catch a thing. But if you say so, I ll let the nets down again. 6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. 8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, Oh, Lord, please leave me I m such a sinful man. 9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, Don t be afraid! From now on you ll be fishing for people! 11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. -What do we know about this passage? -Jesus commands Peter and the other disciples with him to go out into deeper water and fish. -It wasn t a suggestion: It was an invitation to partner with Jesus and witness something that only God could do. -What is deeper? -We said it s the call that Jesus has on every one of His followers. -It is a call to step out in faith for something to be accomplished that only God can do and only God can receive credit for. -He will call all of His churches and all of His people out into the deep water. -It s where He is and it s where the great things of God are. -I gave you examples like: -Leaving your successful job or comfortable lifestyle for ministry. -Doesn t make sense on paper...unless the Lord calls. -Stepping out in faith in the area of tithing when you don t have the finances to do it. -Extending forgiveness when you know that person does not deserve it. -Daring to courageously follow Jesus as He leads this church.
-I gave you road blocks to this type of obedience: (a) FOOLISH -In this culture fishing was done at night. -What Jesus was asking wasn t conventional. It wasn t how it was supposed to be done. (b) FEAR -Where is He taking me? How deep does He want to go? -I told you that there is an element of fear when following Jesus. -Unknown territory. -That is why we LOVE the shallow end. -More manageable. Less risk. Much safer. -But Peter doesn t stay in the shallow end, he obeys what Jesus tells him to do. -What happens? -Miraculous catch of fish, so great that it almost sunk two boats. -And then there was this revelation of God, where Peter no longer sees Jesus as human but He sees Him as the Lord of glory. -When God calls a church deeper or a person deeper, this is what He envisions. -Closed the message with these 2 questions: -In what area is Jesus gently asking you to obey Will you trust Me in this? -What is Jesus commanding you to launch out in? Go into deeper water ------------------------------------------------- -We as Elders believe that Jesus has placed a call on this church to launch out into deeper water -What I m about to share with you has been confirmed to me and our elders in a very clear and real way. -This past December, before Christmas, something happened to me. -I had been discouraged. I had been weary... and I had become very homesick... -And so as I was praying (walking around the block at our office location as I often do), I was reenergized by the Lord. -It was a memorable experience knowing it was from the Lord bc I felt alive once again -I had passion. I had excitement. So much excitement that I couldn t wait to get back to church on Sunday so that I could help with set up and tear down! -(You know that had to be from God!) -I was plugged in and re-energized. -Deacon s Christmas Party that same December
-Speaking with someone that I don t often speak to, don t see that much. -During the conversation, she asked me if I had ever heard of a particular church in Austin, TX. -I said that I had but didn t know anything about it. -She said that it reminded her of our church. -They meet in at Austin High school and do everything with excellence. -And then she said it. - They have several campuses around the Austin area with thousands of people attending all over the city. -She said that I should check them out. -What she thought was an off-handed, non-important conversation, I perceived to be a God-moment. (I was stunned) -A mobile church, launching other campuses. -I didn t know it was even possible but I started dreaming. -The next day, Sunday December 3, I m backstage preparing to preach and I had to grab a piece of paper to write down everything coming to mind. (Back of the order of worship). -People, places, how it might work, just dreaming (Downloaded from the Lord!) -I was so busy writing things down backstage on the back of the order of worship that I almost forgot to walk on the platform and preach! ------------------------------------------------------------------ -Here s what has been confirmed to me by the Lord: -It has been our desire from early on in our church to launch other campuses. -I just thought you had to have a permanent campus before you launch others. -Not sure why I had this in my mind (served as a barrier). -We are not to wait for a building before we begin launching campuses, we are to begin. -It doesn t mean that Venice will not have a building. -It means that we don t need to wait for one to move ahead. ---------------------------------------------------- -Describe our church to you from my perspective. -People driving to TBC Venice from an hour away both directions (Fort Myers, St. Pete) -We ve had people attend as far away as North of Tampa -We ve had people from Boca Grande, Rotunda and all in between. -If that many people are willing to drive past that many churches then what does that tell you about our church? -Something special is going on here. -Southwest Florida is where many pastors believe God wants to do a reviving work. -Spoken with Tampa pastors, Venice Pastors, Bradenton Pastors -(Roughly 150 people since 2007 from USA, Africa, Europe have moved to SW FL because of the express call of God.)
-God has placed on my heart, not just Venice but all of SW FL. -------------------------------------------------------------- -At our Elder s Retreat in January, what I presented to you is what I presented to our elder body -I had the same emotions as in that passage as Peter had (Foolish) and (Fear). -Our whole retreat was centered on this topic and this discussion. -After I got done sharing my heart with them as to what I believed that Jesus had placed on my heart, they confirmed that what I was hearing and feeling was indeed from the Lord. *Clear on what you are hearing is not just from me but from this Elder body who has been entrusted to watch over and care for your souls: -We are not to wait for a building to move forward with launching other campuses. -We are to move forward. -It doesn t mean that this location in Venice will not have a building. *As a matter of fact, we are putting together a Facility Acquisition Search Team to pursue both ends at the same time (where to launch and what to do here). -A Job Description for this team should be finished in the next week or so and we ve already begun reaching out to people that we want to see on this team. -If you would like to be considered for this team, FAST on your Connection Card. -FAST (The speed at which we will move and the posture that we will have as we move, in a spiritually humbling, fasting position before Jesus as He leads this church.) ------------------------------------------------------ -What s on the other end of obedience into deeper water? -Luke 5:6-9 (NLT) And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. 8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, Oh, Lord, please leave me I m such a sinful man. 9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. -A miraculous catch of fish and a glimpse of Jesus like they had never seen before. -That s what we want this church to see! -A miraculous number of people in SW FL coming to Christ and Jesus being exalted in SW FL like never before. -Questions: For the next 3 weeks, starting next Sunday (March 11) the elders will be answering questions as best as they can, hearing your hearts, and hearing more from their hearts. -March 11 VHS (630pm) -March 18 Church office (630pm)
-March 25 Church office (630pm) --------------------------------------------------------------- -Close with this: -The Reverend Billy Graham recently passed away. -The body of the famous preacher was laid in honor this past week in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capital building. -The last person to have that distinction, Rosa Parks. -I have with me today, one of Mr. Graham s Bibles from his early days of preaching. -Gentle and powerful reminder that nothing matters more than the mission of preaching the Gospel and imploring sinful men to come and bow before a Holy and Gracious and Forgiving God. -I pray that as we submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit and come underneath the authority of Jesus that Jesus would send all of us out into the deeper water of obedience. -Where we will be able to see the miraculous catch of fish that He provides and see a glimpse of Jesus like we never have before. ----------------------------------------------------------- -Closing Prayer