The Best is Still to Come

Good morning Church!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. I’m not sure about the rest of you, but this Christmas just didn’t feel the same as past Christmases. With the move and getting settled in and just getting ourselves re-adjusted to life here in the Ozarks it just seemed to take us a little bit to get our bearings set for Christmas. Some snow on the ground may have helped too, and really we were expecting to see family a bit more now that we are closer to them - but 2020 continued and continues to be affected by COVID as we roll into 2021. I’ve seen those memes rolling around on facebook about 2020 turning 21, and you know, it’s funny, because many of us seemed to think that 2021 was going to be a better year than 2020. But before we get into this any further lets stop for a moment and pray.

So we’re at the end of 2020, and realistically we aren’t quite sure what 2021 may hold for us. And as we close out 2020 I want us as a church to look back on some of the things that the big “C” Church has accomplished and how Harmony fit into that.

And I think the biggest thing on everyone’s mind has been negative reactions to the coronavirus, how terrible it’s been, how it required shutdowns and mask usage and all - and from the sounds of it we are going to continue into 2021 with many of those same restrictions, if not more.

But on the flip side of that it also caused many if not most of our churches around the world to figure out that the church is not a building - and it never was. The church is the body of those that are in Christ, and physical walls cannot contain it. Churches all around the world re-though and re-imagined how they did ministry and many began to embrace technology really for the very first time. The church once again turned a presumably dark situation into an opportunity to minister to people who may never have stepped foot inside a church before, opening doors that were previously sealed shut.

And in the midst of all of that uncertainty, Harmony was pushing through that and making sure that the Gospel was still able to be preached.

This past year in the middle of all of this uncertainty and chaos Harmony also chose a new pastor, remodeled the parsonage, ministered to the children of Harmony by going home to home and dropping off goodies, exceeded giving goals for both operation Christmas Child and Lottie Moon, as well as providing over $1100 worth of assistance to those in need.

And I don’t say all of those things to toot our own horn or anything, I say them to provide perspective, because a lot of us have been so wrapped up in the chaos that we forget to see the blessing. And for many of us we look at 2019 and previous years and we say the best is behind us. But I’m here to tell you that the best is yet to come.

The Best is yet to come!

You may be saying pffff, this guy’s nuts, and you may be right. But I’m here to tell you that the best is yet to come, because we know the ultimate truth that no matter what happens we can rejoice because the battle belongs to the Lord.

Romans 8:28 ESV

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Now many of you may be thinking “if all things work together for good” why doesn’t it feel good? Well let me ask you this - when you were growing up, or when your kids were growing up, did it always feel good to be disciplined? No! We didn’t like being disciplined, but now that we are older we can see that that discipline was necessary to keep us safe and in perspective we hopefully now understand why the discipline had to take place.

My parents disciplined me to not run out into the street.

They disciplined me for hard work ethic, and seeing things through.

See discipline is necessary to grow up correctly into mature adults that contribute to our society.

But that’s only a small part of our overall purpose, and yet that’s where we spend the majority of our overall time.

And we are all called according to His purpose - that’s the part we don’t quite get all the time.

See we spend a couple of hours with God on Sunday morning and we call it good for the week. We settle with being socially disciplined as good enough and we fail to see the spiritual discipline as necessary - and so we settle on never growing into spiritually mature believers.

So this year what I believe God is calling us to do is He’s calling us to get back to the basics, because all across churches today and realistically in most believers today even here, what we see is a body of believers that more closely resembles the Laodicean Church in

Revelation 3:15–16 ESV

“ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

We have to get back to being disciplined in our most important area, being His disciples.

Which leads us to another problem - what is a disciple?

Now if I were to ask what it meant to be a disciple, I’d probably get a lot of different answers. Someone growing in Christ, someone who is dependable, someone who serves, “Christ follower” or maybe you just don’t know. And I’m not going to say that any of those are bad answers, because they’re not. But what I am going to say is that it’s difficult to be on the same team if you’re not sure what the goal is. Sure, we understand that we want to follow

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

But if we can’t come to an agreement on the root of that statement we’re never going to be able to get onboard with that mission.

