Thriver not a Mere Survivor

New Living Translation Chapter 1

3 Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. 4 We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. 5 And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. 6 In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.

Over the last few months I have said it several times...”Every Time I think that I can’t be any prouder of you as a church you go and do something incredible.

It started with you giving enough money during the annual desert auction to send 20 plus kids to camp....Then When we had VBS this year I watched as we fed the families of all the kids that came to VBS as the crowd grew Cynidie had to pray a prayer asking for the God to multiply the food…it happened and everyone ate plenty.

I swelled with pride when you took part in a community pancake breakfast where you not only fed people but you took time to hear their stories, then I was overcome by the way you all came together to pray for the Palmer Family and we got to celebrate a miracle.

I was proud of our women who not only got together on a Saturday to eat together but then took a meal to a local firehouse…This is real outreach!

Then you blessed all of the pastoral staff with wonderful gift cards and a meal, then even last week after everyone had left the sanctuary I watched a one of our Senior Adults took the time to go and pray with one of our recently graduated teens.

All of these things may seem like things any church would do which might be true but you have done all of these things and more in the midst of great adversity…

What do you mean pastor?

Let’s just be honest…the last 8 plus years have not been the most exciting times in the life of the Church…You have had to go through 4 pastoral transitions in about 8 years…One of those was very traumatic and unexpected with the death of Pastor Pell.

That means you have not had a stable direction for all of that time. 4 different pastors 4 different personalities and 4 different times of seeking God for direction and vision. Add to this the uncertainty of where we will be meeting in years to come

Yet…though it all while we have had to say goodbye to people that have moved to other communities, people that have died and in some cases people that felt the need to seek another church for various reasons.

We have had to say goodbye to people that have moved to other communities, people that have died and in some cases people that felt the need to seek another church for various reasons.

Yet through it all you have not only endured these things…you have continued to thrive in doing ministry.

Yet…though it all while we have had to say goodbye to people from moving to other communities, death and in some cases people seeking another Church for various reasons you have not only endured these things…you have continued to thrive in doing ministry.

Famous Failures

The ability to thrive in the midst of adversity is a very appealing quaility. In fact who does not get a tear in the eye or a little tightness in their throats when we hear a story about the underdog?

The ability to thrive in the midst of adversity is a very appealing quaility.

In fact who does not get a tear in their eye or a little tightness in their throats when we hear a story about the underdog? Rudy???

Sometimes it is hard to look back at the difficult times we have faced financially and relationally and believe that it is worth the struggle...However this is exactly what Paul is praising the Thessalonian Church for.

He endures several years on the practice squad getting beat up but giving his best until he finally through a series of events get in for one play in a real game....This sounds like madness doesn’t it?

It is hard to look back at the difficult times we have faced financially and relationally and believe that it is worth the struggle...However this is exactly what the author of our passage is praising about he Thessalonian Church.

Maybe the world needs more madness…

NLT

New Living Translation Chapter 1

3 Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. 4 We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering.

Paul can’t help but thank God not only for the Thessalonian Church enduring but florishing under that strain of extreme persecution.

I can’t help but thank God for you! I also can’t help telling people about the work you are doing in the midst of difficulty...

God has not called you or BA Nazarene to simply endure these difficulties we have faced…no more than He wanted the Thessalonians to simply endure...

God wants us to take all that we have been through and continue on with the mission He has given us to Connect people to God and others by making a space where everyone can belong.

Your history has shown just how much of a difference you can make by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us through rough waters.

Our House has been built on The solid foundation of God... and our current Mission Vision and Values give words and action steps to what type of church we will continue to be!

Matthew 7:24-25

Matthew 7 ESV

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. 6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! 12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. 13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ 24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” 28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

New Living Translation Chapter 7

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock

Matthew 7:24-25

Matthew 7:24–25 ESV

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock

In order to thrive in the midst of adversity one must

Thriving and not simply enduring is an important distinction as we talk about what draws people to a community of believers or a church.

In order to thrive in the midst of adversity one must

Truly believe in the mission

Be willing to sacrifice for the mission

Celebrate the Mission instead of dreading the struggle…(Personal Struggle)

Undercover friend…3 years of struggle has lead him to a place of deeper understanding of the Mission of God.

New Living Translation Chapter 1

11 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

As we live this type of life individually and together people are drawn closer to God and closer to any Church that exhibits these qualities.

The fact that we (you) have gone through so many struggles and accomplished so much should not deplete our faith but strengthen it…

God is not a God of scarcity…He is a God of Plenty…Plenty of forgiveness, Plenty of Power, Plenty of money, plenty of anything you can think of...

This is what the Thessalonian Church understood even when people were being jailed, beaten and persecuted in all kinds of ways.

This is why Paul can’t help Praising God for the Thessalonian Church…

This is why I can’t help praising God for you!

This is why I continue to challenge you…to help you reach the Goal God has for you of becoming a multiplying community, developing deep, growing relationships with God, our world, and one another.

I am convinced that once your acquaintances, friends, and relatives see what I see about a united and thriving community of faith they will not only want to come to our house but engage in the mission of our house.

I am convinced that once your aquaintances, friends, and relatives see what I see about a united and thriving community of faith they will not only want to come to our house but engage in the mission of our house.

God is leading us to a place a time where we are ready to not only survive but prepared us to thrive!

I am convinced that once your friends and relatives and

To be a multiplying community developing deep, growing relationships with God, our world, and one another.

So I pray this for you like Paul prays for the Thessalonians:

2 Thes 1:11-12

11 ...asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

It is my hope that on Sunday November 25th you will invite your people to OUR HOUSE…

So that we can introduce them to a family of God that will do whatever it takes to show the Love of God to them and our whole community.

What if we filled Our House on that day?

What if part of the result was people coming to faith recommitting their lives and getting involved with a people that not only endure in the midst of adversity but they thrive!

New Living Translation Chapter 54

17 But in that coming day

no weapon turned against you will succeed.

You will silence every voice

raised up to accuse you.

These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD;

their vindication will come from me.

I, the LORD, have spoken!

17 But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me I, the LORD, have spoken!

no weapon turned against you will succeed.

You will silence every voice

raised up to accuse you.

These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD;

their vindication will come from me.

I, the LORD, have spoken!

What if that day is today?

The Time is now! The place is here! The ministers are you! and the fields are ripe with harvest!

Who will you dine with at the Table of the Lord on November 25th that is not here today?

Communion....