The Power of a Name Change

Setting the Stage

A. So we have found ourselves in the middle of change.

i. remodel is underway

healing rooms have had to embrace the change

Monday evening and Wednesday morning Bible studies have been displaced

my office is a storage unit

the coffee and dounts are not in the normal spots

the kitchen is tore apart

the church may not be as clean and tidy as it usually is on Sunday mornings due to the construction mess.

ii. So today more than teach or preach i just want to share my heart.

I want us to have a conversation about a bit more change.

B.These next two weeks in my opinion could be the hardest two weeks concerning change.

I understand that the journey I am about to embark on could become thin ice rather quickly

I understand that what I am about to talk about may make me unliked or could ruffle some feathers

Please understand that I have spent a long time in prayer over this particular idea, these two weeks, this particular direction, and these two messages I am giving.

For the next two weeks I am asking that you

give me the benifet of the doubt

Give me grace

Give me the oppurtunity to express my heart and make room for the why

Give me the courtesty of praying over what I am about to give to you.

C. Drop the Bomb

i. I want to start a conversation with you today about changing the name of the church

ii. breath

Breath, breath, ok a couple more deep breaths

now tell the voices in your head to be quiet (Pastor Ryan isnt really the devil or the anti- Christ)

D. So Why would you want to change the name of the church?

C. So Why would you want to change the name of the church?

i. There is nothing wrong with the name of our church

34 Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? 35 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”

i. John represents the OT.

I like the name of our church

36 He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

if its not broke dont fix it

a. the old way of doing things

ii. Jesus represented the NT

a. I didnt say there was anything wrong with the name of our church.

b. he had a certain job

a. the new way of doing things.

ii. Pastor it sounds like you are trying to

a. do away with our church heritage ( i am not trying to do away with your church heritage but the moment your memories of the past become greater than your dreams of the future you have begun the slow decline to irrelance)

I dont think you should make decision on the future based on your past

Jesus doesnt do that . He doesnt look at your past and let that determine your future.

So why would we as a church let our church heritage determine our legacy

heritage (pride in who we are)

legacy (what we have done to benifit a future generation)

do you understand that if you go back far enough in the past the heritage you hold so closely was at some point someone’s dream for the future?

your heritage is someone else’s expired dream.

heritage should be honored but its there so you can carry unexprired dreams.

b. trying to erase our past

c. you are being dishonoring to those of us who have been here for a long time

d. you are trying to erase our identity as a church in the community

iii. all of those things are false

a. In reality i am wanting to build on the past and heritage of this church.

b. I want to enhance and overhaul our identity within the community.

E. God change’s Abraham’s name

i. When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty;a walk before me, and be blameless,2that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4“Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5No longer shall your name be called Abram,b but your name shall be Abraham,c for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”

ii. Abram

a. had a good life

11

b. had seen God do some amazing things (Lot, Abimilek, Priest of Salem) Abram had a good ride

iii. God makes covenant with Abram

a. God wants to release something into the earth that has never been done before

God wants to make covenant with man.

God wants the blessings from heaven to invade earth through a community of people in right relationship with God

God wants to give a particular piece of real estate to a particular people.

iiii. Let me tell you what I see in this story.

a. I see Prince of Peace in this story.

Like Abram we have had a good ride.

we have seen God do some cool stuff in our midst

We have seen God show up in our time of need

We have seen God answer prayers and guide us when we didnt even know He was guiding us.

maybe some of us are feeling our age like Abram did at 99 years old

b.

b. I see Prince of Peace with God standing before us saying

I want to release something into your midst that is new

I want to send something to you guys that has never been seen before

I want to put my hand on your church in a new way

I want my blessings to be so strong on your church that it effects the whole regin

I want to give to you a piece of real estate for you to steward

but its going to require a name change.

Its going to require a change in how you see yourself

Its going to require a change in identity

v. God changes names in order to get people to come into allignment with thier destiny

Abram to Abraham

Sari to Sarah

Saul to Paul

Simon to Peter

sometimes God comes and says there is something so big, something that will alter the course of history that it requires a name change.

This just may be one of those times

F. What do you want to change the name to?

F.

A picture is worth a 1000 words.

sometimes the loudest messages can be sent with the smallest of pictures

I am purposing that we consider changing our name to The Well

there arent just a 1000 words behind this simple picture there are 1000’s of kingdom realities and messages behind this picture.

Let me show you what I mean.

Jesus arrived at the Samaritan village of Sychar,[b] near the field that Jacob had given to his son, Joseph, long ago. 6–8 Wearied by his long journey, he sat on the edge of Jacob’s well.[c] He sent his disciples into the village to buy food, for it was already afternoon. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink of water.”[d] 9 Surprised, she said, “Why would a Jewish man ask a Samaritan woman for a drink of water?” 10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew who I am and the gift that God wants to give you—you’d ask me for a drink, and I would give to you living water.” 11 The woman replied, “But sir,[e] you don’t even have a bucket and this well is very deep. So where do you find this ‘living water’? 12 Do you really think that you are greater than our ancestor Jacob who dug this well and drank from it himself, along with his children and livestock?” 13 Jesus answered, “If you drink from Jacob’s well you’ll be thirsty again and again, 14 but if anyone drinks the living water I give them, they will never thirst again and will be forever satisfied! For when you drink the water I give you it becomes a gushing fountain of the Holy Spirit, springing up and flooding you with endless life!”[f] 15 The woman replied, “Let me drink that water so I’ll never be thirsty again and won’t have to come back here to draw water.” 16 Jesus said, “Go get your husband and bring him back here.” 17 “But I’m not married,” the woman answered.“That’s true,” Jesus said, 18 “for you’ve been married five times[g] and now you’re living with a man who is not your husband. You have told the truth.”[h]

Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink of water.”[d]

9 Surprised, she said, “Why would a Jewish man ask a Samaritan woman for a drink of water?”

10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew who I am and the gift that God wants to give you—you’d ask me for a drink, and I would give to you living water.” 11 The woman replied, “But sir,[e] you don’t even have a bucket and this well is very deep. So where do you find this ‘living water’? 12 Do you really think that you are greater than our ancestor Jacob who dug this well and drank from it himself, along with his children and livestock?” 13 Jesus answered, “If you drink from Jacob’s well you’ll be thirsty again and again, 14 but if anyone drinks the living water I give them, they will never thirst again and will be forever satisfied! For when you drink the water I give you it becomes a gushing fountain of the Holy Spirit, springing up and flooding you with endless life!”[f] 15 The woman replied, “Let me drink that water so I’ll never be thirsty again and won’t have to come back here to draw water.” 16 Jesus said, “Go get your husband and bring him back here.” 17 “But I’m not married,” the woman answered.“That’s true,” Jesus said, 18 “for you’ve been married five times[g] and now you’re living with a man who is not your husband. You have told the truth.”[h]

11 The woman replied, “But sir,[e] you don’t even have a bucket and this well is very deep. So where do you find this ‘living water’? 12 Do you really think that you are greater than our ancestor Jacob who dug this well and drank from it himself, along with his children and livestock?”

13 Jesus answered, “If you drink from Jacob’s well you’ll be thirsty again and again, 14 but if anyone drinks the living water I give them, they will never thirst again and will be forever satisfied! For when you drink the water I give you it becomes a gushing fountain of the Holy Spirit, springing up and flooding you with endless life!”[f] 15 The woman replied, “Let me drink that water so I’ll never be thirsty again and won’t have to come back here to draw water.” 16 Jesus said, “Go get your husband and bring him back here.” 17 “But I’m not married,” the woman answered.“That’s true,” Jesus said, 18 “for you’ve been married five times[g] and now you’re living with a man who is not your husband. You have told the truth.”[h]

the well represents a community gathering place.

15 The woman replied, “Let me drink that water so I’ll never be thirsty again and won’t have to come back here to draw water.”

16 Jesus said, “Go get your husband and bring him back here.” 17 “But I’m not married,” the woman answered.“That’s true,” Jesus said, 18 “for you’ve been married five times[g] and now you’re living with a man who is not your husband. You have told the truth.”[h]

a place where people go to get life giving resources.

17 “But I’m not married,” the woman answered.“That’s true,” Jesus said, 18 “for you’ve been married five times[g] and now you’re living with a man who is not your husband. You have told the truth.”[h]

its a place that brings a community together.

“That’s true,” Jesus said, 18 “for you’ve been married five times[g] and now you’re living with a man who is not your husband. You have told the truth.”[h]

The well is a place where people from all walks of life congregate

in the story you have a Jewish Rabbi and a Samaritian women at the same place

these two people groups dont associate with one another. (the highest of the high and the scummiest of the scummiest)

the well is the only place theses two groups would ever interact.

there are people around the well that have questions

why would a Jewish man ask a Samaritan woman for a drink of water

why would God....

Why would you

What makes a church do...

Does God really love me

Can God heal my family, my marriage, my brokeness

Does God really care about me and have a plan for my life

Does God answer prayers

what if we were the place people went to ask those questions?

there are skeptics at the well

why would you ask me for a drink of water?

what are you after?

what do you want?

What’s in it for you?

a skeptic is only a skeptic because they dont have all the information.

they are skeptics because they have been burned before

They are skeptics because they have been used before

They are skeptics because they have been taken advantage of

They are skeptics because they have been abondoned before

a skeptic is only one genuine encounter away from being a believer

skeptics are people who are stuck in a route of thier own false believes.

the Samariatian woman went day after day to the well

she went during the hottest part of the day because she had a belief that she wasnt good enough

life had taught her she was a half breed

she wasnt as good as the other jewish woman of the town

She goes to the well by herself and then goes home to be by herself because she is between men or she is home trying to carve out a life with the flavor of the week.

she wasnt really lovable since she had 5 husbands

life had taught her that things dont work out for her

she could only find acceptance if she gave herself away

i wonder how many modern day woman at the well we have in our communities?

i wonder what would happen if our church was the community well that the skeptics would drink from?

There is a clash of cultures at the well

Jesus being jewish had a certain culture

the woman being a Samaritian had a certain culture

Jesus represents the culture of Heaven

the woman represents our worlds culture.

G. Closing

I believe that God wants to do something with our church that is revolutionary.

I believe God is calling us to step into the gap and go after our communities

we have talked about being intentional about reaching out to our communities.

we have talked about giving the lost an encounter with the goodness of good at the hands of our peope

we have talked about the kind of disciples we want to create.

I want to ask you to prayerfully consider a name change.

what would it look like if we were the well in our community?

what would it look like if we got the oppurtunity to answer people’s questions at the well

What would it look like if people groups paths crossed at a place called the well

What would it look like if people broke out of thier spiritual ruts at a place called the well?

You have several weeks to pray on this and think about this.

On Sunday June 23rd we will have a vote for current members on changing the name of the church. The vote will take place on Sunday June 23rd from 9:45 - 10:30.

Let’s pray