Ten Marks of a Prevailing Church
Mark #2: Uncommon Commitment
July 1, 2001
Intro:
A. [A Flag of Rags, Citation: John McCain. From the files of Leadership.]
In the final years of our imprisonment, the North Vietnamese moved us from small cells with one or two prisoners to large rooms with as many as 30-40 men to a room.
We preferred this situation for the companionship and strength we could draw from our fellow prisoners.
In addition to moving us to new quarters, our captors also let us receive packages and letters from home.
Many men received word from their families for the first time in several years.
The improved conditions were a result of public pressure put on the North Vietnamese by the American public.
In our cell was one Navy officer, Lt. Commander Mike Christian.
Over a period of time Mike had gathered bits and pieces of red and white cloth from various packages.
Using a piece of bamboo he had fashioned into a needle, Mike sewed a United States flag on the inside of his shirt, one of the blue pajama tops we all wore.
Every night in our cell, Mike would put his shirt on the wall, and we would say the pledge of allegiance.
I know that the pledge of allegiance may not be the most important aspect of our day now, but I can tell you that at the time it was the most important aspect of our lives.
This had been going on for some time until one of the guards came in as we were reciting our pledge.
They ripped the flag off the wall and dragged Mike out.
He was beaten for several hours and then thrown back into the cell.
Later that night, as we were settling down to sleep on the concrete slabs that were our beds, I looked over to the spot where the guards had thrown Mike.
There, under the solitary light bulb hanging from the ceiling, I saw Mike.
Still bloody and his face swollen beyond recognition, Mike was gathering bits and pieces of cloth together.
He was sewing a new American flag.
B. There are many who gave their lives in service to this country who had an uncommon commitment.
1. There have been countless men and women in many different conflicts and wars that had an uncommon kind of commitment in order for us to enjoy the freedoms that we enjoy in this country.
2. There are countless numbers who displayed an uncommon kind of commitment so that others in the world (outside the US) could be free as well.
3. Our country has a history of people who displayed uncommon allegiance and commitment to the cause of freedom.
C. But there is another freedom that demands a much higher commitment than the commitment to the cause of physical and political freedom.
1. That freedom is the freedom from the bondage to sin.
2. That freedom gives us the hope of eternal life.
3. There is a country that demands a much higher commitment than the commitment to the USA.
4. That country is heaven.
D. But sadly, our veterans (in many cases) have displayed much greater commitment to the USA than Christians have to the Kingdom of God.
1. Sadly, Christians get far too comfortable and are so easily distracted from having an uncommon commitment to the cause of Christ.
2. But if a church is going to be a church that prevails against the gates of hell, it must be made up of people who have an uncommon commitment to the cause of Christ!
3. So today I want to ask us to focus in on three areas where we need to see this kind of commitment in order for Somerset to be a prevailing church; first…
I. Commitment to Worship
A. What worship is…
Romans 12:1, Therefore, I urge you, brothers, 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.
1. Worship means to ascribe worth; to tell how much someone is worth.
2. Paul says here in Romans that worship is how we live our lives, seven days a week.
3. Paul says that we are living our lives should be our spiritual act of worship.
4. Well if what we do here in on Sunday mornings is worship, then how can the way we live our lives be worship?
5. Because the way we live our lives is a choice: do we live it to ascribe worth to ourselves or to ascribe worth to God?
6. Are we living our lives to please God or ourselves?
7. Are we living our lives to please God or someone else?
8. Prevailing churches consist of people who live their lives (seven days a week) to ascribe worth to God!
9. They live their lives in such a way as to sacrifice what they want, to sacrifice their comfort in order to ascribe worth to God.
10. That means we are obedient to God seven days a week.
11. That means we are serving others during the week.
12. That means that we aren’t looking out for our own pleasure and comfort, but we’re looking out for how we can serve God and serve others.
13. Prevailing churches consist of people who know that not living their lives in order to ascribe worth to God is just playing games and just playing church.
14. Prevailing churches consist of people who seriously want to tell God how much they love Him by the way they live their lives.
15. Prevailing churches consist of people who live their lives during the week to ascribe worth to God—that is worship!
B. Worship privately.
Matthew 6:6, But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
1. Now living our lives in service to God and being obedient to Him is worship, but there also must be time when we tell God how much He is worth to us privately.
2. There must be times when we are alone with God.
3. There must be times when we seek to worship God privately.
4. So many people say, "I can worship God under a tree."
5. Good! How often do you do that?
6. The question is not, "CAN I worship God under the tree?" the question is really, "DO I worship God under the tree?"
7. DO I worship God alone in my closet? DO I worship God alone in my bedroom?
8. DO I tell God in private how much He is worth to me?
9. Prevailing churches consist of people who spend time alone with God telling Him how much He means to them!
10. Prevailing churches consist of people who spend time alone with God getting direction from His Word about how to take a stand against the Devil’s schemes in their lives.
