Good News Week 50. Vision Sunday

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Vision Sunday

Good Morning New City Church.
It’s Vision Sunday.
What’s Vision Sunday?
Its a day to look back.
To look back at the faithfulness of God And to look forward to the fulfillment of God.
Isaiah 46:8–11 CSB
“Remember this and be brave; take it to heart, you transgressors! Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and no one is like me. 10 I declare the end from the beginning, and from long ago what is not yet done, saying: my plan will take place, and I will do all my will. 11 I call a bird of prey from the east, a man for my purpose from a far country. Yes, I have spoken; so I will also bring it about. I have planned it; I will also do it.

Remember and Be Brave

Remember and be brave. Some translations say Remember and stand firm.
You can have a brave trust in the faithfulness and sovereignty of God as you remember what He has done.
As I’ve looked back after the past 4 and a half years since we’ve been here I’ve been amazed at the faithfulness of God.
God has provided.
God has answered prayers.
God has kept us.
Can I just be real for a minute, because I want to testify to the faithfulness of God to this church.
Over the past five years this church went thru the disqualification of a former pastor due to a moral failing and fallout from that including loss of members and finances, it went through the normal transitions that happen with a new pastor with a new perspective and different ideas about mission and vision, it went through a transition in location, it went through COVID, online only church, to portable church -meeting in a community center, setting up and tearing down our worship and kids space every week, selling our old property on DIP, finding anew location, meeting in the fellowship hall while we remodeled and updated the church building… the church has gone thru fears and uncertainties and questioning if we would survive.
BUT GOD HAS KEPT US.
LSITEN TO THIS, Yes, the past five or 6 years has been a season of wilderness.
But I believe we at just at the edge of the promise.
I believe we are about to cross the Jordan into what God has for this church.
Just like the Children of Israel had to wonder thru wilderness to arrive at the promise we too have wandered thru the wilderness and I can see the promise just ahead.
Hear me… while the Children of Israel had to go thru the wilderness to get to the promise, the length of time they spent in the wilderness was up to them.
What do I mean?
They spent 40 years in the wilderness but they didn’t have too.
Moses sent 12 spies into the land.
They were ready to enter the land.
But they were unfaithful and fearful.
So the wandered.
But God has a purpose in the wilderness.
So they wandered.
So they had to go thru the wilderness to get to the promise, had they been faithful and not fearful they could have entered sooner, but God use their wilderness to strengthen them.
The length of time in the wilderness is often up to us, but God is faithful and he won’t waste the wilderness season but will use it to strengthen and prepare us for what is ahead.
During the wilderness we’ve learned that God is faithful.
We’ve been stretched.
We’ve become battle tested.
We’ve grown in areas that we didn’t even know existed in us.
We’ve stepped into new roles, and new ministries, and new spiritual giftings, and new faith.
God has not wasted the wilderness.
But again, I believe we are nearing the Promise that God has for New City Church.
That doesn’t mean there’s not battles ahead.
That doesn’t mean that the enemy won’t stop fatiguing against this church.
But the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church.
The Children of Israel Still had to drive out the enemy from the promised land.
Just because we are promise people does not mean that we won’t be a provoked people.
But hear me, the wilderness season is meant to prepare for the work of inhabiting the promise.
It’s still work, but its work from a place of remembering the faithfulness of God in the wilderness.
Just like God gave them manna in the wilderness, and water from the rock, changed the bitter water to sweet water, and provided for healing, and renewed their strength, and delivered them from attacks, and led them from Egypt, parted the sea, and met them in a portable tent while they waited for the promise, God has provided for us, fed us, healed us, delivered us, and kept us.
So yes, the past fie or six years have been wilderness, but the Promise is ahead.
Isaiah 46:8–9 CSB
“Remember this and be brave; take it to heart, you transgressors! Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and no one is like me.
Remember this and be brave, stand firm.
Take it to heart.
Recall it to mind.
You may say, pastor, I hear you about the wilderness, but I’m not sure I hear about the faithfulness of God.
I hear you about the wilderness but I have a hard time seeing promise ahead.
I hear you about wilderness but all I see ahead is wilderness.
Well let me invite you to a vision screening.
Let me invite you to see with new perspective, maybe even new glasses.
Hear me.
Listen and look at the faithfulness of God.
Yes the past five or six years have been a wilderness in the life of New City Church but I see Promise Land ahead…
Last year at NEW CITY CHURCH
Added Members: 17
New Baptisms: 6
New Faces: 700+ attend out reach events Hop & Hunt, Trunk or Treat, Christmas at Collier)
New Givers: 38 first time givers
About $2000 given to Missions plus giving to our ChristmasToy Drive and Foster Child Uniform Drive
Increase in Tithe from 2021 by $23,684.24
Increase in Overall Giving from 2021 by $16,630.66
New Volunteers
44 Weeks in Luke’s Gospel (and we aren’t done)
The best and most attended outreach events we’ve had in years.
Remodeled the KIDS! Space
Marriages helped.
Prayers prayed.
Communion served.
Untold lives touched by Jesus.
Because of your faithfulness and God’s steadfast love.
GOD IS FAITHFUL.
Remember this and be brave and stand strong.

