THESE THINGS WE HAVE
This morning I would like to draw on just part of one verse as the primary text for my message.
> Matthew 16:18 …I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. We have in this verse, a picture: a picture of 2 kingdoms. There is the kingdom of Satan, represented by the gates of Hell. We have another kingdom: the kingdom of God on earth, represented by the church.
In this verse we have another picture, a picture of a battle between these 2 kingdoms. In this verse Jesus says, “My Kingdom, My Church, will overcome.” There is nothing the Devil and his henchmen can do to stop the growth, and the expansion of God’s Kingdom.
Think of the many things the Devil sent against the 1st century church, to try and stop it. In Acts chapter 6, the Devil had Peter and the other apostles arrested an imprisoned, but God sent an angel to open their prison doors, and the next day they were preaching again.
In Acts chapter 7, the Devil sent dissention among the believers; over the way the widows were treated in the church. So, God had deacons appointed to help in the Lord’s work. Next we find persecution arising, and Stephen being stoned. So, Jesus turned Saul, that great persecutor, into a preacher.
Next we find confusion over whether or not Gentiles can be saved. Again God works by giving Peter a vision and telling him to go with the Gentiles. He preached to the Gentiles, and they were saved and included in the church.
Herod had James killed and Peter imprisoned, planning to kill him as well. That night, an angel opened Peter’s prison doors, and shortly thereafter, God killed Herod.
Move and counter move. The Devil attacks, and God whips him. Jesus says, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. Devil, send all you can, but I’ll whop you every time!”
Nothing the Devil sends against the church can stop it, but we can stop ourselves.
Almost 7 years ago, God gave a vision to a number of people in the Deltona area. He gave them a vision and a burden to start a new church. At the time, He also laid a burden on my heart to move back here to be a part of this new church.
Next Sunday, we will celebrate the 6-year anniversary of our first public worship services, held in this very room. At that time, the only space we had available to us was this one room. We’ve come a long way since those early days and there are many things we still don’t have, that we would like. We don’t yet have a building of our own, large enough for us to meet in on Sunday mornings. We don’t yet have the resources to have many of the ministries we would like. We don’t yet have a place where we can hold various classes and meetings during the week. But there are several things we have, God has provided, that I would like us to think about this morning.
THESE THINGS WE HAVE
1. We Have a Great God – We have a great God. We have a God Who is mightier, smarter, and more loving, than all of creation put together. John wrote in
>1 John 4:4, Great is He that is in you, than he that is ion the world.
We have a great God Who loves and protects us.
2. We Have a Great Mission – Jesus says, “Go into all the world and make disciples of every nation.” We have a vital mission, with a call on all of our lives. Jesus has given each of you, the job, the task of representing Him in the world. You are to be salt and light. You are His ambassadors, showing the world what your Savior is like.
My friends, we have a vital mission, a mission of utmost importance. You and I are to be reaching and teaching. We are start at home. Then we are to reach our neighborhoods. We are to reach our communities, our nation, and our world. The call of Christ is placed on each of us.
3. We have great blessings. Do you realize how God has blessed us since He started this church?
a. The school - I know of other new churches that would give their eyeteeth, to be able to meet in a place like this, and pay what we do for rent. We meet in a comfortable school, where we enjoy heating and air conditioning about 49 weeks out of the year.
Since we began meeting here, this school has had 4 or 5 different principals. Each of them has been willing to work with us to some extent or another. After 9/11, when many schools, out of fear, no longer allowed outsiders to meet on school grounds, the Lord protected us here. Several of the principals have allowed us the use of additional rooms that they have not charged us for, like the closet we store our stuff in, and the hallway we use as a nursery.
Let me tell you, that hallway, and the library we now rent, sure beats the early days when we had to set up tarps and pipes each week to divide this room into classes. God has given us great custodians to work with us. One joined our church and served here setting up for several years. One came and ministered to us each morning, before he went to serve at the church where he is now a leader. The current custodian helps us set up each Sunday morning, and bends over backwards, trying to help us in any way he can.
We are blessed with this school to meet in.
b. The church building – God has seen fit to bless us with the little church building down the road. Several years ago, God saw fit to give us the little church building down the road. He had the former pastor, sign that building over to us, just two weeks before he passed away.
We have had the opportunity to meet in that building for around 2 years now. The county is buying a right away off the front of that property, which has made it possible for us to hire a worship leader. We are still left with a valuable piece of property, sitting on what will become the new main-road coming into Deltona. While too small for us to use, when we eventually sell that property, it will go a long way in helping us construct a building of our own. Just this week, the pastor from a neighboring church called to inquire about buying that property from us.
c. The property – God has also seen fit to allow us to purchase a valuable piece of property, over 10 acres, on Garfield Road. We were able to purchase that property before land values in the area went through the roof. Think of the ministries we can run on that property. Think of the churches you know of, land-locked and stuck, that would love to have that kind of room.