You see we have to agree on what a disciple is in order for us to make it to that point, because if we can’t agree on what a disciple is then the people I disciple may look different from the people you disciple because we haven’t come to the same conclusion of what actually defines that term.

If I teach that a disciple of Christ is someone growing in Christ, and you teach that they are a Christ follower, then my teaching leads to someone who is learning one way and your teaching leads to another.

If I teach only dependability, well that could just mean that they show up every Sunday. If we teach one who serves, that could be one who only shows up to serve.

Now realistically we use Connect, Engage, Multiply as our framework for this church here at Harmony. These are our mission - Connecting with those God has placed in our lives to Engage the world with the Gospel of Christ to Multiply His Kingdom.

And if we look at our personal lives and our own spiritual development, it can follow a similar framework.

So what I want to do now is define discipleship using Scripture as our definition. and the verse we are going to really focus in on is

Matthew 4:19 ESV

And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

So if you’re taking notes, and I hope you are, the first thing is

1. Connect by Following Jesus

And he said to them “Follow me...

Now, many might be saying right now - hey, I’m good, I accepted Jesus when I was little, or I accepted Christ x years ago. Well, if that’s what you’re thinking right now, I’m sorry but that isn’t what we’re talking about here.

If I’m following a car, I can’t just say that I’ve accepted the car in front of me. If I’m following Doug, I can’t just say that I’ve accepted Doug. Even Facebook and Twitter have a better idea about what following is compared to that.

If you’re following someone on social media, you’re reading what they say and you’re watching where they go, and for some you may even desire to be like them. You feel connected to them by following them either in this way or in person because you spend the time reading about them or in their presence. That’s following, that’s connecting.

John 12:26 ESV

If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

At churches in Kristin and I’s past where growth was occuring it was because the church body was growing in it’s connection by reading the Word daily. That’s why if you look in your bulletin at the bottom you’ll see a QR code that you can scan with your phone and read with me through the bible in a year in the Bible app. For many of you this may be a first, for others this may be old habit, but if we are going to follow Christ we have to be following Him closer than our favorites sports team or those cute cats on facebook.

John 14:23–24 ESV

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

In order to keep His words we have to know His words.

So everyone right now pull out your bulletins or you can zoom in on the screen behind me and scan the code and it will link you to the bible app. Join with me in reading through the bible in a year this year. Yes, we will all be able to see each other’s progress and we can make notes to each other in the app and it’ll just be great time of following Jesus together. And if you miss a day there won’t be any judgement, I’ve had to miss days in the past - just catch back up the next day. There’s ways for the bible app to read it to you or you can read it yourself, then you can make notes of how the days reading spoke to you or what things you learned from it. Its an additional way to connect throughout the week. And it’s an additional way to glean from God’s Word so that we’re able to do the second thing we see from Matthew 4:19:

2. Engage by Learning from Christ

…and I wil make...

I can read a cook book but that doesn’t make me a good cook. I can read a book on being an athlete, but that does not make me an athlete. I can watch a cooking show or sports on TV and that still doesn’t make me a good cook or an athlete.

If there’s one thing I did learn it’s that I don’t learn without doing.

In most churches 20 years ago, there was an 80/20 rule. 80 percent of the work was accomplished by 20 percent of the people. In many churches today I’d say that number has shifted to a 90/10 rule, and not in a good way.

A large part of that may be because we don’t connect, so we don’t know where to start, but another part of that is that we are scared of what may happen if we are given the opportunity to learn. And a third part of that is the mentality that if I don’t do it it won’t be done right.

But if we look at John 14:1-2, we see some insight into this truth:

John 15:1–2 ESV

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

For those that don’t know or are afraid of what may truly happen if they try to bear fruit, this makes it clear that yes, you’re going to face some trials and some pruning, but it is so that you can bear more fruit.

And some of you, you want to do more but feel that you’re not ready, or you don’t have the skillset, or any number of other reasons why - well, the best way to learn is by doing. And many if not most would say that God should call you to a specific thing, and I’ll tell you He will, but at the same time if you’ve never taken any initiative you’re still missing out.

