Vision Sunday 2022 12.4.22

Vision Sunday 2023 Sunday, December 4, 2022 Today I want to share my heart both in REFLECTING where we have been and PROJECTING where we are trying to go... Let's start by looking at the words of an ancient prophet whose writing speaks to us today... (Habakkuk 2:2-3) Then the Lord answered me and said, Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay. The story of Habakkuk is a reminder that God is faithful to lead us according to His purposes and plans if we are willing to listen and obey. The mission of this church is not really the mission of a church but is much larger-the MISSION OF GOD. His mission is our plan-what He wants, where He leads. We are stewards of God's vision outlined in two passages of Scripture that I want to read... So what is the Mission of God? (John 3:16) For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (1 Peter 2:9-10) for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God's mercy. For quite a few years we have openly embraced our commitment to Loving God, Loving People. We also have recently embraced Generations Matter as a part of our corporate agreement to love all people, of all shapes, sizes, colors or origin. Both of these are aligned to the Mission of God found in John 3:16 and 1 Peter 2:9. Since Shelley and I have your pastor, we have faithfully worked to lead with conviction and compassion to fulfill the assignment of God. You may remember that we started with these... 6 BIG ROCKS * Raise up a new generation of leaders * Expand (improve) our existing facilities * Create a long term financial strategy * Create a culture of discipleship * Improve hospitality and assimilation to another level * Reinvent children's ministry *With the exception of #4 we have made some progress-not everything we believe we must do but we are getting there. * 322 days ago we held our first public service in this building The Church We Want to Pastor... * A church for all generations * A church without walls o Our conviction is that every person deserves to know that Jesus died for them. o YOUR CHANGE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD *here please show a bunch of change as a backdrop... * A church for lost people I've wrestled to create a message that fits the 3 points and a poem but at some point, God got my attention and I'm now pondering that if Jesus tarries another year and we are standing here looking back we can say with great joy that our Entire Church was MOBILIZED For the Lost People of This Community. * How many lost people are there in Lake County, Ohio? * Do we know? * How many lost people do you personally know? * What can we do about it? EX: (the story of the dying starfish) I may not be able to save all of them but I can make a difference for this one! (Luke 10:25-37) One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus replied, What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it? The man answered, You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. And, Love your neighbor as yourself. Right! Jesus told him. Do this and you will live! The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, And who is my neighbor? Jesus replied with a story: A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I'll pay you the next time I'm here. Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?" Jesus asked. The man replied, The one who showed him mercy. Then Jesus said, Yes, now go and do the same. The story says 3 things to each of us today... He Was Engaged * Unlike others, he did not pass the hurting man by * He stop his own agenda, got off his beast and tended to his wounds * Engagement with lost people demands personal sacrifice * Prayer, relationship building, * We must demonstrate love and acceptance over religious bias and judgement. * Could it be that some people won't come to hear about Jesus because they believe they won't be accepted? * Can someone BELONG here before they BELIEVE or BEHAVE? (Romans 5:7-8) Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. * This is our marching order this coming year! He Was Invested * He not only tended to his wounds but took him to the inn. * Allowed himself to be inconvenienced * He also paid the cost himself * In the past two years, we have witnessed 92 people accept Jesus Christ as Savior- o Some are here today o Some are attending other churches o Some got away and lost their way * I'm not responsible for the decisions people make but I am responsible to do what I can to help them find their way forward. * We have not historically done this well. Discipleship is hard work-but the Great Commission charges us (Matthew 28:19-20) Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. o We must establish friendship with new believers * If you've been saved for less than 5 years stand up. * Every mature believer should have at least 1 new believer as a good friend. o We must walk alongside them as they grow * Can God trust LEC with lost people? * Are we invested in winning lost people to Jesus? He Was Committed * He did not just do something to make himself feel good and then disconnect. * He was willing to further commit to the restoration of the wounded man by paying any additional charges * What is it going to cost LEC to be a home for sinners? o Does it change our worship format? o Does it change our music style? o Does it change our budget process? o Does it reorganize our congregational priorities? * How far would we be willing to go to see lost people come to Jesus? * Sometimes Change is Hard. EX-"I'd change anything if it meant my grandchildren would come to Jesus" * We don't want our church to change-for some it is the only stable environment they know-but change we must, if it positions us to reach the 5 people on your list. Conclusion: I serve as chairman for the board of Peniel Drug and Alcohol Recovery in Johnstown, PA. From time to time I drive over for business or just to visit. They using put a program together while I'm there and have clients share their stories. One time after listening to several former addicts talk about the changes in their life as I was walking through the facility I heard a whisper in my spirit "this is redemption" We forget about redemption sometimes when we have been saved for a while and we start taking God's mercy and grace for granted-like we deserve it. (1 Corinthians 15:10) But God's grace has made me what I am, and his grace to me was not wasted. God I'm a sinner I'm sorry for my sins I believe Jesus died for my sins I believe you will forgive me of my sins I choose Jesus