United We Fly

UNITED WE FLY

(ALL my sermons use illustrations from www.sermoncentral.com and all scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted)

This church is about people reaching people. If a young person gets saved then they will reach 19% of their family. If a woman gets saved she will reach 32% of her family. If a man gets saved He will reach 82% of his family.

When God sends forth the Spirit amazing things happen: barriers are broken, communities are formed, opposites are reconciled, unity is established, disease is cured, addiction is broken, cities are renewed, races are reconciled, hope is established, people are blessed, and church happens.

Today the Spirit of God is present and we’re gonna‚ have church.

So be ready, get ready...God is up to something... discouraged folks cheer up, dishonest folks ’fess up, sour folks sweeten up, closed folk, open up, gossipers shut up, conflicted folks make up, sleeping folks wake up, lukewarm folk, fire up, dry bones shake up, and pew potatoes stand up!

But most of all, Christ the Savior of all the world is lifted up.

In order to be United and lift up Christ our Savior we must first be Mindful of Vision Killers.

WHAT ARE THE VISION KILLERS IN CHURCH?

John 17:20-23 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

PRAYER

Jesus prayed for unity, he prayed that ALL people who believed through the Gospel message might be ONE. Just as the Father and the Son are ONE. It is through the glory given by Christ that we are to be ONE. Yet, with denominations, division and disagreement, the church is much less ONE then God would have it be. I have always wondered WHY? WHY, is it that with one simple plan, with one simple commission, with one simple vision, the church is not as successful as God intended it to be? It is, I believe because of VISION KILLERS.

I. VISION KILLERS ARE COMPLACENT

One group, are those that kill the vision and unity of the church by being complacent. These are the people that have a difficult time attending church for whatever the reason. Scripture tells us Heb 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching. These people have allowed the world to reset their priorities and some place worldly things in front of being here whenever the doors are opened. Now I am not speaking to those, that from time to time, have to miss church due to insinuating circumstances. I am talking about those that come to church only when it is convenient for them to do so. They are usually people that create dis-unity through complaints and gripes, but are not here often enough to warrant such criticisms. They are VISION killers because they have not spent enough time with God to see the overall vision.

These are people who are also complacent in their giving to God. I mean giving to God in MONEY, in TIME, and in TALENT. People who see the problems of the church and are very quick to point these problems out, BUT are not as QUICK to offer solutions or to give freely of their own time or money. Mal 3:8-10 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse-the whole nation of you-because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

Vision killers are those that say, “There is not enough money to do what God wants us to do.” and YET, they are not TESTING God in His promise to bless us, by giving a tenth of what they make back to Almighty God.

Nothing can kill God vision for His church faster then a church body that will not show their faith by giving back a portion of the money that God has blessed us with. So many churches today argue about what their money should be spent on. YET, it is not their money, it all belongs to GOD. God has given us His very best, His SON died for our sin, and HE in return deserves our very best.