It’s A Different Day
3/5/2000 Genesis 12:1-6 Ephesians 6:10-18
Toby
What is it about God, that God is always planning, always loving, and always seeking to do a new work in the lives of His people and His church? What causes the Lord to look into the future and place wonderful opportunities in our paths or to close doors that would lead us to disaster? What is about God that He would rather work slowly through His people rather than simply speaking the word and making it so? God delights in the growth and spiritual maturity of His people.
RICK
It was eleven years ago, that God placed us together with this congregation and issued a call upon our lives as a body. As we look into the Scriptures, we discover that when God called Abraham, Abraham was not anybody special. He had not done anything great in the eyes of anybody. There’s nothing in the Bible to indicate he was super spiritual. He was not wealthy, he did not have any great faith about him. He was 75 years old and the prime of life had seemed to pass him by.
The one thing that made Abraham stick out, was when God issued a call upon his life, Abraham responded. It was a new day for his life. But he could not begin the new day of living, without letting the old days pass away. God began His call to Abraham with the word "leave." God said "leave your country, leave your friends and relatives, and leave your family’s house that you grew up in and go the place I will show you."
Toby
God then gave Abraham six promises. "I will make you into a great nation. (2) I will bless you, (3) I will make you name great and you will be a blessing, (4) I will bless those who bless you (5) I will curse those who curse you ( 6) all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. Now from the beginning what God was telling Abraham, seemed a little unbelievable. How could God make him a great nation, when at age 75 he did not have child the first?
Toby & Rick
When Abraham went and shared this good news with others, they did not think he had it altogether. They asked, "Well where are you going?" I don’t know yet, but I’m leaving here. How are you going to have children at your age? I’m not sure but God told me it would happen? How in the world can all the people of the world be blessed through you, you cannot possibly speak everybody’s language and TV has not even been invented yet.? Look, God told me it was going to happen. I know that I will not be what I use to be any longer. Today is a different day from yesterday, and it will never be the same again.
RICK
When God called us as a church with a new calling 11 years ago, the call and promises He made to Abraham, were promises He made to us because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 11 years ago, some people had our church in intensive care, thinking that when the life-support plug was pulled, we would have a peaceful death. But they did understand the power of being resuscitated by receiving and responding to the call of God. You see it does not matter if others have written you off, when you say yes to Jesus, you discover yesterday does not matter, because whenever Christ comes in, it’s a different day.
Toby
The church which many had given up on was being called by God to demonstrate to the entire Presbyterian denomination, that God was not through working in Presbyterian churches. Whereas many inner city churches are closing, by responding to the call of God to leave what was behind us and journey into another place, we have discovered the blessing and the love of God in ways we could not have imagined.
RICK
What were some of the things we had to leave behind us. We left behind us the idea that God could only be present in church for 59 minutes. That was then, but today is a different day. We have discovered that the Spirit Of God can stay in church up to two and half hours for some services. We have left behind us the idea that it’s the pastor’s job to do the work of the ministry. That was then, but today is a different day.
We are equipping everybody to know the bridge illustration of leading people to Christ, because if we do not know the bridge illustration, how can we even begin to fulfill our purpose which is to bring people into a right relationship with God. The ministry is to be done by all those who know Jesus Christ, and everybody is being equipped to do something.
Toby
We left behind us the outdated method of giving to God "whatever we felt like giving," which was not that much to begin with. We have discovered there are kids to be reached, homes to be restored, people who are dying without Christ, and Christians who need to grow in the truth of God’s word. As a result our giving is rising to becoming tithers and going beyond giving 10% by supporting the needs of the saints with our special offerings. Every now and then, some of us just bless the church with a special love offering and say, "use this wherever it will do the most good."
RICK
When God told Abraham, I will bless those who bless you, think of how many of you who blessed the church in your giving, are now blessed yourselves with education, with money, with spiritual growth, with hope, and with your family. Simply by looking at the giving patterns of the people, you know that it’s a different day in Glenville.
