I have a vision for New Life Community Church!
I am happy to present to you this day, a vision for tomorrow. Let us remember that 15 years ago a luminous cloud of light emerged on the scene in Amery. That cloud was the birth of a new church called New Life Christian Fellowship.
We today, face the tragic fact that there are people all around Amery enveloped in a dark luminous cloud of death. The lost people of our community search in vain for happiness and contentment. They stumble all over our county and city in search of hope. The nation rolls on its selfish quest for more – more – and more. But heaven anguishes and cries out in pain, "Stop the insanity and come unto me and I will give you true happiness".
America’s church refuses to believe that the commandments have been broken. American Christianity refuses to believe that an injustice has occurred and that a life lies motionless. Polk County refuses to see its sins and it’s injustices to the innocent. We turn away the homeless, the helpless and desire to only think of ourselves. We spin fear into peoples lives that insinuate if theirs a half way home in Polk County the criminals will come. We scare older people with threats of closing down their homes. We scare, and instill fear and the beat goes on and the people sink further into darkness. But where is the church?
America refuses to acknowledge its own Declaration of Independence which states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." But where is the church?
America refuses to hear the words of a former President, "Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just for His justice cannot sleep forever." But where is the church?
I am here today at this hallowed place to remind the church of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in apathy and self-centered thinking and living.
Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all God’s children. Now is the time to cast off this cloud of darkness and death. Now is the time to join hands across Wisconsin and repent and cry out to God for mercy. Now is the time to gather together the brothers and sisters stand on the solid rock. Now is the time to bring in the harvest. Now is the time to prayer for spiritual direction and transformation. It would be fatal for this church to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the justice of the Lord God Almighty.
I believe that 2002 is not an end, but a beginning. There will be neither rest nor peace in Northwest Wisconsin until the lost children are found and brought home to Him.
I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations – in spite of great success of the past 5 years, I still have a vision. It is a vision deeply rooted in the Creator of the Universe.
I have a vision that one day His church will rise up higher and live out the true meaning of its motto: "Leading people from here to eternity."
I have a vision that one day on the hills overlooking Amery there will be new life and not death. I expect that there will be cries of joy as people find new life and not death. I believe this can and will happen all across our city, county and state.
I have a vision that one day even the county of Polk, a desert spiritual county sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice, embracing the truth of the Scriptures. Focusing on helping the ones in need and not just focusing on themselves. But where is the church?
I have a vision that my three children will one day witness a great revival in their schools and see God transform lives. I have a vision that they will see the light of God’s light radiating throughout this county and state.
I have a vision for New Life today. I have a vision that one day the city of Clayton will have a spiritual revival that brings multitudes into the kingdom of God. Were people find hope, and contentment and peace. Were oppression and hopelessness is replaced with a mighty presence of God’s love and mercy.
I have a vision for today. I have a vision that one day every valley shall be exalting His name, every hill and mountain will proclaim his glory, the rough places will be made plains of righteousness and the crooked places of death will made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together and cry “Praise Him!”.
This is our hope. This is our faith. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of love and respect for life. With this faith we will be able to work together, pray together, struggle together to stand up for freedom together, to stand up for the right to life together, knowing that they will be free one day to be born and to be born again. I have a hope for today that will impact tomorrow.
This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning, "My country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, land where new life is right, from every mountainside, let freedom of new life ring." And the church will sing “Praise Him!”
And if Amery is to be a great city this must become true. So let the freedom from new life ring from the prodigious hilltops of Polk County. Let the freedom from new life ring from the lake country of North West Wisconsin. Let the freedom of new life ring from the mighty rivers of Wisconsin, let the freedom of new life ring from the heightening hills and valleys of North west Wisconsin.
Let the freedom of new life ring from the snow slopes of Trolhaguen! Let the freedom of new life ring from fields around Deronda. Let the freedom of new life ring from the curvaceous Apple river valley. Let the cry of new life be heralded from the Casino in Turtle Lake. Oh Lord let your spirit ring!
But not only that; let freedom ring from the North West Corner of Wisconsin. Let the freedom of new life ring from homes around Balsam Lake. Let the freedom of new life ring from the court house in Balsam Lake. Let the power of the Lord invade the government of Polk County. Let corruption be thwarted and justice be nurtured. Let you spirit flow into our system Lord and facilitate a life changing metamorphosis.
