INTRO
A life Giving Church is a Spirit Filled Church...
Mission- an operation that is assigned by a higher power
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!
Vision- The formation of a mental image of something that is not present to the senses.
Our Vison:
The Word tells us in Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish”. Therefore, we know that where there is a God breathed vision the people have life. It is because of God’s specific plan for us that we can clearly see where we are going.
7 We Will Be’s
· We will be a life giving church whose waters flow from the River of God through all cultures and generations!
· We will be a life sustaining church where the heartbeat of God will keep our families spiritually healthy.
· We will be a life birthing church where new ministries are conceived, delivered, nurtured, and sent out.
· We will be a people of faith and expectancy who are not moved by what we see, but stand in the God who we know!
· We will be a people of devotion who are committed to the work of the Lord through the local church!
· We will be a people of worship who honor the Lord for who He is and not what He will do for us!
· We will be a growing church whose walls will not contain us!
BODY
I. THE SOURCE OF THE RIVER OF GOD IS NOT OF THIS WORLD
A. ELIJAH AND THE WIDOW AT ZAREPHATH
1. I Kings 17
10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.
2. The outlook is grimm - that we may eat it, and die
3. Do the Lord’s work first - make me thereof a little cake first
4. The Lord will make you a promise - meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail
5. He will deliver from His supply - barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail
6. His supply never runs out - sendeth rain upon the earth
B. THERE IS A PLACE OF OVERFLOW
1. What happens when you fill a sponge to the point that it cannot hold anymore liquid?
2. I like it when you go to grab for the paper towels
3. Now folks I never spill anything...lo
4. But when someone spills something and I need to clean it up...
5. It seems like there is just on little square left on the roll
6. Have you ever tried to clean up a 2 liter of Soda with one square
7. You need a miracle
8. Where does the water come from that is in a river?
9. Encyclopedia - Rivers begin at their source in higher ground, either rising from a spring, forming from glacial meltwater, flowing from a body of water such as a lake, or simply from damp, boggy places where the soil is waterlogged
10. How many of you know that the Kingdom of God has more than enough
11. John 7:38
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
12. In His river....
C. THE HIGHEST GROUND
1. There is a story about an ugly chicken
2. His owner could never get him to act right
3. He was just a dumb, ugly, big, stupid chicken
4. One day a ranger passed by the farm and saw the chicken
5. He offered the farmer the going rate of $2 for the "chicken"
6. The next day he climbed up the side of a high cliff and through the chicken as far as he could
7. 20 feet, 50 feet, 100 feet, the bird tumbled...all of a sudden this dumb ugly stupid chicken open its wings and soared
8. This my friend was no chicken, but a rare bald eagle
9. He was the most majestic of birds
10. He thought he was a chicken because of what everyone around him thought
11. We have to make it to higher ground sometimes
12. Watchtowers let the city know when enemies are coming
13. Prisons have towers to watch over the inmates in the field
14. We have to have a different perspective
15. We need to have a God perspective
16. There is no higher ground than the heart of God
17. Rivers flow from His heart
18. It is about time somebody takes the High Road
D. WE NEED TO BE A CONDUIT FOR FOLKS TO GET TO THE HIGHEST GROUND
1. Conduit - passage or tunnel for something to pass through, a thoroughfare to get somewhere else
2. There is no higher ground this morning than Golgotha’s hill
3. We are to be a passage for men to see the cross
4. If you can’t find your way He is the only way
John 14:6
...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
5. If you get lost and are trying to come to the truth He will reach for you
Luke 19:12
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
6. Others are going to try and take His place
John 10:1
1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
7. But the only way in is through the door
John 10:7
...Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8. He is ready for you this morning
Revelation 3:20
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
II. THE GOD GOGGLES
A. GOD IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS
1. Acts 10:34
34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
2. Illustration:
A first grader went on her first day to a newly integrated school at the height of the segregation storm. An anxious mother met her at the door to inquire, "How did everything go, honey?" "Oh, Mother! You know what? A little black girl sat next to me!" In fear and trepidation, the mother expected trauma, but tried to ask calmly: "And what happened?" "We were both so scared that we held hands all day."
3. Here is a true statement:
4. God does not care what color you are!
5. God does not care how old you are!
6. God cares about who you are!
7. We need to have Korean ministries
8. We should be praying for a Spanish ministry
9. Dreaming with the Youth
10. Supporting our Children’s ministries
B. WOE IS ME
1. Some folks say, "But you don’t understand..I can’t...I don’t...I won’t...y...y...just don’t understand"
2. Hold on I’ve got something for you..sit on the couch...
3. Have you ever wished that you were someone else?
4. Have you ever envied somebody elses talent?
5. Someone elses looks?
6. Someone elses character?
7. When we are thirsty we dwell on our own stuff instead of giving water to those who need it
8. Think about a time when you were so thirsty...
9. Now right before you put your mouth to the water, somebody else needs a drink and is in line at the fountain
10. When you are thirsty...have you ever just jumped for joy and said...hey take your time you go in front of me!
11. No, because when you are thirsty it means your body needs water, and it automatically takes presence over anything else until you get your drink.
12. When I am thirsty, I’ve gotta get to the river
13. That is why church cannot be about a certain style...style is not the river
15. Church cannot be about feelings...feelings is not the river
16. Church cannot be about relationships...relationships is not the river
17. Feelings, relationships, and styles are like potato chips...they taste good but they will still leave you thirsty!
18. The river of God is an eternal thirst quencher
19. John 4:14
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
C. WHEN THE PITTY PARTY IS OVER
1. Whenever the party is over sometimes it is a let down
2. All the anticipation is over
3. All of the "I wonder what will happen" is gone
4. Pitty Parties are the same way
5. We dwell on what we don’t have
6. We blame God and ourselves for our situation
7. We wish that we were someone else
8. Guess what? You are in a party and the only guest is,..well You!
9. God is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent...but
10. Even if you invite God to a pitty party...He won’t come
11. But when the Pitty Party is over
12. When you decide you have partied enough in your pitty
D. REAL LIFE CAN BEGIN
1. It is not God’s will for you to sit around in physical or emotional distress
2. His gift to us was physical life in the garden
3. He then wants us to live life to its fullest
4. John 10:10
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.
III. WE ARE NOT OUR OWN
A. WE HAVE BEEN PAID FOR
1. How many of you think that it would be a good deal if I bought your broken car from you, fixed it up and gave it back to you brand new for free?
2. You would say great!
3. But that is un-natural, dumb, it doesn’t make any logical sense!
4. I came in here to tell you that I am glad I don’t serve a natural God
5. He is beyond the natural...He is super natural
6. He took my broken life
7. He washed it in the blood of His own son
8. He gave my life back, but this time it is different
9. I use to have a chevette, but no I got a rolls royce
10. My life before He took it, had an end which was death,
11. But now aint no grave gonna hold this body down!
B. WE HAVE BEEN DELIVERED
1. Have you ever heard the saying, "signed, sealed, and delivered"?
2. When God paid for us he delivered us
3. From Our Past
4. In Our Present
5. Through Our Future
6. Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
C. WE HAVE BEEN SENT FORTH
1. Mark 16:15-18
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
2. Into all the world
3. To spread the Good News
4. To bring God glory because of signs that follow us
5. To cast out devils
6. With the baptism in the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking in tongues
7. To take up snakes without harm - something you accidently get into
8. To take in drink without harm - something someone else tries to give you
9. To have healing virtue flow with results
