State of the Church Address: Becoming a Kingdom Focused Church

The Heart of God

This morning is week one post Homecoming service, and if you were not able to make it last week, you missed a powerful service.

The Worship team started us off with three great songs, the family of God, Amazing grace my chains are gone, and Revive us again, then we heard a few announcements from Pastor Wayne, then some amazing songs from 7 lbs of Bacon, then I shared some history, and the loved ones that had the grand homecoming over the past year, then Dr. Tommy Green brought a very powerful message from John 3:16, and the Holy Spirit was moving in the hearts and lives of the people, we had two young men give their lives to Christ, a couple others come forward requesting prayer for their loved ones, then 7 lbs of bacon blessed us even more in a concert, after that we stuffed ourselves in a fellowship meal where there was food leftover.

I am praying and believing that is a sign from God on how he is going to continue this year to come.

I mentioned last week that this morning I would be preaching a state of the church address this morning, we have heard of the state of the union address, where the president addresses the country, the state of the state address where the governor addresses the state, well, I heard this from another pastor, the state of the church address where I will address the church with the vision for the coming year and beyond.

I have been praying and seeking God, reading a lot of different books, asking God to reveal to me what it is that He would have us to do as a church to reach and impact this community for His glory and honor.

I have been writing down a lot of notes, highlighting, underlining, circling and marking in these books that I have been reading, as God speaks to me, as I gain knowledge from them, these men of God, that have decades of ministry experience on me, God has used in a tremendous ways to write these books.

The series for the next few weeks that we will be looking at is: Becoming a Kingdom Focused Church. The phrase Kingdom of God is a theme that can be traced back almost to the beginning of the Old Testament, this theme first appears in Genesis 14:17-24, where we find Abram offering a tithe of the spoils of war to Melchizedek, a mysterious king who was later mentioned as a priest and to whom Jesus was likened.

The phrase and theme of the Kingdom of God was a favorite theme in the preaching of Jesus, it is found all through the gospels, and is the first thing Jesus preached when coming out of the wilderness, which we see in Matthew 4:17

If you are able will you stand with me in honor of the reading of God’s Word.

Matthew 4:17 CSB

17 From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Pray

In Matthew, we see the Kingdom of heaven, as Matthew directed his gospel towards the Jewish people, he used the title kingdom of heaven instead of Kingdom of God, due to the Jewish people being sensitive to saying the name of God.

John the Baptist had the same message in Matthew 3:2

Matthew 3:2 CSB

2 and saying, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!”

John the Baptist was the voice in the wilderness crying out preparing the way for the Lord; making his paths straight.

And if both John the Baptist and Jesus both preached the message that we see in Matthew 4:17

Matthew 4:17 CSB

17 From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Then I believe it is a message, it is a theme, it is something that we should be know of, telling others the great need of repentance, because the kingdom of God is near.

Our motto here at Red Level Baptist Church is - Real Love Begins with Christ, and we cannot truly show that Real Love Begins with Jesus Christ and withhold the truth of God - that is worry or be concerned that we might offend someone - because the Word of God offends, it convicts, it steps on toes and if we are truly sharing that Real Love Begins with Christ then we must expect to offend people, to hurt people’s feelings, step on their toes, but it is not us it is God doing it through us.

Real Love Begins with Christ

We have to become a Kingdom Focused Church, if we are going to reach this community, if we are going to glorify God, if we are going to continue in ministry.

As a church we are to exists for the main purpose of expanding the Kingdom of God, and we do that through making disciples.

Our Purpose statement here at Red Level is: “To bring people to Jesus, develop them as disciples, and equip them for their personal ministry, to glorify God”.

In our worship, We love God with all that we are; In our service, We share God’s love with others; We share our Faith with others through Evangelism; Through obedience, We show others how to follow Christ, in fellowship; and We teach others all about Jesus Christ through Discipleship.

We are to be focused on pleasing the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone, and we do that by preaching the gospel, advancing the kingdom, equipping the saints for ministry, and ministering to the poor and needy.

Tony Evans book the Kingdom Focused Church, he states, to be a kingdom focused church we must truly pray like Jesus prayed, and how He lead in the example prayer of what we call the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6, but specifically in Matthew 6:10

Matthew 6:10 CSB

10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

See God’s kingdom in heaven is perfect, and when we pray that His heavenly perfection will be ours on earth, we should long for that perfection.

We must remember though, that the kingdom church, the perfect church, is only in heaven. But that every church, our church exists to work toward and focus on kingdom perfection. Every church, Red Level Baptist Church should be a kingdom-focused church.

