Vision

A Chruch known for their lifestyle.

We are looking at our vision and how to directly apply this statement of who we want to be. It’s the mommnent between the statment and the and the idea.

I want to just take a quick poll when I say “ Inspiring others to a growing realtionship with Jesus” something pops into your head quickly about what that looks like.

do you have a tangible way to apply this vision statement to your life?

do you have a method to living this vision statment out?

We can put it on the wall, and then look at it on sundays but the reason its our vision statement is becuase that is how we see ourselves as apart of God’s kingdom. Down the road there are other churches living upto the calling of God and we have said here that we want to be a people group who live up to God’s calling so that we “inspire people to a growing realationship with Jesus”.

We want to be a people group who yes live out the commands of Christ but also a people group who are on mission to show others the same Christ that we have.

We are constantly on mission in the way that we live.

1 Thesalonians talks about this where Paul commends the church for being a group that has unwaivering faith when it comes to the surrounding religions. 1 Th 1:5

1 Thessalonians 1:5 NIV

because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.

The church of thessalonica took the message, they took the gospel and they are changed by the Holy Spirit to awken their life, their life is change but the people that they live around. Paul comes and lives amoung them and teaches them confessing his life and his momment of transformation in Jesus Christ.

The thessalioans take this teaching and this lifestyle that Paul brings to them through the gosepl and they are adopted by the HolySpirit so that their life is now set apart.

They are now holy and becuase they are made holy they must live that way. So what does that mean?

because we can stop reading there and take it as oh lets take in the teaching and Holy Spirit to have a changed life, but the next two verses speak to the success they had.

1 Thessalonians 1:6–7 NIV

You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

They became imitators and becuase of their new life and their new approach to those around them they are making waves amoungs the christians in the surrounding towns.

They live out their faith in such a way that not only is Paul commending them for it but they are being noticed by fellow believers that their lifestyle is set apart for God.

They are building others faith by how they conduct their life,

Imagine we are a Church that builds up others in faith by the way that we live. Wouldn’t that be a life? If we inspired others to grow deeper in their faith just by how we take strides to live out our own faith. 33

The best is last 1 Th 1:8

1 Thessalonians 1:8 NIV

The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it,

Not only where they a example of faith amoungst their believers, they are a example even for those who are not following Christ.

See the church in thessolonica have not just set themselves to a high standard when it comes to their own community but they have set themselves to a high standard becuase of their community.

They are surrounded by hethans