INTRODUCTION:
Mission Statement:
The Redeeming River Church is a family of believers committed to preaching the cross with conviction, reaching the lost with compassion, and equipping the saints with the Word!
Three results of not understanding the Mission.
1. Plateaued Growth - growth seems to reach a certain level and then drop back down
2. Internal Conflict - constant infighting caused by an ignorance of what should be happening
3. Low Moral - leaders become discouraged when structure or bureaucracy stymies their vision for growth
Introduction:
1. What do you think about yourself?
2. If you were writing a novel and had cast a person identical to yourself as the lead character, how would you describe that character?
3. Chances are, if you were honest, there would be some things that you would want to leave out. Issues of inferiority would arise. Many
4. 95% of the population struggle with feelings of inadequacy
Quotes:
1. "Self-esteem comes when a person realizes that Christ, who died an atoning death for him, comes to live in him through the Holy Spirit…(thus producing a) sense of value that comes to me when I have been restored to a relationship with God as the Heavenly Father, and I have the assurance that I am worth a lot. Christ died on the cross for me. If he thinks that much of me, I had better start thinking something good about myself." Robert Schuller
2. "Because we are created in the image of God, we possess great worth, significance, and value. We are loved by God and (thus) deserving of the love of ourselves and others." Bruce Narramore
3. "Self-love, as I understand the concept biblically and psychologically, includes the following: (1) accepting myself as a child of God who is loveable, valuable, capable; (2) being willing to give up considering myself the center of the world; (3) recognizing my need of God’s forgiveness and redemption. Christian self esteem results from translating ‘I am the greatest, wisest, strongest, best’ to ‘I am what I am, a person made in God’s image, a sinner redeemed by God’s grace, and a significant part in the body of Christ.’" David Carlson
Illustration: The Encouraged Pastor
There is an old story about a pastor leaving a church. At his farewell dinner, he tried to encourage one of the pillar members, “Don’t be so sad. The next pastor might be better than me.” She replied, “That’s what they said last time, but it keeps getting worse.”
Scriptures:
1. Ephesians 5:28-29 28So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
2. Romans 12:3 3For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
I. Jesus Came To Build His Church
1. He was a carpenter - He would complete a project and with a great sense of accomplishment say; "It is finished." Sound familiar?
2. He was use to saying it is finished - John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
3. He came to build the church - The text says that Jesus is going to build His church. What is the church? The church is people. The Lord is looking to build people.
4. He accomplished his agenda - Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
5. God created His church for His glory - Isaiah 43:21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.
6. He completed God’s plan - 1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
7. God’s church will survive - Phil 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
II. Satan’s Wants To Destroy The Church
1. He plants seeds of destruction - John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
2. He tears down - John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
3. He brings false accusations - Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
4. He never diverts from his demolition plans - Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
III. But We Will Stifle Satan’s Plan - vs18
1. When we become edifiers - Romans 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
2. When we become comforters - 1Thessolonians 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
3. When we become life speakers - Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
4. When we become users of our gifts - 1 Corinthians 14:5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
5. 1 Corinthians 14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
6. 1 Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. .
7. When we become users of our authority - Ephesians 4:11-12 11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
8. 2 Corinthians 13:10 Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.
CONCLUSION:
Mission
The Redeeming River Church is a family of believers committed to preaching the cross with conviction, reaching the lost with compassion, and equipping the saints with the Word!
