Vision: Encounters Produce

OOS

I. Welcome

A. P. Dustin

a. Great 2 c ya

b. Thanks 4 tuning in

II. Opening Prayer

A. Kiomi M.

III. Worship

A. Songs:

a. "The Solid Rock”

b. “He Reigns”

c. "Your Glory

d. “Nothing But the Blood”

e. I have Decided to Follow Jesus”

IV. Announcement

A. Food Shelf Leadership need

B. PicNic/Tailgate Party directly following service

a. B sure to pick up ur communion pack when u get out there

C. Tues Night Bible Study

a. This week we will wrap up our Tues. night Bible Study “Forgotten God” Frances Chan

b. On Tues. Sept 1 we will Begin the 8week study “If” Mark Batterson

1. If is a pwrfl little word.

i. Some people r stuck in "if only," trudging through lives marked with regret.

ii. But God wants us 2 live lives marked w/ possibilities, w/ the "what if" attitude that looks forward 2 the future w/ confidence — Why?

iii. Because, 4 Jesus Followers, the answer 2 "If God is 4 us, who can b against us?" is

-"No one."

-4 the Jesus Follower, God is always on our side. Every day, in every way.

V. Sermon

VI. Offering

A. Song “Your Love Oh Lord”

I. Where We’ve Been

A. Vision:

a. Which A the picture o God, His future plan, & how we fit in2 it.

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

1. Notice that the vision doesn’t stop w/encounters…Why?

II. Where We’re Going

A. Encounters should produce

a. We should b different than when we came in2 God’s presence

III. Prayer

IV. The Big What

A. What do God Encounters Produce?

BODY

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

a. he’s talking about experiential knowledge;

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

i. which John implies r a normative experience 4 a Jesus follower

-This is normative for a follower o Jesus cause God lives in us!!

*How is it that God could live in us by his Spirit, yet we don’t encounter & fellowship w/him regularly??

ii. Jn is suggesting that we r invited 2 live in loving fellowship w/God

-encountering HIM

*& in those encounters we grow to trust him better as we get to know his character

b. The Primary way we experience God’s love is @ the cross

1 John 4:9–10 ESV

9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 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.

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

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

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

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

c. 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.

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

i. 4 u!

ii. 4 me!

iii. 4 us as his children!!

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

i. Faith: is spelled out by the author o Heb in...

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

-confident trust… u know that u know that u know!! & by this conviction u live & act

3. Paul says in...

2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV

7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.

i. In context he’s saying that Jesus followers trust God 4 a heavenly body even when what we c is people destroying this 1 through persecution

ii. We c our body being broken, but r courageous because we trust God 4 a new 1 & a future eternity spent w/God

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

i. @ the end o his life Paul writes 2 his son in the faith:

2 Timothy 1:12 ESV

12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.

II. Encounters Should Produce Love

A. God desires that we would reciprocate his love

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.”

a. Describe the scene

1. Isn’t it sad that, after encountering Jesus, the rich young ruler walks away sad, but not different?

2. Jesus’ goal is that we come to love & trust him w/all that we r!

B. As we encounter God our love 4 him grows — What’s the evidence that we love God?

a. The evidence of our love 4 God is love for others

1 John 4:7–8 ESV

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:11 ESV

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

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

a. we ought 2 love others because God 1st loved us

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

2. 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.

b. 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?

1. Love looks like meeting folks needs practically

i. Ways we love other’s practically:

-Food Shelf

*Food Shelf Leadership

-Green Mountain Christmas

*the need is greater than ever=more folks outa work

*Things r going 2 look diff.

~Covid making it challenging, but not impossible

~more folks spread out

~10-12 workers in a 4hr shift over the course o several days…that means we need u. W/out u Green Mountain Christmas cannot happen!

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 arrive at the vision — the picture o God and future plan?

i. We arrive by engaging in the Mission of GMCC

II. GMCC Mission

A. Our mission is 5fold

a. Encounter God

b. Reach the Lost

c. Touch the Poor

d. Build Community

e. Train Leaders

B. Next week Vacation

a. After that: we are going 2 spend some time on the mission

III. Prayer

Offering

I. Invite worship team up

II. Thank you for your generous gifts

A. It’s by your giving that:

a. keep the lights on

b. continue to stream live

c. help those in need

d. continue renovations even through the pandemic

1. God has called us to move forward not hunker down / stall out

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. A continued need above ur tithe & Offering:

A. Building Fund!

a. lots o maintenance & renovation to b done

1. Can select when u fill out the web based form

2. Or put Building fund in the memo line of ur check

V.Close in Prayer

VI. Song: “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” / “Your Love Oh Lord”