Vision Sunday
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Refocus 2022
Refocus 2022
if there is anything that I know about it's focus…well refocusing after an ADD episode.
It’s easy to get our focus on the things of this world:
economy
politics
COVID
Our Desires
But we need to refocus our attention on the eternal!
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Rope illustration
The truth is...We don’t belong here!
This world is not my home
We are ambassadors for our King
So because of that, We need to refocus on somethings this morning!
I. Refocus on God
I. Refocus on God
We need to hit the reset button on our life and refocus on God!
Make Him priority!
Make Him first!
to do this we need to keep at the front of our minds.
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Mowing the Lawn - had to keep my focus on the posts
There are some posts we need to focus on today!
A. Walk with God
A. Walk with God
Everyday, all day!
3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on thee: Because he trusteth in thee.
I cannot rely on my past walk to keep me close to God!
I cannot change one thing about yesterday, and I can change anything about tomorrow, but I can change today!
In order to keep setting our affections on things above, we need to walk with God!
B. Loving God
B. Loving God
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Love is action
Setting our affections on things above speaks to the love that we ought to have for God.
if someone were to look at your life and prove that you loved the Lord would there be enough evidence?
C. Serving God
C. Serving God
We are His servants!
Servants serve!
You say, “but my spiritual gift isn’t service.”
10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
And as we do, we serve God
at the end of the Olivet Discourse, a teaching of the end times, close to the end of His ministry, Jesus told those following Him how they can serve Him.
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
If we will refocus on God this year, we will see the importance of having a ...
II. Refocus on Church
II. Refocus on Church
What is our purpose?
I would like to lay out a three fold Purpose Statement for our church
Everything we do in this church ought to fit under one of these purposes!
A. Fully devoted to Christ
A. Fully devoted to Christ
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Do we love God like this?
Are we fully devoted to Christ?
If we love Him, we obey His word!
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Ministries and opportunities to show this purpose:
Worship
any service we do for others
faithfulness
B. Biblically growing in Christ
B. Biblically growing in Christ
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
We should do more today than we did yesterday.
If we attend one service a month, we ought to attend two or more.
If we give a little, we ought to in faith give more
If we just attend, we ought to volunteer and work in the church
How is your growth now compared to the beginning of this year?
Have you prayed more?
Have you read more of the Bible
Have you attended more faithfully?
Are you learning more about God?
ministries involved
praching
sunday school
Kids for Christ
Junior Chirch
C. Loving others through Christ
C. Loving others through Christ
Love is action
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
ministries involved
Philathea
soulwinning/outreach
Greeters
visitation
How do we do that?
This leads us to the next focus...
III. Refocus on Others
III. Refocus on Others
There are over 59 “One another’s” in the Bible.
Do you think that God wants us to get our focus off of ourselves, and onto others?
Not only do we need to grow this year, but Our church needs to grow this year!
If this church is going to grow, we need more people to come here.
But, “People don’t care what you know, until they know that you care.”
they say that your church should have as many visitors in one year as you have average attenders in order to grow.
Everything in this church should be seen through eyes of a visitor.
When we see a visitor we need to focus on a couple of actions...
A. Walk Alongside
A. Walk Alongside
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
The word Exhort comes from the Greek word parakaleo, meaning to call to one’s side.
One of the Holy Spirit’s names is comforter - paraklaytos - one who walks beside.
We are called to exhort one another - to earnestly support or encourage a response or action.
To walk alongside each other and help each other.
How can you help people around you today?
How can you come along side someone today?
An invitation is great, but a connection is better!
Cook them a meal
Offer a listening ear - Listen twice as much as you talk!
Remember their names and call them by them.
Be available, and say yes when you can!
Just take the next step!
If you don’t know your neighbor, take time and introduce yourself.
If you know them, how can you engage them?
We are talking about being the salt of the earth
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
What does salt do?
It shares it’s flavor
It preserves
It heals
Get out and Salt the World!
B. Look for Opportunities
B. Look for Opportunities
The opportunities are all around us!
We just need to get out and find them!
10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Let’s this year make a concerted effort to Refocus our attention!
Refocus on God
through faithful walk with Him
Through purposeful love to Him
Through being obedient
Refocus on Church
Keep the main thing the main thing!
This isn’t a social club!
It’s a hospital, get people to the hospital so they can get the help they need!
Refocus on Others
Purposeful coming along side people Christian and unsaved alike!
Invite them to church, but also engage with them.