As we face 2018, we consider ways we can refresh our faith as a church. While the call to love God, love others and share the good news doesn’t change, the ways we can approach it can. Recorded 1/7/18
Refreshing Your Faith Sermon Notes
No matter how the holidays were for you, we can thank God for His continued blessing and care for us. Let’s leave behind anything that keeps us from serving Himand make the best of this year!
Refresh: provide new energy and invigorate.
Invigorate— to give your strength or energy to something. For us this can apply our minds, being like Jesus, our commitment to God.
There are some good things from the past that we want to keep; others we need to dodifferently. Some entities who do this, for example: McDonalds, God’s church, you or I.
McDonalds
What have they been known for doing the last 20 years? fast service, cleanliness, predictability.
Do you think in the New Year they want to get rid of these things? What things are they likely torefresh (speciality coffee, McRib) in order to keep their connection to the public? They alreadyhave brought back the “$ menu.”
Refresh: God’s Church
In the book of Acts, what was the NT church known for? fellowship, sacrifice, prayer, sharing the Good News, baptism. Should these be thrown away?
Acts 2:42-47 Refreshing does not mean throwing everything out abd starting anew. Keep: loving God, loving one another, sharing the good news. “God added to their number.” We do not want to lose these things. Last year we tried to refresh these things. It is more than just coming to church.
We want to be more like Jesus. Our sacrificing is not different than the 1st Century church! Wewant to keep the foundation they had alive in our congregation.
Later in Acts, what were some things that were different? deacons appointed, did not just stay in Jerusalem, went to the Gentiles, also.
Acts 6:1-4 Foundation was still there but also had deacons instituted to take care of needs of widows. Acts 8:1b Those, other than apostles, who were scattered preached the Word everywhere they went. The “retreat setting” of
Acts 2 was no longer there. People began to talk against the church.
Locally, what have we done differently over the last 20 years? midweek setup, balance
between legalism and less so, discipleship partners. Foundation is still the same! We will keep refreshing the way things get done. This year we will finish studying the book “Jesus the King,”
begin “passion groups” (more on that at a later date).
Refresh: You and I
We will still keep foundation of loving God, loving others and sharing the good news. Last year, what were you known for? Who do you think you were? What were you trying to be? Hopefully, it was trying to be your best in the areas of loving God, loving others and sharing the GN.
Do we also want to do something different? To do things that will help the three areas to stay fresh and impactful? How can I make them different and help them not get stale?
Let’s have a refreshing, invigorating year with God!