Let the freedom of new life ring from the senators and the Senate. Let the freedom of new life ring from the Congressmen and House of Representatives. Let the freedom of new life ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi valley. From every mountainside and from the shores of Lake Superior, let the freedom of new life ring!
When we see new life ringing all around, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every township and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of that old Gospel song. "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
Introduction: The question that races across my mind as I think about this dream – this vision is how are we at New Life Community Church going to see this dream- this vision come to pass. What needs to happen? Without saying the first thing is we must all prayer for it to happen. That’s a given. This weekend was a time to pray for the North West and the prayers went out of our mouths and ascended to the throne of God. My fellow brothers and sisters God heard from Amery this weekend and he is going to do something awesome.
T.S.- So what are three things that need to happen at New Life to see new life produced in our corner of the state?
I. We need to be creative in presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ to this community.
a. God is the most creative person I know.
i. Just read Genesis chapters one and two.
1. Just take a look at the sky and the stars.
2. Observe wildlife and flowers.
a. Pass the flower around the church. Take a moment and look at it. It’s amazing.
3. He created all the beauty and majesty of this world. The Mountain tops, the ocean depths and the desert plains. Why? He is creative.
ii. Not only was he creative but he is still today just as creative.
1. Malachi 3:6: 6“I the LORD do not change.
2. James 1:17: 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
3. God’s nature is full on inventiveness and creative ways.
4. He helps solve our problems to day in creative ways –that you and I could never imagine.
5. Jesus was very creative in the way he presented the Gospel and so should we.
6. But a truth rings in the ears of American Christianity today if you were to take a survey on the street who would be voted more creative the Christian community or the secular community. My hunch is the secular world would win the survey. But this ought not be! Because we are told in Scripture that the most creative force in the universe lives within us if we are born-again.
a. John 14:15-17: 15“If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
b. I Cor. 3:16: 16Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
c. Galatians 2:20: 20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
d. I John 4:15,16: 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
7. Therefore since he lives in us should we also not reflect his creativity. Should we not have creative mindsets and find new ways to present the Gospel to the people in this area that grabs their attention and affects their lives?
b. This means creative people need to make a commitment to see this happen. They must become focused on being creative for the glory of God. We are talking about a life and death matter!
c. We need to formulate a creative team to help put together creative outreaches. We need people interested in the following areas.
i. Using art work.
1. Painting a picture while I preach it.
2. Other ways – art in the park?
ii. Using photography
1. Pictures on the back wall – They minister – but we need to put them in proper settings to make an impact.
2. How about an art gallery where Christ is promoted and gazed upon by onlookers.
iii. Using drama
1. Poems
2. Skits
3. Dramatic presentations
4. Making movies that glorify Jesus
5. Writing books that glorify Jesus
iv. Using music
1. Like we do at IHOP
2. Starting a Christian band
3. Writing a new Christian song and sharing it with the body of Christ and the world.
4. Playing your instrument for the Lord here at a praise service.
a. We want to do it for the world but not for Jesus Christ. That’s sad!
v. Using Dance
1. To glorify God. Today it’s used mostly to glorify the flesh and the world.
2. Hewn your body in the dance to praise the Father
vi. Using multimedia
1. Computers – to promote the Gospel
a. Internet ministry
b. Web pages
2. Movie clips
a. Helping find proper clips and editing them for resources for messages.
3. Sound system
a. Helping record tapes so people can listen to messages and music.
b. Helping with the sound so people can hear and receive from the Lord.
4. Video
a. Helping record and edit videos for the cable station to promote his word.
d. We need to be creative in our teaching:
i. Use modern day parables
ii. Use visuals
iii. Use hands on items
iv. Use real life stories
v. Learning to deliver His message with more flare
vi. Use anointed preaching and teaching.
1. It’s not about giving information it’s about inspiration.
e. We need to be creative in raising funds for ministry.
i. One thought- I believed if God’s people tithed like Malachi chapter 3 says they should we would not have to do fundraisers! Just a thought!
ii. What creative things can we do to finance the ministry outreaches of the church.
iii. We need creative people to help us keep our staff.
1. How can we raise the money to pay them properly so they can make a living?
2. Who wants to support our staff?
f. We need creativity in administration and management of the church.
i. We need creative people to help manage the various dimensions of the ministry.
g. We need creative people on our board.
i. Promoting creative ideas and supporting creative ideas.
ii. This last year I took a seminar on being creative – Why? It’s essential if we want to reach our community for Christ.
