How to be a church supporter.

This is our first service in September. Traditionally the Vine sees this month as the the start of the Vine year. It is the month that sees us pick up the pace following a well deserved and needed summer break. This is time that we take stock, set our eyes on God, our hearts on his and our desires (hopefully this align) and make a new start, make a restart.

This is a time that we start to focus on what God is positioning us for this season.

Last week I spoke about what we are called to be, as much as the things we spoke about.

Getting out of the church, being a party starter, being transformers are things we are destined to be. I think there some things about it though that are seasonal and I want to revisit some elements over the next months. I really feel that God is moving us into a season that is going to focus on two things.

His nature & His presence. I get the feeling that the Holy spirit wants to teach us not to be a church, not to be workers but to be heirs and worshipers. Out of being heirs and worshipers I believe that Father God will move us to a position that allows us to be party starter and transformers.

A practical approach

Today I want to talk about some very practical things, things that I belive are essential for us to be Chruch. For us to be the Church.

This could be called being how to be a church supporter.

August the 9th saw the football season start. If any of you know people that are really into their football, you will be in no doubt that the the football season is upon us.

I am not a football follower, I put that down to having a season ticket for Nottingham Forest for many years and copious amounts of prayer to grant me feedom from that.

But I think we can learn a lot about being a group of belivers from sports fans. I think there are a number of things about football fans, or rugby, hockey, tiddlywinks that are truths to what builds a godly church. These are the attributes of sports fans that are direct parllels with believers who are growing in the Lord and helping to strengthen their church family.

Identify.

Supporters have clear identity

Scarves and hats

You can’t miss a supporter. There are things about them that make it clear what they are.

It may be the scarf, the hat the....

That provide an identity. As followers of jesus what is it that displays our identity?

T-SHIRT

For most of us our identity is not based in what we wear, the fish that may be on the back of the car, the cross around our necks or anything we have.

Our idenity is is conveyed by how we behave, what we believe. Out identity is rooted in christ, but what makes us easy to identify.

What you are

Identity

John 1:12 NLT

12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

This idenity is something that we all have, something that to a lesser or greater degree we believe or stuggle to believe. Our depth of understanding of this directly affects our understanding of the nature of God and how we experience him. It directly impacts on the two things things the like the supporters hat and scarf identify us to the wider world as followers of Jesus...

Love

John 13:35 NIV

35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

and by

Fruit

Matthew 7:15–20 NIV

15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Our identity is show to the world less by what church sign we are associated with as that identifies you to the Vine, or to St Peter’s

Our Idenity that associates as heirs of the Kindom is shown by our love and our fruit...

Paul in 1 Tim says this...

1 tim 4:11-14

1 Timothy 4:11–14 The Message

11 Get the word out. Teach all these things. 12 And don’t let anyone put you down because you’re young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. 13 Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. 14 And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use.

That all sounds rather difficult… Wan’t an example?

At the one event we had the privalidge of hearing Dave and Phillip Stroud. (baroness Stroud) - Christ Church London. They gave a real example of the love of a Christian, how the fruit of the spitit made a real impact in the world.

get ready to be blown away with some awsomly spirityal chirstianing..

Milk story.

Our identy pervades every part of our life. It should make us distinc.

In the same way that an Everton Fan is distinct from a Liverpool fan, even though the are in the same city. we are called to be seperate from the world even though we live as part of this community, this country, this world.

Out Identity is an identity that is out of this world. You are other worldly. belive me I have met some christians that look like aliens but that is not what I mean. The identity we have in being a new creation is eternal. we are different to those around us, and yet we are the same. The same flesh, the same blood, the same desires, and shortcomings, but santified - made whole in christ Jesus. we are called to stand for the the Kingdom

What you stand for.

When you look at a football supporter it is clear what they stand for - who they support.

Separation—Live in a way that is distinctly for God in this

2 corinthians says...

2 Corinthians 6:17 NIV

17 Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

We are called to be distinct but we are called to be in this world. You will have probably heard the phrase we are in the

John 17:16 NIV

16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

But this goes on...

