A Gospel Centered Church

You are Ministries in those kind of avenues that we Embark, and he will turn with me in your Bibles to 1st. Thessalonians 1st Thessalonians, chapter one. We're going to look at with Paul. And when he wrote this letter to thessalonica, he wrote this letter and he was reflecting on the relationship that he had with them. Now, as we were reading the scripture in Acts chapter 17. Leading up to Acts chapter 17, you saw Paul in a Ministry, there in Philippa and the ministry, started exploding, think good, things were happening. And then all of a sudden persecution broke out and a ground Paul and Silas in the beat him. They literally beat him and threw him into prison because he was preaching the gospel while he was in the prison that night. He began to sing praises to God. And in that moment, when he's singing praises to God, everybody else sitting around him was listening to him as he began to sing praises. That's important, understand because you understand the context, you understand. That's the one I got. So all of this was taking place and all the sudden the Earth shook. And you guys know the story. His shackles fell off. The Paul did not leave the Jailer ran in thinking, Paul and Silas had escaped sea and Roman law. If they had escaped, the Jailer would have had to take his place. So with this kind of stuff happening, he he was just overwhelmed by what Paul was doing and the gospel. He was preaching and singing and all this stuff. So the Jailer gets saved, he can save that night. He goes home and I'm sure he shares this with his family and his family, just stay and remand. There's a baptism, it breaks out next morning. They try to release the magistrates try to release Paul and Silas and pulse and no, I'm a Roman citizen. Is it right for you to beat me like this, which is illegal. I got a little nervous. And so they said will you go away secretly? And then he did and he went in the to thessalonica. He went into that area and he began to just like he always did, he would go to the synagogues and we go to the center and he would teach from the Old Testament. Jesus Christ as the Messiah and also a while. The synagogue was not meeting, he was making tents. This was typically his ministry as he was working along in his day job. He's working alone. He was talking to to the Gentiles about Jesus, and what that meant because you can understand Roman people did. Could not understand this idea of having one God. Especially that would become Flash and then go to the Cross to the pay the penalty of sin. They they would have blown their mine. So Paul work with him and it says in the scripture in Acts chapter 17, that a great number. Came and turned towards Cheese's. So there was a great Revival that took place. Well, guess what happened? Once the gospel starts getting into the community persecution started. Paul and Silas were able to slip out. And I headed onto Brea. And in the meantime the people in the church were held accountable for the actions of Paul. Can you imagine this? Think about this, if you will in our contacts, you know, we're fresh Church weren't kind of knew. What if the authorities came to your house and said, okay, where's that Jim? We want him. Is he? You said, I don't know where he is. Seriously have no idea. That dude may be in 80 and might be in Miami. He might be, you never know what that sucker is going to be tomorrow. And they'll say, okay. Here's what I want you to do. I want you to put your house up as a bond. And if something happens, we're going to take it from you.

Can you imagine what the church was having to deal with right after Paul left?

So here Paul, he goes, he goes down the road just a little bit and he turns around, he writes a letter back to. That's the one I got it. Here it is. Paul. And Silas and Timothy to the Church of Thessalonians in God, the father in the Lord, Jesus Christ Christ grace to you and peace from God. Our father in the Lord Jesus Christ. Father. We thank you so much for the reading of you word this morning. We pray as we continue to dive into the text, to begin to understand, its implications for what it meant. For a church. That was freshly planted. That was birth in the gospel Lord. I pray that you will begin to guide us to grab a hold of those characteristics. That that church had and Lord that we would strive to put that those characteristics on in our church. Lord, I pray that we will begin to be identified like the church that you started. Lord have pray it through this world. I know there's many different levels that could be ministered to you today. I know there's some people coming in here that are hurt. Some people are coming in or they are at the end of the rope and they don't know what to do and they have nothing to hold on to Lord. I pray that your holy spirit will speak to them.

