Vision Sunday 2024
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Theme Presentation
Theme Presentation
As you are probably well aware, I have been anticipating this day for some time now. Vision Sunday is a special day! A few months ago I began praying about 2024 and thinking about what God might want for us in the new year. God began working in my heart and slowly confirming the direction that He wanted us to go and since then, I’ve been wanting to share it with you.
Remember what I’ve told you before: our God is an active God. He is just as real and active in our lives and in our church as what we see in the Scriptures. The Lord Jesus takes an active interest in our local church. He has goals, desires, and plans for our church that far exceed our own. How do I know this? Because He loved the church and gave Himself for it.
As I think back over the last year, there is no doubt in my mind that God has been actively working in our church.
The Scriptures teach us to remember and not forget what God has done in our lives.
And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
Retrospect and Prospect
Retrospect and Prospect
“Pastor Tim, aren’t you going to get to announcing the theme for 2024?” I am, but there’s an important question that we should ask first: “what did God do at Cornerstone in 2023?”
He safely lead us through a change in pastoral leadership. That is a clear evidence of God’s grace - God’s divine enablement
We saw two baptisms and saw some added to the church membership
At least one soul saved - Kendra
A number of first time guests - close to 20 that shared some of their contact info with us.
Building updates:
As God provides the financing through His people, there’s a lot that we want to do in 2024. But in 2023, there were a few projects that made a big difference.
Upkeep and maintenance by some of our guys at the church - Ken and Bob
Auditorium - did just a few things to give it a fresh look
Moved the church office and created our church lobby
Nursery project - inexpensive, but a lot of work.
Events:
When it comes to events, we’re not in competition with other churches. It’s not about who has the biggest or most events. What matters is whether we are doing the will of God for our church.
Kids Fun Day - 30 children came out and heard the Gospel
National Night Out - more than 15 people from our church family worked together to represent our church and our Savior
Revival services
Bible studies and fellowships
My greatest joy in 2023 was seeing our church family grow in a genuine love for each other and the Lord. That was my burden when God brought my family here and I watched God do this. Throughout all of these events, I was so encouraged to hear how God was using His Word in our lives! Nearly every week it seems, my wife or I would hear how God has been teaching you. I love that! I love hearing what God is doing in your lives, because it confirms what I have seen with my own eyes.
You see, spiritual growth can be hard to quantify. But as I consider the last year, I have no doubt that corporately, we have grown in love for each other and the Lord. I see Jesus and His love in our church now more than I did before and oh I pray that it continues in your life in 2024. Let’s keep growing in our warmth and genuine care for each other! Let’s keep growing in unity around the Truth! Let’s keep growing in our passion for knowing God! But don’t let that growth stop with you. You be passionate about knowing Jesus and letting His life and His love shine through you!
In all of this, we saw answered prayer. Everything I just shared is the result of God’s abundant grace. God did it and He is worthy of our praise! Everything good that happened in our church in 2023 was the work of God!
Remembering God’s work in the past gives me hope for this year. And so, I’m thrilled to announce that our theme for this year is…
Next slide here:
Forward Together
Forward Together
One direction. One mind. Forward Together in 2024. That’s the pattern we find in the early church. And that’s the overarching theme that we are going to see as we launch out into our new series on the book of Acts.
Turn to Acts chapter one.
The Christians in the book of Acts moved forward and spread across the Roman Empire and they did it together.
The Acts of the Apostles is the story of men and women who turned their faces into the stiff wind of persecution and loss and followed the Lamb whithersoever He went. - A. W. Tozer
That first generation of believers rallied around their Savior’s Great Commission and they made it their own! They took ownership in it! As we study the book of Acts, we’re going to see that one day at a time, one church plant at a time, one soul at a time, they served together and witnessed of their Lord! They had one direction and one mind. In so doing, they reached their mission field. Now it’s our turn. God has placed us in this chaotic time and this chaotic year for such a time as this.
There is so much that God has for us in the book of Acts. It won’t be until next week that we’ll begin to examine the historical and cultural background of this book, but this morning I want to give you just a taste of what is to come.
The book of Acts is a history book that connects the dots between the Gospels and the Epistles. It connects the dots between the ministry of Christ and the teaching of His apostles. A good understanding of this book will help you see the bigger picture of how the Bible all fits together.
As I’ve alluded to, the book of Acts is going to teach us about serving the Lord together. One burden I have for this year is to see every believer plugged in and serving the Lord. If each of us get plugged in just doing what we can, God will bless that effort and we’ll have so many opportunities arise because of it.
The book of Acts is going to teach us about the local church. We’re going to see its beauty and rather quickly we’ll also see its imperfections. But I hope it leads you to love the local church like Jesus does.
The book of Acts is going to teach us how the Lord Jesus is active in us through the indwelling Holy Spirit. I hope it will grow your sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading in accord with the Scriptures.
The book of Acts is going to teach us about citizenship and how the early Christians interacted with various political leaders and rulers of their day. Paul was a Roman citizen. He will provide an example of how to be a Christian citizen in a pagan nation. Besides that, 2024 is a significant election year and I am planning to do a mini series on the biblical perspective of government.
The book of Acts is going to teach us about boldness and our witness of Jesus Christ. My prayer is that God will move our hearts in this. I am starting to pray for one soul. Just one. Just one soul that God will bring along my way that I could have the privilege of leading to Jesus.
And the book of Acts is going to teach us so much more.
This morning we are going to launch out into this series by taking a brief look at the theme verse - Acts 1:8.
Acts 1:8 is the theme verse of the book of Acts and it will be our theme verse in 2024 also. It serves as an outline for the entire book. It tells us how the apostles and the other believers carried the Gospel from Jerusalem to Rome. The Holy Spirit comes and empowers the apostles in Acts two, and from that moment forward, they witness of Christ in Jerusalem. In Acts chapter eight we’ll find them witnessing in Judaea and Samaria and then in chapters 9-28, together, they go to the uttermost part of the earth.
So this verse outlines the book of Acts, but it also outlines how we as a church family must proceed in 2024. We must have one direction and one mind. We must move forward together by the power of God and in obedience to the Great Commission.
So church family, as I close the service in prayer, I simply ask that you as an individual will commit to having this heart and this mindset. Let’s humble ourselves before the Lord and commit to being His servants in moving this church forward, together.