Celebration / Vision Sunday

Preamble

This Sunday we are celebrating 90 years of existence as a church. This is a monumental moment in the life of our church. We’ll take time to look behind us and ahead of us. I stand here today only because of God’s grace and for that I am so thankful. As a church we stand on the shoulders of those that went before us and others will stand on the shoulders of you.

I have been giving serious thought, prayer, silence and space to the area of vision. Recently, I heard a great podcast on discernment. The central idea of this podcast by John Mark Comer was that looking ahead is difficult since there is no path in front of us. In order to discern the future, we must reflect and give thought to the path behind us. The path behind us is full of decisions (good and bad), there are God moments, history and missional impact. Reflecting on what was, will give us an idea on what is to come.

Prayer

Introduction to the Sunday

Today is a different kind of Sunday. If you are visiting with us either in-person or online, please know that this is a unique day. Thank you for being patient with us as we take time to celebrate and consider being a part of what God is doing in our now and future. We are launching a brand new series next week titled: Sent! Pastor Tim is kicking off that sermon series next week. We will be elevating each of our Legacy Lanes, the Kingdom Impact you have had through your generosity - and addressing a life that is Sent for the Kingdom of God.

Our History

Our church has been a sterling example of God using ordinary people to ignite extraordinary spiritual impact that reaches far beyond the walls of this church, penetrating the boards of this city, and even the corners of the world.

Turning Point Church was originally called, “Revival Center Tabernacle” and was founded by W.E. Menold. This independent congregation was birthed out of the revival movement of the 1930’s. The church was incorporated on October 23, 1933. During those foundation years the lives of thousands of people in Spokane were transformed by the gospel. In 1944, under the leadership of Pastor Percy Philip, the church made application to Open Bible Standard Churches and received its charter. In the early 1950’s, the church called Rev. Crawford Jones, a minister with Open Bible Standard Churches, to serve as pastor. On January 5, 1953, “Revival Center Tabernacle” became “First Church of the Open Bible.” Although the focus of the church had changed somewhat, its influence continued to grow.

That original tent meeting on a vacant lot transitioned over time into a permanent building just north of downtown Spokane on Indiana Street. Revs. Norman and Norma LeLaCheur became pastors in 1964, having previously pastored in Rapid City, South Dakota. The LeLaCheurs loved the Northwest and the church and was a great fit for them and their four children. Over the 29 years the LeLaCheurs pastored, the church grew, many people came to known Christ, and many young people went into full-time ministry. In 1981 the church built a new facility five miles north of their original location and experienced significant growth.

Not only did First Church grow, it also multiplied. Country Church of the Bible was planted in 1981. River of Life Open Bible (now Northbridge) was planted in 1982.

Spiritual growth was important to First Church as well - starting programs like INSTE Bible College and the purchase and develop of Waitts Lake Camp. Launching many into full-time vocational ministry.

In 1993, Norm and Norma resigned. Their son, Monte, who had served as associate for the previous 14 years, was elected as the new senior pastor. Monte and his wife, Amy Jo, felt compelled to continue to build on the solid foundation passed down to them and to help their congregation stay focused on their mission, reaching yet another generation with the love of Jesus Christ. Pastor Monte was able to develop outreach initiatives through drama, music, and illustrated sermons. Master’s Commission discipleship and ministry training program was launched in 1997. Launching missionary, Tammy Swailes, and being an integral part of MOVE ministries which build churches internationally made a huge difference in the Kingdom. Pastor Monte and Amy Jo served this congregation faithfully and with passion for 29 years.

In 2009 First Church of the Open Bible became Turning Point Open Bible and moved its location to 11911 N. Division St.

This brief history in time and countless untold stories remind us that the transformational power of Christ is not just a part of our legacy. It is also part of our future.

Tension

Cuba being stuck in the past.

“If our memories out number our dreams, the end is near.” - (quoted by Andy Stanley)

Wait a sec? I thought you said that we are supposed to think and reflect upon the past. True!

We are not supposed to live in the past, we are supposed to learn from the past.

(ME)

Master’s Commission - worship music changed

Ecclesiastes 7:10 (NLT) Don’t long for “the good old days.” This is not wise.

(WE)

What are the “good old days” for you?

Where do you spend your time thinking? (past, present, future)

What do you long for the most?

Do your memories outweigh your dreams?

Why is it not wise?

It will leave you stuck. You can’t make a difference or live out your purpose when your mind is in a time that has moved on.

It leaves us paralyzed and ineffective.

It makes us cranky.

It makes us ignore what God is wanting to do in this generation.

At times we are trying to squeeze what God did back then into our present reality.

We are not supposed to live in the past, we are supposed to learn from the past.

What does this mean for us as a church?

Here is what we can learn from the road behind us concerning our history:

many people were transformed by the Gospel.

many people went into full-time ministry.

the church multiplied itself.

integrity of leadership.

took risks.

were creative with models but remain married to the mission.

Does this sound a lot like the early church?

What does this mean for you?

Have you given reflection, thought and time to learning from your history but not living in your history?

(God)

Vision

Proverbs 29:18 KJV “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

Where is your vision?

Dead trees and new life at Glacier National Park

Acts 2:17 (NLT) ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.

Proverbs 29:18 (MSG) If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that really doesn’t matter.” - D.L. Moody

Everyone ends up somewhere.

Few people end up somewhere on purpose.

Biblical Text

Today our Scripture and teaching is coming from Jeremiah 17. Jeremiah a prophet to the tribe of Judah, prophetically speaks of Israel’s captivity of Babylon due to Israel’s disobedience. Pagan worship, child sacrifice, and idolatry is running rampant throughout the Kingdom of Judah. Jeremiah shares about Judah’s demise but the book itself is not without hope.