Lord, I ask you to minister on so many different levels of what in levels. I cannot do. And Lord, I pray that you bring us all to the cross of Jesus Christ, that we all examine ourselves in light of the gospel. And Lord, that today we receive from you, the word of the Gospel into our life. I didn't let it be fresh Lord and let it do the work that the power of the Gospel work within us and shine out into this Darkness around us. Or we pray that you will be glorified and that Jasper will be changed in the state of Alabama will be changed and Walker, County will be changed and our nation will be changed for the glory of your name, or that's what we desire to see. Work with us. Lord. Our hearts are open to you. Speak to us in the name of Jesus. Amen, so, as we began to do certain things in the, in the Gathering of our church together, I wanted you to know that as we began to put this together. I kind of shared some of this last week. The week week for, you know, they never taught me in seminary, how to start a church. They taught me in seminary. How to join a church and do the programs at the church, but no one ever talk to me about. Here's what you got to do. And here's out, you got to put it all together and by God's grace, he put the right people in the right place. And then not just in the, in the, in the ministry aspect of it, but also with all the volunteers that you all have gone and you pledged and you given, and you've gone, and you've done so much that God has brought together for his glory, and I can tell you this With all sincerity and I tell you this In God's Presence that I tell the story of redemption, Baptist Church. Planners from around the world. They stared in amazement just like me because we cannot believe what God has done with our little Fellowship. And that's the truth. That's the truth as we began to put this thing together. We realize you know what, we're just broken people. You are kind of are saying of who we are. You will see this on on the website. You'll see this on on the slides, before the service. You you'll see it all kinds of different places. We're broken people. Everyone in this room is come to this room from broken relationships, disappointments in life. We've had all kinds of things to do to send. This is Marta. Said as hard as that is caused in some of it, we had nothing to do with but yet it's still affected us. Did it? Not. And we all gather together. That's what I look. We are broken people bonded by God's grace. He brought us together. God, for whatever reason has brought us all together. And since you know what, I want, y'all to be one. I want you to be want. But we also know that there are more people out. There, there more people that are broken than there are in here. So what do we do? So what should we be doing to? What we do is we want to bring others to Jesus. Oh that's an idea of what we are. We are broken people by God's grace are bonded together. Bring others to Jesus Christ in order to build his kingdom. So anybody ask you what is redemption? Baptist Church you or? Look at him and say we are broken people bonded together bring people to Jesus so that we can build his kingdom. That's what we are about a man. And that's who we are, you know, in all of this kind of Come Together by everything that we have done together. And we started putting this together as the elders and I, we were sitting down and we began to say, you know, what? What are the key things? You know, when Once the year, I try to put together a puzzle, right? In the first thing I do is when I dump that thing out on the table, I find the in pieces. Can I find the corner, please? It's right off the back cuz if I can find those corner pieces and find the in pieces. I can start putting stuff together, right? And then I began to look at the picture. I look at the picture and I begin to put pieces, according to the picture, and then I see where it fits within the grain. Grand picture frame, that's there and everything begins to take place. Here's the picture frame that we begin to say. Number one. We want to be a gospel centered Church. That's who we want to be. So today, when I've done, is have been titled, the sermon that we're going to look at. I've been titled it, a gospel Center Church, because this is what it is called in. I come in with a whole bunch of ideas from Seminary on how to plan a church and back. When Paul went through school. He was taught how to teach and refute heresies of the scripture. That's all. Paul knew he knew about what the synagogue was. No one is ever satin down. Is it? Okay? Here's what you need to do. He just said, hey, I'm going to go in, I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this, and this is what God is going to do. So what we were going to see in this just brief introduction. We going to see some characteristics here of what God was doing in the church and hopefully and prayerfully. You're going to see this to within our fellowship and what would you? And I when I'm going to ask you to do it, the end is listen bracelet. Listen bracelet because and let's pray for it. What if, what if we are on display? And everybody is saying, I want to know what it is. What is redemption about what is his church about? And then you and I can say it's all about the gospel, a man, as we begin to go through this. Hopefully you will see those points. As we work through now join with me in the text in chapter 1 verse 2 after Paul his wolf introduction by hey, how are you guys doing Grace and peace to you from God or father? And the Lord Jesus Christ. He jumps right there. And he says we this means his ministry team. We give thanks to God. How often always for you all, or Southern y'all right now? Making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of Faith, labor of love, and patience of Hope. And our Lord Jesus Christ in the side of our God and Father.

