Friends. Are you Ready? Are you ready to go somewhere you’ve never been before?
Friends, Church, I’m asking you a serious question this Sunday morning? Were
going on a trip, and were going to places that we’ve never been before, isn’t that exciting,
don’t you like adventure?
This journey is real, and I want you to be ready for the trip, I don’t want anyone to
be left behind. Listen to me this morning, God has a message for you this morning that’s
just for you.
If your a first time attendee, your just in time and I believe your here for a reason.
You see, this is our year of Breakthrough, and God is going to lead us to that
breakthrough. But you need to understand this, God is going to lead us down some new
roads, He’s going to take us where we’ve never been before as a church, and he wants to
take you in to places in your Christian journey to places you’ve never been.
Let me ask you something, “How are we going to achieve a breakthrough in the
life of our church, if we keep doing the same things that we’ve always done?”
How many here this morning lost 25 lb. this last week? Now I’m not saying you
need to lose any weight, look at me. But the reason you didn’t and I didn’t lose any
weight this last week, we didn’t change anything, right.
How many of you made the same amount of money last week on your job that you
normally make? Why is that?
If you want to make more money, you either ask for a raise, get another job, or
find a better job, whatever you do, something has to change, right?
The same is true in the church. Let me share a little history with you that you
don’t want to hear. Before 1997, this church had been in decline for seven strait years,
from an average of around 75 to an average of about 20 when Nola and I arrived two
years ago. Since then we have had some growth, but I don’t believe anything comparable
to what God has in store for us if were willing to follow him on a new road, to a new level
of Faith and Obedience. So my question that I started with still stands, Are You Ready?
Are you Willing to Go and Trust in God ?
This morning if you think that it’s a little scary thinking about going to a new
place, starting on a journey where you don’t know the territory or even where it’s going
to end, your not alone.
We serve a God who likes to take his people on trips!!!!!!
Remember Abraham? “Go to a place I will show you..” Now that was real definitive
wasn’t it? Abraham went, God Blessed Him, made an everlasting covenant with him and
made him the Father of many Nations. What a ride.
Remember Noah? My word friends, can you imagine. That was a trip. It had never
RAINED BEFORE AND GOD SAID BUILD AN ARK. You know what happened,
God took Noah and his family, because they were faithful, and obedient, He took them on
the First Forty Day Cruise Ship, a floating Zoo if you will. God has a great sense of
humor.
I could go on and on and tell you stories that you have heard, that you know
where God took men and women on great journeys, and these journeys are in two areas of
life, first it’s in the spiritual realm.
Friends, there is no way you are going to be able to accomplish God’s will for our
church in Clarksville, until You allow God to First Accomplish His will in your life.
You can’t carry our God’s will in your church unless your carrying our His will in your
life. YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO BREAK NEW GROUND WITH GOD.
WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT?
---You need to understand that we are not going to be able to do anything great
for God, until he does something Great in us.
And there are things that will keep that from happening.......
...unconfessed sin
...areas of my life not turned over to God.....
...Living in the Past.....past failures......Satan defeating me because of my past....if it’s
confessed it’s gone.....
You see, I believe that this church is full of people who want to see a
Breakthrough, who ARE HUNGRY to see God do a mighty work in our church. AND
THAT’S GREAT, BUT HEAR ME TODAY.
AND THIS IS WHAT GOD IS TEACHING ME.
IT WON’T HAPPEN IN THE CHURCH UNTIL IT HAPPENS IN ME.
IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE CHURCH, UNTIL IT HAPPENS IN YOU,
WHERE YOU HAVE A BREAKTHROUGH IN YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Church We need a people that Our Mission Statement is True of. And I believe
your hungry for this, To BE:
People of Purpose
Anointed Worship
Sharing and Caring
Seeking the Lost
Into God’ Word
On Fire for God
New Hope!
Friends, if we are going to be able to Go where God wants us to Go, We must repent, we
must obey, and we must ask God to create in us that Passion, Passion for Him, Passion for
His Word, Passion for Prayer. Can I share something with you. Nothing, Not the Gates
of Hell will be able to prevail over a church filled with Passionate People for Christ.
Back to my Question, Will you allow God to Go there in your spiritual life, Are
you ready to Go?
So first we must deal with the Spiritual, a total commitment to be willing to go all the way
with God. Then we will be able to see with Eyes of Faith were He wants us to Go.
The awesome, but sometimes scary thing about this Faith journey, is we don’t
know where Gods going to take us.
I want you to look with me in your Bibles, you knew I was going to come back this didn’t
you. OK.
14:10-12 Read.
What are you doing Moses? What a great idea this was Moses! Can you hear it.
Know this. On this Journey with God that he’s going to take us on, Were not in
control, God is, so you might as well understand that now, save yourself allot of
frustration and worry.
If you study these stories where God takes these folks on these amazing journeys,
you’ll soon realize not everything is always Hunky Dorry. Sometimes things don’t look
good.
The Egyptians, who just lost their first born, and I imagine were bent on
destroying the Israelites, they were coming like rolling thunder with 600 Chariots. The
Israelites were about 3 million people strong, but were defenseless being in captivity
doesn’t allow you to build up an army. I imagine they felt pretty vulnerable.