Jeremiah 17:5–6 (NLT) “This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,

Putting our trust in something other than God leads us down a path of total despair and destruction.

Putting our faith in a politician is not part of God’s plan for our lives (political religion)

Putting our confidence in our financial stability is ludicrous

who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land.”

stunted shrubs

Jeremiah goes on to paint a picture or rather a vision of what could be.

Jeremiah 17:7–8 (NLT) “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”

I want to share with you four thoughts concerning our vision:

Jeremiah 17:7–8 (NLT)

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord

and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. (Know God)

1. Surrender to Jesus.

Surrender your life to His will and His ways.

Spend time with God.

To know God and to be known.

Theologian J.I. Packer said that, “One can know a great deal about God without much knowledge of Him.”

The Greek word for this is: genosko (yenosko) which goes beyond intellectual knowledge or mental awareness to imply personal, firsthand experience.

Know God happens in our weekend service.

Our heart desire is that everyone would have a personal experience with Christ through worship, scripture, prayer, the ecclesial community. These spiritual practices can be lived out throughout the week…surrendering to God’s transformational process in our lives.

They are like trees planted along a riverbank,

with roots that reach deep into the water. (Find Freedom)

2. Connect to Jesus.

It’s in us to be free – God put the longing there. But the enemy of our souls wants us to run, to hid from conflict, and to avoid fighting for whom we were made to be. Once we have relationship with God, we have his power in us.

We don’t have to face life challenges alone. Our fears, anxieties, and worries cannot enslave us. The enemy tries to release his weapons of mass destruction on us but we must GREATER is HE who is in us than he who is in the world.

Once we begin our relationship with God, once we start getting to know him and walking with him daily, the next step in our journey is to find freedom.

It is vitally important that all of us face the painful scars of our past and invite God to heal us in those areas. We have to take responsibility for our habits and destructive behaviors and the sinful ways.

Find Freedom happens through our small groups. Get into a group with other godly friends and get honest with just a few.

Such trees are not bothered by the heat

or worried by long months of drought. (Discover Purpose)

3. Become like Jesus.

When you know who you are, you can live in freedom. You know what God made you to be, and can walk in fullness of that understanding which allows us to help, love, and serve at a higher capacity. When you know who you are, you are less likely to be deeply effected by stuff.

Developing spiritual disciplines.

Discover spiritual gifts.

80% of people will go their grave and not know what they were created to do.

When you know what you’re made for, you can take your eyes off yourself and focus on serving others as God has wired you to do.

Discover Purpose is accomplished through Growth Track. Its understanding your personality, spiritual giftings, and the teams that you can be a part of here at Turning Point.

Their leaves stay green,

and they never stop producing fruit. (Make a Difference)

4. Live for Jesus.

Our final step in our vision is Making a Difference! Knowing that you’re living out your God-given purpose and that you’re making a difference in other people’s lives for all eternity changes your focus. You begin living your life beyond yourself and your own comfort and convenience.

You become a conduit of God’s love, grace, mercy, and generosity.

Joining the Dream Team.

Followers serve.

Mark Batterson in his book “The Circle Maker” makes an insightful observation about aging that stopped me in my tracks.

“Neuroimaging has shown that as we age, the center of cognitive gravity tends to shift from the imaginative right brain to the logical left brain. And this neurological tendency presents a grave danger. At some point, most of us stop living out of the imagination and start living out of memory. Instead of creating the future, we start repeating the past. Instead of living by faith, we live by logic. Instead of going after our dreams, we stop circling Jericho.” - Mark Batterson

God is calling us to dream of our future and partner with what He is already doing.

My prayer is that we would maintain the course that God has set out for this church. We want to:

“Get lost people saved,

saved people discipled,

discipled people sent.”

I want to share with you our vision as a Church as we enter this next season. It is our hope that everyone would be on a journey, an adventure or path to coming into a transformative relationship with Jesus. We want everyone DEEPLY ROOTED! Being rooted to the source, who is Jesus.

(You) How? (Application —> Take Home)

We believe that God has our best days ahead!

Dream Big

Bev Bredesen

“Give us a wise and discerning heart and fill us with the knowledge of your will through spiritual wisdom and understanding. Counsel us in the way we should go. Direct our steps”

Bev Hill

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Don’t listen to the world and don’t listen to the lies. How do you know you are being lied to? You need to stay connected to God’s Word. Even if, Lord, you are faithful.”

Here is “how” we plan to become a deeply rooted church. James says, “don’t be merely hears of the word but also doers.”

It is my prayer and desire of this church that every person that calls Turning Point Church their home church, or visits us online, or comes through those doors in the future - takes their next steps.

“It has been often said that there are but two steps to Heaven—and that those two are but one—out of self and into Christ.”

The Big Gates Wide Open, Volume 51, Sermon #2954 - John 6:37

Charles Spurgeon

I would like everyone to identify and take two spiritual next steps this next year. Just two…if you want to take more than that, great!

What are these next steps?

Join a small group or lead a small group

Join Discover Ministry School

Invite people from your neighborhood, work or school to come to church

Get baptized

Go through Freedom

Go through Growth Track

Mentor someone or let someone mentor you

Don’t be a jerk

Discover your God given purpose

Resources:

Discipleship Journey Map launching in December

Spiritual Formation and Disciplines starting in the new year

Next Step discernment process

January 21 Days of Prayer

Commitment to the journey ahead on Sunday, January 28th “Break Fast” Sunday

Prayer