Knowing beloved Brethren your election, by God. Now, we're going to pass right here. Let's look at the first thing. If Paul wants us to understand is he begins to talk about a life of worship a life of worship. You might say what I didn't see anything about Worship in there. And what it, what are you doing? What do you want? You changing? Oh, well, the word that he use there for prayer. And where did he use there? For prayer is different from the word that we would use like, intercessory. Intercessory prayer means I'm going to pray for someone for a certain need our, our petitions. I'm going to pray for a certain need. This is a type of prayer that Paul, as he's reflecting as he's thinking back of his past and his encounter and everything, and not just that, but we're going to see later on, we going to see that other people are talking about it as well. Paul, as he goes to God, he can't help but just brag on God. God, I thank you for those men and women and that's what an Ikea. I got a thank you for the work that they're doing. Thank you for the labor of love now. So the word that he use, there is more like it says it is a prayer but it's more of that knowledge in what God is doing something. Can you imagine the DePaul as during his prayer time? He couldn't help but go you know what God, you are doing some incredible stuff. And that's what a life of worship is when you and I when we get connected to the vine, when we are filled with the spirit of God, when we have that relationship with Jesus Christ and work right with God, and God places his Spirit within us, and begins to move to us. We're going to see this throughout this whole introduction. This this part right here, scripture. We begin to see what God is doing. We begin to see all the lives are being changed and we can't help but just go God, this is amazing. So when we started thinking about this, when we start thinking about this church, we kind of said that each other. Would it be cool? That as we gather together. As church, we came in not to stand on ceremony. But to give God glory for what he's doing while we're outside those doors. So, where, where is redemption Baptist Church is in the communities? It's in your home's. It's not just hear this place right here. This, this old shirt factory is what I was told. I never seen it as a, as a bar, but I didn't see it as a shirt factory, right? What does place right here that they didn't know years later, that we would be have a stage here, and be proclaiming the gospel. The bars didn't even know where the stage used to sit. There would be kind of kind of guy that you know, never know where he's going to go with stand up here and preach the gospel, right? They did not know but watch what God has done. Look at the things that God has done with us over this past time that we have been together, even though we've gone through some hurt. And everyone in this room, no matter if you come from the same context or not. We've all been disappointed had one. We've been disappointed. We felt abandoned. We felt alone and God has brought us to this place. So what we should be focusing on what we should be doing while we're gathering together as we need to be singing, the Praises of what God is doing through our lives, in our homes, in our communities and all around. And that's what Paul is doing. He's out on here is a work, affect the word work or the, the word work in. The Greek is where we get to work. Are going to Amex. Any of you all this working Physical Therapy, you know, what are gronomics are? It's the right movement of the muscles and all this kind of thing. NASA word, where he gets the thing of the work of Faith. What is the work of faith is taking God at his word, as you. And I are sitting in this world and we're listening to his word. Did y'all know that we should be having daily devotionals with the Lord everyday? Did y'all know that we need to be beating on God's word every day Opening? Our Bibles, opening our hearts and listening to God. As we are receiving that God's going to give us direction. God's going to give each one of us as individuals, and then we're going to get out, and we're going to take a step of faith. Right. I don't know. Maybe I can give you an example that, you know, somewhere along the way, God's going to say, okay, here's what I want you to do, and just give you a little bit. Example, was having to me, Sharon called me several months ago. And she said, hey, I've got a bunch of clothes here. We're not trying to clean up. We're trying to all of its new, and we just want to find a place to give it to you. And then all the sudden, you know, is I was thinking and praying about it. I got the some for some reason, Pastor, Steve the Haitian Miss missionary came to my mind. So I asked her, I said, would you mind if we gave that to the Haitian Ministry? She said no, that would be honored if you would to do that. So I called Steven has today. Would you be interested in taking the stuff? He said, we would be honored to receive it. We absolutely. This is a desperate need that we have, we need this stuff that you're talking about. So, you know, I start putting it together and go over there and it's more than I can haul in my pickup truck. So I was like, I got to borrow a trailer. So I went out and I have someone there. So, yeah. Trailer and then I said, well the trailer is not full of. So for the past couple weeks. I didn't really announce a great. You know, I didn't get out there and say, everybody must bring it back. I just had a man, you got some clothes. You want to get up and this little trailer was. It was just a little spot when I shut the door is a little spot. And I remember as we backed into that guy's driveway, if we open that door, he goes, hopeless, God, praise. God, praise God. For what you all have done. And as of kids began to grab that stuff, I couldn't help but just kind of laughed to myself cuz they grabbed what looked to be like, yeah, we've been hauling a stove. 880 wheel I have to do is just Pat and he was like I am so moved that you guys have done this. See what we did. Was just one guy and one lady that came together and just through prayer guy, begin to open up Avenues and guy was just going. Hey, will you do this? When you do this with this, this, this miss miss miss, you think I would have thought about all that kind of stuff in the very beginning. God, worked it out. He provided everything to take place and in there's no telling where the stuff is going to go. It's no telling what that is the working face. When you God leads us to do some. We take that step. We we know the right props this week. We do it where our body needs to be moving. When God tells us to do something. We know that is something that needs to be done. The other part. It was a labor of love labor. That working labor is a little bit different. Labor is a little bit more strenuous. I work for a living. So we also watch it. Watch it were alive. Now. Don't say that, you know, don't laugh too hard. But I don't labor as much as I used. Labor is most

