Sermon Tone Analysis

THE JACOB PERSPECTIVE

DUTY OR DESIRE:

*PASTOR LES RAY*

*May 24, 2009 AM*

* *

 

!

I WANT ASK YOU TO TURN WITH ME TO PSALMS 27… READING VERSE 4-6

WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING TODAY… AT OUR PERSPECTIVE OF THE CHURCH…

 

THE BOTTOM LINE IS… WHY ARE WE HERE???  IT ALL HAS TO DO WITH OUR PERSPECTIVE… ARE WE HERE BECAUSE WE *HAVE TO * BE HERE??? OR… ARE WE HERE BECAUSE *WE WANT TO BE HERE????*

* *

\\ THE PSALMIST DAVID SPOKE OF THE HOUSE OF GOD AS BEING THE “ONE THING” HE LONGED FOR… HE SAID IN  

(Psa 27:4 NIV)  One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

FRIENDS… IT IS MY CONTENTION THIS MORNING… THAT THE LORD LOVES AND CARES HIS PEOPLE WHO MEET TOGETHER IN HIS NAME… THAT IS… HIS CHURCH… AND HE WANTS TO PUT THAT SAME LOVE AND CARE FOR THE CHURCH IN OUR HEARTS TODAY…

 

MANY Statistics SPEAK TO THE CURRENT STATE OF THE CHURCH IN AMERICA… IN SOME WAYS THE PICTURE ISN’T VERY PRETTY

* THE VAST MAJORITY (65% ) of American churches are declining in attendance

* 2~/3 RDS (66%) of all churches HAVE plateaued at 150 members  OR LESS…

* CONFIDENCE IN RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS IN THE U.S. HAS HIT AN ALL-TIME LOW

* THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE ATTENTING CHURCH IN AMERICA DROPPED 2% PER YEAR  FROM 1991 TO 1996  (from 49% TO 37% )

* DURING THAT SAME TIME-FRAME  (THE 1990’S) THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE IDENTIFYING THEMSELVES AS CHRISTIANS DROPPED FROM 86% IN 1990 TO 77% IN 2001

* THE NUMBER OF AGNOSTICS, ATHEISTS, AND SECULARISTS HAS INCREASED RAPIDLY IN THE U.S.

* AT THE PRESENT RATE OF CHANGE… MOST AMERICANS WILL IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS “NON-CHRISTIANS” BY 2035

* It takes the average evangelical church 100 people and one year to introduce one person to Jesus Christ.

/(LOWER CASE )SonLife Letter/, Nov 15, 1994 ~/ OTHER STATS FROM 2009 INTERNET

 

*From edstetzer.com

– ED STETZER WRITES ON THE STATE OF THE CHURCH FOR THE DUKE DIVINITY SCHOOL… SAYING… *

·         Mainline denominations are no longer bleeding--they are hemorrhaging.

Increasingly, they are simply managing their decline, not reaching out to others.

* For evangelicals, the picture is better, but that is only by comparison to the great decline of the mainline churches.

Southern Baptists have peaked and trends indicate they will decline over the next several decades.

AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE CHURCH… THERE IS MUCH BAD NEWS … BUT THERE IS ALSO GOOD NEWS…

 

| 53% of Americans STILL consider religions to be very important in their lives.

This compares with 16% in Britain, 14% in France and 13% in Germany.

|

* In the last four years, " there has been a rise in the proportion of adults who read the Bible..."

* TODAY "Half of all unchurched and non-Christian adults admit that they are seeking meaning and purpose in their life - providing a meaningful entry point for evangelizers."

* Christianity, with a market share of about 34% worldwide, remains the most popular religion globally.

* Although the importance of religion has been declining in other developed countries, it has remained strong in the U.S. The United States has a higher level of church attendance than any other country which is "/at a comparable level of development./"

BAD NEWS IS.. VERY FEW OF THE 300,000  PLUS CHURCHES IN AMERICA ARE GROWING…

 

THE GOOD NEWS IS…  THERE ARE SOME THAT THERE ARE TWO… AND Only two Christian denominations (out of the top 25) THAT are growing THEY BOTH HAPPEN TO BE PENTECOSTAL MOVEMENTS: the Assemblies of God --- THE CHURCH WHICH YOU ARE IN TODAY… and the Church of God (Cleveland, TN).

AND I BELIEVE WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE ONE OF THEM…

·         So, IN LOOKING AT THAT… Pentecostalism is doing GOOD

·         Evangelicalism is flat but showing signs of a cracking foundation.

·         The mainline is dying.

