"Who Are We Here For?"

Pastor Matt

Today I need to repent of three things before the church:

1. At times I have tried to put together a good sermon, making the good sermon my emphasis and not the message of the cross.

1 Corinthians 1:17.  For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel--not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

-          I don’t want to dazzle you or impress you.  I want to focus on the cross

-          John 12:32.  But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." 

o       When we preach the cross and people understand what He did on the cross, He will draw them to Him.

2. At time I have tried to get people to like me, to grow the church through me, but I need to be praying that people see Jesus through me.  I’m not promoting me, rather being me and they see Jesus through me.

2 Corinthians 4:5.  For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.

-          you do not need to come to this church because of me

3. At times I have made my job that of an administrator. 

2 Timothy 4:2-5.  Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage...

- My job involves coming to Him, walking for Him, and loving the church for Him

...with great patience and careful instruction.  For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Instead, I am to reach people for Christ

Is there anything you need to repent of regarding your intentions for this church?

Is there anything you need to confess?

Let’s pray that Jesus Christ and the message of the cross would be our church’s focus.

Let us take a moment and list the names of people who need salvation or who need to draw closer to Jesus.

Acts 6:4 describes the duties of a pastor as being that of prayer and ministering the Word.

Lets pray for these names.

Acts 13:46-47. 

We are not a church that only reaches more religious people.  In fact we don’t want religious people.  

Church is not about religion it’s about a relationship.

We are going to be a church that reaches out to people who don’t fit the mold, don’t like church, have been hurt by the church, and especially those who don’t know Jesus as their savior and Lord. 

Ultimately, we need to draw people to Jesus.

We will not be a church about “God.”  Rather a church about Christ who is Lord of our lives and saves us from our sins.