Take it to Heart. Recall it to Mind.

Don’t miss what God did.
Sometimes we are like the 10 Spies who only saw the problems and not like the 2 Spies (Joshua and Caleb) who not only saw the problems but also saw the promise.
See faith isn’t ignoring the problem but it’s seeing the promise being worth the trouble.
Why did 10 see the problem bigger than the promise?
Because its easier.
It doesn’t take faith to back down.
It doesn’t take faith to give up.
It doesn’t take faith to see the giants as undefeatable, but it takes faith to see the giants and still desire the promised land.
Doubt is easy, but it gets you nowhere.
Faith.
Faith is hard but it’s leads you out of the wilderness and takes you to the promise.
Take it to heart.
Recall it to mind.
Let the faithfulness of God shape your vision.
Let the love of God shape your vision.
Let the mercy of God shape your vision.
Let the justice of God shape your vision.
Let the righteousness of God shape your vision.
Let the steadfastness of God shape your vision.
Let the grace of God shape your vision.
Let the trustworthiness of God shape your vision.
Recall it to mind.
Take it to heart.
I Am God, declares the LORD.
When we recall it to mind, when we take it to heart we are embracing the character and nature of God.
And when we embrace it and let that shape our vision we are able to look ahead into the Promise.

God Will Do It

Isaiah 46:10–11 CSB
I declare the end from the beginning, and from long ago what is not yet done, saying: my plan will take place, and I will do all my will. I call a bird of prey from the east, a man for my purpose from a far country. Yes, I have spoken; so I will also bring it about. I have planned it; I will also do it.
Do you hear that?
He will do from from long ago what is not yet done.
His plan will take place!
He will do all his will!
He will bring it about!
He has planned it!
He will do it!
Do you hear that?
Hold on!
Don’t give up now!
We’ve come too far in the wilderness to give up before we reach the promise.
We’ve come too far thru the wilderness to turn back now.
Hear me… why would you be tempted turn turn back now?
Let me ask it a better more clear way, why would the Satan tempt you to turn back now?
I think the answer is easy, because the promise is just ahead.
As hard as the Satan has fought against you and against the promise of God for this church don’t think he doesn’t see how we have been faithful.
Don’t think he doesn’t see how flowers are beginning to bloom in the desert.
Don’t think he doesn’t see how water is flowing in the wilderness.
Don’t think he doesn’t see the restoration God is working.
Don’t think he doesn’t see your faith.
Don’t think he doesn’t see your faithfulness.
Don’t think he doesn’t see the testimony of this church.
Don’t think he doesn’t want to keep you from being part of the renewal and restoration and rebuilding of this church.
Don’t think that GOD won’t keep His word.
Don’t think that God won’t keep His church.
You say, that’s easy for you to say pastor.
Well, it’s only easy for me to say because I’m only repeating what God says.
I’m no different than the spies.
I can choose to only see the problems or I can choose to believe the promise even though the giants scare me to death.
Faith isn’t not seeing the giants.
Faith is believing that God will ultimately keep His word.
Where does that faith come from?
It comes from an empty grave.
It comes from an indwelling work of the Holy Spirit.
It comes from seeing God work miracles in my life and my family.
That kind of faith, that kind of vision isn’t because I have blind eyes to the problem, it’s because I have new eyes to see the God who sits enthroned above the earth but also makes his home in me.
I have new eyes to see the promise on the other side of the problem.
Call it X-ray vision.
It’s a vision to see thru the problem to the promise.
That doesn’t mean i understand who we will get to the promise, it just means I believe that it God has placed it before us, we must keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
I throw off the weight and the sin that would cause me to lose focus.
I run the race marked out for me.
I hold on.
I press on to the mark, the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
X-Ray Vision.
God give us x-ray vision.
Vision that sees through the giants and into the promise.
How do we get to the place of promise God has for New City Church?
Here’s what I believe I’m hearing from God for this season.
I believe this is Transition Season.