Did you catch that? Did y'all know why? I want to know why laborers live it more strenuous. When it's because people are involved, right tree. They said Ministry is easy, but then you add people. Then it gets very complicated.

Loving people is, is hard. Strenuous. People going to disappoint you, people are going to, you know, hurt your feelings, all this kind of stuff, but it's a labor is something that we do not give up when it gets hard. We push we push hope. I want to tell you this. I don't want to hurt anyone in here. The last thing I would ever I would walk away if it got to where I would hurting people in their relationship with Jesus. That's not what I want. My desires that you grow. It's that one day, we have so many people, giving the testimony is of God and what he's doing that. I don't have time to preach. That is my goal of what God can do through all of us rather than just from me. So, the last thing I would ever want to do is hurt anyone in this room. But unfortunately, I am. I can't help it. I'm an imperfect person.

People tell me. Hey. I need you to do this. I forget. People are going to come up to me and say, hey, I need you to do that or I need you to reach out. I need you to do. And guys, you know. And there's sometimes I'm just tired. And I just don't want to have it to just keep pushing. So I'm going to disappoint a lot of people.

I can't help it. But all I can do is I can keep trying to say, you know what this list trust in God because if you're depending on me. If you're depending on me to get that need done. Brain trouble. But we just all trust in God and we pray and we take that exercise of faith. We begin to work it, get hot. It can do some amazing things. You got that. So what would have loved in this Paul? Even in the midst of difficult situations? We didn't go through anything. He may be here in that magazine. Just busted, you know, I don't know. But if you are, you know, I like to put your pic. Now I can't I put you on the website and I'm kidding. None of us have come through a lot of the things that Paul went through, but yet, it doesn't take away from the pain in the hurt that does happen to us. It's real. Is real, we can't just say. It's not. It is real and it's a labor of love that. We've got to love. Now. How can you love? Listen the thing I've learned the most is the ridge, the origin of Love is God. Okay, it's not that good looking boy in your high school class. It's not that good looking girl that you want to go out with y'all Young Folks. Y'all listen to me. That's not the origin of love. You don't just fall in that stuff. The origin of Love is God. Because his love is true, love. His love is the perfect love. So what we, what we do is we go to God and he pours his love into our heart. It begins to change eyes it because of changes from the inside out and has that cup against overflow. We pour that loved. Not just back to God, which is important. God puts love into our heart and then we begin to love God. Back in the right way and not just that. We begin to love the people around us. So what how do we have that labor of love? We've got to stay connected to the source. We've got to stay there and at times it is hard. It is hard to do but it's worth it. Let's look at the patience of Hope. Patience of hoping it is knowing there's a better outcome going to come. There's something better than what we have right here and it's coming, is coming. So we got to just wait on. We don't get ahead of God. We don't do, you know, we don't rush things. We wait on God, we wait on him to move, and we have hope that he's going to do something great. And that's what we're doing. Now. That's what we had to do during the pandemic. You know, most people was like, what were you thinking? Starting a church in the middle of the pandemic? I said, I thinking, I wasn't thinking about it, but that's what happened. But here's what I knew that as we were going through the pandemic. I knew there would come a day when all that will be gone. And then we would be able to approach Ministry once again, and it's coming. It's a little different than what it was before. But it's okay. It's there coming, a better and have a better day, a new day that you and I can join in and we can experience his wife of worship so that we're going to be proclaiming what God is doing. Let's move on in verse 5, for Our Gospel did not come to you in word only but also in power in the Holy Spirit and in much insurance as you know, What kind of men we were among you for your sake, and you became followers of us of the Lord, having received the word in much of flexion with joy of the Holy Spirit. Now, let's look into this. This is the power of the Gospel. We want to be a gospel, singer church. So, here's what we need. We need the power of the Gospel. We need this. We need to be sitting under the gospel. So when you see, we try to set up our services where we're always opening the word, and we're always trying to teach people. What does the gospel mean in this day and age? We want people to understand. What is the god, you know, the gospel is more than just for the lost. The gospel is for every person in this room because you're going through a situation in life that the God who can speak to You're going through situations your life, where you begin to doubt the goodness of God and the things that God can do. And you begin to believe in the power of God. That is the good news of the gospel. And we begin the surrender to this. You see this, you see this idea of surrender submission in verse 5 by gospel. Come to you and word only but also in power in the Holy Spirit. Oh, I love this. I love this. You had a Spirit-filled church. You had a church that didn't just do a whole lot of talking, but they could see God working. How many I want to see that? How many own really wants to get to a place where we come into this place? And we are seeing lives change day after day after day, after day after day and we're seeing how God can take a broken person and in and change them eternally. Eternally and internally changed everything about him. He is changing, and he's lifting them up and he has taken that broken person, and he is bonding them together, and he's going to use this broken person is bonded with us. He's going to help them. Bring others to Christ, and it begins to build his glorious Kingdom. And that's what you and I are about.

