Becoming Simple
Notes
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Sermon Tone Analysis
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The How
The How
6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: If then I be a father, where is mine honour? And if I be a master, where is my fear? Saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; And ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible.
8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it now unto thy governor; Will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.
9 And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: This hath been by your means: Will he regard your persons? saith the Lord of hosts.
10 Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? Neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, Neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same My name shall be great among the Gentiles; And in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: For my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.
12 But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted; And the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.
13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! And ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts; And ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; Thus ye brought an offering: Should I accept this of your hand? saith the Lord.
14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, And voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: For I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, And my name is dreadful among the heathen.
“Seven times in the passage, God refers to Himself as the Lord of Hosts, the Lord Almighty. He deserves, desires and demands our best.”
“These people forgot that. They actually had the audacity to offer to God blind and diseased animals. God tells the priests to try offering those kinds of sacrifices to the governor.”
“God even tells the priests to shut down the temple, to shut the doors to cancel services, to just stop everything. God has never been impressed with halfhearted worship. The mediocrity is sickening to God.”
“They kept having church week after week with no intensity or intentionality.”
“God was concerned about the how. It mattered to God deeply how sacrifices were offered to Him.. . The priests created a culture of mediocrity. And this profaned the name of God. “
“Mediocrity bothers God because it violates His nature and behavior. God is an excellent God, whose character is flawless.”
“Leaders offered an inappropriate response to God. Instead of reflecting His attribute of excellence to the world, they modeled mediocrity.”
Pastor Rush has decided that change must happen. Or he will die, internally. The pain of mediocrity and ineffectiveness has become too great.. . . You do not want to spend the rest of your life leading mediocre programs.
While activity abounds, excellence is missing.
While activity abounds, excellence is missing.
Is the purpose of ministry to be busy? What is the purpose of any church?
To Make Disciples!
To Make Disciples!
How we do that matters. We should want to be intensional about our disciple making. If it happens by accident, then we have failed to do it well. Just like the people in Malachi. They brought inferior offerings in order to say they worshiped, but with no heart
Design a simple process—Clarity
Design a simple process—Clarity
Use this step to create an environment receptive to change.
Start with a clean slate by asking the question:
What is the definition of discipleship?
What is the definition of discipleship?
Saved , actively growing Christian who serve the Lord by serving people.
How does spiritual transformation take place.
People become mature disciples at our church by:
People become mature disciples at our church by:
Place key programs along the process—Movement
Place key programs along the process—Movement
Connect: Sunday Morning
Grow: Sunday School & Breakout groups
Serve:
Unite all ministries around the process—alignment
Unite all ministries around the process—alignment
Have all ministries dedicate to the same process. Children to Prime Time.
Begin to eliminate things outside the process—focus
Begin to eliminate things outside the process—focus
Focus