Transition Season

Just like the Children of Israel had to move from the wilderness to the promise we too much move from wilderness to promise.
In order to to move they had to cross the Jordan River.
When they crossed they crossed behind the Ark of the Covenant - the presence of God.
And the Crossed together.
And after they crossed the set up a monument to remember the faithfulness of God.
And then they began their mission to inhabit the promised place.
I believe its the same for us.
This transition season requires us to go behind the presence of God.
This transition season requires us to go together.
This transition season requires us to build a memorial so we don’t forget the faithfulness of God.
This transition season requires us to begin the mission to inhabit the promise.
Inhabiting the land requires work.
Hear me.
It requires slaying giants.
It requires rebuilding ruins.
It requires being uncomfortable.
It’s work, but it’s not wilderness.
Maybe we need to understand that.
Maybe we’re confused about it.
Wilderness and Work aren’t the same thing.
Wilderness is barrenness.
Work is restoration.
Don’t think that entering the Promise won’t require work.
Don’t think you’ll ever fulfill the purpose God has for you or for this church without it requiring something.
There’s Kingdom Business.
There’s Kingdom Work.
This transition season is a season of moving into the promise God has for us.
How do we do it?
I believe God has put it into my spirit that we enter the Promise the same way the Children of Israel did.
We cross behind the Presence of the LORD.
And we cross together.
The sense in my Spirit is the word Pursue.
We Pursue the Presence of GOD and we Pursue Together.

Pursue Together

Luke 19:45–48 CSB
He went into the temple and began to throw out those who were selling, and he said, “It is written, my house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves!” Every day he was teaching in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people were looking for a way to kill him, but they could not find a way to do it, because all the people were captivated by what they heard.
Do you see that?
A house of prayer.
We must be a place were the presnce of God is both pursued and embraced.
As I begin to talk about the Vision for 2023, I want you to understand that nothing we Pursue Together will amount to any eternal reward if we are not first Pursuing God Together.
We must be a house of prayer.
We must be a place of presence.
We must be a place of Spiritual freedom.
We must be a place of faith, hope, and love.
We must be a place where God is allowed to interrupt our schedule and agendas and arrogance.
We must a place where our sons and daughters see the Spirit move.
We must be a place where God us Pursued.

Pursue GOD Together

Jeremiah 29:12–13 CSB
You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.
We will be a people of the WORD.
A people of consecration.
We will be a people devoted to Knowing God and Making God known.
A people of Worship.
We will be a people who sing loud and live louder.
A People of Presence.
We will be a people who desire God’s presence more than we desire God’s promises.
A People of Prayer.
We will be a people who have been with Jesus.
Unless we are pursuing God pursuing the promise is vanity, striving, and joyless.
When we pursue God we find our Joy in Him.
Then we can pursue mission and growth and excellence from a place of righteousness and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Pursue The Mission Together

Last week we talk about Kingdom Business.
We talk about the business of Spiritual needs, Felt needs, and Social needs.
We must pursue the mission together.
Discipleship
Midweek Bible Study
Small Groups
Prayer
Mentoring
Missions (Global, Local, Social)
Foster Care Help
Christmas GIft Drive
South American Mission Project (water filters and gospel evangelism)
Equipping
Marriage Conference
Small Groups
Opportunities it Serve

Pursue Growth Together

Numerical
I believe God wants us to be witnesses to our community.
I believe God wants us to invite the lost.
I believe God wants us to see salvations and baptisms and disciples made.
I don’t believe God wants us to grow numerically so we can be bigger.
I believe God wants us to grow numerically according to the people he has equipped us to disciple.
And I pray that God increases our ability to make disciples.
I pray that we embrace the mission so we are able to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus to go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to obey the words of Jesus.
Financial
I believe God wants us to grow financially so that we are able to not just meet the needs of this local body but so that we are able to invest in our community, our city, and the world.
I believe God wants us to grow financially so that we are able to bring others on paid staff to do the work of ministry.
I believe God wants us to grow financially so that we are able to pay off this property and use that money for the work of ministry.
Individual
I believe God wants you to grow.
I believe God wants you to
2 Corinthians 9:8 CSB
And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.
1 Thessalonians 3:12 CSB
And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone, just as we do for you.
Romans 15:13 CSB
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
God wants you to abound.
God wants you to grow.
Spiritual
Please hear me, when I talk about pursuing growth, primarily the growth I want to is spiritual.
I want this church and it’s members to be spiritual healthy.
I want the gifts of the Spirit to be in operation In our body.
I want the fruit of the Spirit to be evident in our members.
I want us to excel in love and mercy and joy and faithfulness.