But I got good news for you this morning. When you Journey with God, He is
your protector, He is your Provider, He is your shield, If your walking with Him, Your
protected by the biggest bodyguard in the Universe. Isn’t that good news?
The Israelites were looking for some help, and God didn’t fail them.
Let me tell you what He did.
protected from both sides
opened the sea, provided dry ground( He always goes beyond what we could imagine or
hope for)
The Israelites had to by Faith Walk through the Water.
God defeated the enemy, totally wiped them out.
THIS MORNING I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOUR GOING TO DO.
SOME MIGHT SAY THAT WE ARE SURROUNDED BY THE ENEMY IN OUR
CHURCH.
ON ONE SIDE WE SAY THE LACK OF PEOPLE IS AGAINST US, WE JUST
CAN’T DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO, NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE, AND WE COULD
GIVE UP AND GO COWER IN THE CORNER AND SAY WE’VE DONE ALL WE
CAN DO.
ON ANOTHER SIDE, WE CAN POINT TO THE FINANCES, THOSE EVIL
FINANCES, THERE’S JUST NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO DO WHAT WE WOULD
LIKE TO DO, WERE JUST NOT GOING TO MAKE IT. AND WE COULD GO
COWER IN THE CORNER AND SAY LET’S JUST DO THE BEST WE CAN.
OF COARSE, THERE’S THAT OLD ENEMY, THE LACK OF A NEW BUILDING.
WE JUST CAN’T ATTRACT ANYONE NEW TO AN OLD BEAT UP, USED UP
BUILDING, AND GOD ISN’T ALLOWING US TO SELL IT, SO WE MIGHT AS
WELL JUST GIVE UP AND COWER IN THE CORNER, AND JUST MAKE DO
AND HOPE FOR THE BEST.
Church, were surrounded on all sides it seems, what will we do?
The Israelites were kind of in a pinch, on one side they had the Red Sea, on the other, a
very angry army approaching bent on destruction. What did they do?
They looked to God. Look at V. 13-14 Read.
Of coarse as you read on, God opens the Red Sea by His Power, His Provision, and it was
there way to Breakthrough to a new level on their Journey with God.
You see, they didn’t have to go, they could have allowed all the fears of what
might happen to them keep them from moving to a new land, a land of Milk and Honey.
Just like the Israelites, you have a choice on whether or not your going to follow
God, You have a choice whether or not your going to Go to the next level in your journey
with God, Our Church’s Future will be determined by your obedience. Do you believe that
this morning?
Then my question is again, simply, Are you Ready? Will you go all the way with God?
And the neat thing about this question, it doesn’t’ matter if you have been in the
church for 50 years, or fifty minutes, it still applies to you. If you don’t know Jesus as
your personal Savior, then I got great news for you today, before you leave here this
morning, you can be set free from your sin, When you put your faith in Jesus, you will
begin a new Journey, a new Relationship with God that will be the most exciting decision
you’ve ever made.
And if you’ve been coming to church for years, or even months, God still wants to
know, Will you allow Him to take you to a new level of commitment, will you break new
Ground with God today?
God is ready for a breakthrough in your spiritual life, and in the life of our church,
will you make that commitment, every single person here today can respond to God’s call
today.
But let me make it clear this morning, this is not a half-hearted, make me feel
better commitment. This is not a I will try to be more committed to church thing, this is
not a I will try to pay my tithe thing,
THIS IS A RESPONSE TO JESUS CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH,
JESUS CHRIST DIDN’T GO TO THE CROSS HALF-HEARTED FOR YOU MY
FRIEND, HE GAVE IT ALL, HE POURED IT ALL OUT, AND THIS
COMMITMENT IS 100% COMMITMENT TO JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR LORD
AND SAVIOR, IT TAKES IN YOUR EVERYTHING, IT MEANS YOUR TIME,
YOUR ENERGY, YOUR FINANCES, YOUR TALENTS..............................THIS
MEANS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS YOUR CAUSE IN LIFE.....
BOARD MEMBERS DOES THIS DESCRIBE YOU?
SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER DOES THIS DESCRIBE YOU?
CHURCH MEMBER, DOES THIS DESCRIBE YOU?
VISITOR, FRIEND DOES THIS DESCRIBE WHAT YOU DESIRE?
IT’S TIME TO MOVE, IT’S TIME TO MARCH AND PRAY, ARE YOU COMING,
NO MUSIC, I WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND,
I’M COMING, I’M RESPONDING TO GOD’S CALL UPON MY LIFE, I’VE BEEN
RESPONDING TO THIS CALL ALL WEEK, GOD PUT HIS FINGER ON ME AND I
DON’T EVER WANT HIM TO TAKE IT OFF.
ARE YOU READY, NOW IS THE TIME TO RESPOND. I CAN SEE THE WATERS
PARTING, GOD IS GOING TO PROVIDE A WAY FOR US TO BREAKTHROUGH,
BUT HIS PEOPLE HAVE TO MOVE TOWARDS HIM, THEY MUST TRUST HIM
WITH THEIR LIVES, HE MUST BE LORD.’
EVERYONE COME, MAKE THIS COMMITMENT TODAY, DON’T WAIT,
THERE’S NO REASON TO WAIT, THE TIME WILL NEVER BE BETTER THAN
TODAY.
