4 "E"ssentials - Exalt

The Beginning of a Series.

June 6th, 3 years ago you voted me in to be the pastor of Adams Center Baptist Church. What an honor that was!! However, almost immediately I took on the task of looking at what can we do to make this church a healthy thriving place. Particularly, how can this church grow. I prayed on it. I read books on it. We’ve done a few activities hoping to reach out to our communities. We went door to door. We put meals on for the community, and we’ve gained people and we’ve lost people. I even earned a certificate in church leadership so that I can apply the things I’ve learned to the church I’m leading.

I read book on Marketing and I’m currently doing all I can to do what seems to be the best form of marketing - social media. There’s obviously more we can do and possibly some things we shouldn’t. I’ve talked to people locally and abroad and asked them what they did both good and bad.

Here’s what I really learned...

It’s never about what you do, it’s about who you are. What is the mission? What is the vision? Whatever we do, whoever we are, if we cant look to God’s mission and and get His vision, we can never be a good church. So I went to the one source to help us to find out NOT what we are supposed to do but who we are to be and found 4 things.

The 4 “e”ssentials.

Quickly, a good church...

EXALTS - that is we lift up and praise the Lord at all times.

ENCOURAGES - that is we lift up and give courage to one another “as long as it is called TODAY” so that none of us stumble and fall.

- that is we lift up and give courage to one another “as long as it is called TODAY” so that none of us stumble and fall.

EQUIPS - that is we must get the tools necessary to do the ministry that God has called us to.

EVANGELIZES - that is we reach out to the world that He so wisely put us in so that we can be a part of His plan to rescue them.

Let’s put that that together..

A good church will emphasize the exalting of the Lord, encouraging of one another, the equipping of the saints, and the evangelizing of the community they are in and by extension the world around them.

A member of that church will exalt the Lord, encourage the people around them, seek to be equip and help equip the other members so that we can be prepared for works of service, and evangelize the circles he wisely put us in.

Today we tackle the first of the 4 “e”s - EXALT THE LORD

Psalm 34:1–3 ESV

I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!

WHY START WITH EXALT.

The 2 greatest commandments … LOVE THE LORD

That word Love means to place at the center of all you are

That word Lord means the His right place is as LORD and we are to express that with all of our passions, all of our thoughts, and with all we do. in order to do that We need to lift Him up in our lives.

Everything Starts right there…

You can’t encourage people to stay in Christ if Christ is not exalted

You can’t equip the saints so that they are in service of the Lord without the Lord being exalted

You cant evangelize the world for the Lord without him being Exalted.

WHY DO WE EXALT?

Warning

v. 10 The young lions suffer want and hunger

He is speaking to the attitude of relying on your own strength

When He is not on the throne you are… and that leads to being unsatisfied. He is the only one that can grant the desires of your heart

v. 16 the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.... they come to nothing.

v. 21 Affliction will slay the wicked and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

The Blessing

Deliverance v. 4, 7, 17

Deliverance v. 4, 7, 17

Radiant, - v. 5did you know that there is a tell for how you are doing. It’s on your face. I’m not saying fake smile, but I am saying that when the Christ is Lord of your life - it shows. He makes you radiant.

No shame v. 5

this poor man v. 6 saved out of all troubles

thats just a few.

History if ot Book

Davids story

We all have a story

Conclusion

The plead

Psalm 34:8 ESV

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!