Every successful church is a kingdom-focused church.

If we are going to be a kingdom-focused church, the goal has to become more important than the mechanics. That is the goal of growing the kingdom of God for His glory and honor has to become more important than the mechanics which is how we run our services, which songs we sing, what translation of the Bible we use, how long the service goes, all these things, as long as we are Kingdom-Focused, which means we will be biblically-focused.

Tony Evans said, A Church’s Kingdom focus has to come from outside the congregation - never from the inside. The focus of every successful church comes from the God of the universe, from heaven, His presence, and His reign. It is a Kingdom focus because it come from, rests in, and is empowered by the King.

The Kingdom-Focused Church is one that has found its full meaning in the heart of God.

As we pray Lord your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, and look at the heart of God. We must truly mean it.

Jesus did not build His church to meet our needs! He built the church to reach the lost. As I read that last part - the Kingdom-Focused Church is one that has found its full meaning in the heart of God, I thought and then prayed Lord, what is your heart, He spoke to me why did I come to earth.

God lead me to Matthew chapter 9, specifically verse 12-13, Jesus had just called Matthew to be his disciple, Matthew was sitting what the CSB calls the toll booth, or the NASB calls the tax collectors booth, and Jesus says to Matthew follow me, Matthew did not ask any questions, he got up and followed Jesus.

Jesus and the disciples, and now the new disciple Matthew, went to Matthew’s house to eat dinner, Matthew had a good amount of money, as a tax collector, he would charge extra on the taxes, and put some in his own pocket, making money from the Roman Government and then pocketing money, he had a good living.

The Jewish people knowing this, people did not like tax collectors, they were considered some of the worst of sinners, but here Jesus and his disciples are eating with Matthew and his friends.

The Pharisees saw this and came and asked the disciples why Jesus was sitting with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus hearing this, he responded:

Matthew 9:12–13 CSB

12 Now when he heard this, he said, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus tells the Pharisees, these are men who are religious leaders that believed they were above everyone else, they believed they knew it all when it came to the Scripture, they were the ultimate authority on Scripture if you will.

Now they are calling Jesus out cause He is sitting with tax collectors and sinners, something that a rabbi, a teacher of Scripture should not be doing, but Jesus said, those who are healthy do not need a doctor, but those who are sick.

He tells them go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. Here Jesus was rebuking the Pharisees for what they had just said, because they were in a way calling him out or rebuking him, but as religious leaders they should have known better.

See the Pharisees tended to focus on the outward, ritual, and the ceremonial aspects of God’s law - to the neglect of it inward, eternal, and moral precepts. In doing so, they became harsh, judgmental, and self-righteously scornful of others.

Jesus then says, I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, going back to verse 12, those who are healthy or well do not need a doctor, but those who are sick, that is those that are sinners.

If we are going to grow the kingdom of God like we have been called to then we must get out into the community where those that are sick, those that are sinners are at.

I believe these two verses are the heart of God, they are repeated in all four gospels, maybe not word for word, but in a round about way, that Jesus did not come for those that are already believers, but for those that are sinners, that are lost, His heart is to reach the lost and dying, to keep those that are perishing out of hell.

Mark 2:17 Jesus put it this way, Mark 2:17

Mark 2:17 CSB

17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

This is the same story line, Matthew or Levi, same guy is being called, again Jesus came to call the sinners.

It is the repentant person - the one who recognizes he is a sinner and who turns from his sin - is the object of Jesus’ call. See the Pharisees’ needed salvation, but they would not stop and recognize it, because they were to caught up in themselves. They were the person who is sinful but thinks they are righteous and refuses to acknowledge their need to repent of their sin.

Jesus once again responds in a similar manner in Luke 5:31-32

Luke 5:31–32 CSB

31 Jesus replied to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a doctor, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

See those who think they are whole do not seek healing.

If we are going to impact this community for the Kingdom of God, we must change our focus, and that begins in our own personal lives, we must look outside the box, not just at ministry, but first in our own personal lives, are we really the person that God would have us to be, do we really have the relationship with Jesus Christ that He desires to have with us, or are we just going through the motions, are we just biding time, are we just fooling ourselves.

Paul says in 1 Timothy 1 that Jesus came to call sinners to repentance, and he was the chief of sinners.

