Our Strategy
Proverbs 14:15, 16:3, 9
Stanley Tippet tells of visiting with two young men from Nagaland, a northeastern region of India. God had moved in a mighty way in the region sending revival to the area. Almost the entire population of the region had come to faith in Christ and as a result, the churches were filled with praise and adoration to God and fervent prayer. He asked two young Christian leaders what they thought the difference was between the churches in Nagaland and the churches in the West. They replied: "The churches in the West have an agenda and they ask God to bless it. In Nagaland, we ask God to establish the agenda" and then they allow God to develop the strategy to fulfill it. That is what we have done. Gretna UMC sought God’s unique vision for this church and committed to it. But a vision is just a picture of what could be unless there is a way to accomplish it. Our Scripture today tells us that we are to be intentional about our plans for God’s work and that we are to let God set his plans or strategy for us. This is what we’ve done and so today we’re going make to talk about God’s strategy for our church to fulfill His vision for us of “Connecting diverse communities to a lifestyle devoted to Jesus.”
The first step in our strategy is celebrate which is worship. There are two reasons for this. First, we’re created and wired for worship. It’s what you and I were made to do. If a person chooses not to give God the worship of their life, they’ll still end up worshiping someone or something else. It could be power, authority, money, position or material belongings. But God said, “You shall have no other gods before me…” Exodus 20 The second reason worship is our first step in our strategy is that for many people, worship is their very first encounter with our church. This is why worship is so important because we want to give God our very best (he deserves it doesn’t he?) and we want to make the very best impression and impact with out worship in proclaiming the Gospel. And it’s why we invest so much time and effort in creating a worship experience that connects people to God, proclaims the Gospel, and invites people to give themselves to God.
We need to be very clear: worship is not about us. It’s not about our needs or our desires or even our preferences. Worship is a time we focus on God, give ourselves to Him and be reminded who God is and that He alone is worthy of our worship. And that’s why worship is such an important part of our strategy because each of us needs to be regularly reminded who God is because if we don’t, we begin to think that life is about us. And just as important, worship is our opportunity to introduce God to non-believers, to seekers and to the unchurched with the goal of ultimately leading them. True worship ultimately leads to giving of our entire being and life to God. This is why Paul says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers (and sisters), in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.” Rom. 12:1 True worship will always result in a response, not just in the worship experience but also when we leave the service and go to serve into the world.
The second step in our strategy is Discover. At the heart of Christianity is the invitation to discover something new. God wants each of us not only to know him but to discover life in Him and the body of Christ at its fullest. Many believers today are fuzzy about what it means to be a follower of Jesus or to be a member of a church. They have limited it to attending worship, being a good person and making an offering of what they think they can afford. In addition, most have never been a part of a multiethnic congregation and its unique challenges. We can’t just open our doors and expect that people of different backgrounds, cultures and life experiences will know how to be a follower of Jesus in such a unique community of faith. That’s why the second step of our strategy is “Discover” and is our Membership Class so that new people joining us can know and understand God’s unique vision for our church, our values, our strategy, the expectations and commitments of being a member and our beliefs and practices of the faith, all within a multi-ethnic congregation.
The third step in our strategy is to Grow. No matter where you are on the spiritual journey: a child in the faith, a teenager or an adult, God calls us to spiritual growth and maturity. Your spiritual growth is critical to accomplishing our vision. If you grow spiritually, the church will grow too. But if you don’t, then neither will the church. Put another way, the growth of this church is dependent on your spiritual growth. Every Christ follower must be intentional about growing in relationship to others and God. We as the church want to offer spiritual experiences to enhance your spiritual growth but also to equip you for individual, personal spiritual growth.
As Methodists, the keys to spiritual growth are the Means of Grace: individual prayer and Scripture reading, weekly worship, communion and small group Bible study and fifth is fasting. I want to focus on one Means of Grace for just a moment and that’s small groups. God wants us to live in community with other people – but he especially wants us to live in community with other believers. Colossians 3:13 says, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. And 1 Thessalonians 5:11 ”Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” And he has given us a blueprint to do that: Jesus and the disciples. So at the heart of being a Methodist is a commitment to share life together and study God’s word in small groups. Worship is great for experiencing God’s presence and hearing the word of God taught – but it alone does not produce spiritual growth. And there is zero accountability for putting into action the things you are taught. Wesley understand that accountabilitiy was critical for forward spiritual progress in individual lives. That’s what happens in small groups. We hold each other accountable for the faith we profess. Small groups provide a place to develop new friendships, to find answers to your questions, to serve others’ needs and to be ministered to and to encouraged and be encouraged. God wants to change, transform and renew the world in which you live. But that transformation starts within us. That’s why we first must be growing as we engage the world around us.