We now receive more tithes and offerings for ministry on the first Sunday of the month, than we did in an entire month 11 years ago. Even this 11th year is a year of blessing that we have not seen before in that in January and February we ended the month in the black. There was a time when these were two of our bleakest months because all our money had gone to pay those Christmas bills.
Toby
God told us to leave behind, our ways of thinking about learning His word. 11 years ago, many of us figured a Sunday sermon was all we needed to grow in our knowledge of God’s word, even though we had forgotten the message by Monday morning. We believe there were about 15 people present in the first Bible Study class and the pastors led the teaching. Today we have a hunger for the word of God because we know, just a sermon on Sunday just won’t get it for the hungry heart. Some of us get a copy of that sermon to listen to it on tape only to be blessed by it again, because we discover something we missed the first time around.
RICK
Bible study is no longer taught just by the pastors. There are 8 lay pastors, and four other people leading bible study groups. We’re studying the Scriptures at Singles Meetings, Men Who Excel Meeting, and Marriage Sensation classes. Lifesharing and Pioneers attendance His reached over a 100 people for 3 consecutive weeks. You can get a teaching from God’s word either in person, on the radio, or on the TV everyday of the week except Monday. It is a different day at Glenville New Life Community Church than what it was 11 years ago.
Toby
God told us to leave behind out limitations on allowing His people to worship. There was nothing wrong with worshipping God in the manner we were, but there were other expressions of worship which needed to be included. 11 years ago we sang only hymns in the service and there were two choirs. The Gospel Gems & The Chancel choir, with two very distinct sounds. There was not a children’s choir and there were no praise songs being sung.
But today, we have discovered all music belongs to God, and we need to get use to everybody’s music. God has not ordained one style of music higher than another. As long as the music glorifies and lift up the name of Jesus, then it ought to be okay with us.
Today, how many of you have been blessed by praise and worship choruses? How many have been blessed by the Angelic Voices, The Praise Choir, The Women’s Choir, The Men’s Choir, and God’s Chosen Generation? Sometimes we think God sent Dave to remind us that God even enjoys listening to country western gospel every now and then.
RICK
God has shown us that even Presbyterians can dance to His honor and glory. Most of us can at least move from side to side. Some of us know how to truly get down when singing, "When the Spirit Of The Lord comes upon my heart." The youth and adult liturgical dancers take worshipping God in dance to a whole new level. In each of these ministries of music and dance, people are being equipped to do ministry with the talents and abilities God has blessed them to have. It’s a different day at our church.
Toby
God called us to leave the notion of spectator worship to be active in worship. 11 years ago, the lone amen voice and well came from Oenver Milan. Today, you can’t keep up with all the people willing to say amen. When something good is said in a sermon, we even burst out in applause for God.
Whoever thought, we would have to tell you to please stay seated while the choirs were singing so that we can get a clear shot with the cameras. We have people of all ages participating in the Scripture readings and responsive reading. All ages are ushers serving the Lord.
RICK
Anybody can give a shout when they want to give a shout, and if you don’t move a little bit doing some of the praises of choruses, its your own fault. Sure we know how to worship the Lord in peace and silence as we do in singing Anointing Fall On Me, but we also know how to worship the Lord with exuberance as in I Can’t Stop praising His Name.
People come in here wanting to say we’re Baptist or Pentecostals. Know we’re not. We’re Presbyterians who know how to worship the Lord in Spirit and Truth. It’s the same church, but it’s a different day.
Toby
God called us to leave our survival mode mentality and go on the offensive to take care of the needs of others. When saints had needs 11 years ago, we were able to help you out a little bit with the deacons fund. But today we are going on the offensive to be ready to do even more. The Deacons help more people today than ever before. But the Men’s Organization has come alongside of them to help out with the Children. Married couples and some singles rose to the challenge of starting the Single Parent Fund.
RICK
Session in its wisdom has been setting aside money to keep members from having to decide between eating or buying their prescription money. We have enlarged our vision to help others, by the two cents a meal fund and the orphanage in Africa that we support. Kids on another continent are being ministered to, because we did not limit ourselves to our own survival.
