Pastor Dave Martin ~ Cross Creek Community Church ~ April 15, 2007
“Vision”
The Cross Creek Adventure
 |
This morning begins a new series looking in a practical way the Cross Creek Adventure. |
|
Today we’ll be looking at Vision, then ministry, then Sacrifice, wrapping everything together w/Celebration Sunday on May 6th with a special offering, ground breaking and fellowship dinner at the twin pavilions. |
ILL - About 350 years ago a shipload of travelers landed on the northeast coast of America. The first year they established a town site. The next year they elected a town government. The third year the town government planned to build a road five miles westward into the wilderness.
In the fourth year the people tried to impeach their town government because they thought it was a waste of public funds to build a road five miles westward into a wilderness. Who needed to go there anyway?
Here were people who had the vision to see three thousand miles across an ocean and overcome great hardships to get there. But in just a few years they were not able to see even five miles out of town. They had lost their pioneering vision. With a clear vision of what we can become in Christ, no ocean of difficulty is too great. Without it, we rarely move beyond our current boundaries.
“Vision, Calling, Insight, Dream” – A God initiated prompting given to an individual or group to accomplish His kingdom purposes on earth. – dm We see this repeated many times throughout scripture… ie Nehemiah in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, King David & Solomon in building the Temple for the Lord…
|
“Vision is foresight with insight based on hindsight” |
|
“Vision is a picture of the future that produces passion” ~ Bill Hybels |
|
“Vision is acting upon the big picture God lays upon the heart” – dm |
|
“Vision is extremely important in the local church… you lose your way when you lose your vision”. - dm |
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. KJV… Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law. NIV
|
Comparing translations with Hebrew manuscripts, the NIV gives a much more accurate translation… |
|
God reveals Himself to His people through His Word… Get away from His Word, you’re away from God… |
|
Any church must be true to God’s Word, in a love relationship… THEN God reveals Himself, His ways & His plans |
|
Let’s look how God worked in the life of Abram (Abraham) and how He’s working in the life of Cross Creek… |
(Page 8 in the Pew Bible)
Genesis 12:1-5 1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." 4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
|
These first few verses in Gen 12 are very instructive in our call and ministry here at Cross Creek. |
|
Let’s look at Abraham’s Great Call, his Great Cost and his Great Promise with his walk of faith. |
|
Before we begin… lets bow our hearts… draw a circle around you… <Pray, God speak to me> |
I. Great Call…
God uses Ordinary People with Extraordinary Faith
The Lord called Abram out of the pagan world to a major task for God… begins with travel to Canaan
Abram was from Ur of the Chaldeans, a wealthy, populous, sophisticated pagan city 220 miles SE of Baghdad (Iraq). They worshiped idols, engaged in much wickedness… Abram was an unbeliever with extraordinary faith. The Word of the Lord came to him… he responded by faith in obedience.
· God Seeks People – God is looking for a person “to stand in the gap” (Ezek 22:30)
1 Samuel 13:14 “… the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart…”
· God Sovereignly Calls – It’s not an individual saying “I want to be a pastor/missionary/etc”
Amos 3:7 Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.
· God Supernaturally Enables – Who God calls, God enables, empowers supernaturally
|
God always uses ordinary people with extraordinary faith to accomplish great things on earth. |
|
Moses, Abraham, Gideon, Elijah, Paul, Peter, Moody, Graham, You, Me… |
|
Understand, God works the same today through His people… |
|
The Cross Creek Adventure consists of people with extraordinary faith making things happen for Him |
|
Elmer Towns speaking on “The Gift of Faith in Church Growth” calls this type of faith a “spiritual gift of faith” supernaturally bestowed upon individuals within a body of believers (Different from saving faith) |
|
This extraordinary faith is sometimes called, vision, insight into what God desires to accomplish. |
|
God supernaturally grants protection, provision or an ability to impart blessing… God works through that person, He grants discernment into matters, He instills a divine certainty and trust that God intervenes and His power is available to do things ONLY Almighty God can do… salvation/growth/etc |
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
|
Whatsoever is not of faith is SIN (Rom 14:23)… Abraham’s faith in action = righteousness (Rom 4:9) |
|
If you desire to please God… Saved & YOU MUST LIVE BY FAITH… You KNOW He EXISTS… REAL |
“Faith obeys God and brings blessings” – Obedience always bring blessings
II. Great Cost…
God uses Ordinary People Willing to Pay the Price
|
Abraham believed God and was willing to pay the price for his faith… take a long dangerous 1500 mile journey… |
|
Willingness to follow God’s leading may require leaving familiar surrounding… my personal “safe havens”. |
|
Following God always involves the price of surrender to God’s will not your own. |
Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
· Personal Choices – There are consequences to every choice/action… today is the sum of life’s choices
· Personal Character – Absolutely essential, no shortcuts, no going around… God looks at the heart
· Personal Commitment – What does it take for you to quit for Christ… faithfulness, dedication?
