UNLEASHED: FAITH THAT WORKS

I NEED THAT! I THINK…

HAVE YOU EVER BOUGHT SOMETHING THAT CONVINCED YOU IN THE MOMENT THAT ITS USEFULNESS WAS MORE CONVINCING THAN THE PRACTICALITY OF OWNING IT?

IS THERE A SHELF/DRAWER/CABINET THAT HAS BEEN THE HOME OF A KITCHEN APPLIANCE THAT YOU REALIZE NOW HOW LITTLE YOU ACTUALLY USE IT?

THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS A FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE LISTING OR GARAGE SALE IS ASKING THE QUESTION: “WHY DO I KEEP THIS IF I NEVER USE IT?”

TRANSITION: KITCHEN APPLIANCES AREN’T THE ONLY THING THAT WE PUT AWAY OR GET RID OF WHEN WE REALIZE HOW LITTLE WE USE THEM.

MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE FAITH IS JESUS RECEIVED THE GRACE OF FORGIVENESS BUT MISUNDERSTAND THEIR CLOSENESS WITH GOD AND FEAR THE COMMISSION TO GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES AND TO DO ALL THAT JESUS TAUGHT US TO DO.

AT EASTER WE TALKED ABOUT THE REALITY OF LIFE BECAUSE JESUS LIVES, FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS WE ARE GOING TO RUN AS HARD AS WE CAN INTO WHAT IT MEANS THAT THE LIFE OF JESUS HAS UNLEASHED HIS CHURCH TO GO TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, BUT WE BEGIN WITH THE ENDS OF OUR CUL DE SAC.

READ: JAMES 2:14 ESV

WE NEED THIS HOLY MOMENT

WHAT GOOD IS IT???

SLIDE: GOD DID NOT CALL US TO BE FAITH-AWARE, BUT FAITHFUL.

MOST WEEKS, I’M GOING TO PREACH THE TEXT AND DIVE INTO THE LANGUAGE, HISTORY, AND CULTURE

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE IS THAT IT WAS GIVEN NOT JUST TO BE KNOWN, BUT LIVED

JAMES, THE HALF-BROTHER OF JESUS WROTE THESE WORDS TO A CHURCH WHERE FAITH MEANT LIFE OR DEATH.

WE’RE LIVING IN A TIME WHERE WE CAN WEAR CHRISTIAN SHIRTS, JEWELRY, CAR DECALS, AND HAVE OUR FAVORITE COLOR BIBLE IN WHATEVER FORMAT OF ENGLISH WE WANT.

SLIDE: HAVE WE MISTAKEN CONVENIENCE WITH BOLDNESS?

GOD ASKS JEREMIAH:

English Standard Version Chapter 12

“If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you,

how will you compete with horses?

And if in a safe land you are so trusting,

what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?

WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN AN UNSHAKABLE KINGDOM

IF WE BELIEVE THIS TRUTH OUR FAITH HAS TO BE STRONGER THAN FEARS OF THE UNKNOWN AND FLAT TIRES.

I ASKED OUR BIBLE STUDY THIS SAME QUESTION: WHAT CAN STOP THE KINGDOM OF GOD?

LOOK BACK TO MOVE AHEAD

WHEN YOU CAME TO FAITH IN JESUS, WHAT DID YOUR LIFE LOOK LIKE?

I WANT TO DO SOMETHING I’VE NEVER DONE BEFORE

I WANT TO USE PARTS OF MY FAITH JOURNEY TO NOT LOOK BACK AT MY LIFE, BUT TO TELL YOU WHY GOD HAS CALLED ME TO BE HERE WITH YOU TO REACH JAMESTOWN AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.

WHEN I THINK BACK TO WHEN I CAME TO FAITH, I WAS A BROKEN YOUNG MAN.

SO OFTEN WE RUN FROM BROKENNESS, BUT ONE THING I’VE LEARNED:

SLIDE: BOLDNESS IS BORN FROM BROKENNESS.

DAILY FAITH

FOR 21 YEARS NOW, GOD HAS DAILY INVITED ME INTO FAITH IN HIM IN MILLIONS OF SMALL WAYS.

