Vision: God Encounters (cont)

OOS

I. Welcome

A. P. Dustin

a. Great 2 c ya

b. Thanks 4 tuning in

II. Opening Prayer

A. Beth B.

III. Worship

A. Songs:

a. "Blessed Be Your Name”

b. “10,000 Reasons”

c. "How Great is our God”/”Splendor of the King”

d. “Great Are You LORD”

IV. Announcement

A. Work Day Success!!

B. A message of thanks to you from District Superintendent Pastor Dennis

a. Play Video

V. Sermon

VI. Offering

INTRO

I. Where We’ve Been

A. Vision

a.Ea. person would come 2 encounter, trust & love Jesus w/ all they r.

b. This vision has 2 component visions w/it:

1. River flowing down main st.

i. The river is God’s spirit flowing…moving in pwr awakening the people o Bennington

ii. Notice the vision isn’t a lake

-We’re not talking about a stagnate pool o dead water

-We’re not talking about a murky motionless puddle we stomp around in

iii. We’re talking living water

-God’s spirit moving & flowing through us in the marketplace where many come 2 encounter Jesus & put their trust in him…where they come 2 encounter him & grow 2 love him w/all their being

*the 2nd component o this vision is the result:

2. 5.5.2: 5yrs, 500 people, 2 services

i. This seems impossible during Covid era America

-Revival is coming 2 Bennington where people powerfully encounter Him in the market place

- Then begin 2 gather 2gether in community 500people requiring 2 services

B. There’s no age requirement for God encounters; remember...

Joel 2:28–29 ESV

28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

C. Pray:

a. Encounters have no age, economic, gender, or cultural requirements

b. & last week we discussed @ length that our young folks can & must encounter God

1. We’re going 2 cont. pressing 4ward on the truth o’ no age limits on God encounters

i. But, & I think there’s a lot o folks who need 2 hear this:

-The need 4 God encounters doesn’t stop w/the young

BODY

I. Encounters have no age limits

A. Older generations (I’ma call u Pillars); u can (and should) encounter God

a. As folks age, sometimes it can feel as though ya lose ur value

1. Maybe u start 2 notice:

i. U get winded easier

ii. can’t lift like u used 2

iii. hurt in more places more often

iv. & it takes longer 2 recover frm doing less

2. It seems like young folks don’t wanna listen 2 the hard earned wisdom u’ve gained

3. u might start 2 wonder:

i. Am I needed anymore?

ii. Does any1 care?

iii. Does God care?

-Illust. Resign from Grace Community Church

*I have had a taste o what ur going through

4. Then some young pastor comes in w/new ideas & changing things u care about

i. Talking a lot about kids & young folks;

ii. U might b asking the question…where do I fit in?

5. May I encourage u w/this word from God:

i. There r no washouts / Out-2-Pasture steeds in God’s Kingdom

b. Consider Abraham written o in:

Genesis 12:1–4 ESV

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

1. Abraham was 75 When he 1st encountered God

i. When God speaks, that’s an encounter

-It’s God breaking in2 life as usual &, in Abram’s ex. changing the trajectory o his family, & eventually the world

c. GMCC: A people where the older Generations can encounter God

1. Jesus’ Church needs every1 of us!

i. the Apostle Jn writes to a church encouraging each generation in...

1 John 2:12–14 ESV

12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. 14 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

-Jn calls focus on 3 generations o Jesus followers: Father, young men, children

*These r probably not about physical age, but rather spiritual maturity

~But the truth of the need 4 ea. level o maturity is clear!

~& ea. level o maturity is said 2 know God (through experiential encounters)

~the older Generation is of vital importance 2 the health o the Church!!

~God wants u 2 know him through encounters & that hasn’t changed!!

~God wants 2 partner w/you to see Bennington encounter HIM

~God wants to partner w/you in the training up & passing on of our fellowship driven faith

^Fellowship w/God & ea. other through personal encounters w/ God 2gether!

iii. Every1 turn 2 ur neighbor & say, “you have value”

-Point @urself & say “I have value”

-Do u believe it?? It’s true!!