1. We can unlock the creative side within us if we want to.
h. Are you creative? Do you want to save lives? Come talk to me and become part of God’s new dream team here at New Life!
i. That’s right we are forming a Dream Team- Do you want to enlist?
T.S.- The second area we need to focus on is in the area of community.
II. The second area to help us achieve our vision is we need to be community focused.
a. We need to have a focus and commitment to Biblical community as spelled out in the New Testament.
i. The church is to be a family fellowship (Acts 2:41,42)
1. Families are places where everyone knows your name. Do you recall the T.V. series Cheers. That was a place where everyone knew your name. It was a family.
2. 41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
3. Church is to be like this a place where everyone knows you name.
4. A place where they know your not perfect but they love you because you’re a blood relative (Jesus sacrifice makes us blood relatives if we have accepted him as our Lord and Savior!)
5. It’s a family that loves you for who you are.
6. It’s a family because it’s the place where we receive love, comfort and even redirection in life sometime.
7. It’s a family because family is the place where we receive love and nurture.
8. It’s a place where we laugh and cry together and find out it’s going to be okay.
9. It’s a safe place where we run to get away from the storms of life
ii. The church is to break bread together and fellowship with one another it’s a daily thing not a weekly deal (Acts 2:42, 46).
1. The church is where we fellowship together and eat and talk and share about our day.
2. 42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
3. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
iii. It’s the place where we share our resources with one another – our food- our encouragement.
iv. The church is where we find strength and support to press on in the Lord.
1. I Corinthians 12:27 “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
2. Hebrews 10:25 “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another, all the more as you see the day approaching.”
v. The church is to be a place where the believers meet everyday for the fellowship and the joy of being together (Acts 2: 46).
vi. There is no place in the church for rugged self centered individuals and lone rangers.
vii. The church is to be a large support group for the family of God where we come to be built up in him.
1. Remember it’s His plan – not man’s plan!
a. We need to fellowship with one another.
b. We need to spend time with one another.
c. We need to have fellowship in a one on one setting.
d. We need to have fellowship in small groups settings
e. We need to have fellowship in a large group setting
b. We need to have fellowship with the entire community of Christ in this area.
i. Example of this is involvement with ministerial.
1. Participating in joint ventures with other churches.
2. Being committed to community services and outreaches.
3. Working as a team with other churches who are committed to the Bibles Teaching
4. Cooperation among the churches-not competition!
5. No putting down other churches because they do it different than we do!
6. We have to understand that we are one part of the body here in Amery not “The Body!”
c. We need to have a focus on reaching out to our community that is not Christian or walking with the Lord.
i. We need to provide services to the community.
1. Day care
2. Pre-school
3. Counseling center
4. Leadership training center
5. Support other churches in food distribution and car care
6. Seminars on relevant subjects
7. Benevolence for needy families
ii. We need to participate with the community at large.
iii. We need to support our community.
iv. We need to be a witness to our community by the way we act and model Christianity.
1. We want to show love and grace to our community
v. We are not to beat them up and rebuke them.
1. Use Cymbala’s quote:It is sad to see how many of us in the church can become confused and miss out on God’s grand design for our lives. In the midst of the current crisis of worldwide terrorism, many Christians repeatedly catalogue that various sins of our country (and others) as if listing sins is some kind of New Testament Ministry. It is not! Christians who do so disobey one of the clearest teachings of Scripture. The Apostle Paul shared something very important – something we need to pay close attention to- when he wrote to Christians in Corinth: What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside” (27). (I Corinthians 5:12-13)
2. They need to see that we are Christians by our love.
3. We need to speak the truth in love not hate.
4. We need to present the gospel and not be ashamed of it.
5. We need to relentlessly root out legalism in our lives and be dispensers of God’s mercy and grace to lost people..
6. We need to offer the community forgiveness – grace and mercy!
7. We need to serve our community.
a. We need to be involved in the schools.
b. In community clubs.
c. In community sports programs
d. In government
e. In support groups to the community.
f. We need to be refuge to the refugees
d. We need to at least 4 times a year do a big outreach to our community. Examples:
i. Gospel fest
ii. Farm City Days
iii. Fall Festival
iv. Kids events
v. Youth events
vi. Other ideas? We are open!
e. We need workers to minister in the different social organizations around our community.
f. How do changed lives come about? It comes one life at a time –it takes one on one ministry – this is what causes transformed lives. Therefore there must be willing workers!
i. Jesus- said in Matthew 9:37 “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few!” The sin of the church of today!