|
We’re not saved to vegetate but to make a difference in our world for Christ… involving: Obedience, Faithfulness, Perseverance – using your Time, Talent, Treasures… |
|
Looking at a beautiful example of David, a man that was willing to pay the price of obedience… |
Acts 13:22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'
“Do, NOT sit ~ Everything, NOT Some ~ I (God), NOT Self”
|
DO - It’s your choice to sit, soak & sour… not get too radical or involved (keeping God at arm’s length) |
|
Not being willing to pay the price ultimately brings you to shriveling up and dying… playing right into the enemies hands (doubting, defeated, depressed, discouraged – lacking victory, joy, peace) |
|
EVERYTHING – not some, not pick & choose… not being more interested in a “position” rather than an intimate relationship with Christ… |
|
Faithful service does not begin with knowing where you will be serving or in what capacity or clear call to certain ministry or occupation or place of service. But it always begins with simply being available putting all reservations and preconceptions aside… choices, character, commitment… being willing to pay the price as Christ’s servant. |
|
I (GOD) – David did want God wanted him to do, not what he wanted… His will was surrendered to God… not self-centered but God & other centered making a difference in his generation. |
III. Great Promise…
God uses Ordinary People to Accomplish His Purposes
|
The Lord gave Abraham a great promise… if you walk by faith to my call for your life, I will vs2-3… |
Great Nation + Great Blessing + Great Name = Great Outreach
|
Notice in these five verses, it’s all about God… I will, I will, I will, I will, I will, I will … Make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great… THEN you will be a blessing to others… |
“You will be a blessing… people will be blessed through you…”
|
We see ultimately, the Lord Jesus came through the seed of Abraham… blessing to the world. |
Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.
|
Today, when we are “dead-centered” in the will of God – God accomplishes great things around us. |
|
God’s working in our midst, He is using His faithful vessels to carry on His work on earth (Cross Creek) |
|
My friends – look around you… see what the Lord is doing… experience His hand of blessing |
|
Both physically and spiritually God is working at Cross Creek… God uses ordinary people to accomplish His purposes… who here are ordinary people? We all are – He wants to use you! |
|
Cross Creek is a new church plant that has averaged 42% growth each year for 7 years straight… last Sunday we had a new record attendance of 452 precious people (souls for whom Christ died) |
|
Last week we saw 3 more adults trust Jesus Christ as Savior & Lord! We also just saw 2 teen give their hearts to Christ… We also had a man receive Christ at Celebrate Recovery… that’s what it’s all about – AMEN! A New Testament Church that’s on fire for Jesus! |
|
You cannot mistake the presence of God moving and working in the hearts of people… souls being saved, believers growing Christ-like, fruit & blessings from God… I believe the best is yet to come! |
|
As we build new facilities, the buildings are a tool to reach more people with the Gospel… allowing Jesus to build His church… I envision the Lord starting Rescue Missions, Using His people at Cross Creek in greater & greater ways… I envision planting new daughter churches all over this valley… I envision more and more people coming to Christ… a spiritual awakening & revival breaking out to God’s glory… I envision training seminars to equip Christians to be generational difference makers… |
|
Let me ask you a few questions… Do you sense something “different” about Cross Creek? Do you sense God’s presence? Do you think God is able to do these awesome things? |
Ephesians 3:20-21 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
|
God uses a doubly compounded word in the Greek that means – He is able to to SUPER SUPERABUNDANTLY MORE than we ask or even imagine – WHY? (Because of our eloquence? Bible knowledge?) NO because of HIS POWER THAT IS AT WORK WITHIN US! |
|
But Cross Creek MUST stay - |
Committed to…
|
The Certainty of our Calling |
|
An Unswerving faith in God’s Word |
|
Total Reliance upon the Holy Spirit |
|
I’m asking you to see what God is doing and to join Him in His work! Would you do that? |
|
We’ve outgrown our facilities… we’re working through the bureaucratic red tape (Literal nightmare) |
|
I encourage you to step up to the plate, roll up your sleeves and be committed/involved in what God is doing. |
Celebration Sunday May 6th…
· Special Building Fund Offering – giving as unto the Lord
· Ground Breaking Ceremony – good weather
· Fellowship Dinner ~ Twin Pavilions – covered dish / (workdays next two Saturdays at 8am)
Be Praying!
Still in the circle you drew around yourself… Pray this prayer…
Lord, allow me to see what you’re doing at Cross Creek and not take it for granted…
Lord, help me to be sensitive to you and show me what part you want me to play in your divine plan…
Thank You!