A New Beginning

Today, I want us to reflect on all that we have accomplished in this past year.

We completed phase two of our flooring project and added some decor to the kids wing

We had three baptisms and Four new Members Added

Every street in our quadrant of Park circle was prayed for specifically by name.

This past year we visited over 200 residences in park circle utilizing around 25-30 volunteers.

Over 400 hundred letters were hand written to new move-ins in this area

We hosted a community Easter Egg hunt in which several new connections were made and the gospel was shared

On Easter we hand delivered dozens of Krispy creme donuts to employees on East Montague.

We added 12 new kids to our Awana program. Along with multiple new awesome volunteers.

We mobilized to use halloween as an outreach in our own neighborhoods by handing out hundreds of the Gospel illusion tracts

We filled over 80 shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

We continued serving the homeless of this area through the warming shelter enlisting many volunteers.

Our Senior Adult Bible Study has become a ministry team.

The first week of the month they write cards, make phone calls, and visit the shut ins. They also volunteered at Low Country Orphan relief packing care packs for those entering into the foster care system.

We had a veterans day brunch utilizing the NCHS ROTC continuing our relationship with NCHS

We collected warm sweaters and coats for North Charleston High School’s students.

Hundreds of dollars were given to send to bothers and sisters in need in the Ukraine.

Each one of these things individually may seem like a small thing, but collectively they add up and we are establishing a gospel presence in the areas we live work and play.

Missionaries will tell you there is no secret shortcut to reaching the people around you. It takes dedication to the mission. It takes a sacrifice of time, money, and energy. It takes a people of prayer. It takes a people that are passionately pursuing the joy of Christ. It takes being filled with the Love of Christ.

Now typically this is the sermon where the pastor calls for people to become more devoted to the church and its functions.

I am supposed to tell that we need a greater commitment from you to the church both in time and money.

The truth is we do need more volunteers and there is definitely room for more consistent commitment.

The truth is with rising costs our financial margins are getting smaller

The truth is that in every church there are those that are consumers only.

So usually the new year message revolves around guilting people into doing more for the organization, but I can’t in good conscience do that. I’m going to explain why.....

For the last 2-3 decades churches have struggled with the question of how to we become known? How do we grow our church? Some churches has become experts in mobilizing volunteers.

Some churches have become experts in marketing.

Some Churches in branding. Some have become experts in music, producing concert quality music every time they gather both in traditional churches and modern.

Still others have become experts in event planning. Planning events that rival anything the city or county can produce.

While I am not saying churches cannot use these tools, I will suggest that our foundation for doing these things often starts with the wrong question.

Is it possible to make our church known and yet not actually make Jesus known?

Is it possible for a church ,in trying to grow numerically, can unintentionally become the bushel that the light is set under?

Is it possible that when people see a church sign they associate it with every good thing, yet not automatically associate the church with Christ and the gospel?

I would suggest to you that it is possible. I want you to think about the churches you would consider successful. Do you automatically think Jesus and his gospel? Or do you think of their polished worship services or programs?

So then what is the right question?

How do we(I) make Jesus known?

Look at what Peter told the church their purpose was....

1 Peter 2:9 CSB

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

# 1. He reminded them of their Identity

Their Identity was not tied to an organization but rather to a person, Jesus Christ.

They were a people for His possession.

They were to be priest to the lost world

To what end or what purpose?

“So that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you our of darkness into his marvelous light.”

Purpose = To Make Him Known

John 13:35 CSB

35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

So then why as a church should we participate individually and collectively in the gospel ministry?

Now some of you are going to expect that I give you a really spiritual answer. However, I’m going to suggest to you the number one reason we should pursue our calling in Christ is

#1 For the Joy of it.

Hebrews 12:2 CSB

2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Joy is a byproduct of perusing Christ and His mission

Somehow we have believed the lie that in order to pursue Christ we must give up joy.

#2 For the Reward

Philippians 3:14 CSB

14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.