Our fourth strategy is Engage. A Christian who is not engaging others in service is like a person who gets in their car, starts it but never puts it in gear to drive. James 1:22 says, “be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” Acts of service deepen our understanding of and relationship to God and one another. Methodists call these Works of Mercy because they are ministry to those most in need. Jesus didn’t die on the cross so that we could sit around, soak up inspiration and then do nothing. God saved you so that through you could engage the diverse communities around us with the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word, service and deed. Galatians 5:13 says that we should “through love, serve one another.” Part of engaging is finding a need and meeting it. Another key is discovering your spiritual gifts and your passion. Spiritual gifts are special abilities distributed by the Holy Spirit to be used for the ministry and purposes of God so that each of us can make our own unique contribution in the name of Christ to glorify God, proclaim the Good News and build His kingdom. Your passion is your God-given desire of the heart to make a difference somewhere.
All of us are called to serve. How many houses are built using only a hammer? None! How many symphonies are played using only one instrument? None! How many churches are built by one or two gifted individuals? The answer is none! God has made the church "one body with many members" with each member having a different and vital function through their gifts. An individual Christian can’t do God’s work alone but must operate as a member of the team to which they belong. It’s not just about serving in the church, it’s about building the kingdom of God here on earth and serving in the community to the transformation of the world!
The last step in our strategy is living a Connecting lifestyle. Jesus was all about connecting people to God. Jesus connected the 12 disciples. He connected with the sick when he healed them. He connected with tax collectors when he ate with them. He with Gentiles when they came to Him. He connected with sinners when he forgave them. Wherever Jesus went, he connected to the people around him so that they then might be connected to God. As we follow the example of Jesus, we too are to live connecting lifestyles. This is why our mission is “Connecting diverse communities to a lifestyle devoted to Jesus.” Who are we to connect with and influence for Christ. God calls us first to impact our oikos. God has given each of us our own little niche of humanity to influence for Christ. Your oikos is the 8 and 15 people God has strategically placed in your life and He wants you to reach them for Christ! God calls you to be someone who actively encourages people in your relational world (their oikos) to become Christ-followers.
You are either living a me-focused or other focused. We are called to be someone who actively encourages people in their relational world (their oikos) to become Christ-followers. You have three types of people: The first is Non believers or better yet, pre-believers. Your role, for them, is connector, seeking to connect them to Christ. Second is inactive Believers who, for whatever reason, have become distracted and aren’t presently attending church. Your role is encourager, to help them get back on track and pick up where they left off, only now with you as their biggest cheerleader. Third are active Believers who are involved in church and are intentional about their walk with Christ. Your role in their lives is catalyst to encourage them to keep moving forward in their faith.
You are called to change the world. That might sound like an overwhelming task for any believer to take on. And it is! That’s why God hasn’t asked you to do it. While some (a few) may be called to do something with a global impact, most of us won’t be. But that doesn’t mean what God calls us to do is any less important. God has given each of us our own little niche of humanity, 8 to 15 people strategically placed in our relational world. To influence them for Christ. There is no guarantee that changing your world will be easy. In fact, Jesus’ example proves that it won’t be. That’s because the world contains tough people, living in a tough culture and we’re called to a tough practice- to love unconditionally, even the unlovable. But as we have been loved, so we must love others. We do so because we follow in the footsteps of the one who crossed the universe to connect us to God our Creator and Jesus, our Savior.
So how about you? Where are you on the journey of faith and what part of our strategy of making mature disciples of Jesus Christ do you need to focus on? If you’re not growing, then you’re dying. And if you keep doing the same things you have been, you can expect the same results. The future of this church and its impact on the world is in your hands. We will only be as strong as our weakest link and we will only go as far as you are on the journey of faith. Amen.
