"Being a Church of Excellence" 2 Chronicles 7:14
Every church has a chance to be a church of excellence
Every person can be a person of excellence
This is a subject that has been discussed quite a bit in the last few years….the question is do we want to be a church of excellence?
I’ve heard people from all over the area, even those who don’t go to church tell me what a nice church we have here.
WE DO! But don’t we want more? Actually I don’t know how much of a compliment that is! I want to be part of more than just a nice church…I want to be part of the church I read about in the book of Acts where God was on the move.
The early church had a lot said about it, but never the accolade that it was nice church.
TODAY AS WE ARE AT THE START OF A NEW MILLENIUM, A NEW CENTURY AND A NEW YEAR I WANT US TO EXAMINE OURSELVES AND DECIDE IF WE WANT A CHURCH THAT IS REALLY MAKING A MAJOR IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITYAND THE WORLD FOR CHRIST
What do we want Gladeville UMC to look like and be?
Can we just coast along as we are….probably not….
Is change coming….you bet
Is it all good…probably not
Can it be good….absolutely!
I DO KNOW ONE THING….AS LONG AS GOD IS GOD CHANGE IS INEVITABLE…HE IS A GOD OF CHANGE…HE IS A CREATIVE GOD ALWAYS PUSHING US AND STRETCHING US AND CALLING US TO NEW AND WONDERFUL THINGS!
In the book of Revelation in the section Christ is speaking to seven churches in Asia Minor…he commands them, and then says if they don’t respond he would take the candle stick from their midst…interesting none of these churches exist today. WHY? THEY WERE DISOBEDIENT TO THE LORD AND WOULD NOT FOLLOW HIS LEAD
I SEE GOD CALLING US TO FOLLOW FIVE THINGS IN THE NEW YEAR….IF WE DO HE WILL BLESS US AND USE US TO THE FULL!
1. God is calling us in 2001 to be a Church of Prayer
We read this morning this passage from 2 Chronicles….2Chr. 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Do we qualify for this promise?
We are his people called by his name…but are we doing the rest?
Starting tonight…I am planning to have a concert of prayer every first Sunday night….the prayer chain will continue and I am hoping that we will expand our prayer ministries far beyond where we are today. PRAYER IS THE FOUNDATION FOR ALL MINISTRY AND THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
HOW IS YOUR PRAYER LIFE? Do you still just give God a shopping list and call it prayer? Do you really know all about prayer….I’ve been studying the subject for years and have just scratched the surface….Prayer is conversation with God…but it is so much more
2. GOD IS CALLING US TO A CHURCH OF MISSION
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
IT IS THE BUSINESS OF THE CHURCH TO BE IN MISSION
To be sure we support missions through our apportionments and have given to specific projects…but are we a church involved in mission?
We help with the Help Center in Lebanon
The Mary Chaffin Church in Lebanon
We supported ministries in Romania
We’ve had people go to Sagar Brown in Louisiana
We have some folks involved with Habitat for Humanity
But is this enough? I really don’t think we can do enough in this area…Be in prayer on how God can use us to reach the world around us.
BUT ALSO HOW WE CAN REACH OTHERS AROUND US…MISSIONS IS MORE THAN JUST DOING FOR OTHERS…IT IS SHARING JESUS SO THAT OTHERS MIGHT KNOW THE JOY WE HAVE FOUND IN HIM
MISSIONS ARE ALSO CONCERNED WITH EVANGELISM…TAKING CHRIST TO THE WORLD
How many have we lead to Christ?…Jesus told us He was sending the Holy Spirit to empower us to be witnesses of his
If we are not we need to examine ourselves and ask..
1) Am I truly saved…have I given my life to Christ?
2.)Do I really have the power of the Holy Spirit in my life so I will effect the lives of others
3.) Am I just refusing to answer the call on my life that Christ has placed on us?
LET’S BE IN PRAYER AS TO HOW GOD WISHES TO LEAD US IN MISSIONS TO THE WORLD AROUND US.
3.) GOD IS CALLING US TO BE A CHURCH OF PURPOSE
If I was to give a quiz today on what the purpose of the church…how many of us would pass?
So much of what we think the church is for is wrong.
A poll was taken a couple of years ago and the standard answer was that the church was here to serve it’s members.
WRONG! The church is here to serve those who aren’t yet members!…The church is not a club…it is a place where we are trained to do service in the world. It’s not a question of what can the church do for me…it’s "What can I do for others?"
The purpose of the church is "TO REACH, TO WIN, TO TRAIN AND TO SEND"….
WHERE DO YOU FIT IN ALL THAT? IN ALL OF IT!!!!
NO ONE IS EXEMPT…ALL ARE CALLED
There are so many needs in our community that we can meet…but we aren’t because we are having trouble finding folks willing to take on the tasks in the church
We need someone to take and run with our youth for example….we now need someone to take our Wednesday night meals on….we need someone to help organize Senior ministries, more people to help Rhonda with children and the list goes on….we need people to be in charge of the care of the kitchen….
I COULD GO ON AND ON AND ON WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING TO ANSWER THE CALL OF GOD AS A CHURCH
4.) GOD IS CALLING US TO BE A CHURCH OF GROWTH
Numerical and spiritually … I’ll share more on this as well as the other areas in the sermons coming up this month…
5.) GOD IS CALLING US TO BE A CHURCH OF VISION
Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish."
I know this can be very dangerous….people with vision are always struggling…I know that I can see where we are…and where we can be…people with vision are sometimes hard to live with…but are necessary if we are to follow God’s leading…..
A statesman once said, "Some people see things as they are and ask why, I dream thing that never were and ask why not?"
We have a group that is looking to see what the vision God has in mind for our church…some big ideas are there just waiting for the right people to come and bring them to life….
I have a vision of us passing that magical 200 attendance barrier
Of 2 services with the church full
Of ministries lead by people of vision and with the gifts and graces to carry them out
In 2001 God is calling us to be
1. A church of prayer
2. A church of mission
3. A church of purpose
4. A church of growth
5. A Church of vision
WILL YOU MAKE COVENANT WITH GOD TO THIS CALL FOR 2001?
