church on purpose

Church On purpose B. For 2019 our theme is going to be On Purpose

The New International Version Chapter 11

11 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar l and settled there.

3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

8 So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel z—because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar l and settled there.

3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel z—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

. I was thinking about an often used phrase this week: You did that on purpose!

a. Maybe you heard that when you "accidently" ripped off the head of your sister’s Barbie Doll

b. Maybe you heard that when you knocked down your brother’s monument made of cards

2. I want us to put that phrase in a more positive light

a. One year from now when we look back at 2004 I want us to be able to say that we did some things On Purpose

3. Instead of simply sitting back and letting things happen (or not happen) I believe that we should be God’s Church On Purpose

a. But are we up to the task?

b. Are we willing to pay the price in order to accomplish God’s will for this congregation on purpose

c. Philip. 3:13-14

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

C. Today’s message is an introduction to this the next 3 messages as we talk about being God’s Church On Purpose

Verse 6 is the key verse in this passage

The Lord said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.

3. They are one people

a. They had unity among themselves

4. Spoke the same language

a. they wanted that tower at whatever the cost

5. They had a plan

a. They had dreamed a dream for this tower up into the heavens

1.Unity is many different people willing to focus on one purpose

1.Unity is many different people willing to focus on one purpose

Unity does not mean that you have to agree on everything

ILL> This year Robin and I will celebrate 20 years of marriage. Would you believe that in those 20 years of marriage that we’ve never had a disagreement?

a. They didn’t simply come up with the idea, they were willing to do the work.

1. Where people are involved you are never going to agree on everything

Where people are involved you are never going to agree on everything

I don’t agree with every sermon that I hear and you probably don’t either

Unity in the church was so important to Jesus that He prayed specifically for that right before He was betrayed with a kiss

 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

When writing to the Ephesian church Paul said

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, [21] that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

We are blessed here when it comes to unity

We are not a perfect church by any means, but we are a church that gets through things with purpose in mind. That is what Robin and I ask of each other and what the leadership team asks of each other.

Even though it was not Gods will, which we all struggle at times to seek, God said that the people in Babylon were going to be successful in building their tower because they had learned to work together.

2.Visionary planning is a must

We need some dreamers

I recently read of a guy who one Sunday who shared that the US Navy was getting rid of some battle ships. He thought it would be a good idea to buy one so we could take food to different parts of the world that were starving.

Everyone thought he was kidding, but he was serious.

We all thought he was kidding and laughed, but I think he was serious.

1. When the first guy said, "Hey, I think we ought to build a tower up to the heavens" I wonder if anybody laughed

When the first guy said, "Hey, I think we ought to build a tower up to the heavens" I wonder if anybody laughed or thought he was joking.

Where there is no vision, people remain lost

What dreams can you dream for this congregation?

QUOTE> What the mind of man can conceive, and believe, it can achieve!

Our main purpose is to lead people to Christ

1. How are we going to accomplish that as God’s Church?

a. How are you going to accomplish that in 2019?

God said the people in Babylon were going to be successful in building their tower because they had a plan

God wants to bless your life–He wants to bless this congregation

1. Too many times we think too small

a. We carry a spoon when we need a shovel

ILL> Wilkinson shares an illustration I want to share with you. He said that so many times we go to the river of God with a little teacup and bend down to this massive river of God thinking this is our little cup of blessings and we just scoop up a little blessing. His encouragement is, "Why don’t you jump in?" It’s a neat concept. Man, I’ve been sitting on the riverbank forever with these little cups. If I had wisdom and knowledge, I’d go back and get a little bigger cup every time. I’m up to about a gallon jug now, scooping up water. Then when I read this illustration, I thought, "Why don’t I jump in?" Because it’s like someone said, "You need to find out where God is going then you need to go in that same direction." If there’s a river of God, get in there. Jump in. All right, get you clothes wet, just jump in. That’s what we are afraid to do-- get our spiritual clothes all wet.

You don’t have to know where the river is going.

B. You don’t have to know where the river is going.

Jump in and it will take you there

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

3.Lets focus on the harvest and be a big part of the few.

Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.