11. Prevailing churches consist of people who spend time praying for God to lead them by His Holy Spirit in their daily lives.
12. Prevailing churches consist of people who pray for others around them who are undergoing trials and temptations in their lives.
13. Prevailing churches consist of people who find that they cannot survive spiritually without spending private time with God.
14. Prevailing churches consist of people who love to spend time worshiping God privately because they love God SO much!
15. Prevailing churches consist of people who know that if they are not ascribing to God His worth in their lives, then they are just playing games with God!
C. Worship corporately.
Hebrews 10:25, Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
1. The whole NT is written under the assumption that God’s people would be a part of a body of believers.
2. If a person says they can have a relationship with the head of the church (Jesus) and not need His body (the church), they completely misunderstand the point.
3. So many people use the excuse that they can worship God under a tree and they think that means that they therefore don’t need to worship God with other people.
4. Well, the truth is that we should do both: worship God privately and corporately.
5. We should worship God privately under a tree and publicly with other people.
6. Prevailing churches know that they need the love and support of other believers.
7. Prevailing churches know that God can do great things when believers bind together in unity to ascribe worth to God.
8. Why do you think that Christians have been shoved into the corner in public life?—Its because we haven’t bound ourselves together.
9. Prevailing churches consist of people who know how much they need other people.
10. Prevailing churches consist of people who depend upon the love and encouragement that they get from God’s people.
11. Prevailing churches thrive on the opportunity to assemble with other believers and worship God together.
12. Prevailing churches thrive on the opportunity to pray with other believers.
13. Prevailing churches thrive on the opportunity to sing praises to God.
14. Prevailing churches thrive on the opportunity to participate in the Lord’s Supper with other believers.
15. Prevailing churches thrive on the opportunity to hear God’s Word proclaimed.
16. Prevailing churches thrive on the opportunity to draw nearer to God by ascribing to Him His worth with other believers.
17. Prevailing churches thrive on the opportunity to see others brought into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
18. Prevailing churches consist of people who make corporate worship a priority because of how much it means to them and God.
19. Prevailing churches consist of people who are serious about the importance of worshiping God corporately.
20. Prevailing churches consist of people who, like Jesus, make it their habit to weekly assemble together with other believers for the purpose of group worship.
21. Prevailing churches consist of people who live their lives in such a way as to ascribe worth to God, they have their own private times when they tell God how much He means to them, and they assemble together to worship God with other believers.
22. Prevailing churches consist of people who are committed to worship.
II. Commitment to Work
A. Gifts
1 Corinthians 12:7-11, Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
1. The NT teaches that every believer has been given talents and abilities that the Bible calls "gifts."
2. Paul listed some here, he listed some in Romans 12, and some in Ephesians 4.
3. It says here in 1 Corinthians 12:7, "…to each one…"
4. That means EVERYONE who is saved.
5. The HS has given everyone who is saved talents and abilities.
6. And the reason the Bible calls them "gifts" is because it is the way that we honor God for what He has done for us.
7. Using our talents and abilities is the way we say, "Thank-you" to God for what He has done for us.
8. When we stop to think about what God has done for us in sending His only Son to die for us and for the unconditional love that He has for us, how in the world do we say, "Thank-you" for that?
9. How in the world do we ever "pay God back" for what He has done for us.
10. What gift do you have that would repay what He has done for you?"
11. I don’t have anything and I can’t do anything that would come anyway near paying Him back or saying, "Thank-you" for what He has done for me.
12. I couldn’t do enough to thank Him!
13. But He has given me something for me to give to Him!
14. He has given me the gift of teaching!
15. I say "Thank-you" to Him by teaching people about Him!
16. That is the talent that God has given me.
17. He has given me others, but that is clearly my main gift.
18. I don’t have the gift of showing mercy though.
19. If someone needs a shoulder to cry on, I’m no the best person for that; there are others who are better at showing mercy and don’t have the gift of teaching.
20. That’s how we become a body that functions together.
21. I use the gifts that God has given me, you use the gifts that God has given you and we work together to build the Kingdom of God.
22. I use my talents, you use your talents, and we spread the gospel as a team or a body.
B. Building up the church
Ephesians 4:12-16, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
1. We use these gifts to build up the body of Christ.
2. We build up the church by using our talents and abilities to serve one another.
3. Using these gifts in service to others helps us to increase our knowledge of Christ.
4. Using these gifts in service to others helps us to mature spiritually.
5. Using these gifts in service to others helps the church to know the difference between sound teaching and false teachings and keeps us from being deceived by false teachings.
6. Using these gifts in service to others helps the church to love one another the way Christ loves us.
7. Prevailing churches know that to simply sit in the pews is to remain immature.
8. Prevailing churches know that to simply sit in the pews on Sunday morning will lead to criticalness, negativity, and gossip.