WE HAVEA BATTLE ON OUR HANDS…

1.    WE MUST FIGHT AGAISNT … The loss of focus on the gospel.

2.    WE MUST OVERCOME …  A lack of discipleship.

3.    WE MUST DEFEAT… The danger of cultural captivity….

WHERE OUR CULTURE HAS TAKEN US FAR FROM GOD…

TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT CHURCHES THAT ARE GROWING HAVE IN COMMON…

 

*LET’S PRAY: *

 

*YOU HAVE PROBABLY SEEN THE ADS… MAC VS PC*

* *

*A REALLY HIP GUY REPRESENTS MAC… A KIND OF GEEKY GUY … WHO LOOKS AMAZINGLY LIKE BILL GATES RERESENTS THE PC… *

* *

*NOW I AM NOT MAKING A STATEMENT ABOUT WHICH SYSTEM IS BETTER… OR WHAT YOU SHOULD BE USING…  *

*THAT IS COMPLETELY UP TO YOU… *

* *

*AND IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD… THERE ARE PROBABLY ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF EACH SYSTEM…  IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE THAT… JUST GOOGLE MAC VS.

PC… AND YOU WILL GET ALL KINDS OF DIFFERING OPINIONS… *

* *

* *

*BUT I WANT TO MAKE A POINT HERE ABOUT ONE ASPECT OF THE MAC COMPUTER AND HOW IT HAS BEEN MARKETED AS A USER FRIENDLY COMPUTER…*

* *

*AND THE ENTHUSIATS FOR THE MAC COMPUTER WILL TELL YOU… THAT TO THEM… *

* *

*Macs are consistently consistent*

Bottom line: it's easier to get stuff done.

NOW WHETHER THAT IS TRUE OR NOT… THAT IS UP TO YOU TO DETERMINE…

 

BUT THE POINT I DO WANT TO MAKE IS….

THAT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE … EASE OF USE IN SOMETHING COMPLICATED LIKE A COMPUTER… CAN BE VERY IMPORTANT…

 

WHEN LOOKING FOR A COMPUTER OF SOFTWARE PACKAGE… MOST PEOPLE WILL INVARIABLY CHOOSE THE PACKAGE THAT IS THE MOST USER FRIENDLY

USER FRIENDLY IS A COMPUTER TERM… THAT DESCRIBES…

A USER FRIENDLY COMPUTER … OR SOFTWARE PACKAGE ONE THAT :

 

q  IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND AND USE

q  IT MAKES SENSE TO THE USER

q  IT MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE USER

q  IT CAN BE USED WITHOUT READING THE ENTIRE 3” THICK MANUAL,

q  YOU CAN TAKE IT OUT OF THE BOX AND USE IT WITHOUT TAKING A COLLEGE LEVEL COURSE

q  IT CAN BE USED BY PEOPLE OF VARYING SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE LEVELS

 

PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO MAKE SENSE… AND TO BE USEABLE…

 

AND IT’S NOT JUST COMPUTERS THERE ARE VARIOUS AREAS OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES THAT WE ARE SEEING THIS TREND…

 

I.E.

NOW THEY HAVE THE DVD RECORDERS… AND THE ALARM CLOCK~/RADIOS…  THAT AUTOMATICALLY SET THE CLOCK…WHEN THE POWER GETS INTERRUPTED…  AND PEOPLE ARE BUYING THEM… WHY??? BECAUSE THEY LIKE THAT USER FRIENDLY FEATURE…

 

A LOT OF THINGS TODAY ARE MORE USER FRIENDLY THAN THEY USED TO BE…

 

THINK ABOUT ADDING A QUART OF OIL…  WE USED TO HAVE TO GET OUT A FUNNEL… USE A CAN OPENER … OR A SCREW DRIVER… OR THAT SPOUT YOU WOULD STICK IN THE CAN… AND WHEN YOU WERE DONE… YOU HAD OIL ON SOMETHING… SOMETIMES I HAD  OIL OVER EVERYTHING… IF NOT CAREFUL BEND UP THAT OIL CARTON… THE BOTTOM LINE WAS IT WAS MESSY…

 

TODAY YOU GO BUY A QUART OF OIL… AND THEY HAVE THE SPOUT BUILT IN… A LOT OF THEM  HAVE A SEE-THROUGH WINDOW THAT TELLS YOU HOW MUCH YOU’VE USED… AND YOU CAN THEY HAVE TWIST OFF CAPS ON THEM…  AND THEY ARE SO EASY TO USE…  NO FUSS… AND NO MESS…

 

AND I HAVE TO ADMIT… I DON’T GO TO THE STORE TO LOOK AT OIL VERY OFTEN… BUT IN MY OBSERVATIONS…  WHERE I HAVE GONE… I HAVEN’T SEEN ANY OF THOSE OLD STYLE OIL CANS AROUND???

