Nearsighted
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Introduction
Introduction
Holidays have traditions - New Year’s has many
The ball drop
First time ball in Portsmouth, England in 1829
Then spread to other ports, and the US in 1845
150 total were installed globally
Ships could set their clocks on board
1pm in England, noon in the US
Ball was set to half-mast as a 5-minute warning
Then raised up and was set as it started to drop
A few still work today – US Naval Observatory
And Times Square in New York
The first one dropped in 1907 (5 foot, 700 lbs)
Every year since except 1942 and 1943
5th gen ball started for centennial in 2008
It was 6 foot, 1,212 lbs.
Upgraded in 2009 to 12 foot, 11,875 lbs.
32,256 LED lights
It takes 60 seconds to drop at midnight
The kiss at midnight
(English/German folklore)
Your first encounter of the year sets the tone
Of course, a kiss means you won’t be lonely!
Auld Lang Syne
Traditional Scottish song (Robert Burns – 1788)
Means “Times Long Since Gone”
Something like “For Old Time’s Sake”
It was sung at the end of many events
New Year’s, but also funerals, graduations, etc.
Mostly for Scottish circles
Before Dick Clark, there was another big NY party
The “last great dance-band leader” Guy Lombardo
He used to play in Ontario, Canada
Ended every performance with “Auld Lang Syne”
First New Year’s in 1929, first on radio then TV
My mom makes a New Year’s meal
They’re all superstitions meant to be fun
We don’t believe they actually work…
Pork – Luck
Fish – Intelligence
Rice – Sustenance
Greens – Wealth
Black Eyed Peas – Don’t go hungry
Personally, I reflect on the year before:
…a whole year since I didn’t become a better person!
That’s because another tradition is the resolution
2017 resolution = lose weight and walk 10,000 steps
I lost some, then gained more
I walked a lot until we blew it in August
9 months is pretty good though!
2018 resolution = didn’t even bother
2019 Resolution? Never make another resolution!
2019 resolution = Got mine from my Aunt Joyce visiting...
Got mine from my Aunt Joyce visiting...
If I were to ask you, “How’s your prayer life?”
He said, “I’M SO SICK OF THAT ANSWER!”
Wow, I am too...
My prayer life in 2019 was the best it’s probably ever been
2020 resolution = to make disciples!
The point of a resolution is to change for the better
The point of a resolution is to change for the better
Some don’t like change...
We all agree that GOOD change is GOOD!
I always gave New Year’s messages...
Reading and
Youth pastors ALWAYS preach after Christmas!
I always make one point: I don’t know what God will do!
I did it in Cali too, Glenn always took 2 vacations
2017 - never thought I’d go to North Carolina
My last sermon in Cali for New Year:
2018 - never thought I’d leave my youth position
2019 - never thought I’d be in Illinois
Can you guess what God will do in 2020?!
I don’t know, but here’s my best guess...
Pastors don’t move when things are good!
But God does…
We’re going to look a lot more like the church we read about last week!
Then I said, “I don’t know what 2018 holds...”
Recap
Recap
YouVersion: Nearsighted
Last week, we made a list
We said “the church should…” XYZ
This week, we’re saying “our church will....”
But I know it will be different!
41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Working with youth
1. Our church will… make disciples
1. Our church will… make disciples
2. Our church will… be ready for God to move
2. Our church will… be ready for God to move
Trees, snow, humidity
Saying “ya’ll” and “we might could do that”
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Putting gravy on everything…
3. Our church will… be devoted followers
3. Our church will… be devoted followers
3. Our church will… be devoted followers
3. Our church will… be devoted followers
It’s scary, but exciting to see what God is doing
We will be devoted to… teaching
We will be devoted to… teaching
Now I know about snow!
We will be devoted to… fellowship
We will be devoted to… fellowship
We will be devoted to… breaking bread
We will be devoted to… breaking bread
And tornados and hurricanes...
We will be devoted to… prayer
We will be devoted to… prayer
I know about ya’ll and might could and adding syllables to one syllable words...
44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
4. Our church will… share our blessings
4. Our church will… share our blessings
44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
4. Our church will… share its blessings
4. Our church will… share its blessings
46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
5. Our church will… do life together
5. Our church will… do life together
Woman at Super Bowl
She sat next to an empty seat
“It was my husband’s, but he passed away.”
“I’m surprised no friend or relative wanted to go.”
“Me too! But they all went to his funeral instead.”
It’s not difficult to spot someone’s priority
These 5 (or 9) things are our priorities
How are we going to keep them there?