We're not just about learning the word. What we want to do is get the word inside of us. Say, once we begin to understand the Holy Spirit. Here's a big mess under Miss understanding about the Holy Spirit. God has given to us the Holy Spirit. The holy spirit is here, but just like a gracious God like he is, you know, God doesn't come to your house and the moment of Salvation and kick the door down and no, he he takes your situation. He takes you through things and Lead You he leads you, through your thought, process through through, what's going on in your life and you make a decision to follow Christ. Would you agree with that statement? So God takes all of this stuff and he leads you to this point and you make a decision for Christ. In the same way. The holy spirit will lead you to the point of being filled with the spirit, but it's your call.

Do you have the Holy Spirit? But you are full of yourself? You ever tried that. One thing I try to do is when I go to a restaurant. I don't like a whole lot of ice. When I was in Mexico down there. You never heard, they're saying don't drink the water. Why we're pretty quick. I'm not a smart guy, but I learned pretty quick. You know, what ice is made of? Yeah, yeah, you learn. So you learn to drink things, hot or warm, you just learn to do it. You don't want to let you know what I realized. Like I said, I'm not a very smart guy. You take the ice out of and I can have more drink.

A fast food place. I said, yeah, I'll take one of those Diet Coke, but I don't know why.

Fill it up. Now, think about that. If Jim is so full of what Jim wants and Jim is got all the ideas and aspirations of what Jim wants. Jim doesn't have any time to let God move in his life. So, being filled with the Holy Spirit is about Jim putting Jim at the altar and saying, God. Here, I am take everything about me. Take all my bilities. Take everything you want about me and Lord fill me with your Holy Spirit. Now, I want to tell you if you haven't experienced that yet. If you haven't said, you know, what, guy I want to be saved. I want to go to heaven, but I really don't want you ruining things in my life. I wanted to invite you to a little bit deeper because what you have is just a superficial walk or super superficial belief and what's dangerous about that is you don't know what you truly believe until you really go under the test. So, I'm going to invite you if you're not willing to give it all to God. I'm telling you, you got some questions that you need answered.

So I want, I want to encourage you to this spend time. We got to say, God. Is there anything about the David? Ask questions or does everything in me? Is there anything in me? That's keeping you from working? In my life, spend some time asking, God those questions. And then from that moment, ask God, you know, what God I give you control of all my life. I guess, how often you have to do that. It's not just the one time that you come to the Altar and you do it. It's a daily thing that you must be continually field to you to surrender your life. Daily daily daily to God in the spirit. The spirit comes in and speak differently in the reading of the scripture little bit more profound than what you've experienced in. The past. The spirit begins to lead you to do it, to do things, you began to go, but I can't do that. He wants you to do something, to trust him to watch him, do it so that he gets the glory and not you. y'all her me was it last week y'all hear me say that I didn't read my first book to us 26 years old who would ever talk it right the time I stepped in the ministry to where are they today who would ever put that out there God would have not me look at me I get nervous every time I stand before people nervous nervous nervous why because this is serious stuff and I don't feel comfortable and in everything it does hanging in Balance to stand before you with great confidence I don't So there's a thing of me that I have to continue to surrender. But watch what God does. God begins to move in my life. I can say this. He moves in my life, begins to open up and say Jim this is what I want you to. Jim this, what I want you to Jim. I want you to put that away for awhile. Stop doing that.