9. Prevailing churches know that to simply sit in the pews is to tear down the church.
10. Prevailing churches know that to simply sit in the pews doesn’t teach us to love others.
11. Prevailing churches know that getting up off our pews and serving others is what real Christianity is—because even Christ did not come to be served, but to serve and set an example for others.
C. Pastors
Ephesians 4:11-12, It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
1. Some people think that the reason a church hires a pastor is so that he can do all the work.
2. Some people think that the pastor is hired to do the work of the church.
3. But the problem with that concept is that the Scripture doesn’t teach that.
4. What happens when churches do this in spite of what the Scriptures teach is that one man can only serve 150 to 200 people.
5. If the church is very cooperative and the pastor is very talented, he can minister to 150 to 200 people effectively.
6. And this is why so many churches never go beyond 200 people—they expect the pastor to do the majority of the work.
7. Another thing that happens when a church expects the pastor to do everything is that the church is simply an audience and an audience does nothing but set and critic the performance of the pastor.
8. Eventually the congregation’s critique will become negative and the pastor with have to leave the church.
9. Then the new pastor comes and the cycle starts all over again.
10. But as I said, the main problem with the pastor doing the work of the church is that it is contrary to Scripture.
11. This passage in Ephesians gives the purpose for pastors and teachers; it is to prepare God’s people for works of service.
12. The job of pastors and teachers is to prepare, equip, and teach the people how to serve.
13. The pastor’s Biblical role is to prepare the people to work.
14. All of Scripture teaches the servant attitude of all believers; that is one of the fundamentals of Christianity.
15. Prevailing churches have pastors and teachers who don’t just do the work of the church themselves but teach, prepare, and equip the people to do what needs to be done.
16. Prevailing churches consist of people who are not content to just show up and critique the work of those who serve.
17. Prevailing churches get in there and get to work themselves.
18. Prevailing churches don’t want to just play church; they want to learn to be a servant like Christ was.
19. Prevailing churches have older, mature people who continue to work and continue to serve Christ and set an example for the younger believers of what service is all about.
20. Prevailing churches know that the only way the church will ever prevail is if everyone pitches in and does their part: From [Christ] the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
D. If Somerset is to be a prevailing church, then everyone has to do its part…
1. There are so many things that this church could be doing with the gifts and abilities that God has brought into this church.
2. And the truth is that we have a had a lot of critiquing of how well those who do work are doing their jobs.
3. And the truth of that is that much of the criticalness that has occurred has come from those who aren’t getting in there and working themselves.
4. And my challenge to us all today is this: We need to stop critiquing and just start serving.
5. We need to stop saying negative things about those who are trying to serve and start rolling up our own sleeves.
6. If Somerset is to be a prevailing church, we’ve got to get EVERYONE up off their pews and on the front lines!
7. We’ve got so many things we could be doing for God and we’ve allowed Satan to side track us in to criticizing each other instead of storming the gates of hell!
8. There are so many ways that we can be reaching out to our community!
9. And I want to encourage everyone to find out what your spiritual gifts are and start praying about where God can use you.
10. I want to announce today that we are going to begin a book study…
a. I don’t want to call it a Bible study because we aren’t going to be directly studying the Bible.
b. There are Scriptures in the book that we will discuss, but the book that we are going to be studying is Bob Russell’s "When God Builds a Church: 10 Principles for Growing a Dynamic Church (The Remarkable Story of Southeast Christian Church.)"
c. This book outlines 10 principals for growing a dynamic church.
d. I want us to study a chapter a week and dream and pray together about what God wants to do at Somerset.
e. I have no idea where God will lead us, but I do believe that God wants to FANTASTIC things through this church.
f. I believe that God wants to do things that people will have to say that God HAD to have done that, because those people couldn’t have done it!
g. If you’re interested, I want you to sign your name on the sign-up sheet in the foyer.
h. We’ll have our first session next Sunday evening and we will decide then what the best time to meet for us will be.
i. This book will give us all kinds of ideas on how to serve Christ through the church.
j. We need to re-think everything about church in order to reach a new generation in this new millennium.
k. We need to change the way we do a lot of things and we need to start doing a lot of things that we’ve never done before.
l. I believe we’re doing youth ministry and the bus ministry well right now because the teachers have sat down and worked together to improve what we’ve been doing.
m. I think we need to do the same thing with the Sunday School; we need to do the same thing with Bible Studies; we need to do the same thing with our missions program; we need to do the same thing with our benevolence program.
n. I have no idea where God will lead us, but I believe He wants to do just as His Word says, "more than we can ask or imagine!"
o. But it will only come with an uncommon commitment to work!
p. as each part does its work.
III. Commitment to Witness
A. Christ calls us to witness
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."