God didn’t necessarily call me to work with small children when I started out, but I learned something from that experience that drew me closer to Him.

God didn’t call me to work in the media or tech side of the church, but I learned something from it.

God didn’t call me to even work with youth, but I still learned something from it.

God didn’t call me to be responsible for a building, but I learned something from it.

I was called to be a pastor - but that doesn’t mean that is all I can do.

We are all called to be His hands and His feet and take the Gospel to the world.

And It’s ok to volunteer and work in areas of the church that you don’t feel called to, because you will learn something from it - or more importantly from those who serve with you in those areas. And it could be that God uses those areas of ministry to show you what you are called to do.

And for those that serve in those areas, it’s ok to let others help you. Don’t get lost in the it has to be correct mentality, rather look at it as an opportunity to train and disciple those that are not up to your speed.

And when we learn and as we teach others something great happens: we are changed by Christ. Because even if things don’t go the way WE had hoped for they always go the way HE planned them because we know Romans 8:28 says that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

And that means that even when the kids are squirming and it feels like you’re not getting through to them, or the projector goes black, or one of the youth gets into trouble, or even if the building is falling down around you that there is still God working in the background.

A disciple is learning and being changed by Christ in all of these.

A disciple is connected through Following Jesus, A disciple is engaged by learning and being changed by Christ, and third a disciple is

3. Multiplying by sharing Christ

“fishers of men”. To be a disciple does mean that you have to be fishers of men, sharing Christ with the lost world around you.

And I’m not one to try to guilt trip you. One, because if we fail in this area, bringing people to Christ, then we as a church have failed. Because you see, it’s the church’s job to equip the saints.

Churches all around this country have been surviving on a prayer for a long time. They’d meet on Sundays, and then see each other next Sunday. And then COVID hit.

Now many of those churches have had to close, because of already declining numbers and not having the discipleship priorities right.

And I’m here to tell you that if you are expecting one sermon per week to be enough discipleship for you, and to bring people in, or if your thought process is even get them to church and the pastor will get them saved, that’s not going to happen.

And the answer isn’t necessarily more programs or events. Yes, we need small groups and certain areas of ministry because they foster what is needed. But in order to multiply we must also live as Christ taught us to live as in

2 Corinthians 5:14 ESV

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;

We have to look at those around us differently. The world is going to act like the world, and judging them or telling them that they are bound for hell isn’t going to save them. Jesus went to the sinners, he ministered to them, and he served them. And we must surrender ourselves to that kind of work. And when I say we, I mean all of us.

This doesn’t mean act like the world or even accept what the world does, it means that we have the compassion that Jesus taught -

Mark 6:34 ESV

When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

So, here’s what we must do as the body of Christ:

We must be connected to Christ, following Him and His mission.

We must be engaged in ministry with Him and our fellow believers to grow and mature.

We will multiply as a result because connecting and engaging in the ministry of serving others is how we grow spiritually.

Many of you may be thinking that Connect, Engage, Multiply have been there on the wall and in the bulletin for a while, as well as the great commission. And yes they have. And COVID has made it fairly difficult to gather as in the past, and yes, it has.

But that doesn’t stop our responsibility to Christ.

And here’s what I believe God is desiring of Harmony Baptist Church:

Our goals for this year are simple -

Our Goal: 4 baptisms this year.

Now some of you may be saying that isn’t a very high number. And you’re right, it isn’t. Some of you may be saying that our goal shouldn’t be a number - and normally I’d say you’re right. But let’s apply some perspective.

The last baptism in this church was January 2019, so almost 2 years ago. 2 years. If we’re connecting, engaging, and multiplying, then we are either multiplying by 0 or we aren’t connecting and engaging well as a church.

The second part of that perspective is that the number isn’t new people to our church, it’s new people to the Church. It’s Kingdom perspective, not just Harmony perspective.

Remember how I said that if we fail to bring people to Christ then the church has failed to equip the saints?

We are going to have to be intentional in equipping the saints as a church in order to fulfil the great commission.

This means that we are going to have to seek ways to serve our community intentionally.

