A Call to Arms

Galatians 5:13–14 ESV

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Let the cry of Freedom, be your Cry. Do not work to push Christianity For Christianity sake. Work to set your loved ones free in the name of Christ!

We are not here to build RC3. We are here because there are people enslaved to Sin. Enslaved to a dark mindset, Enslaved to their emotions, their instincts, their selfish ambitions. We are here because people need Jesus.

The World needs More than a sermon

There are more sermons more worship songs than ever before, and this nation is in serious decline.

For all of our conferences, and meetings, books, songs and resources, we are the most spiritually overfed and spiritually malnourished Christian generation in all of Church history.

For all of our work in the last 50 years the world is worse and the church is losing ground in the west

They World needs more than a church Service

The World needs the Resurrected King and the Resurrected Church to be brought into the the fullness of Christ

So today I lay out to you, A call to Arms. A Call to Fight. This must be deeper than casual Christianity. It must be stronger than passive commitment. The modern American church, has many watchers, observers, and passerby's.

Today we draw a line in the sand, not just for you and me but for your family and for my family. For future of the American Church.

Casual Christianity will never reach your neighbors. It will never reach the hurting. It is weak. It feckless, it is shallow and today, I lay out before you a call to arms. A call to rise. A call to Run with Christ like never before. A call to give your life for something greater. To lay down your life for the Cross of Christ. the Cause of Christ.

Have you ever wondered why so many young people reject the Church. It not because they hate Jesus. it is because the American church has been selling an easy Christianity. A cheap knockoff, is worthless. It is powerless, it a clanging sound in the ears of our saviour. It is whiny noise in the halls of heaven.

1 Corinthians 13:1 ESV

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

It is time we rose. It is time we fight. It is time we give ourselves to Christ like never before.

There are 3 hallmarks the church will need to be successful and to begin taking back Gods ground. Fruits that healthy Christian worth their wielght will need to exhibit. That we should live out as professing Church going Christians.

They Should 1 Pray, 2 Give, 3 Go.

1 They Should Commit to pray in the power of God for both their own lives and for the local Church. Prayer is what drives the kingdom forward.

2 They should Give financially to support the mission. You and I as believers are called in scripture to tithe 10% of our income to the local Church. That is not my rule. Its Gods. Then as the holy Spirit prompts we are called to give in missions offerings or other specific offerings to help drive the church and the mission of God forward.

3 They should serve the church faithfully and consistently. The modern American ethos in serving God is this. If I have time and nothing better to do. I will serve God. If the weather is perfect. I will serve. If I like the leader I will serve. If it works for me, I will serve.

The problem with this kind of service, is that it is powerless. It is selfish, and it is weak. God cannot use it.

It is time to Rise. It is time to lay down our lives for something Greater. It is time to fight the good fight.

If you attend RC3 the expectation is that you are working towards these three things, and we are going to encourage you to reach for Christ.

Easy Christianity is not to be the standard and will not be at RC3. Rise church. Fight and prepare for battle. You and I are called to proclaim freedom to the captives. You and are called to reach this neighborhood for the cause of Christ.

Three Outreaches God is calling us to:

One we are focusing our efforts on outreach ministries that we are calling Hope Projects

Hope Projects exist to show people the love of Christ and to let them know that Jesus gave his life so that they could be free. It is there to proclaim freedom to the captive.

They exist to proclaim Liberty to the Captive. Hope to the Hopeless.

Three outreaches that we believe God is calling us to are this.

Food giveaway.

by offering food, prayer and friendship we will continue to demonstrate the love of Christ to this community. Meeting both physical and spiritual needs.

Mobile kids and family events on the west-side.

These are block party type events where we just go to share the love of Christ with our neighbors and give them a fun day.

Missional CityGroups.

We talked about this at the business meeting. These groups meet in houses and shops around the west side.

The idea is that we take the Gospel from this building into the streets. right to our neighbors.

The Horizon is before us.

So next steps look like this.

We need people to step up and serve faithfully and selflessly.

We need people to commit to seriously take this to prayer and pray for the power of God to fall. Where are the intercessors? It’s time to rise.

We need people to commit to fund this endeavor. We are asking you today, to begin praying about taking up a Horizon Pledge.

Horizon Pledge is a pledge you make with God to help fund His mission at RC3. Monthly yearly, or weekly, we are calling on this church to fund this work. To commit for the next 18 months to fund this advancement of the kingdom.

We have already taken steps of faith bringing the baker family in to serve in music and help with family ministry, but we still feel called to bring on a discipleship and outreach pastor to this church.

That requires you and I increasing our giving. Just to give you and idea:

If every attender committed to donate an extra $75/person per month, we would increase our giving by $54,000 for the year

Some can do more. If you can, please

Who will answer the call? Who will say, I’m in. My life is Christs. Now I don’t want anyone to stand or raise your hand. I want you to think about it. Pray about it. If you answer in the affirmative, we are going to work together. WE are going to train and we are Going to go!

We have immediate ministry needs at this church, if you answer the call do so fully committed to the cross. Not to me, not to your friend, but to Christ. Passive commitment is not commitment.

At RC3 we are going to work to drive the Gospel forward. WE will have fun, we will build community, but it will cost us. It will inconvenience your and my life.

This a call, not to comfort, not to easy Christianity, but a call to lay down our lives for the sake of the Gospel and to love and serve our neighbors with the love of Christ.

Pastor, I don’t understand, aren’t you just supposed to pray and tell us what to do? If the church is weak isn’t that your fault? Yes and no! You see pastors lead the sheep. But we cannot drag the sheep

For His kingdom let our church Rise.