THOSE SMALL MOMENTS ARE NOT SEEN BUT THEY HAVE PROVEN TO BE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT

WE WANT GOD TO WRITE OUR JOURNEY IN THE CLOUDS, BUT GOD INVITES US TO WRITE HIS WORD IN OUR HEARTS.

LONG BEFORE I HELD A ROLE IN MINISTRY I HAD TO LEARN TO HOLD ON TO GOD’S WORD.

I HAVE NEVER TAKEN BOLD STEPS IN FAITH BECAUSE I KNEW A GOOD WAY TO DO THINGS, BUT BECAUSE I KNEW I COULD TRUST A GOOD GOD WHO WAS CALLING ME OUT WHERE HE WAS LEADING.

SLIDE: YOUR FAITH GROWS WHERE YOU FOLLOW

IF WE DON’T DESIRE TO SEEK GOD IN HIS WORD, WE WON’T DESIRE TO SEEK THE LOST

RIGHT NOW FAITH

AS YOU FOLLOW GOD AND YOU DO WHAT YOU BEST UNDERSTAND AS HIS WILL YOU WILL ULTIMATELY ENCOUNTER BIG DECISION MOMENTS.

THINK ABOUT THE MOMENT PETER TOOK THE FIRST STEP OVER THE SIDE OF THE BOAT ONTO THE WAVES WITH JESUS. ALL THE WALKING AND TALKING WITH JESUS CAME TOGETHER WITH THE FIRST STEP.

THE STORY IS IN MATTHEW 14, BUT NOTICE THAT JESUS DID NOT INITIATE ANY OF THE DISCIPLES TO JOIN HIM OUTSIDE OF THE BOAT. IT WAS PETER WHO SAID “LORD, IF IT IS YOU, COMMAND ME TO COME TO YOU ON THE WATER”

WE WOULD EXPECT JESUS TO SAY, “YOU’RE NOT ME PETER, ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?” BUT BECAUSE IT IS JESUS WHO IS ON THE WAVES, HE TELLS PETER TO COME.

I WILL NEVER FORGET THE DAY WHEN MY DAILY FAITH NEEDED SOME RIGHT NOW FAITH…

BRIEFLY** THE DAY IN JOHN’S OFFICE

WE KNEW GOD WAS CALLING US OUT IN A VERY RADICAL WAY FROM NC IN 2013

FOR NEARLY 10 YEARS I HAD BEEN BI-VOCATIONAL AND TRI-VOCATIONAL AT TIMES

IN 2011, FOR THE FIRST TIME, I GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE FULL TIME IN VOCATIONAL MINISTRY

IN 2013, GOD INVITED ME TO QUIT THAT FULL TIME JOB, MOVE 4 HOURS AWAY WITH CRYSTAL AND OUR BARELY 2 YEAR OLD BOY TO A TINY TOWN WITH NO PROMISE OF A JOB. JUST THE CALL FROM GOD TO DO IT.

IT’S SO EASY TO TELL PEOPLE YOU HAVE FAITH IN GOD UNTIL A MOMENT LIKE THIS HAPPENS.

IT’S SO EASY TO TELL PEOPLE YOU BELIEVE GOD IS SPEAKING TO YOU ABOUT SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S NOT EASY TO DO? TO TELL YOUR PASTOR YOU’RE GOING TO BE RESIGNING IN ABOUT 60 DAYS AND YOU DON’T HAVE A JOB, BUT YOU KNOW GOD IS LEADING YOU TO DO IT.

MY MOM DIDN’T KNOW WE WERE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, AND SHE REACHES OUT TO ME BEFORE THIS MEETING TO TURN IN MY NOTICE.

SOMEONE I GREW UP WITH WAS LOOKING FOR A HOUSE TO RENT IN THE CITY WE LIVED IN.

WE QUIETLY REACHED OUT TO THEM AND LET THEM SEE THE HOUSE.

NO WORD.

I KNEW I HAD TO GO INTO THIS MEETING AND TAKE THE STEP.

AS SOON AS I GOT UP TO LEAVE THAT MEETING, I GOT A MESSAGE FROM MY FRIEND THAT THEY WANTED TO SIGN PAPERS TO RENT THE HOUSE.

