Helping People Find And Follow Jesus Series

HELPING PEOPLE FIND AND FOLLOW JESUS

VARIOUS PASSAGES

#HPFFJ2022

INTRODUCTION / SITUATION

Before we ring in the New Year of 2022, I would like us to pause and focus on the purpose of our Church. The purpose of Cincinnati Christian Church is to “Help People Find and Follow Jesus.” That is why we exist. It is what we do. Every single thing that we do needs to fall under that umbrella statement of purpose and direction. Everything.

First Impressions greeters at the door need to be friendly and help anyone feel welcomed.

Bulletins need to have important information for anyone to learn about the church and feel connected.

Our building must be clean and in good repair so that anyone enjoys coming here.

Worship songs must always point us to the Almighty God.

Each communion meditation allows us to pause properly and focus on Christ.

Every sermon drives us to the Word of God and expounds on it for us to live out.

Each Sunday School small group digs into the Bible well making it our focus.

The Children’s Ministry must focus on the Bible and be active and attractive and safe.

The Youth Ministry must focus on the Bible and be engaging and attractive and safe.

Men’s groups need to challenge us to be Godly husbands, fathers, sons, and mentors.

Women’s groups need to challenge us to be Godly wives, mothers, daughters, and mentors.

Small group Bible studies must push us to be better disciples tomorrow than we are today.

Missions spending should reflect local and international efforts to spread the Gospel.

Missions spending should reflect local and international efforts to help the hurting.

Events should be outwardly focused to reach others.

The community and local schools should rely on us for help and advice and support.

THREAD: The purpose of Cincinnati Christian Church is to “Help People Find and Follow Jesus.”

That is who we are. Where does that purpose come from? Where does that drive come from? It comes from two related places. First, that purpose comes from Scripture. The Bible lays out for believers in Jesus who we are and what we are to be about. That purpose has not changed since Jesus ascended into Heaven. The Bible records this purpose for us in passages like Matthew 28:19-20.

READ MATTHEW 28:19-20 (ESV)

19 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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Bible records this purpose for us in passages like Acts 1:8:

READ ACTS 1:8 (ESV)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

There are many other such passages… those are only two. So, the first place our purpose comes from is from the Word of God. We understand that we are witnesses for Jesus Christ in our family in our school and in our community and it is literally our God-given job to tell others about Jesus Christ. We are to help people find and follow Jesus.

The second place (it is related to the first) where this purpose comes from is serious obedience in the same direction. We not only believe the God exists, but we take His Word seriously and we obey. We listen and we obey. We not only obey once, but we continually and ongoingly obey Jesus Christ and His teaching yesterday and today and tomorrow. We regularly invest in our spiritual lives in the power of the Holy Spirit.

You are sitting amongst a church that takes the Word of God seriously and obeys Jesus Christ on purpose. That is why we have the mission we have and we do much of what we do. Are we perfect people? No. Do we love Jesus? Yes. Do we seek to obey Jesus? Yes.

THREAD: The purpose of Cincinnati Christian Church is to “Help People Find and Follow Jesus.”

COMPLICATION

There is, however, a bit of a complication. Actually there is a lot of complications. The whole purpose of the church is not easy. The whole thing involves much work and uncomfortable conversations and prayer and hurt feelings and working against our culture and correcting misunderstandings and fighting against human nature and changing of hearts and hypocrisy and changing of the mind. Every single part of our purpose statement is difficult. It also involves positive life change and forgiveness and clean slates and God-given purpose and release from bonds and an anchor in the midst of storms and eternal life and soul-fulfillment. Complicated.