Pursue Best Together

Excellence.
I believe God wants us to pursue excellence.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 CSB
Whatever your hands find to do, do with all your strength, because there is no work, planning, knowledge, or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.
To me that’s what it means to pursue excellence.
Colossians 3:23 CSB
Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people,
Pursuing excellence means to do everything we do as unto the LORD, from our heart.
2 Corinthians 9:7 CSB
Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver.
Pursuing excellence means obedience without compulsion.
Here’t the thing, as we pursue excellence together we may need to do some things we don’t really enjoy or things that stretch us from our comfort zones.
Listen, it’s not all about you.
Yes, God wants to meet you And God wants to use you.
But maybe how he wants to use you doesn’t fit in with the parameters you’ve set for God.
Let God set the parameters.
Again, unless we are pursuing God pursuing the other is vanity, striving, and joyless.
When we pursue God we find our Joy in Him.
Then we pursue mission and growth and excellence from a place of righteousness and joy in the Holy Spirit.
We pursue God.
We find joy.
And as we Pursue Best Together God blesses us.
2 Corinthians 9:8 CSB
And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.
We are one body.
Many members.
But God decides what role you play in the body.
Maybe God is asking you to be a knee but you want to be an ankle.
Maybe God is asking you to be an eye but you want to be a finger.
Maybe God is asking you to be a hand but you’d rather be a butt.
We’ll it time to be what God is asking so we can Pursue the Promise Together.

Pursue Promise Together

Listen, we can’t be who God has called us to be and we can’t do what God has called us to do unless we do it together.
Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 CSB
Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.
If we pursue the promise alone we will not make the impact God has called us to make.
Hebrews 10:24–25 CSB
And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
We pursue together by meeting together.
I know we live in a post COVID era.
Church attendance was declining in the American church preCOVID and post COVID many who stayed home during COVID stayed home after COVID.
But God’s word is clear.
We are called to community because its within church community that we grow, that we are encouraged, that we are strengthened, that we use the gifts God has given us so that others may grow, be encouraged, strengthened, and use the gifts God has given them for the health of the local church.
Ephesians 4:16 CSB
From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
We cannot not fulfill the Vision and we cannot Pursue the Promise God has for this church individualistically.
We must pull together.
We must row together.
Several years ago Heather led a team at work for a dragon boat race.
You know what a dragon boat is?
Its a row boat that seats about 10 people, and it looks like a Chinese dragon.
It was a fundraiser for a charity in Chattanooga.
Of course, as Heather’s husband I participated in the race.
Here’s the thing, and you know this, the more the team rows in sync the faster and stronger the movement of the boat.
The winners were the team that rowed together and rowed with all their might.
Here’s what happens.
It’s possible for the team to row with all their might but only go in circles because they are all rowing according to their own rhythm.
Is the dragon boat you have someone who bangs a drum in time with the cadence the team is supposed to row to.
If everyone rows according to their own cadence the boat goes in circles and everyone gets tired.
It’s not that you aren’t doing all you can it’s that we are doing it according to our own interests and not the interests of the boat.
I don’t believe God has called us to go in circles.
I don’t believe God has called us all to be drum beaters.
But I do believe God has called us all to be in rhythm.
It’s only when we are in rhythm that we will get where God has called us.
Ultimately Jesus is the Lead Drum beater.
Lets row together.
Lets row the race marked out for us so that we can win the prize God has laid out for us.
Let’s Pursue The Promise Together.
Pursue Together
As amazing as last year was, this transition is just beginning for what God wants to do here at New City Church.
This year as the LORD wills we will,
Refinance the Church
Mission Projects (Global & Local)
Meet Budget so we can do more ministry
Revival
Training
Volunteers Rallies
Hop & Hunt
VBS
Marriage Conference
Small Groups
Mens and Ladies Events
Winterfest
Trunk or Treat
Youth Camp
Easter and Advent at New City Church
Baptisms
Baby Dedications
And in all of those things we will Pursue Promise Together.
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