And then adds that the more that I Surrender, the Holy Spirit, the more power, the Holy Spirit comes to me. And the more I began to realize, you know, what is the sermons that, that I preached if there's a lot of Jim in them? It's going to be forgotten. But if there's a lot of the Holy Spirit and power is going to change lines. And that's what I want to say and think about this on your your love. Not not that I'm at a higher level. But where you are think about where you are. What if You got to Wayward Son.

You got a broken relationship, you got a marriage is going in the tank.

Instead of running to someone to fix your problem. What if you went to God? It's a guy. I am the problem.

Fill me with your spirit. Take these things out of me. Fill me with your spirit and what if the conversations that you have from that moment on comes with the power of God. Rather than your words of persuasion. Can you imagine what could start happening? What if you began to share things at the breakfast table, at the lunch table, sitting on the job, at the work? And what if the things you started saying? And then all of a sudden the power God works to you and lies are being changed and people are being broken. And this is what Paul to saying. This is what I've seen. You're not just wordy people, but you're walking with power. It's because the people took what Paul said and put it to action. He began to talk about followers. Paul model, the behavior. He said, look, this is what I've learned. This is what we're going to do. And Paul said, let's do this together. Let's do this together and Jesus did that Jesus didn't just call the church together and say, okay. Here's what we're going to do. We're going to gather at the Sea of Galilee going to have this big worship service, and I'm going to break up into groups. And then we're going to go back home. That's not what Jesus did. Did y'all catch that reason to the gospel? This what Jesus did come follow me? That's what he did. And that's where the church is missing. It's a because we think discipleship is something that is taught in the classroom. And it's not discipleship, is something that stalled on the job.

It's as we're living life together and you know, and in listen to what I'm saying, y'all heard what I would have said a little while ago. It's okay to admit that you make mistakes. It's okay. It's okay. But it needs to be sincere in those kind of things. It needs to be, you know, where where the spirit is telling you to do things and you mess up. It's okay to to stand before. People say it's okay, you know, I made a mistake. However, you want to continue following Christ in this kind of relationship. So we begin to see this idea of followers. Now, let's take a little deeper now and burst 7 so that you may know that you became examples to all in Macedonian at. KU who believe for from you. The word of the Lord has sounded for it. Not only a Macedonian achaea, but it never plays how many places.

Oh, that's weak. How many places? Everywhere. Can you imagine that? How many people are sitting in this place? I'm going okay. I can't go. You not talk about Haiti. So, of course it's, you know, having that experience this weekend's, definitely on my mind, a lot of sitting here going. I can't go to Haiti. I can't go to Wisconsin. I can't go to New York. I can't go to mobile and serve. I can't do those things that you guys do. And not everybody can listen to what I'm saying. Not everybody can everybody's got a season in which they got to stir. But the thing we've got to do is we've got to be faithful with what God has given to us to do. Amen. Now, listen to me as I'm saying this, because I believe God is a quip, God is in power, and God is leading some folks in this church to really help us come along right here, what we're doing and it really take it up to the next level. He's wanting us to do this.

So that everyone the ministry that you do right here. This is what was taking place in thessalonica. Is that things that were taken place right there? Is there a HomeTown was pouring it over into the cities all around and it was making news back to Paul when he was serving somewhere else. They were going, you know, what, we just went through my. We just went through this when I can and this was taking place and Paul was like, praise God. You'll see that and this is a picture of what we need to be a witness of all. And I don't know. I'm going to put it in 5th gear, y'all hang on now. Your faith towards God has gone down, so that we do not need to say anything. For themselves declare concerning us, what manner of Entry we had to you and how you turn to God from items to serve, the living and true God. And to wait for his son from Heaven, gimme raised from the dead, from the Wrath to come. Look at this. We need to be a witness to all number one. What they were doing is in their life as they were living it out. They were sharing the gospel. They were sharing the gospel. Listen to me. I would encourage you to this photo. I really wanted you to listen to me because this is awesome. And this is what happened in my life is such a shot in the arm. You need to be 12 of Jesus, in your life. You want to be 12 is your Christian life right now. It is stagnant place and you need a shot in the arm, to get you up and get you going. Here it is. You ready? Spend time in the word all I knew he's going to say that I spend time in the word take what God is teaching you and then go share it with somebody. You a shot in the arm. Here. It goes. I started doing that. Y'all heard me share that. I was doing that at the steel mill and at first it wasn't received. Like I wish it was, you know, I wanted to see an offering, you know, and I wanted to see, you know, people and I'm kidding but you know, yeah, I had the wisecracks and I remember the first time we gather together to read and pray, people don't garbage on us. I remember that.

