Breakfast
with Pastor
Great Bend, Kansas
July 30, 2006
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 28:18-20; Leviticus 25:10
INTRODUCTION:
Several years ago Bruce Wilkerson wrote a book that took Christendom by storm. Everyone had to have it, read it and many implemented its powerful words into there daily prayer routine. What was the book? The Prayer of Jabez. [Show book] What was everyone praying? The Prayer of Jabez, which states, “Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me indeed and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.”
The premise of the book was based upon the concept that ordinary Christians desiring an extraordinary life…and reaching it.
I thought the books’ premise was brilliant, not to say inviting and invigorating to the postmodern church.
However, I’m wondering what happened to the fervor and invigoration that, that book brought to the church a few years ago. Where’s the vibrancy and expectancy of God taking everything entrusted to our care and enlarging it? (31).
How about you? Has God blessed you and enlarged your territory?
TRANSITION:
I’m sure many on you are wondering why I would be sitting at a table delivering a sermon instead of standing at the pulpit. I felt today we needed to have a breakfast table conversation about God’s vision for His Church.
I want to invite you to join me at the table [figuratively] this morning as we sit and chat about God’s vision for his Church.
I need to ask you a question: DOES GOD REALLY WANT TO BLESS THIS CHURCH, and ENLARGE THIS TERRITORY? If so, then how must we respond to the call of God upon this Church? And, what are YOU willing to do to ensure the vision is accomplished?
The First Church of the Nazarene has claimed Leviticus 25:10 as its public statement of vision. It reads, “PROCLAIM LIBERTY THROUGHOUT ALL THE LAND UNTO ALL ITS INHABITANTS.”
We believe we will accomplish this by meeting people, meeting needs, meeting Jesus and meeting purpose.
LAST FISCAL YEAR Reports ex.:
During the District Assembly each pastor is required to give an annual report of there church’s previous years involvement in ministry. This is part of my report:
Dear Dr. Jerry Porter, Dr. Edmond Nash, Fellow Colleagues and Delegates:
What does a new vision and mission statement, the Daniel Trickey New Life Center, the Jesus Film, two cars, over $4300, the Angel Tree, Michael and Rachel, Kevin and Tanya, Lynn and Peggy, Joel and Jewel, Roger, Robert and Merlyn, Jim and Lucille, Kaylie, Bailey, and Macy, 35 plus Heartland Share and Angel food baskets, Uncle Phil’s Diner dinner drama, The Quest, the Eight Basis Bible Studies, Caraway Street, Vacation Bible School, and others, all have in common? In 2005-2006 a tremendous year of outreach and evangelism to those living in Great Bend and Barton County, Kansas. All budgets have been paid in full.
We had a tremendous year of new beginnings and firsts last year: Caraway Street, Uncle Phil’s Diner, eight new converts for the Kingdom, The QUEST small group encounter with an average of 106 during the Lent; eleven new members joined our church and we gave away over $4300.00 in benevolence monies to needy families in Barton County, and other things. I want to give God praise for what he did for us last year.
Wasn’t last year great? BUT, that was last year. The old has gone, the new has come and we have a new year ahead of us with wonderful possibilities and opportunities.
Someone once said, “Never look back unless you want to go that way." (unknown)
So what do we want to accomplish this New Year?
What are your personal goals for your church?
Does God want to bless and enlarge our territory?
{PAUSE}
TRANSITION:
Breakfast, oh how I enjoy breakfast. Breakfast is one of those meal times that I love and enjoy because of the variety of breakfasts items available to eat. Wouldn’t breakfast be boring if you ate the same bacon, eggs, grits, hashbrowns and toast every morning? I think adding a little variety to your breakfast menu makes the standard breakfast taste even better when you have it again.
I love donuts, especially chocolate donuts. There isn’t anything any better than a chocolate donut to start off your morning – AMEN?!! (TAKE BITE OF DONUT)
But, donuts get a little stale when you eat them day in and day out. Even I get sick of the same old thing, so I have to change the breakfast menu now and then. But remember: Breakfast is still remains breakfast; it’s only the menu that changes.
It is the same with the church. Every once in a while we have to change the menu options in order to attract new people to come to our church. Sometimes you have to change to a whole new menu in order to attract new would-be attendees.
HOWEVER, the church isn’t a restaurant. The church was never called to do the same thing yesterday, today and forever, except for one thing…we are to “Go and make disciples of all nations…” That is the only remaining constant!!!!
Ken Houts, Care Ministry director wrote a book titled, Maximize Your Influence. In his book he calls the 21st Century church to reclaim its original mission to: “Pursue your journey [to your destiny] and make followers” (Matthew 28:19 NJKV). His conviction is that The Church, our church, has moved from Missional (disciple making) to Maintenance. He says, “When disciples are no longer being made, darkness is no longer invaded, and the Kingdom is not expanded. Jesus invaded darkness to establish an ever-expanding, counter-culture, Kingdom of Heaven on the earth. The only culture that cannot become infected with the maintenance culture is the Kingdom-culture” (pg. 40).
Without going into detail, listen to Ken Houts’ statistics concerning The Maintenance Church:
• Only 2 percent of growth in the church in the American Church is salvation growth. (Last year at GBF experienced 20%)
• 9.5 out of 10 members refuse to share there testimony with someone.
• 1-3 percent of churches assimilate annual visitors into active core workers.
• 95 percent of pastor and staff is invested in the maintenance of church programs.
