Where Vision Starts--Sermon for April 15, 2012

A golfer’s errant shot ended up on an ant hill.  So he found the ball, squared up, took a big swing, and missed.  Thousands of ants were killed.  The golfer took another swing and missed again.  Another wave of ants was destroyed.  Panic stricken ants scurried everywhere.  Then one ant took charge and yelled, “Follow me!”  Another ant yelled back, “But where are we going?”  The first ant point to the golf ball sitting in front of them and proclaimed, “There, if we don’t get on the ball we are all going to die.”

I don’t know about you, but there is something about that story that I identify with.  Maybe it is about my golfing skills.  Maybe it is about what I need to say to you today:  We need Vision, Urgency, and Clarity.

There are three very specific reasons why I feel led to say what I am saying today:  (1) I wasn’t here last year and some of you weren’t either.  Since that is so, and I have a responsibility as Pastor, I have to paint a picture of where I must go.  (2)  The picture of the future for New Life has been lost.  It leaked out.  It must be repeated again and again and again.  (3)  New Life must be clear about what we are doing and why.  The more we know what and why we are doing things the more practical our next step will be and what you as the members of New Life will need to do to release the redemptive capacity that God has give to this church family.

The Dream

In 1774 a dream was let loose in the human mind.  John Adams boldly declared his vision of a new nation, a union of thirteen states.  Against all odds, in two years his words became true.  The United States was born.

In 1789 William Wilberforce stood before the most powerful government in the world and proclaimed that men, women, and children would no longer be bought and sold like animals.  Eighteen years later England abolished slavery.

In 1893 two brothers in a bike shop announced “the age of the flying machine.”  In 1903 they got the first airplane off the ground. 

Henry Ford stood in front of a ragtag band of employees and vowed to make the automobile affordable for the average American family.  This nation laughed at him.  Who is laughing this morning?

In the 1940s Billy Graham had a dream of packing stadiums with people that want to hear the message of Jesus.   210 million listeners later he is cherished.

In 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr stood and faced the US at the Lincoln Memorial and painted a picture of a better world.  He was assassinated, but his dream lives on. 

2000 years ago a lone man declared (Matthew 16:18 that “upon this rock I will build my church.” 

Make no mistake about it.  New Life is Jesus’ church.  And he plan on making it stronger.  Jesus does not sit still.

New Life began as a dream that was rooted in Christ’s dream 20 years ago.  I would like to have a Homecoming on August 12^th this year. 

New Life began in a home with a small group of people and the dream of Jesus.  The hearts of that group of people wanted to build a church that was safe for people to seek Christ and evaluate his claims and our witness.  People in the community knew that group of early witnesses and knew what they stood for.  Others in the community of Grant vouched for their integrity.  One by one people began coming here because of the integrity of each and every early member.

Many of you here are evidence of the dream that was planted by God.  Let me see a show of hands of you who were here 20 years ago.  Let me see a show of hands of you who accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior here in this church.

For those of you who are new I invited you to join the Membership Class that meets each Sunday night at 5:30.  I invite you to get involved in a small group:  Sunday School, Bible Study, Cluster Group, or form your own. 

Plus I want you to have a sense of urgency.  I love that last part of Jesus’ phrase:  “…and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

Jesus raised the sense of urgency because people were lost and confused.  I don’t want you to be lost or confused.  I want you to know you are going to Heaven, I want you to live in Heaven while still here, and I want you to share your message with as many people as possible.  I want everyone one in this church to know and bear witness to the life changing power and grace of Jesus Christ.

Jesus designed the church to prevail.  When we don’t have a vision we will.  I have closed two churches in my 37 years of ministry.  In one church one elderly many said “I am going down with the ship, but I attend other churches to see what we use to be.  We had that life changing power and grace.  We lost it.”  We closed that church.  They stopped reaching out and were left with the dying. 

Jesus gave us our marching orders:

+The Great Commission—Matthew 28:19-20.

+The Great Commandment—Matthew 22:36-40

Do you believe these are still our marching orders?  Do you really?  Does anyone else know that?  Can they see it in your living?

A great commitment to the great commission and the great commandment will build a great church. 

Christ’s Five Purposes for New Life:

(1)     Go make disciples

(2)     Baptize them

(3)     Teach them to obey

(4)     Love the Lord

(5)     Love your neighbor

The Great Commandment identifies Jesus’ irreducible priority for his followers.

The Great Commission defines the step we are to take as followers

THEY ARE NOT OPTIONAL!  We are to obey HIM.

At a funeral the pastor said that Discipleship is more important than Evangelism.  Is that true?

So, for those of you who are members of New Life:

(1)     I want New Life to be a safe place for people to seek God and experience the life changing power and grace of Christ

(2)    I want New Life to be a training center for people at every level of faith development

(3)    I want New Life to be a worship center where Christ is praised, honored and thereby people are inspired (breathed on by the Holy Spirit).

(1)    I want New Life to be a place where children of all ages are nurtured in the Bible.

(2)    I want New Life to be a model for Christ that impacts Grant.

(3)    I want New Life to have leaders that share the same vision, who demonstrate courage and character, who cultivate intimacy with God and move others toward that goal, and who wants to take New Life to a higher level of Christ-like witness.

So let me restate my goals:

(1)     A safe place for seekers

(2)    A training place for people at all levels of faith development

(3)    A worship place where God is honored and praise and people are inspired by the Holy

(4)    Take the Membership Class

(5)    Be in a small group

To conclude:  There is an amazing story of a barn in Kentucky.  Mr. McKinney’s barn sat under 29 inches of flood water in 1929 when the Ohio River flooded.  He invited his friends over for a barn raising.  But not one like you thinks:  he wants moving the existing barn.  The 17000 pound barn.  His son Daniel devised a lattice work of steel tubing, nailed, bolted, welded inside and out.  344 volunteers lifted the barn walked it to its new foundation.  In just three minutes the barn was moved.  Each person supported less than 50 lbs.