But we kept going. You know, why? Because when, when God was sharing something with me and I was going, I go to work and I'll be thinking about that. Thinking about what God is shared with me and his word that morning. I was sitting to come into town and meet somebody and we're talkin and you don't put out her this morning. You know what, God, revealed to me in this word. I remember saying that I used to say a phrase like this. It was very polished. I would say, you know, God said to me this morning. And people go. God spoke. That's what I'm used to. God, said to me this morning and have learned to say it. You know, where God, revealed to me. You know, I have a school Seminary has taken all the craziness, not all of it, that they probably left all the bad stuff in there. But you know, what is revealing to me? And then I would share that with someone else and you and it would go. That's exactly what I needed to hear.

I needed to hear that you know how many times I've had the opportunity to do something like that and then pray with someone what if you were the one carrying the gospel to someone in need let's just pretend for a minute what if what if Joe his marriage is falling apart he is addicted to alcohol or drugs or you name your addiction he carries an addiction and his marriage is falling about part he's about to lose his job is about to lose his wife he's about to lose everything and he is working guys listen to me he is the one that's working side-by-side with you

What is his wife? Is praying for him? And God has chosen you. To be that messenger. Are you going to really sit back and say nothing? Are you going to really be that lazy and not get into the word and let the word get into you? So that lines can be changed. Is that what we going to do? Or do you want to see Joe turn his life around? And see his life being restored and his marriage being restored and walking away from the addictions and then Joe begins to serve God. And then you coming to church and you going, Hallelujah, the power of the Gospel can say, I know it. And when you go to sing your singing foot, great confidence, you're cheering from the sidelines. Going to a man. I watch God on display this week. I watch the praise God, he is the winner. He is the Victor. He is The Great. I Am and I praise him for what he's doing. How many none of us want to miss out on that. Do you? Someone asked you, I beg you and here's where we're going to kind of ship. Is it begins in evidence of Truth? And is everyone praying to God? So there I said I'm a point but let me give you this application. There's so many different things that need to be done in the church. There's so many different areas in which you can serve and I do not believe that. God has given us a church with no workers. you need a shame that churches have the 80/20 rule you know what the 80-20 rule is everybody anybody that's worked in a job knows what the 80-20 rule is right if you don't know what the 80/20 rule is you're the 80

what is the 80-20 rule what are you talkin about 20% of the people are going to do 80% of the work hit 80% of the people are going to do 20% of the work is that a reality anybody have a John's and where and why am I the only one working here are the 20 if you didn't know that you're the 80 right you know that bleeds over in church You know, we have more Spectators than we have participants. Do you know that overwhelmingly, we have more people taking from this church then giving into it.

Now, here's the thing that really saddens me deep deep down inside because I believe there is a purpose for you being here. There is a purpose for you. God has given you an incredible Ministry and he is asking you, will you take that step of faith. Will you step out there? Will you do it and you're doing

Don't ever. I'm going to give you a testimony time. Don't ever tell God, I ain't got time.

Because he will give you that he has a way of clearing up your schedule. You'll follow me to where you can rest. You start putting things before God.

So before you go to guns, I got I don't have him. Why don't you try this guy? Will you show me what you want me to do? We you help me do what you've called me to do.

Will you do the thing? And then watch what happens? I believe that if we were to take this 80/20 thing and we were going to flip it upside down, and then 90% of the people in the church begin to Sir. Can you imagine what how God would be glorified? And how God will be pouring his Spirit out through each. And every individual, listen to me. Listen, there is no small task in a church in small towns. From emptying the garbage can, to, to teaching a lesson or preaching or singing, Whatever it, maybe there is no small task in the church. Everything is important everything from holding a child in the nursery to teaching in the children's ministry, the children. That's our future. Don't you want to invest into our future without that future? Our churches is got a life span. We put the expiration date on our church without children and you weren't were, were saying this good for a moment. That's all we want. Don't we want the Next Generation to come up and be that at that example, that follower of Jesus? Every single thing that takes place in this church, there is a great ministry here for you. And I want to ask you. Right now, are you?