Not Holding Back

Good Morning

Good Morning Everybody! We are so thankful you are here in worship with us this morning whether you are joining us in person or online we want to welcome you. My name is Terry I Serve here as a the Lead Pastor. We have an amazing team of people her at Freedom Chapel that work so diligently to help this church family live up to our Mission of Bringing Hope to our Community by being a Place to Belong a Church for the Whole Family.

Freedom Toppers: Mexican Potluck Tuesday at 5:30P

Last Sunday as a staff we put together a celebration of everyone who volunteered in the year 2021. I want to publicly thank Pastor Jackie and Pastor Rustan for all the hours they put in to make that event amazing. I also want to thank all the volunteers that made 2021 so amazing. If you volunteered in any ministry in 2021 would you please stand this morning. Church can we thank these Volunteers this morning.

If you are new here or you have not had the chance yet to get involved in the ministries here at Freedom Chapel we want to invite you to join us in the great things going on here.

Craig Groeshel often Says that the Church should be a Church of contributors not a church of consumers. Real quickly I am going to introduce you to some people that can help plug you into ministry.

Tabitha Would you stand up this morning. Tabitha leads our First Impressions team. If you are interested in being a welcoming people as they come into our church she is the person to talk to. This includes Greeters, Our Gatekeepers, and Those who make Coffee and Hang out in the Connection Center.

Dave Irving: Would you stand this morning. Dave Handles Media and Sound as well as our Mowing Team. If you are interested in running the computer, learning how to run sound, or plowing down some green stuff, Dave is the guy to talk to .

Hannah Litwiller: Is one of our fabulous worship leaders. If you have a musical talent or play an instrument she is the person to talk to about auditioning for our worship team.

Michelle Turner: Leads our special events task force. Right now there is a sign up going on for Freedom Fest our biggest Outreach event of the year. You can use your smart phone right now to sign up for this event.

Chuck Loges or Rusty Yarbarough: Chuck leads the Freedom Chapel Cook Team. These guys travel all over the state smoking delicious meals in an effort to raise money for missions. If your interested in getting involved in this tasty ministry please talk to Chuck.

Pastor Jackie would you stand up. If you are interested in helping with our growing youth ministry. She can get you all set up with a background check and getting you plugged in.

Last but not least we have Pastor Rustan. If you are interested in helping in the Kid’s Zone He is the Guy to talk to. He can get you set up with a background check and then help get you plugged in helping with the kiddos.

But you will have to wait until June 1st to talk to him. Today he begins a One Month Mandatory Sabbatical. I use the word Mandatory because that is just what it is. 5 years ago Seth Case approached the board about providing access point for rest for our Staff. Knowing that it would be difficult to get us to take an off ramp from the super highway we call ministry the board chose to instate a mandatory one month sabbatical at the conclusion of every two year cycle. Rustan has faithfully served this church for the last two years and a half years and is going to begin his first Sabbatical today. This is not a vacation it is an extended period of rest that is designed to allow him to take of the ministry back pack, release all of the burdens of everyone in church, and reconnect and recharge his batteries.

If you need Rustan related stuff this month please contact the office and Sharon will filter it to the proper channels to get things taken care of. Rustan has worked diligently to make sure that our kid’s program taken care of in his absents. He has developed an amazing team that amazingly ministers to our children. That is a testament to the caliber of a leader he is and why we appreciate him so much.

Bethany also has accomplished something great. This week she completed LPN school and will be pinned as a nurse in just a few days. This past year has been exhausting for their family as she has tackled being a fulltime student, fulltime wife and mother, as well as being the spouse of a Pastor. To top that all off she injured herself two weeks ago in an ATV accident and will have to have surgery later this month on her knee.

Would you agree they need some rest. I am going to ask them to come forward this morning. We want to lay hands on them and pray for them as a church body.

James 5:14 NLT

14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.

Rustan is not sick but he is tired. Bethany is tired and injured. Would you join me in praying for them this morning. you can come forward or you can stay at your seat. Let’s Pray!

Rustan before you go! He think he is going to get away this month and turn 40 without us noticing. Church lets sing Happy Birthday to Pastor Rustan this morning.

Church if you look around we are in an amazing position. We are growing and God is moving in this place. We are seeing the lost saved, we are seeing people find freedom, and we are seeing people who have lost hope in the church come to a new understanding of what church should look like.

I believe that we are surrounded by communities that need what we have. Communities that need Jesus. That need a true introduction to The One True God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, The Beginning and the End. The God who loved us so much that He sent his Son Jesus to die for us on the Cross at Calvary, then on the third day he conquered Death and the Grave and rose again. He did all this so that We could be Justified and find friendship with God.

If we want to see this continue in our church we are going to need more room, we are going to need more dreamers on our Dream Teams. Everyone is going to have to do their part. Some of those in our midst are going to have to stop showing up to be served and start serving. Stop Consuming and start Contributing.

Isaiah 54:2–4 The Message

2 “Clear lots of ground for your tents! Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big! Use plenty of rope, drive the tent pegs deep. 3 You’re going to need lots of elbow room for your growing family. You’re going to take over whole nations; you’re going to resettle abandoned cities. 4 Don’t be afraid—you’re not going to be embarrassed. Don’t hold back—you’re not going to come up short. You’ll forget all about the humiliations of your youth, and the indignities of being a widow will fade from memory.

Church we are not going to Hold Back.

Church we are going to expand our territory.

Church we are going to spread out as we reach our in the communities that are represented in this body of believers.

Church we are going to quit living in fear of failure.

Communion:

Luke 22:14–20 ESV

14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Let’s stand again.