Go, Do... The Lord is with You.

Vision Sunday

Today and next Sunday are dedicated to Vision. The sermon will be a little bit different than how I usually present. I want to reaffirm the vision that God has given for this church family.

I also want to share with you what God has given me as a vision for what we are to do this year in 2020. I need you to catch the vision for what can happen in us this year. Let’s dream big together.

We started as a church under this inspiration - As an evangelist going into churches to minister over a five year period I began to feel a burden for starting a church in a metropolitan area. Shelley and I were not sure where, but we knew it would be a major city. I began to fly in and out of the airport here a lot for ministry.

It was this season that God began to put into us a desire to start Branches Church. We would drive from Gainesville to the airport passing only a few Pentecostal churches. As I prayed God spoke to me, I have many people here…they love me, and I have more for them.

He took me to John 15 and parts of 16, some things from these verses began to stand out to me.

The word “abide” or an associated word in the greek appears twelve times. Abide means dwell in, stay in, or remain in.

Remain in me and I in you.

Remain in the vine.

If my words remain in you.

Stay in my love.

If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love.

I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain.

Repeatedly Jesus told his followers to remain and that their fruit should remain.

Bearing fruit is also repeatedly mentioned and in John 15:5 He is the vine, we are the branches and without Him we cannot do anything.

John 15:5 NKJV

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

We are to bear fruit and that fruit is to remain. There should be some fruit of our labor after we have left this earth. This work of faith not about me today only, but it is about having an influence and impact that lasts beyond my lifetime.

As a church our focus is upon leading people to experience God’s promises.

Faith

Repentance

Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ

receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit with speaking in other tongues as the sign.

Becoming fruit bearers in the world and in the Lord’s Kingdom.

The kind of impact we want to make in Gwinnett county and in Atlanta will only be done thru Jesus Christ.

John 15:5 NKJV

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

The way vision for God’s plan works in my life…has always been that he gives me a picture of something way off in the distance. An almost unfathomable God sized thing that I cannot attain under my own power.

I don’t know how to get there but I know God can do it. Let me share with you the big picture God showed me.

The vision I had for Branches Church was to be a church that is everywhere. A multitude of churches covering the metro area, all of them with their own personality and operating size. I saw us, Branches, with Pastors and members coming together to rent one of the stadiums to have a joint worship service. To celebrate what God had done through us. It was huge! In the vision I was just standing on the side of the stage in amazement at all the people who made up Branches Church. There were different cultures, and languages.

I don’t know how to make that vision become reality. God does. So every step of the way I ask God…what do you want me to do now? What should I focus on?

Now I pray what do you want us to do now? What should we focus on?

I don’t want God to bless what I or we are doing…I want us to work in what God is doing!

So last year I went away for almost a week to seek God. To ask what do we need to do now? What should we focus on?

He gave me three things and a scripture.

Discipleship - an aligned process for discipleship.

Leadership development - start developing the leaders that will take us to the vision.

Future Growth Fund - God is going to open doors and we need to be positioned to walk thru those doors.

Discipleship

We have been working to disciple new members since the church started. But God has shown me that we need to work on improving the process of how we disciple and train people.

Systematic approach with continuous efforts that lead people through a Bible study on the new birth experience, Take Root and Bear Fruit classes to cover Biblical doctrine and Christian lifestyle, and Fitly Framed to help find a passion for serving in the Kingdom. This year as a church family we will go thru these together… some have already went thru much of the material.

Then we will put in place a process that each new member of Branches Church can and should go thru.

We have needed a bridge to connect Sunday worship with our middle of the week effort in life group. We are starting a First Steps group that will meet on three Sundays following service. The purpose is to help welcome new Sunday worship attenders and show spiritual growth opportunities and serving opportunities.

Leadership Development

I believe everyone has the ability with dedication and sacrifice to become a leader. Even if you don’t serve as a leader at Branches you can develop your leadership skills.

Once a month on Saturday we will are offering leadership training to everyone that will attend. We will bring some of the most effective leaders to Branches to teach us. This will help us each improve our impact in the church, at work, in our communities. I believe everyone needs this, even if you do not see yourself as a leader, there is someone who is looking to you because you have influence in their life.

Future Growth Fund

This year Branches Church is going to grow again. We have grown every year since we started in 2015, and this year will that will be true also. As we grow, new opportunities will present themselves. Ministries that can positively impact the community. The need for more space. The need for other locations. Mission opportunities overseas. Because we operate on faith and are good stewards as a church family…God has blessed us. Will keep blessing us, but God told me this is the year that we should prepare for the future growth He is going to give Branches.

I will be talking more about this next in my message next Sunday.

Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.

2 Samuel 7:1–3 NKJV

1 Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, 2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.” 3 Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”

David has worked to establish his authority as the God anointed King in Israel. He now sits comfortably on the throne after a war to unite Judah and Israel. Not too long ago he was a man on the run from Saul who was intent on killing him.

But now Saul is dead, David has become King and for the first time in a very long while there is peace in Israel.

So David starts thinking about the fact that he is now living in this fine house and the place where the Lord’s spirit resides is a tent...

Nathan tells David to “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”

But that night God speaks to Nathan a message that he must pass to David.

Prepare Altar Music

2 Samuel 7:5–16 NKJV

5 “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? 6 For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ” ’ 8 Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth. 10 Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, 11 since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord tells you that He will make you a house. 12 “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. 15 But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

Would you build me a house?

2 Samuel 7:11 NKJV

11 since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord tells you that He will make you a house.

Also the Lord tells you that He will make you a house. 8 times in 17 verses the word house is used.

David thought he was building a house for God… when God was actually building a house for David.

We think we are doing something for God. Truth is, God is doing something in us.

God does not need what we can build him. Notice that God keeps referring to the people, four times in these 17 verses… Everything God does is about the people. When we build for God, what we are really building is for the people God has chosen. Building… for the people God wants to give a place to worship. Ministry… for the people God wants to minister thru. Leaders… for the people God wants to be led. It is always for the people.

We think we are doing something for God. God does something in us, we think it is for us. Truth is, God is does something in us for others.