WHY??? BECAUSE NOBODY WANTS THEM… THEY AREN’T AS USER FRIENDLY AS THE NEW ONES…

 

AND FRIENDS JUST LIKE THE FACT THAT MOST PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE A COMPUTER … A CLOCK RADIO…  A DVD RECORDER AND  OR A QUART OF OIL … WILL CONSIDER AND LOOK FOR A PROGRAM OR  A PRODUCT  THAT IS THE MOST USER FRIENDLY … UNDERSTANDABLE … AND USEFUL… AND EFFORTLESS

 

I WANT TO THROW OUT AN IDEA TO YOU TODAY… AND THAT IS… THAT… PEOPLE WHEN LOOKING FOR A CHURCH WILL ALSO MORE OFTEN THAN NOT … LOOK FOR A USER FRIENDLY CHURCH…  ONE THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLE…  USEFUL… AND RELEVANT

 

AND FRIENDS… I BELIEVE WE NEED TO BECOME A USER-FRIENDLY CHURCH… ONE WHO MAKES THE GOSPEL UNDERSTANDABLE AND USEFUL FOR PEOPLE’S LIVES…

 

WHEN I TALK ABOUT BECOMING A USER FRIENDLY CHURCH… DON’T GET ME WRONG… I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT WATERING DOWN THE GOSPEL… OR NOT PREACHING THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF THE WORD…

OR CHANGING THE MESSAGE IN ANY WAY…

 

BUT I AM TALKING ABOUT BEING USER FRIENDLY IN THE SENSE THAT…

 

WE BECOME THE CHURCH THAT:

 

q  MEETS THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE WHO COME

q  PREACH THE GOSPEL … AND APPLY IT… SO THAT IT’S USABLE, UNDERSTANDABLE… PEOPLE DON’T LEAVE THE CHURCH SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS GOING… WHAT DID HE SAY?

q  WE BECOME THE CHURCH THAT IS RELEVANT AND CHALLENGING TO THE NEW COMER AS WELL AS TO THE LONG-TIME BELIEVER…

q  JUST LIKE … IN THE USER FRIENDLY COMPUTER… YOU CAN LOOK AT THE COMPUTER SCREEN FOR HELP… IN THE USER FRIENDLY CHURCH… YOU CAN LOOK TO THE PEOPLE… AND SEE BY THEIR LIVES… HOW TO MAKE RIGHT DECISIONS IN YOUR LIFE… AND OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL HELP THAT IS…

 

/HOW DO WE GET THERE??? /

 

HOW DO WE: MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE WHO COME

HOW DO WE PREACH THE GOSPEL … AND APPLY IT… SO THAT IT’S USABLE, UNDERSTANDABLE…

HOW DO WE BECOME THE CHURCH THAT IS RELEVANT AND CHALLENGING TO ALL WHO ARE HERE…

 

 

 

WE KNOW THAT IT BEGINS IN THE REALM OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD… 

 

FOR IT IS HE WHO IS NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH… BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE… BUT WITH GOD’S HELP AND DIRECTION WE CAN DO IT…

 

THE POINT I WANT TO LOOK AT FOR THE NEXT FEW MOMENTS IS…

*1.      **DEVELOPING THE USER FRIENDLY CHURCH**:*

* *

WE CAN LOOK AT OTHER CHURCHES WHO ARE SUCCEEDING IN MEETING THE NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES…  WE CAN LOOK AT THEIR PATTERNS… THEIR IDEAS… AND THEIR ATTITUDES…

 

BUT FRIENDS… TO COPY THEM IN COOKIE CUTTER FASHION… WOULD BE FOR US… A QUICK ROUTE TO FAILURE…  I THANK GOD FOR WHAT HE IS DOING IN FAITH A~/G IN ORLANDO… I THANK GOD FOR WHAT HE IS DOING AT FIRST A~/G IN PHOENIX…  I THANK GOD FOR WHAT HE IS DOING IN JAMES RIVER ASSEMBLY IN SPRINGFIELD, MO… 

 

BUT FRIENDS… THE FACT REMAINS… WE AREN’T

FAITH ASSEMBLY… WE ARE PHOENIX FIRST ASSEMBLY… WE AREN’T JAMES RIVER  ASSEMBLY… WE ARE FIRST ASSEMBLY IN COCOA….