John 17:17–19 NIV

17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

So let’s revise the popular phrase “in, but not of.” Christians are not of this world, but sent into it. Not of, but sent into.

Belonging

Know you team

Experian Advert

Football supporters know the team they support and the stick to that religously.

the places they go,

the colours they wear. - you don’t get a milwal fan wearing a Chelsea shirt because the blue matches their eyes.

There loyalty is clear.

To be a supporting member of the Kingdom we could learn from this - matthew says

Matthew 12:30 NIV

30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

and

Matthew 6:24 NIV

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Yet how often do we dilute our commitment, our belief our behaviours. ...

we end up in the pub wearing the wrong colour shirt, sheepishly saying and doing one thing when our heart and our spirit are telling us we should be doing another.

You know it only takes a few of these occassions before we reationalise away our loyalty our belief.

We need to be clearly identified in and identifiable for Christ...

. —2 Timothy 2:21

2 Timothy 2:21 NIV

21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Football supportesr s Know the songs & the chants,

They declare who and what tehy support.

Declare who we support

Hebrews 2:12 NIV

12 He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.”

Declare why we support -

the nature of our God

Psalm 101:1 NIV

1 I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise.

They are keen to get the message out - .

Sing like you are at the football

Psalm 150:1–5 NIV

1 Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. 2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. 3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, 4 praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, 5 praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.

Team Knowledge.

Football supporters tend to know their teams inside out.

they can tell you that Grant Brown - 491 - has played more games for Lincoln City than any other player

or the top goal scorer in the history of the club is… Andy Graver 150.

Or the club was founded in ?… 1884

Or their higest league finishing postion is 5th in tier 2 (1902)

Supporters of the Kingdom do the same

Longest book is Jeremiah

The longest word in the Bible is “Mahershalalhashbaz (Isaiah 8:3) - means quick to plunder swift to spoil

The most quoted verses in the bible by the bible are Exodus 34:6-7

King James did not write it.

There are 27 books in the new testement the first for are M M L J and the last is Revelation

We all have to start somwhere....

Stick with Scriptures—

Supports of the church - Read, study and hear the preaching of God’s Word. They make it your ultimate authority.

Hebrews 4:12 NIV

12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Know the Game - Read other books as well...

Keeping the football theme - A life of two halves - rt Rev’d Dr David Carr.

other books

Be a supporter

I have covered what a supporter is like, but do you know what the key role of a supporter is ?

they support.

Suppoters Promote their team

We are called to support the Kingdom

Soulwinning—Go to others with the message of salvation.

Luke 19:10 NIV

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Supporters invest in their team. we call this Stewardship—Give liberally to God and man.

MU season ticket average £741

leicester city £365

Lincoln £379

Chelsea £1250, arsenal £1768 & totteneham £1995

Each of us invests in the things that are important to us.

2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV

6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

here is a good exercise.

list the 5 things that are most imporant to you?

know list the 5 things you spend most time on?

know list the 5 things you spend most cash on?

Do the lists tally? if not has something snook up on you and you are giving things more attention that they deserve? or are you deluding your self about what is important to you.

I am not being critical - this is as much as a test for me as for you.

Bishop Tony Miller puts it this way - reugularly check to see if you are snacking on the things you should feast on and not feasting on the things you should snack on.

Encourage

The most imporant role of a supporter though is not promotion of the team, it is not even funding or voulnteering it is this

Boy video

Supporters encourage.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV

11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Sensitive—Be responsive to the needs of others, especially your church family.

Galatians 6:10 NLT

10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

10. Stand—Take a stand for the things of God.

2 Timothy 4:7 NIV

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

CLOSE

Be a loyal supporter

Stay—Learn to stick.

Hebrews 10:25

Hebrews 10:25 NIV

25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

(Obviously, there are times God moves people. But don’t allow an offense with another Christian or backsliding in your own heart to keep you from your church family.)

Sweet Spirit—Love your church, your neighbours and the world.

Hebrews 10:24 NIV

24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,

Be a supporter!