Sermon
delivered on August 2nd, 2015
By: Dr. Charles T. Shoemaker
Sunday School Lesson:
Cultivating Vision for the Local Church.
Introduction
The FOUNDATION of the church ...
CHRIST!
The FOCUS of the church ... GREAT
COMMISSION!
The FUNCTION of the church ...
MINISTRY!
Minister to the community
The FUTURE of the church ... VISION!
Vision is a clear mental picture of
preferable future. Vision takes us from where we are to where we need to be. Vision is God-given.
Nehemiah
1. Vision Seeks IMPROVEMENT - 1:3
Nehemiah saw things were broken,
missing and worn out in Jerusalem. He saw things has to change in Jerusalem.
2. Vision Originates in PRAYER - 1:4
Nehemiah wept, mourn and fasted.
There are things we can do without
prayer but there are things we cannot do without prayer. Nothing of eternal
value is accomplished without prayer.
3. Vision Requires LEADERSHIP - 2:5
Someone has to lead to accomplish
anything. A leader who can lead others.
God always work through leadership -
Moses, Joshua, Judges, Kings, Apostles, Pastors, etc.
A leaders is one who sees more,
farther and before others see.
4. Vision Involves a STRATEGY - 2:7-8
A leader has to have a vision and
knows how to get it done.
A dream is one thing, a vision is
another thing. A vision without strategy is a dream. Dream today, gone
tomorrow.
Casting vision focuses not only on
the WHAT but also on the HOW.
Location of meeting, printed
materials to pass out, sermons to preached, music to use, etc.
Nehemiah 2:12 And I
arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my
God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with
me, save the beast that I rode upon.
God had put in Nehemiah's heart a
burden for Jerusalem. He took some few men with him to Jerusalem, but did not
reveal anyone why they were there.
Nehemiah's strategy was to let these
some few men to see with their own eyes how Jerusalem lies waste and the gates
are burned with fire.
5. Vision
Demands ACTION - 2:17
Once they arrived Jerusalem,Nehemiah
revealed his burden ...
Nehemiah 2:17 Then said
I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and
the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the
wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
Lamentations
3:51 Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all
the daughters of my city.
Then the people responded ...
Nehemiah 2:18 Then I
told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's
words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and
build. So they strengthened their hands for this
good work.
Let's do it! Let us rise up and
build!
6. Vision Motivates PEOPLE - 2:18
Leaders do not recruit people to a
job, but to a vision.
In the beginning it was Nehemiah and
him only had the vision but after showing them his vision, the few men with him
responded.
7. Vision Attracts RESISTANCE - 2:19; 4:8
A God-given vision will be resisted
and opposed.Three people showed up to oppose. Satan is not happy. Satan will
use people, government, school, even church people to dissuade, hinder,
interrupt what God is seeking to do through us.
Anything we try to do for the Lord
will face some point of resistance.
8. Vision Relies Upon GOD - 1:10; 2:20 4:14, 15;
6:9
If there is fruit in our work, there
must be complete reliance upon God. Not us but only God will and can.
9. Vision Achieves RESULTS - 6:15a
So the wall was finished ...
It's God through the people. Notice
not just through the pastor!
People rallied together and worked.
10. Vision Glorifies GOD - 6:16
Psalm 18:23 This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
Morning Service Sermon:
Four Ingredients of a Biblical
Dynamic Baptist Church.
The most important institution is not
the government, school or place of employment but the church.
Jesus loves the church and died for
it.
What kind of church should Grace
& Truth be? How should Grace & Truth be described?
Just to remind us that the church is
not a building but people.
If Grace & Truth is to be a
lighthouse in Murrieta and its neighboring city we have to have the following
ingredients:
1. HOPEFUL place
We must have full of hope. A hope
that originates from God and seen though the lives of God's people.
Acts 1:8 The Great
Commission ...
We have been given a great
responsibility to reach people with the gospel of grace and hope.
Hope, because of the salvation that
is available though Jesus Christ.
Without Christ there is no hope!
As long as Grace & Truth preaches
the Gospel there is hope.
Hebrew 6:19 Which hope
we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth
into that within the veil;
2. HOLY place
Acts 2:37 Now when they
heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the
rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one
of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Once we are born again we are to live
like it.
We will not have desire to live in
sin.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new.
1 Peter 1:15 But as he
which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16: Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Notice our standard is not men but
God Himself.
Three things we need to live a holy
life:
1. We have to be in GOD's WORD
2. We must be in PRAYER
3. We must be FILLED with GOD's HOLY
SPIRIT
3. HELPFUL place
The greatest supporters in the city
ought to be the church.
It is not about what we can get but
it's about what we received from God to help people.
An important phrase in the Old
Testament is "ONE ANOTHER."
Love, edify, admonish, care, serve,
forgive, be kind, submit, comfort, exhort, pray fellowship, forbear (put up),
etc.
Church is not about me, you but about
Jesus Christ.
Help one another by sharing material
possession. But it's much more than sharing material things.
Joining a church is much more than
getting a certificate of membership.
4. HAPPY place
There will be joy in spite of rain,
flat tires, dentist appointments, etc.
Deep in your soul there is rejoicing.
Nothing we face here is eternal.
Rejoice in the LORD. Visitors will
not attend funeral service every Sunday.
Pray for a restored joy.
Joy comes when we abide in Christ. It
is a fruit of the Spirit.
Paul's desire was to finish his
course with joy.
Acts 20:24 But none of
these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might
finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord
Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
The world should not be more joyful
than the church. The church must and can do better.
Evening Service Sermon:
Preparing the Second Coming of Our
LORD.
1 John 2:28 And now,
little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have
confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
The second coming of Christ should
challenge us. It should motivate us to be faithful, to be obedient, to
constantly have -self-examination, to be ready, so that when He appears, we
might have the confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
When will Christ return? is not the
question we should ask. The question we should ask is ...
What are we suppose to to do until
Christ's returns?
The Lord has left us a mandate, a
responsibility.
1. We are to WITNESS
What is a witness? A witness is one
beggar telling another beggar where he found bread.
God has done something wonderful in
our lives and we need to share with others what God has done in our lives.
A witness is someone who shares what
he has seen and what he has heard.
We are to witness. If we don't do it
, no one will. This is our time to witness earnestly. This is the generation we
need to reach.
2. We are to WORK
We are not saved by good works but if
you are saved you are going to work.
It is sad that many churches are like
a football game. There are 22 people on the field who desperately
need a rest and 60,000 people who desperately need a work out.
3. We are to WORSHIP consistently
I don't know when Christ is coming
but I know today is one day closer to His coming.
As the day of Christ's coming is
approaching it is going to be difficult for His followers.
Do not forsake church. Come to church
to learn, fellowship, worship.
Church is not punishment. It is not a
penalty. May we have the attitude that church is not a duty but a delight.
No one is so bad that they cannot
come. No one is so good that they need not come.
4. We are to WATCH expectantly
Watch for Him
Today could be the day! Perhaps
today!
Live with the spirit of expectancy.
Watch in our lives
Watch what you watch. What what you
think and say and do.
We have to be sure that our lifestyle
aligns with God's word.
These four things we must do so that
we will have confidence and not be ashamed at Christ's coming.
Amen!