Remember Our Purpose (07/04/24)

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South Charlotte Baptist Academy

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Message: July, 2024 and Beyond

This past Monday, I was a little “down.”

Regardless of what you may have thought - or think - about their departure, Luke and Rena are gone.

“Ready or not” change had come - has come - to South Charlotte Baptist Church!

Regardless of what you may think of change - It’s a good thing; it’s not a good thing - again, change has come to South Charlotte Baptist Church!

What about the youth group?

What about the choir?

What about the congregational singing?

Change has the potential to “throw you off your game.” (Much like a basketball team being thrown off their game when the opposing team makes a change in their defense!)

In those situations, many times, teams will “go back to the basics” to maintain their advantage as they adjust to the changes they are faced with.

With that in mind, I want to remind all of us of three “basics!”

We must remember our purpose!

Proclaiming the Gospel; Experiencing the miracle of changed lives.

Matthew 28:19–20 KJV 1900

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

We must use our purpose to evaluate everything that we do and to make sure that we don’t do anything “crazy” in response to change!

Illustration: A couple of individuals representing an organization that is seeking to raise awareness of human trafficking recently stopped by wanting us to participate in an activity that is going to be help here in Pineville.

While raising awareness of human trafficking is a good thing, and I may make the church family aware of this activity, it is not an activity that we, as a church, are going to official sponsor or participate in. Why? Because it’s a “bad thing?” No. Because it doesn’t fit into our purpose!

Note of warning! There are many “good causes” that you can get involved with that, if you’re not careful, can pull you away from the local church and can pull you away from proclaiming the Gospel in favor of a good social or moral cause.

We must remember our purpose!

Next…

We must remember our mission!

To be that church in Pineville, NC where individuals and families can

find the Truth, grow in Truth, learn to live the Truth, and learn to share the Truth all in the love of God.

This is our theme for 2024: Truth in Love!

Ephesians 4:15 KJV 1900

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

As I think about the ministries that Luke & Rena were involved with:

We should want our young people to find the Truth.

We should want our young people to grow in Truth.

We should want our young people to live the Truth.

We should want our young people to learn to share the Truth with others!

3 John 4 KJV 1900

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

We should want our choir and music ministry to effectively minister the Truth of God’s Word through song.

We should want our ministry to be orderly so that we, in the most effective way possibly, can fulfill our purpose and mission!

We must remember our purpose!

We must remember our mission!

Finally…

We must also remember that neither of those is dependent upon any one individual but instead they are dependent upon the church family “striving together for the faith of the Gospel.”

Philippians 1:27 KJV 1900

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

1 Corinthians 3:4–9 KJV 1900

For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

I am not using that passage of Scripture as a reprimand in any way but to simply point out the fact that we are co-labourers - together - with God!

We have the awesome privilege of

being used by God to accomplish His plan and purpose in this world and

we get to do it together - side by side!

The local church is a team sport!

Several men will be ministering - preaching, leading services, etc. - this month while I’m gone.

Miss Wells, Mrs Holstead and Mrs Peterson will be stepping into Rena’s shoes to help me “stay on top of things” in the office. Mrs Peterson has “hit the ground running” and is already doing a wonderful job of helping to keep things in order!

The Rideout’s will be taking our young people to camp this coming week. (There were others who volunteered to take that responsibility if needed.)

The Rideout’s and the Whited’s are going to help minister to the teens in the coming months.

I have other families who have volunteered to assist with our young people.

Prayer

To allow you to pray more specifically and to answer one question that some may have…We are not going to be actively looking for a new youth pastor/music pastor.

In discussion with others, I believe that a greater need we have is for a headmaster for the Academy who can completely take that ministry off of my shoulders.

I will be taking the leadership for congregational singing and for the choir.

These are two things that I already do so are not - in many ways - adding to my overall responsibilities.

One of the ways that Mrs. Peterson is assisting me is by helping with getting music ready for the choir.

Technology allows for the planning of congregational singing, etc. to be done very simply.

Plans have already been put together, for the choir, for the remainder of the year up to Christmas.

During the month of July, Jon Griffeth will be leading a Family Connection Group in the Scott Auditorium which will consist of:

Teens

His Design

J.O.Y.

Bro. Scott Peterson is going to be assuming the leadership for the J.O.Y. Connection Group.

My wife and I will be assuming the leadership of the teen Connection Group.

It has never been more important that we remember Philippians 1:27:

Striving Together For the Faith of the Gospel

One announcement…

Operation: Welcome Home

There are enough “move ins” behind us that we should begin reaching them.

The initial “Welcome” cards have been sent to 15 families.

Gifts have been assembled.

We need individuals/groups/families willing to take a gift and welcome these families. (Need to be done in groups.)

You can let Mrs. Peterson know if you’d be willing to assist with Operation: Welcome Home.

Finally…

Please keep Stephenie and Silas in prayer as I will be leaving on Saturday morning to spend several weeks in Iowa.

With everything that is going on, there is a part of me that does not want to go.

However, I had already made these commitments well before any of these things had happened/transpired so I don’t feel as though I can change my plans.

Again, please keep them in prayer.

Be faithful to your local church while I’m away.

Hebrews 10:24–25 KJV 1900

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.