1 Timothy 1:15 CSB

15 This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them.

We all fall short of the glory of God, we might be able to fool, the pastor, we might be able to fool the person in the pew with us, we might be able to fool our spouse, or our neighbor, but God sees our heart, and we all need repentance, we all need to seek Jesus’ for the remission of our sins, and repent because the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Jesus said in John 9:39-41

John 9:39–41 CSB

39 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, in order that those who do not see will see and those who do see will become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things and asked him, “We aren’t blind too, are we?” 41 “If you were blind,” Jesus told them, “you wouldn’t have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

Jesus’ purpose was not to condemn, but rather to save, but saving some, nevertheless, involves condemning others. Jesus said, in order that those who do not see, there are people who know they are in spiritual darkness, they are wandering around, they know the truth of Jesus Christ, but they just have not surrendered yet, Jesus says, so those who see - here Jesus is referring to people that think they are saved, they have walked the isle, they have said a prayer, but they do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, oh but they come to church every week and sit in a pew. But they do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, let me tell you a prayer does not get you into heaven, does not make you saved, it is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Pharisees asked Jesus in verse 40, are we blind? These religious leaders had head knowledge, they knew Scripture, they knew the Bible and knew it well, but they did not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They were blind.

Jesus responds to them in verse 41, your sin remains. Jesus is referring here to their sin of unbelief and rejection of Him as Messiah and Son of God. If they knew their lostness and darkness and cried out for spiritual light, they would no longer be guilty of the sin of unbelief in Christ. But satisfied that their darkness was light, and continuing in rejection of Christ, their sin remained.

Another words there is still hope, as long as we have breath in our lungs we have hope of repentance of our sins, we can also go forth and declare repentance to others.

Luke 24:47 CSB

47 and repentance for forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

In order for us to be a Kingdom-Focused Church we must have the heart of God in us, and we do that by proclaiming repentance of sins in the name of Jesus Christ, beginning right here in Red Level.

This is the community that God has placed this ministry in, and this is where we must start.

This Wednesday at 9 am we have our next food give away, maybe you know someone in the community that could use food you could come get it and take it to them and share with them, or you can just come help, this is one way to help the church be apart of the community.

Two weeks from yesterday, we will have our first Rodeo of our series starting at 9 am, this will draw a crowd of people right here to our own campus, we do not even have to leave our own property to meet people, to talk to people, and we can minister to people from all over our state through this ministry that God has truly blessed our church with.

As I read these different books, I write down some different sayings, different thoughts, as they come to me, and one of those sayings that really hit me a few weeks back was: “New things forge new futures”.

New things Forge New futures

As I look out and see these kids, these babies, I think, wow, we have to try new things, even things that we have not done in a while or in a long time, in order that we can forge a new future for these kids and babies, so that this church is still around in 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 years from now, when they are raising families of their own, and leading this church.

With that we have to be creative and think outside the box.

Be Creative - Think Outside of the Box.

With that on October 2nd at 4 pm which is next Sunday, we will start having discipleship classes. We will start a process, but I want to start off with how to simply share your faith. Once we can learn and do that, we will then go to a more of a basic discipleship format.

Then on October 15, we will have the first in a series of monthly prayer walks, which will consist of meeting here at the church, to team up and break up into groups, to go out, where we will walk streets in this community praying for each house that we pass, if God supplies us with the opportunity, of people in the yard, we will take that opening to speak to the people. But there will be more before we leave that day, that will take place from 3 to 5 pm.

Theodore Roosevelt - Military hero, Conservationist, steadfast Christian, and the youngest man ever to serve as President of the United States - summed it up by advising, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

We can say well we cannot do that, or we can say, God can do that through us, He is looking for people that are obedient, willing and available.

Will you be that person, will you step up to that plate, will you say, without God no I cannot do it, but with God all things are possible. Just as Scripture says in Matthew 19:26

Matthew 19:26 CSB

26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

We need to understand, that yes, I cannot do it without God, but with God I can do all things, because He has made all things possible. And missions, reaching the lost, seeking and sharing our faith with those that are lost, in order that they may have that opportunity that we have had to be saved, is the heart of God.

See, Missions is the Great Commission’s Command which feeds life into the local church and without it the church will die!!!

Therefore, will you help feed the church, will you help do the work of the mission, will you become Kingdom-focused.

What is your heart?

We are going to allow the song I surrender by Hillsong, to play as we stand for the invitation in just a minute, and as it plays, I want to challenge you, weather you are a member of this church, or just a member of the body of Christ, will you surrender to God today to being kingdom focused, now I know not everyone can bend down at this altar, but can you come down here, and show God that you are submitting and surrendering to His call.

Will you join me in this vision that God has called Red Level too.