And that may mean canvassing a street or two at a time to serve those in our community for their actual needs. It could mean a building project, mowing a lawn, cooking, cleaning, it could be anything.

It may mean that you have a neighbor or a coworker that has some need, or an injury, and we as a church minister to that family through a meal train or meeting physical needs.

It may mean that that cranky, mean, unlikable person down the street from you - it may mean that we serve him because that’s what compassion looks like.

Listen - Jesus served everyone. He served sinners, he served His disciples, and most importantly He served us when we didn’t deserve it. That’s how the great commission works.

And 4 baptisms is just a number. If and when we hit that number, we don’t stop there. Because when we hit that 4, we’re going to be so hyped on what Jesus is doing that it will continue to grow. it may become 8. It may become 20. It may be that we start having new problems, like multiple services or special services just for baptisms or where are we going to put everyone, which are all good problems to have not because Harmony is numerically growing but because the Kingdom is multiplying through discipleship.

Acts 2:41–47 ESV

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

This is multiplication. And it’s not my fruit. It’s our fruit. It’s being Kingdom minded instead of just Harmony or selfishly minded. Because it’s ALL about HIM.

And that’s the bottom line:

Our goals must align with HIS goals. Our goals must align with the Great ComMISSION and failure in that mission is not an option.

At the end of the day, our goals, our mission, is Jesus. If we profess Christ as savior, we also must profess him as Lord. And as Lord He only gave us one mission - make disciples. Not make believers, make disciples, bring others into a relationship with Him who want to bring others into that same relationship, who want to bring others into that relationship. The rest of the teaching circles back to Christ and the how that occurs or the deepening of our relationship in order to support that mission. We must be intentionally connected, intentionally engaged, and intentionally multiplying.

Let’s pray.

God, I pray that we will live for you, because Jesus is Lord and we surrender whatever we hold back to Him.

As you keep praying today, I want you to really take a moment and just be really quiet before God and reflect on your walk with Christ. Would you say that you’re connected and faithfully following Jesus? Does that lead to engaging the Word and learning with others? Has that led to any multiplying yet?

We cannot get this wrong. This world has nothing to offer - those people who you’re afraid will scoff, those neighbors who would do you wrong, those who would do you harm for your faith- none of that eternally matters. The only thing that matters is Jesus, and that means we must surrender our pain, our feelings, and our ties to this world - we must surrender it all to Him.

Father I pray that those who have been through trials and have been weakened, Lord I pray that you rekindle their strength - to walk upright, and knowing that you are with them every single step of the way. Father I pray that you would show them the fruit of their labor, and Father I pray that you will give them the vision that it is You we labor for, it is you we show compassion for, it is you we love others for - as your Word tells us

Matthew 25:35–36 ESV

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

And as you remain in prayer recognize this, that Jesus said, 'Not everybody who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of God, but only those who do what the will of my Father is.'

He'll say to many, 'You called me Lord, but I didn't know you.'

I want to ask you this, are you in a living, loving relationship with God? Maybe you’ve been a churchgoer for years, but you don’t know God personally. Maybe your family were believers or took you to church or you think you’ve got a relationship from family ties - but you still feel like there’s something missing - and that something is a living relationship with Jesus Christ.

And there are those of you who recognize that you really don't know God and you want to. Today we're going to call on His name Jesus, the Son of God born in a manger without an earthly father so He didn't inherit the sin nature, so that He could be our Savior, becoming sin on the cross, shedding His blood, dying, and being raised to life so that anyone who calls on His name will be saved. That's why you're here.

If that’s you, if God is calling to you to draw into a relationship with Jesus, answer Him today. If you don’t know how to start, you can simply pray something like this:

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. Lord I believe that you came to free me from the bonds of sin and hell, and Lord I thank you for what only you could do. Lord I choose you, to follow in all that you are and to walk in the Spirit in a relationship with you, and to spend eternity with you. In Jesus name, amen.

Father, thank you again for this body, and Father as you are speaking to those here today, I pray that they will follow you where you lead, that they will become engaged in your word and with other believers, multiplying your love and your disciples as you have called us to do.