• The Church Board spends 95 percent of their time and the church’s money on the maintenance.
Ken Houts also points out that churches that focus on programs, such as:
• Sunday school and/ or Small groups,
• Income
• Increased attendance for the sake of numbers,
• Sharing about missions rather than being missional;
And events such as: Easter and Christmas Musicals, Friend Day, Mother’s and Father’s Day, and VBS all can contribute to a maintenance culture if the focus is on the program and not the people or persons it can impact with the Gospel.
Ken Houts’ concern, as well as mine, is that we are a status quo, maintenance oriented church!
The First Church of the Nazarene in Great Bend was established in 1926, which makes us 80 years old this year. We have a long history of presence in Great Bend; but presence isn’t everything if we aren’t fulfilling the GREAT COMMISSION.
Look at the decadal information.
Decadal (1995-2005) Information:
Decadal Membership Growth: 5.45%
Decadal Worship Attendance Growth: -0.61%
Decadal S.S. Attendance Growth: -14.48%
Annual Avg. Membership Growth: 0.58%
Annual Avg. Worship Attendance Growth: 0.33%
Annual Avg. S.S. Attendance Growth: -1.26%
www.nazarene.org/research
What does this information tell us? It tells us that we have moved from missionally charged to a passive maintenance. That we’ve grown accustomed to preserving the heritage of the family structure (THE SAME OLD BREAKFAST MEAL), rather than focusing on the reason and purpose we exist.
That purpose we have determined for Great Bend First Church of the Nazarene is to “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all its inhabitants by meeting people, meeting needs, meeting Jesus and meeting purpose.”
TRANSITION:
In Matthew chapter 8 a large crowd had gathered around Jesus and Jesus gave orders to cross over the other side of the lake. However, before they left a teacher of the law confessed, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Essentially, Jesus was saying, listen…what you have, your traditions, your familial places of home and family. If that’s what’s so important to you… then keep it,
HOWEVER, what I’m demanding is “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his lifea will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. 28 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
“Our lives exhibit the reality of our inner character. The manner in which you live, the decisions you make, the circumstances with which we must contend – all these reveal the beliefs we hold and the priorities we maintain.” (Holman Commentary on II Timothy)
“The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks as the heart (I Samuel 16:7). WHERE IS YOUR HEART?
“For the Apostle Paul epitomized: faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, and sufferings. These stand out as the hallmark of the Christian life.
What stands out as the hallmark of your life? What fruit are you bearing?
Can you say that God is blessing you and enlarging your territory?
Are you fulfilling the Great Commission?
I want to experience all that God has for me and His Church.
I NEED TO ASK YOU: ARE WE A WINDOW CHURCH (POINT TO WINDOW) OR A MIRROR CHURCH (PIONT TO MIRROR)?
So, If we are going to be a window church, how do we begin? What are, are first steps?
QUOTE: Dr. William Glasser once said, “If you want to change attitudes, start with a change of behavior. In other words, begin to act the part, as well as you can, of the person you would rather be, the person you most want to become. Gradually, the old, fearful person will fade away.”
MEET PEOPLE:
If we are going to change our attitude about what this church is to be like, we have to begin doing what Jesus did first: MEET PEOPLE. HOW? Go to where they at, don’t wait for them to come to us. Gone are the days of “build it and they will come.” We need to break down the four walls of this church and go out and meet the world head on. Get into there turf, there homes, there lives.
Robert Osborn said, “Unless you try to do something beyond what you’ve already mastered, you will never grow.”
MEET NEEDS: WE think meeting needs is so difficult. However, have you ever thought about reaching out to your neighbor sitting next to you in Church? If we would simply start with those sitting next to us, we could revolutionize our church. I CHALLENGE YOU TO ASK YOUR NEIGHBOR SITTING NEXT TO YOU IF YOU CAN PRAY ABOUT A NEED WITH THEM. THEN DO IT. Then allow God to help you meet whatever need they may have shared with you. SIMPLE!
KEN HOUTS said, “THE KEY TO SUCCESS IS TO FIND A NEED AND FILL IT. FIND A HURT AND HEAL IT – THAT IS WHAT LOVE DOES. LOVE MEETS NEEDS. LOVE HEALS HURTS.”
MEET JESUS:
If you have a personal story, share it with someone. The only hope non believers have is the hope that somebody will call them to go to a party. Share the hope you know and watch what God will do in their life.
Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.”
MEET PURPOSE:
We are here to serve!
Galatians 5:13 says, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge in the sinful nature; rather, serve on another in love.
ARE WE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE A MIRROR CHURCH OR DO WE WANT TO BE A WINDOW CHURCH LOOKING FOR HOW GOD WANTS TO BLESS US AND ENLARGE OUR TERRITORY?
I CHOOSE TO BEGIN TO LOOK THROUGH THE WINDOW. HOW ABOUT YOU?
Staff member interview concerning window/ outreach ministries opportunities:
RANDY: YOUTH
• SKATE PARK
• NAME CHANGE
BOBBI JO: SERVICE OF NEEDS:
• Cregger’s; school
• supply store
INVITE TO ALTER THOSE WHO GOD WANTS TO BLESS AND ENLARGE TERRITORY; PRAY FOR THEM.
Pray and dismiss
This message and its corresponding PowerPoint can also be accessed at: www.greatbendnazarene.org.
(For cooresponding footnotes to quoted material, please refer to website and access sermon.)
