Vision Of The House
gtcotr/ws012903
Key scripture: Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision the people perish …”
I. What Makes A Church
* New Testament - Greek: Ecclesia - An Assembly
Acts 19:32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not why they were come together.
A. People Assembled Together (no people, no assembly)
B. For A Common Purpose (without purpose it’s without identity)
C. With Rules Of Order (without which it’s just a mob)
D. Recognized Leaders (no leader, no head/vision/voice/future)
* In A Christian Sense
Matthew 16:18
“… Upon this rock I will build My Church, ( My Assembly), and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
A. Christians Assembled Together In The Name of Jesus
B. To Accomplish a Christian Purpose
C. With Biblical Rules of Order
D. Under Legitimate Leadership of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers, Elders and/or Deacons, called or appointed by legitimate means.
II. What Makes One Church Different From Another
4 Basic Things
People
Purpose
Process
Pastor
A. The People In Church
1. Godly & ungodly
2. Stubborn & Teachable
3. Rebellious & Submissive
4. Supportive & Divisive
5. People who have problems and people who are problems
B. The Purpose Of Church
1. Social
2. Evangelical
3. Doctrine Preservation
4. Church Growth
5. Kingdom Expansion
* Why a person goes to church determines where they go to church and where a person goes to church reveals why they go to church.
C. The Process of Church
1. Church Structure
2. Church Doctrine
3. Church Affiliation
4. Church Practice
D. The Pastor of the Church
* His Gifting and Grace
1. Pulpit
2. Social Settings
3. Administrative Abilities
4. Leadership Qualities
5. Overall Capacity To Grow With The Church
* His Education and Background
* His Relationship With God
III. What Makes A Church Your Church
1 Corinthians 12:18 But now hath God set members every one of them in the body as it has pleased Him.
Psalms 68:6 God sets the solitary in families …
There is the element of being set in by God.
There is also the element of becoming a part of where God has placed you.
A. The People - Building Relationships With Other People
God may birth some relationships, you may build others
not your church - our church
when the people become your people
B. The Purpose - Buying Into The Vision
not what you are doing - what we are doing
when the purpose becomes your purpose
find a cause worth dying for and attach your life to it
I am fortunate to have found two
my family
the church
C. The Process - Accepting The Process As Legitimate
not how they do it - but how we do it
agreeing that the way it is organized is the way it should operate
when the process has your support
D. The Pastor - Embracing The Pastor As Your God Given Shepherd
not the preacher - my pastor
when the pastor becomes your pastor
IV. Let Me Tell You About Church On The Rock
A. The People
Not A Petty People
Take Church Seriously
Roles
Rules
Right
Responsibilities
B. The Purpose
The only marching orders God gave the church was to go into all the world and make disciples.
Matthew 28
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
To take every opportunity and teach each individual to:
Make A Living
Make A Life
Make A Difference
“Be a voice in the earth, advancing and enhancing the kingdom of God.”
C. The Process
The structure of our church patterned after the example set in Jerusalem and Antioch during the first century AD, confirmed by the type and shadow of the Old Testament Tabernacle in the wilderness.
* The best understanding of our church structure is the family structure as set forth by the whole counsel of God’s Word.
The Doctrine, (Visionary Theology), of our church is a visionary based doctrine with a very few absolutes on which our positions are non-negotiable.
* Salvation by grace through faith in none other than Jesus
* The Word of God inspired and inerrant
* The eternal judgment of men and angels
Our church model is the Kingdom Expansion Model. We developed it here at Church On The Rock.
D. The Pastor
* 2 Timothy 2
24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
* Luke 4
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
* July 4, 1982
“I have blessed My people, now you go and teach them how to walk in My blessings.”
It is the vision of our church to advance and enhance the Kingdom of God, throughout our communities and around the world.