-& God desires ur fellowship…He values u; wants u 2 encounter Him!!

2. Pillars we need u to take us under ur wing:

i. demonstrate for us how u encounter God

ii. show us the “young men” & “little Children” ur rel. w/God & how to fellowship w/Him

iii. Take us under ur wing & reproduce urslef

-Illust. Apollos & Pricilla & Aquila (Acts 18:24-28)

Acts 18:24–25 ESV

24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.

Acts 18:26 ESV

26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

-Illust. Doug Blevins in my own life

3. Examples o various encounters

i. Mel rec. visions (no gender destination)

ii. God speaking 2 & through our elders

iii. healings

iv. worship (words o knowledge, prophecy, exhortation)

- Here’s the deal: we should never leave the presence o God the same as when God arrived

*encounters w/God should change us…Simply put...

II. God Encounters Produce

A. Encounters Produce trust

1 John 4:16 ESV

16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

a. Consider the relational nature o this vs

1. We r invited 2 live in loving fellowship w/God

i. When Jn rights “Know God’s love” he’s not talking about studying & accepting facts as true

-he’s talking about experiential knowledge;

*knowledge gained through encounters where we experience God’s love…

~which John implies r a normative experience 4 a Jesus follower

ii. The Primary way we experience God’s love is at the cross

1 John 4:10–11 ESV

10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

-When some1 shares the Gospel w/us & the H.S. speaks directly to our heart…this 2 is an encounter

*In this encounter we recognize that, while we were still sinners Christ died 4 us!!

*W recognize the extent o which we r loved & have the opportunity 2 rec. salvation from our sins in2 a loving fellowship w/God as his kids!!

*This is the beginning of a lifetime o fellowship w/God where we experience his love

2. When Jn rights, “Believe the love that God has 4 us” in...

1 John 4:16 ESV

16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

i. He’s calling 4 a confident trust in God’s love:

- 4 u!

-4 me!

-4 us as his children!!

ii. watching a sermon by Andy Stanley who said: “faith isn’t how we get God 2 do stuff”; "not mystical”

- Faith: confident trust

iii. As we encounter God & his love 4 us, it produces a confident trust in him that endures our circumstances

B. Encounters Produce Love

a. God desires that we would reciprocate his love 4 us w/ love 4 him!

Mark 12:30–31 ESV

30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

b. As we encounter God our love 4 him grows

1. But there’s evidence of our love 4 God

1 John 4:19 ESV

19 We love because he first loved us.

c. as we experience God’s love through encounters w/him we come 2 love him more which overflows on2 others…

1. we love others because God 1st loved us

i. Jn interprets Jesus’ command in Mk 12 Love God w/all u r evidenced by loving others

ii. Jn makes this point abundantly clear in...

1 John 4:20 ESV

20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

2. what love 4 others looks like lived out

1 John 3:16–17 ESV

16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

i. Love looks like meeting folks needs practically

-Ways we love other’s practically:

*Food Shelf

*Green Mountain Christmas

~We need some help: GMC captains

~Food Shelf Leadership

CONCLUSION

I. Vision restated

A. Thus, God’s vision 4 GMCC: Ea. person would come 2 encounter, trust & love Jesus with all they r.

a. encounters r not optional…they r a vital experience o Jesus Followers!!

1. So the question is: how do we encounter God

i. what r the diff. ways that we find ourselves in the presence o God:

-the answer— NEXT WEEK!!

II. Prayer

Offering

I. Invite worship team up

II. Here’s a way for us to do practically what we read about regarding community:

A. Contribute Generously 2 the needs of our fellowship as well as the people o Bennington

a. Give to tithe/offering

III. 3 ways to give

A. online: greenmtn.org

B. text the word “give” to [phone]

a. already gave via text: just text the amount to that same #

C. mail a check to 440 Main St. in Bennington

IV. Close in Prayer

V. Song: “The Blessing”