Vision 2013: Grace, Grow, Go

VISION 2013: GRACE, GROWTH AND GO

INTRODUCTION:

This morning, I want to share with you some vision for our New Year…

It’s a New Year on Tuesday, and with it comes a New Beginning and New Things from God!

THE BIG IDEA: The vision the Lord has given our church family for 2013 is Grace, Growth, and Go. Grace is how we relate to God and people (worship and fellowship), Growth relates to our personal relationship with God (discipleship and ministry), and Go is our call to reach out to those who don’t know Jesus yet (evangelism).

KEY TEXT:

“2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?" 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. 7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" 11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." 12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:2-12).

1. GRACE:

“For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17).

• There is a difference between LAW and GRACE.

• The Pharisees emphasized the law: “Moses, in the law, commanded us that (this woman) should be stoned. But what do YOU say?” (John 8:5).

• Jesus said, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (v.7).

• WHAT IS GRACE? “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,” (Eph. 2:8).

• QUOTE: “Jesus comes not for the super-spiritual but for the wobbly and the weak-kneed who know they don’t have it all together, and who are not too proud to accept the handout of amazin’ grace.” (Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel).

• Morton Kelsey said: The Church is not a museum for saints, but a hospital for sinners.”

• “Jesus said, "Healthy people don't need a doctor – sick people do…” For I have come to call sinners, not those who think they are already good enough.” (Matt. 9:12-13, NLT).

• “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19). That’s WORSHIP.

• GRACE is how God relates to us, and that’s how we should relate to others as well:

• “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph. 4:32). That’s FELLOWSHIP.

2. GROWTH:

“Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” (John 8:8).

• After experiencing God’s grace, Jesus called the woman to GROW.

• “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” (1 Peter 2:1-3).

• After experiencing God’s grace, we should GROW – that’s called DISCIPLESHIP.

• As we come to the end of this year – are you more like Jesus than you were last year?

• Challenge? As we head into the New Year – get into the Word and grow!

• How do you know if you’re growing? Are you ministering to and serving others?

• “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (1 Peter 4:10). That’s called MINISTRY.

3. GO:

After you’ve experienced God’s grace (worship and fellowship) and begun to grow (discipleship and ministry), the next step is to go – evangelism.