We have been blessed in so many ways. We have a great place to meet, we have property to sell that will help us in the future, and we have property to build on and to minister from. We have great blessings. Forth, we have great people.
4. We have great people. Think of the people God has placed in this church. List some of the people. We have in this church, a man so convinced that serving here was God’s will, that even before I had moved here, he wrote and said, “Brother Gene, you are my pastor. Tell what I can do.” We have in this church, a man willing to come and set up sound equipment and repair that equipment, for 6 years now, missing only when he was out of town. While some churches have struggled to find one key boardest, the Lord has blessed us with three, one a former music teacher, and two we have been able to loan out to other churches and ministries when they were in need. He has blessed us with 2 who play by notes, and a third who plays largely by ear; so she can learn songs that we often don’t even have the music for.
We have people in this church, who regularly minister to the people up and down their street, and have brought several of them to church, while they’ve sought no recognition for doing what God has called them to do. We have in this church, one who so loves our youth that before becoming regularly employed, used to go and pray for our youth in front of the middle and high schools they attend.
We have one whose life so dramatically changed when the Lord got a hold of him a few years ago, that he has now gone back and led several of his co-workers to Christ. His boss was so convinced by the change he has seen, that when it came time for his ordination he said, “Even if no one else from our church comes to take part, I’ll be there.”
We have in this church a woman so burdened to learn the Bible, that when she was unable to find a mid-week ladies Bible study in our church, went out and joined an interdenominational one, and now teaches in that Bible study.
God has placed in this church, a former missionary, who so trusts God that even after a bout with cancer, and another scare, still testifies, “God is faithful.” God has placed in this church, one mission couple that was kidnapped and held by gorillas in South America, and yet after their eventual, miraculous release, continue to serve there. Other missionaries, so convinced of the call of God on their lives, that when one mission agency refused to support them, went out and raised their own support, served faithfully for more than 30 years, and has left as a legacy children and grandchildren who serve as missionaries today.
God has placed in this church, some of the most gifted children’s workers I have ever seen. Others who love children so much, that they have been willing to give up hearing my wonderful preaching, and willing to sacrifice fellowship with you for over 5 years, in order to teach in children’s church.
There are others, individuals, couples and whole families, who serve so faithfully, often behind the scenes, unnoticed and sometimes unappreciated, week after week, because of God’s call on their lives. When God gave us the property on Garfield, we had no equipment to maintain it. God sent a couple, that came with their own tractor, looking for a place to park it. This couple has been both willing to serve, and also willing to share.
Do you hear what I’m saying? We have in this church, people with prayer lives, and others with faith in God that would match about any I see in the saints in the Bible!
We have two men in this church, who are so gifted and in such high demand, that between the two of them have held about every job in the world except undertaker and orthopedic surgeon, and I’m afraid to ask about undertaker. Between them they can fix, wire, invent, or jury-rig, just about anything.
How many churches do you know of with their own chef? How many churches do you know of, with not one, but two nurses and two EMTs, to help people when they fall or pass out during a service? How many churches do you know of that have had their offering collected by an armed police officer?
There are those in this church, who have invited most of the people on their street to church. Some, invite and witness to nearly everyone they meet. There are those who have run routes, bringing a vanload of children with them each week.
Dear friends, think of the team God has placed you on! Think of the talent, faithfulness, and godliness He has gathered within this church!
In the book of Revelation, when Jesus addressed the seven churches, it wasn’t Satan overcoming them that was the concern. The problem in those churches was that they fell out of love with Jesus, they fell out of love with each other, or that they simply took their eyes off their calling, became focused on themselves, and quit; for Jesus promises, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not stop it, shall not overcome it, shall not prevail against it.”
The devil says, “Whatever you don’t have, whatever irritates, whoever disappoints, whatever is uncomfortable, whatever is missing, think on these things.” God says,
> Philippians 4:8 … whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable-if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise-think on these things.
Get your eyes off your “DON’T HAVES” and start looking at your “DO HAVES.”
We have a great God. We have a great mission. We have great blessings. We have great people, and we have a great example.
5. We have a great example.
- Luke 22:24-27
On the night of the first Lord’s Supper, Jesus said this to His disciples, as He washed their feet. Jesus. He Who left the glories of heaven for us. Jesus, Who paid a terrible price for our salvation; Jesus, the Creator of the universe; this Jesus, washed the disciples feet. And He said, “The greatest among you will serve the others.” He didn’t say, “The greatest will rule the others.” He didn’t say, “The greatest will get all of the recognition.” He didn’t say, “The greatest will be waited on.” He said, “The greatest among you will serve the others.”
Then after He had broken the bread, and served the cup He said, “This do, as oft as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Dear friend, as we prepare to share this memorial meal together, let’s remember how God has blessed us. Let’s remember how God has called us, and let’s remember the example He has left us.”
I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.