1. Christ has commanded us to witness to others about him.
2. Christ told the apostles to start in their own back yard and work out from there.
3. Christ has told us to spread the gospel of His Kingdom.
4. Christ has told us to spread the good news that there is a Savior.
5. Christ has told us to spread the Word that God loves us.
6. Christ has told us to spread the hope of eternal life to those around us.
7. But the question is…
B. Are we committed to witnessing?
1. Peter and John had just been in prison and beaten for preaching the gospel.
2. Peter and John were then getting ready to be released, but they were then warned not to speak at all about Jesus any more.
3. Acts 4:20, For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.
4. Prevailing churches have people in the pews that are so concerned about their family and friends and neighbors and co-workers that they couldn’t stop talking about Jesus even if you beat them.
5. Prevailing churches consist of people who cannot help speaking about what they have seen and heard.
6. Prevailing churches aren’t content to leave the witnessing to the pastor.
7. Prevailing churches don’t just sit and watch the pastor do all the witnessing and criticize him because some decide not to accept God’s grace.
8. Prevailing churches actually love God so much that they can’t help talking about Jesus even if it offends someone.
9. Prevailing churches actually love God so much that they can’t help talking about Jesus even if it gets them put in jail.
10. Prevailing churches consist of people who don’t just sit in the pews and play religious games.
11. Prevailing churches consist of people who leave the pews to tell others what they have seen and heard.
12. Prevailing churches don’t necessarily consist of people who are Bible scholars who tell others what the Bible says.
13. But prevailing church do consist of people who have seen and heard what God has done and they can’t help but tell others about it.
14. Prevailing churches consist of people who are so excited about what God has done for them, they can’t help but talk about it.
15. Why do we talk about Jesus? Because we just can’t help it!
Conclusion:
A. ["The Patriot": Perseverance despite Heartbreak, Citation: The Patriot, rated R, Columbia Pictures, Centropolis Entertainment; Executive Producers, William Fay, Ute Emmerich, Roland Emmerich; submitted by David Slagle, Lawrenceville, Georgia]
(Elapsed time: 2:13:09 to 2:15:50; Content: The Patriot is rated R for graphic violence. There is no nudity. )
The 2000 movie, The Patriot starred Mel Gibson as Benjamin Martin, a reluctant Revolutionary War hero.
Martin has an 18-year-old son named Gabriel who is eager to join the conflict.
Gabriel’s sentiments for his country are revealed by one pastime: throughout the first half of the movie, Gabriel diligently repairs an American flag he found in the dirt.
Tragically, Gabriel becomes a casualty of the war, and, suffering deep loss, his father Benjamin Martin appears ready to quit the cause.
While Martin is grieving at the side of his dead son, Colonel Harry Burwell, a Continental officer, attempts to persuade Martin not to quit.
He recognizes Martin has great influence with the soldiers and his departure would demoralize the troops.
As the scene opens, the colonel says, "Stay the course, Martin. Stay the course."
Grief-stricken, Martin responds, "I’ve run the course."
Resigned to the outcome, the colonel informs the troops and they ride on, leaving Martin behind.
As Martin loads his son’s personal effects on his horse, though, he finds the American flag Gabriel had successfully restored.
As the dejected soldiers ride away, certain they have seen the last of Benjamin Martin, Martin appears in the distance, carrying the flag.
With determination in his posture, he rides upright in his saddle, face like flint, the Stars and Stripes whipping in the wind.
Martin has been a symbol of perseverance for the men, and there is a triumphant shout of both relief and excitement from the once-weary troops as they see the patriot crest the hill.
Whether leaders at home, school, work or church, we must never underestimate the power of our influence to demoralize or to rally others.
People are watching. Soldiers look to officers.
Children look to parents.
We must stay the course.
B. How is your commitment today?
1. How is your commitment to worship—in your daily life, in your closet, and in public?
2. How is your commitment to work in the Kingdom of God?
3. How is your commitment to witnessing about what you have seen and heard?
4. Somerset needs people who aren’t content to just ride the fence, but who have an uncommon commitment deep within their hearts.
5. God wants to build Somerset into a prevailing church that will storm the gates of hell and God wants you to make a deep commitment to that cause.
6. Maybe today you realize that although you thought you were saved, you realize that you haven’t actually ever given yourself to God—you’ve been playing some kind of game of dabbling in Christianity, but you realize today that you really need to give yourself to God.
7. Or perhaps today you just need to come and rededicate yourself to the cause of Christ.
8. Or maybe today you need to accept Christ as your Lord and Savior and stop living for only yourself and devote the rest of your life to the greatest cause in the world: expanding the Kingdom of God.
9. Many need to come and pray, some need to come and be saved…whatever commitment you need to make, I want to encourage you to make it as we stand and sing #393, "Where He Leads Me."