Discipleship
Discipleship
If I was to pick one of these to be our focus… discipleship
ALL of these fall under this one category
Kinda how Jesus said all commandments fall under love God and your neighbor
Here’s how this will work:
PROCESS
Everything is a process
Teachers, doctors, factories...
Remember discipleship process
Remember discipleship process
D1-D2-D3
Everything we do needs to be structured around this process
Thom Rainer gives 4 things we have to do
Clarity
Alignment
Movement
Focus
Clarity
Clarity
Ever heard of fratricide?
Deadly Day = 3/23, 2003
In Iraq, Charlie company was attacked by mortars, RPG’s and small arms
Requested close air support
Marine forward air controller cleared two A-10's for airstrikes
Marine forward air controlled cleared the firing on vehicles
10 Marines were killed as friendly planes bombed them
Why? “Communications problems throughout the battalion”
Gideon used this principle to defeat the Midianites in 7
300 guys with trumpets, torches and yelling at night
Woke Midianites to kill each other
Because there was confusion
Confusion prevents us from heading the right direction
Our mission is easy to clarify
It’s right here!
We exist to make more and better disciples for Jesus Christ
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
That’s the discipleship process! (D1-D2-D3)
Alignment
Alignment
This means everything we do should hit 1 or more of these points
D1
Sunday morning
Youth
Inside events
Outside events
Food pantry
D2
Small groups 1,000%!
Discipleship has to happen TOGETHER!
17 Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.
19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
1 So Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:
2 “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 “My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. 5 They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, 7 to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! 8 Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?
9 “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them.
14 I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me. 17 That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.
acts 26
17 Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.
7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
Invite Paul and Beth Cone
Invite Paul and Beth Cone
D3
Eventually we have to turn away from ourselves
We have opportunities to serve
Worship
Flower power/mowing
Food pantry
But it’s not just “serving”
It’s serving to make sure D1 and D2 are happening!
Deacons were invented in … why?
To take on what needed to be done so Elders could keep teaching!
But there are more direct opportunities too!
Leading Life Groups
Leading Life Groups
Discipling one-on-one
Movement
Movement
Movement
Met a guy named Brian
Met a guy named Brian
He was homeless and on drugs
Why? My parents don’t provide for me like they should
I’m their child, don’t they love me?
Hard to sympathize… he was 32
That’s called Peter Pan syndrome
2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?
Novel idea - we want people to grow
Move from D1 to D2 to D3
Each ministry will be intentionally structure to MOVE people
IN ORDER! Not from D1 to D3
Story - New Christian serving the selfish homeless
Church services push to LGs
LGs push to D3 opportunities
The Point Group pushes from Tuesday night to Thursday
Focus
Focus
30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
You’re either gathering for Christ, or scattering His harvest around
Why 7 of 10 Americans live paycheck to paycheck?
Don’t stick to budget
Overspending
Extra money is seen as a way to get new things
Credit cards
Other words, money goes places it shouldn’t
Ever heard of burnout?
91% of pastors have experienced burnout
18% are fried to a crisp at any moment
50% would leave but have no other income
Interesting because...
72% only study the Word for sermons
21% pray less than 15 minutes per day
1,500 pastors quit every month and never go back
and 44% don’t take a day off
If you’re not reading the word and praying...
But you can’t take a day off… what ARE you doing?
They’ve lost focus on what’s important
It happens to volunteers too...
Just harder to track
As a church, we must focus!
Everything we do must fit into our process!
If it doesn’t, we change it or eliminate it
Example: Starting a sports ministry
Sounds fun! Let’s do it!
End of season, we had 100 guys and we made $400
SUCCESS! Not if that’s all we do!
Perspective change
Is our goal D1, D2 or D3?
D1
Great, then let’s make sure that’s happening!
Let’s say D1… 100 guys
Was anyone introduced to Christ?
Anyone new coming to church?
No, but we prayed...
$30 league fee, 4 games a week 10 weeks = 40 hours
To pray once? We could do that for free!
That’s it? FAILURE!
$30 league fee, 4 games a week 10 weeks = 40 hours
To pray once? We could do that for free!
That’s a waste of resources
How about D3...
It’s a fundraiser bringing in $400 to fund evangelist missionaries
Now we’re getting somewhere!
But wait!
40 hours of work, that’s $10 an hour...
Maybe we could try something else!
How about D1 and D3
We intentionally plant guys on each team from the church to invite newcomers
Someone delivers a message at halftime followed by invite
Then we raise $400 and add concessions to raise $800 for evangelism
Imagine if we ran EVERYTHING we do through that filter
Closing
Closing
So, our CrossPoint’s New Year’s Resolution is what?
To do that!
POINT AT SIGN