Toby
People in other nations are already being blessed through our response to the call of God, just as God promised Abraham. Our purpose statement requires that we become a loving and caring community. Our generosity in our giving to others in their time of need is just one way in which we are making this goal true for us.
RICK
God called us to leave behind the notion, that we were too small as church to impact those outside of our walls. 11 years ago, our evangelism outreach consisted of our church bulletin, and word of mouth by a few members. In the book of Acts, Jesus said, "when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth."
Toby
We witnessed to those in Jerusalem, by getting our family members back into church and our close friends. We moved to Judea by sending out our church newspaper the New Life Times into the homes of the people in Glenville. We’ve gone into Samaria by using our radio broadcast another perspective. We’re making our presence felt in Samaria in an even great way by launching our TV ministry.
RICK
A few years ago, when we use to see the Mormon TV commercials, we use to say to each other, why can’t our denomination do commercials like that. Little did we know that in our 11th year, we as a church would be doing our own TV commercials on cable TV starting in April that are just as good, only they lead people to the true Christ. . You can have a part in this historic event by sponsoring a commercial for just $17.
Who knows in another 5 years we may be launching a TV satellite ministry taking the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. When you look at where our evangelism outreach was, and where it is today, you have to say "It’s a Different Day."
Toby
God is calling us in this eleventh year to pursue a cause that will make our name great and we will be a blessing. That call is to build our New Life Center. As a people, we have the ability to unite and accomplish anything we want to accomplish. With God, all kinds of things become possible as God has demonstrated to us these past eleven years.
God has laid before us, the challenge to rise and to build a place in which the soul, the body, and the spirit can be blessed. It will be known as the New Life Center. This is the means and the method the Lord is going to use for us to continue His calling into the 21st century of ministry.
Rick
It will be built by God’s people, for God’s people to make a difference in the lives of those who still do not know the love of God.
The New Life Center will be a place where we young people can meet Jesus and take him on the court with them in their competition. It will be a place to expand our cheerleader ministry into drill teams. It will be a place where from 7 to 8 we’re in the gospel of John studying the word, but from 8 to 8:45, we’re doing an aerobics class or weightlifting because the Bible does say, bodily exercise profits some. It will be a place where we can do drama and art as a way to reach others with the message of Christ.
Toby
It will be a place where we will celebrate with dinners and banquets the things God has done in and through our lives as a church as well as in our families. It will be a place where we can provide work site jobs for Senior Citizens. It will be a place where we can expand our Summer Outreach Program.
RICK
It will be a place for us to have family recreation time together. Sometimes out there playing volleyball. Other times cheering on our youth in a Christian League. It will be a place to offer alternatives to our young people for what can be done in the evening. It will be a place for us to worship when we need to build a new sanctuary for the coming growth we are now experiencing. The possibilities for how God will use the New Life Center to impact your life and your family are limited only by your own vision It’s Different Day at Glenville when it comes to dreaming dreams for God and getting a vision.
Toby
All of this is a dream unless we commit ourselves to the same kind of determination that Abraham had when he made the decision to leave behind what he once knew, it order to receive the blessing from God. We are all going to have to take some financial steps of faith that we have not taken before.
If we are faithful in giving as we go along, we will all do far more than we thought we could. Each week, think of someway you can save something and put it in the New Life Fund. It may be a little and a may be a lot. But together we are going to build it to the Glory of God.
RICK
The greatest thing which has happened to us as a church in the past 11 years is that many of you have come to know the love of Christ in a way that it has changed your life. This is what we are all about as a Church. Our goal is to help people understand the call of God upon their lives, and teach them how to live for God. Because when we live for God, we benefit and all those who come into contact with us benefit as well.
By us working together as congregation and pastors, God has done above and beyond what we thought might be possible. By all of us doing what God called us to do as individuals, our church has risen as a testimony to the power of Jesus Christ to turn around any group people who are willing to say yes to the will of God. Saints thank God that at the end of 11 years, we can say "It’s A Different Day" for God’s people.