THAT WAS AMAZING, BUT THE DIFFICULT PART HADN’T HAPPENED YET.

PHOTO: RIGHT NOW FAITH

THAT’S THE UHAUL WITH EVERYTHING WE OWNED.

OUR FAMILIES THOUGHT WE WERE CRAZY AND WERE SLIGHTLY UPSET WITH ME

OUR FRIENDS WERE DOING THE BEST THEY COULD TO NOT SAY “I HOPE IT WORKS OUT”

WE WERE STEPPING OUT OF THE BOAT AND HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE.

RIGHT NOW FAITH PREPARES US FOR TOMORROW FAITH.

INVITATION

WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE OF OUR OBEDIENCE WAS NOT THIS WILD SUCCESS STORY. IT WAS A FAITH JOURNEY THAT GAVE ME CHARACTER AND FAITH THAT I COULD NOT HAVE EVER GOTTEN STAYING COMFORTABLE “IN THE BOAT.”

THAT OBEDIENCE IS WHAT BROKE ME. IT COST ME RELATIONALLY TO HAVE FAITH. IT COST ME FINANCIALLY TO HAVE FAITH.

IT WAS MY FAITH THAT DREW ME OUT TO WHERE GOD WAS AND GOD GAVE ME AND CRYSTAL AND OUR FAMILY THE THINGS THAT CANNOT BE BOUGHT.

I’M SHARING THIS WITH YOU BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO DRAW NEAR TO GOD THIS YEAR!

I WANT YOUR FAITH TO BE ALIVE, NOT DEAD.

IF YOUR FAITH IN JESUS IS NOT ROOTED IN THE REALITY THAT GOD IS LEADING YOU TO GO OUT AND TRUST HIM AND MAKE DISCIPLES, AND YOU’RE HIDING IN FEAR AND COMFORT I HAVE TO TELL YOU TODAY YOUR FAITH IS DEAD.

READ: JAMES 2:26 ESV

WE ARE NOT A CHURCH BECAUSE WE HAVE A BUILDING WITH A STEEPLE, WE ARE THE CHURCH BECAUSE WE ARE THE CONGREGATION THAT IS CALLED BY GOD TO GO AND CONTINUE THE MINISTRY OF JESUS UNTIL HE RETURNS.

THE ONES WHO GO OUT AND PURSUE, NOT WAIT FOR IT TO SHOW UP, BUT THE ONES WHO TAKE THE MESSAGE TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE, THAT’S THE FAITH THAT IS AVAILABLE TO US BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.

I WRESTLED WITH BECOMING A PASTOR FOR YEARS BEFORE THIS CAME TO BE

I TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY THE CALL OF A PASTOR.

I LOVE TO CONNECT THE DOTS IN THE BIBLE FOR PEOPLE, BUT THE REASON I DO IT IS SO THAT PEOPLE WILL TURN AND CONNECT THE GOSPEL FOR OTHERS.

GOD BROKE ME SO THAT I COULD SEE HIS STRENGTH IN MY WEAKNESS TO GO AND DO THIS.

JESUS HAS UNLEASHED A FAITH IN US THAT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF THE HEADLINES ABOUT CHURCH IN AMERICA.

JESUS HAS UNLEASHED A FAITH IN US TO PURSUE HIM LIKE NEVER BEFORE.

IF WE ARE NOT PURSUING GOD AND OTHERS THAN WE ARE BREAKING THE 2 COMMANDS JESUS GAVE US AS HIS FOLLOWERS AND OUR FAITH IS DEAD.

I PRAY THAT GOD GIVES US RADICAL STORIES IN THE DAYS AHEAD THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN SEEN IN THIS CHURCH AND COMMUNITY.

I PRAY THAT YOU WILL HEAR THE INVITATION FROM GOD TODAY THAT IF OUR CHURCH IS GOING TO BE A CHURCH THEN IT MUST BE BUILT ON FAITH THAT JESUS HAS GIVEN US AN UNSHAKABLE KINGDOM AND THE FAITH TO GO.

JESUS HAS GIVEN US A FAITH, THAT WORKS.

SLIDE: HOW SHOULD I RESPOND TODAY?

PRAY- DISMISS