A Gospel That Demands Everything

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Pennie Birthday

Annual Meeting Sunday

Man on island for 30 years, finally flagged done a boat, the captain looked around the island. He saw three hunts. He said why are there three. One is my home. The other is my church. The captain asked…and the third hut? The man said, oh, that’s my old church.

Today is a little different kind of Sunday for us.

In just a few minutes we are going to move into our annual business meeting. We will take a look at our budget, talk about what God has done this past year, and look ahead to what we believe the Lord is leading us into next.

But before we do, I want to take a few minutes and remind us of something that matters far more.

Who we are.

Because if we ever forget who we are as a church, then the rest of the meeting really does not matter.

The church is not a business.

It is a family.

Not a crowd. Not an audience. A family.

A group of people whose lives have been changed by Jesus and who are learning to follow Him together.

None of us have everything figured out. None of us are perfect. But we are moving in the same direction.

And that direction is shaped by something deeper than programs or plans.

It is shaped by the gospel.

And the gospel we believe is not a comfortable gospel.

It is not a convenient gospel.

It is the gospel Jesus preached.

Let me ask you a question…

Have you ever noticed how churches can slowly drift over time?

It happens quietly.

Some churches slowly turn into organizations.

They have meetings. Budgets. Programs. Schedules.

The calendar is full.

People stay busy.

But somewhere along the way the reason they exist begins to fade.

Then there are other churches that stay centered on something deeper.

They remember they are not just managing activity.

They are a family of people pursuing Jesus together.

And every once in a while I find myself wondering something.

If Jesus walked into churches today the way He did in the book of Revelation, what would He say?

Because in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 Jesus actually evaluates churches. He speaks directly to real congregations.

To one church He says something like this.

You work hard. You are doing many good things.

But you have left your first love.

Imagine that.

A church that is active, organized, and busy, but their love for Jesus has slowly cooled.

Another church Jesus says has a strong reputation.

From the outside everyone thinks they are thriving.

But then He says something sobering.

You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.

Everything looked impressive from the outside.

But spiritually something was missing.

Then there was another church that was comfortable.

Not hostile toward God.

Not passionate either.

Just comfortable.

And Jesus said they were lukewarm.

Not cold. Not on fire.

Just drifting.

But then there were churches Jesus celebrated.

Churches that held tightly to the truth.

Churches that endured pressure.

Churches that stayed faithful even when it was difficult.

And every time I read those letters I find myself asking the same question.

What kind of church do we want to be?

Do we want to be a church that simply runs programs?

Or a church that truly pursues Jesus?

Do we want to be known for activity?

Or for spiritual life?

Do we want comfort?

Or faithfulness?

And that question leads us straight to the words of Jesus in Mark chapter 8.

Because the kind of church we become is shaped by the kind of gospel we believe.

Mark 8:34–35 CEV

34 Jesus then told the crowd and the disciples to come closer, and he said: If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. 35 If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it.

Those are strong words.

Jesus does not say admire me.

He does not say attend occasionally.

He does not say add me to your life.

He says if you want to follow me, deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow.

Now when we hear the word cross today we often think of it as a symbol.

But for the people listening to Jesus that day, the cross meant one thing.

Death.

When someone carried a cross through the streets, everyone knew what it meant.

Their old life was over.

So when Jesus says take up your cross, He is not talking about inconvenience.

He is talking about surrender.

He is saying the old life has to die.

And this is where sanctification begins.

Sanctification simply means that once Jesus saves us, He begins reshaping our lives.

We no longer live for ourselves.

We live for Him.

And when a group of people actually begin living that way, something powerful happens.

You do not just get a church that gathers. You get a church that follows Jesus together. And that surrender shapes everything about who we are as a church.

It shapes our vision.

Our vision is simple:

We want to reach people with the truth, love them, teach them, and help them do the same for others.

That vision comes straight from the words of Jesus.

Go into all the world and preach the Good News.

People need the gospel.

People need to hear the truth about Jesus.

And when someone encounters Christ, a process begins.

They hear the truth.

They experience the love of Christ through His people.

They grow as they are taught the Word of God.

And eventually they begin helping others follow Jesus too.

Truth.

Love.

Teaching.

Multiplication.

That is the vision.

But vision alone does not move a church forward.

You also need a mission.

Our mission is simple:

We will do all we can for as many as we can, knowing that God will do what only He can.

In other words:

We work - God moves.

We serve - God saves.

We plant seeds - God brings the harvest.

Jesus said it this way:

Humanly speaking it is impossible.

But with God everything is possible.

And then we have our values.

Our values describe the kind of people we want to be as we pursue the mission.

First, we are God Seekers.

Psalm 27 says seek His face.

Everything begins there.

Programs cannot change hearts.

But when people seek God, everything changes.

Second, we are Big Believers.

Jesus said faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains.

We believe God still moves mountains.

Third, we are Love Givers.

We love people because Christ first loved us.

Fourth, we are Truth Tellers.

We speak the truth of God's Word in love.

Fifth, we are Go Getters.

James says we are not just hearers of the Word but doers.

Faith moves our feet.

And finally, we are Open Handers.

We live generously because God has been generous with us.

Now when you step back and look at all of that together, you begin to see the heart of who we are.

We are a family of surrendered people following Jesus together.

And that brings us back to the words of Jesus in Mark chapter 8.

Because a gospel that demands everything produces a church that gives everything.

People pray. People serve. People give. People invite others. People step into ministry.

And when that happens, the church does not just grow in activity.

It matures spiritually.

That is the kind of church we want to be.

So as we move into our annual meeting this morning, remember something.

This meeting is not just about numbers or plans.

It is about mission.

It is about stewarding what God has entrusted to this church so that more people can encounter Jesus.

Because everything we do points back to the same goal.

Reaching people with the truth.

Loving them.

Teaching them.

And helping them do the same for someone else.

That is who we are.

And that is the church we believe God is continuing to build here.

Let's take a moment and pray before we move into the meeting.