Subject: Christian Basics
Scripture: Matthew 22.37-40; Matthew 28.18-20
Sermon: This is a Bible
Scope: This sermon should challenge every Christian to focus on the basic principles of our Christian purpose.
Summary: God has called every Christian to the same basic purpose.
Segue: With in these pages we find the 7 fold function of the church of Jesus Christ.
Introduction: There is a story circulated about the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi As many of you know Vince Lombardi strove for excellence on and off of the field. He demanded it of himself and of his players. Well as the story goes during his last season as head coach of the Packers Lombardi and his Packers suffered a rare humiliating defeat on the football field. “Certainly those who worked for and around him knew the game of football. But, on this day, realizing that many of his players had lost their focus Vince Lombardi faced a difficult challenge; of where to begin after yesterday’s humiliating defeat. Realizing that may of his players had lost their focus; he wanted to help them understand the significance of their situation. But, what do you say to professional. There was very little he could say to his team that hadn’t already been said. There were few aspects of the game that they had not practiced and analyzed extensively. These men were professionals. They knew that their performance on the field yesterday had been atrocious. They know their performance bore no resemblance to their game plan. They were angry, frustrated, and disappointed, to say the least. In his remarkable manner Lombardi met the challenge head-on. Picking up the familiar oblong, leather ball, he went directly to the heart of the matter. In a deliberate manner he brought everyone’s attention back to eh basics with five simple words; “Men, this is a football!”
The challenge before us is similar to that of Lombardi’s. In the church today there are few matters we haven’t studied and discussed extensively. There is little to be said that will not sound familiar. Yet, there is much room for us to grow in our effectiveness at carrying on the ministry of Christ (Spader and Mayes, Growing A healthy Church, Moody Press, Chicago, p. 13)”
I don’t know about you but I have fallen into a rut in my service to the Lord. I don’t know about you but I have lost some of the intensity and passion for accomplishing the mission to which I have been called. My sight needs to be realigned. My intensity needs to be rekindled. How can this be accomplished. I think sometimes we just need to start at the beginning. So, if you don’t mind I would like to modify the word of the great Vince Lombardi. I would like to start out by saying to you this morning, “Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a Bible.” With in the pages of this book you will find help for your need, hope for your despair, and healing for your pain. With in the pages of this book you will find your reason for living. Within the pages of this book, we will find the 7 fold function of the Church of Jesus Christ. Let’s begin.
I. Magnification (Mat. 22.37).
II. Meditation (Joshua 1.8).
III. Membership (Mt. 28.19).
IV. Maturity (Mt. 28.20).
V. Ministry (Mt. 22.39).
VI. Missions (Mt. 28.19).
VII. Management (1 Cor. 14.40).
Conclusion: Listen Church God has given us a mandate. He has given us a purpose; and a mission. We have codified this mission in our bulletins so that we can constantly be reminded of it. Would you read it with me? There is no room here for “hot dogs". Each of us has a part to play on this team. We must come together as a team and organize ourselves around our god given game plan so that we can accomplish our mission for the kingdom of God.
