Building Blocks

BUILDING BLOCKS

ACTS 6:1-7

Disclaimer: This sermon was gleaned from sources from sermon central and private study

INTRO-

THERE IS A BOOK CALLED “WHAT’S A PASTOR TO DO” - IT COVERS THINGS THAT ARE DIFFICULT IN MINISTRY. (ONLY 140 PAGES) IT DIDN’T COVER EVERYTHING.

1. PEOPLE WHO HAVE PERSONAL AGENDAS

2. PASTORAL HEALTH

3. PASTORAL IDENTITY

4. PASTORAL INTEGRITY

I THOUGHT ABOUT THE BOOK AFTER READING...IT TELLS ME WHO TO WATCH OUT FOR AS A PASTOR. IT TELLS ME WHAT TO DO TO MAINTAIN INTEGRITY, HEALTH, AND IDENTITY.

WE HAVE A BOOK LIKE THAT GIVEN TO US BY GOD ALMIGHTY...AND IT IS CALLED THE BIBLE.

SO MANY PEOPLE SEARCH FOR SIGNIFICANCE, DIRECTION, THE WILL FOR THEIR LIFE...ANSWERS FOR THEIR QUESTIONS THEY NEED ANSWERED. THE BIBLE GIVES US THOSE ANSWERS AND FOR MOST , THEY DON’T EVEN CONSIDER IT.

GOD IS THE LAST RESORT LIKE CALLING THE AAA DRIVER WHEN YOU HAVE A BREAK DOWN.

80 % OF ALL PEOPLE IN THE U.S. CLAIM TO BE CHRISTIANS

WE KNOW THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE-THEIR LIVES TELL US DIFFERENT

60% OF ALL AMERICANS ATTEND CHURCH AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH

12% OF AMERICANS READ THEIR BIBLE

23% NEVER READ THEIR BIBLE

25% OF CHURCH MEMBERS NEVER PRAY

60 % NEVER GIVE TO MISSIONS

70% NEVER ASSUME RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE CHURCH

85 % NEVER INVITE ANYONE TO CHURCH

95% NEVER WIN ANYONE TO CHRIST

STATISTICS TELL US THAT WE NEED A SERVANTS HEART IN THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST...AND WE NEED TO CHOOSE WHAT SIDE OF THE FENCE WE ARE ON

WE ARE BEING BLESSED AS A CHURCH RIGHT NOW. WE ARE EXPERIENCING SOME NEW LIFE.

THE VINE HAS NEW LIFE. WE ARE SEEING FRUIT FROM OUR LABOR.

WE HAVE A GREAT EXPECTATION OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE SERVICE.

THOUGHT- IF THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS FOR THE CHURCH UNIVERSAL IS WINNING SOULS AND THEN DISCIPLING THEM INTO MATURE CHRISTIANS, THEN THE PRESENT DAY CHURCH IS IN TROUBLE.

85% NEVER INVITING PEOPLE TO CHURCH

95% NEVER WINNING A SOUL FOR JESUS

25% NEVER PRAY

THAT’S NOT PASTORAL STUFF...THAT IS BELIEVER’S STUFF. THINGS TOLD THE BELIEVER THAT HE/SHE NEEDS TO BE DOING

IF WE ARE TO CONTINUE TO SEE GOD MOVE, WE NEED TO BE THE EXCEPTION TO THE STATISTICS I JUST READ.

IF WE ARE GOING TO BE THE CHURCH UNDER CONSTRUCTION..”WHICH IS OKAY”

“WE DON’T MIND POTHOLES BEING FIXED, BUT THE ROAD CANNOT BE CLOSED FOR YEARS TO DO IT”

THE EARLY CHURCH FACED THE SAME PROBLEMS WE FACE AND THE LORD IN HIS WORD GIVES US SOME EXAMPLES TO FOLLOW.

READ ACTS 6:1-7

THE CHURCH OF TEN CANNOT THINK LIKE A CHURCH OF TEN IF THEY WANT TO GROW.

THE CHURCH IS NOT ABOUT WHO IS IN THE CHURCH, IT IS ABOUT THOSE OUTSIDE OF THE CHURCH YOU WANT TO REACH.

THE CHURCH NURTURES THOSE IN THE CHURCH AND GOES AFTER OTHERS WITH THE MENTALITY OF LIFE SAVING....THROWING A LIFE PRESERVER TO THOSE THAT ARE DROWNING.

THROUGHOUT HISTORY, WHENEVER GOD HAS NEEDED SOMEONE TO INITIATE, ORGANIZE, AND CARRY OUT AN IMPORTANT PROJECT, HE HAS CALLED A LEADER.

LEADERS ARE GOD’S SERVANTS, EQUIPPED BY HIM TO FULFILL A SPECIFIC PURPOSE.

THE BIBLE SHOWS US GOOD ONES, BAD ONES ...AND WE HAVE SEEN SOME GOOD ONES AND BAD ONES IN OUR LIFE.

I AM NOT ONLY TALKING ABOUT BOARD MEMBERS AND THOSE IN LEADERSHIP.

EVERYONE ON OUR BOARD HAS A RESPONSIBILITY, EVERYONE HAS A SPECIFIC JOB TO DO. “NOBODY JUST GOVERNS THE KINGDOM’

THEY ALL KNOW THAT THEIR FEET WOULD BE HELD TO THE FIRE IF NEED BE.

I AM TALKING ABOUT THE ASSIGNMENT OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE CALLED OUT TO BE THE HELP MATES OF THE CHURCH.

THE HELPERS, THE COMPASSIONATE MINISTRY PEOPLE, THE BEHIND THE SCENES PEOPLE,

THE PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT GOD HAD NO JOB IN THE KINGDOM FOR THEM.

THIS PASSAGE IS ABOUT THE FIRST CHURCH BOARD, ABOUT GETTING THE PEOPLE MOVING.

THEY BUILT THE CHURCH AND UNDERSTOOD THAT ALL OF US PLAY A PART IN THE KINGDOM AND THE WORK OF THE CHURCH.

WE NEED BORN LEADERS, THERE IS NO SUCH THING WE MAKE MISTAKES, WE LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES, AND WE MOVE FORWARD.

THE CHURCH WENT THROUGH A GROWTH PROCESS, IT WAS FIRST THE TWELVE, THEY HUNG OUT, THEY FEED OFF OF WHAT JESUS WAS GIVING THEM.

THE GOSPEL WOULD NEVER GET PREACHED, THE SPIRITUAL MATURITY WOULD NEVER HAVE GROWN, AND OTHERS WOULD NOT HAVE COME INTO THE SAVING KNOWLEDGE IF IT WOULD OF REMAINED THE ORIGINAL GROUP.

OH PASTOR..ARE YOU TELLING ME I HAVE TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT JESUS YES

ARE YOU TELLING ME WE HAVE TO OPEN OUR ARMS TO MORE THAN THE ORIGINAL GROUP...YES

ARE YOU TELLING ME I HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE MY TALENTS FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD...YES

ARE YOU SAYING IT IS NOT ABOUT ME, IT IS ABOUT THOSE OUTSIDE OF THESE WALLS...YES