1. Let me ask this question, “ Why do you not want to bring in God’s harvest!”
a. Pause!
2. Listen to one who did bring in the harvest and the joy she felt!
a. Share Jim Cymbala’s story about Dawn and a co-worker Cassie who worked in the World Trade Center.
T.S.- Maybe the reason people don’t want to become involved in the community is they don’t care? That’s the third element New life needs to do.
III. To achieve this vision we must be a church who cares ( Luke 10:25-37)
a. Caring means sharing, working and changing together.
i. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
ii. Caring is a verb with action. It reminds me of the following true story (Share story of high school students).
iii. The reality is you never know how much caring can do until you do it! There are many who have the "Who Cares!" attitude like the one’s described in parable of the Good Samaritan.
iv. It’s amazing what will happen in our lives and others lives when we choose to follow the way of God’s heart and care for others. In helping others we experience love first hand from others and from God himself. Right now you may be thinking "I want to care but how do I?”
b. A church who cares is one that cares enough to focus on prayer as the power source which facilitates change in people’s lives.
i. That was the focus this last weekend – Did you pray?
c. Caring means when people visit our church they say boy they care who I am, what I do, where I came from.
i. Here’s 5 ways to show someone you care:
1. Spend time in fellowship with this individual.
2. Ask them "Is there anything I can pray about with you?"
3. Suggest more fellowship with them "Hey, lets get together this week." Make an appointment to meet with them.
4. Invite them back to church or to other church events. Let them know that their presence is important to you and others at New Life.
5. Do something nice for the person!
ii. Also be personal – be genuine and authentic and reach out to meet their need, ministry must meet needs.
1. It means you have to go out of your way and go the extra mile!
2. "God never intended you to walk the Christian walk by yourself. You were saved to be part of Christ’s Body, to function in His army, and to belong to His family!"(99).
3. The Bible calls service and ministry a labor of love. Heb. 6:10
4. Find the need and care!
iii. A caring church asks individuals, ”What can I pray about for you?”
1. A caring church then prays.
2. Then it’s amazing because people then stay-- BECAUSE THEY SEE ANSWERED PRAYERS!
d. Caring means you are willing to show mercy and grace.
e. But caring also means you hold people responsible for their actions.
i. Caring means you show tough agape love like Jesus did.
ii. Caring means you speak the truth in love.
iii. Caring means you care first and foremost what God says.
f. Caring means I have died to self and live for others.
g. Caring means I don’t promote me, myself, or I! I let go of my ego!
h. How to care for someone who is hurting?
i. Understand the seven conditions of hurting people:
* They are discouraged with their life
- People who are hurting are looking for answers to their hurt. Help them discover the answer through Jesus
* They have no spiritual direction
- You are the link to Jesus to help them discover their spiritual destiny in God.
* They are lonely
- Be their friend and show them unconditional love and acceptance
* They are weak and vulnerable
- Do not take advantage of them - nurture them and protect them
* They are hurt and wounded
- Give them love and attention
* They feel condemned or betrayed
- show them acceptance and kindness.
- Build their trust by being reliable.
* They are spiritually hungry for meaning in life and hope beyond their hurt.
- Give them Jesus – Show them He’s Alive.
- Give them the Gospel message in an exciting and creative way.
Conclusion:
I have a vision from the Lord for New Life but it takes workers who care! Do you want to be apart of one of God’s Dream teams?
Team A – Will be the Creativity team
* Focus will be to design creative services, and outreach events
Team B- Will be the Community team
* Focus will be designing ways to minister more effectively to our community at New Life, to the larger Body of Christ in our area, and to the secular community.
Team C- Will be the Caring team.
* Focus will be designing plans and strategies to better care for the people in and out of the church.
Do you want to enlist? 1st thing to do then is pray and ask God what he wants you to do. Clue one he wants you doing something for the kingdom. 2nd Then talk to me about what is on your heart and lets explore the possibility. 3rd then let’s see this vision from God become accomplished as you labor on Jesus’ Dream Teams.
