2020 LIFE & CHURCH REIMAGINED - Part 2
20/20 LIFE & CHURCH REIMAGINED
2020 will bring vision and clarity! Decades ago, futurists predicted what the world would look like in this milestone-year in human history. They said we would have self-driving cars, vote electronically from home, depression would be a primary disease, people would live on mars, and that we would work 26 hours a week. Some predictions were spot-on, while others have alluded us. Some of us dreamed of “Jetson’s” lifestyles with robot-maids and travel by spaceships. What will be your 2020 predictions for marriage, parenting, business, and church? Will you be happy this year? Where will you be by the end of this decade? Will the derailing compulsions, addictions and unhealthy patterns still haunt you? As a church, what will be the future? Will we reimagine God’s kingdom in church community? Will we find peace, joy and fulfillment? Will we see ourselves with a futuristic clarity? This year will be the beginning of something special!
TODAY’S MESSAGE
WHY DOES HE WANT ME TO SURRENDER TO HIM?
WHY DOES CHURCH MATTER?
LUKE 4:16–21 TPT When Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been raised, he went into the synagogue, as he always did on the Sabbath day. When Jesus came to the front to read the Scriptures, they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and read where it is written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, and he has anointed me to be hope for the poor, freedom for the brokenhearted, and new eyes for the blind, and to preach to prisoners, ‘You are set free!.’ I have come to share the message of JUBILEE (the YEAR of the Lord), for the time of God’s great acceptance has begun.” After he read this he rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the minister, and sat down. Everyone stared at Jesus, wondering what he was about to say. Then he added, “THESE SCRIPTURES CAME TRUE TODAY IN FRONT OF YOU.”
ISAIAH 61:1-3 TPT The mighty Spirit of Lord Yahweh is wrapped around me because Yahweh has anointed me, as a messenger to preach good news to the poor. He sent me to HEAL THE WOUNDS OF THE BROKENHEARTED, to tell captives, “You are FREE,” and to tell prisoners, “Be FREE from your darkness.” 2 I am sent to announce a NEW SEASON (a YEAR of the Lord) of Yahweh’s grace [and a time of God’s recompense on his enemies, to COMFORT all who are in sorrow, 3 to STRENGTHEN those CRUSHED BY DESPAIR who MOURN in Zion— to give them a BEAUTIFUL BOUQUET in the place of ASHES, the OIL OF BLISS instead of TEARS, and the mantle of JOYOUS PRAISE instead of the spirit of HEAVINESS. Because of this, they will be known as Mighty Oaks of Righteousness, planted by Yahweh as a living display of his glory. …7 Because you received a DOUBLE DOSE OF SHAME AND DISHONOR, you will inherit a DOUBLE PORTION OF ENDLESS JOY AND EVERLASTING BLISS!
WHAT IS THE MOST FAMOUS SCRIPTURE TEXT OF ALL TIME?
JOHN 3:16-17 NKJV [Jesus said] For God so LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOEVER BELIEVES in Him should NOT PERISH but have EVERLASTING LIFE. 17 For GOD DID NOT send His Son into the world to CONDEMN the world, but that the world through Him might be SAVED.
JOHN 3:1-9, 16-17 NKJV There was a man of the Pharisees named NICODEMUS, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is BORN AGAIN, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said to Him, "HOW CAN A MAN BE BORN WHEN HE IS OLD? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is BORN OF WATER AND THE SPIRIT, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is BORN OF THE SPIRIT is spirit. 7 "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN.' 8 "The WIND BLOWS where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but CANNOT TELL WHERE IT COMES FROM and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." 9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "HOW CAN THESE THINGS BE?"
WHAT DOES “BORN AGAIN” MEAN TO YOU?
Emotionally Worshipful People?
Superiority Minded People?
Politically Charged People?
Experiential-Transformational Moments?
WHAT “BORN AGAIN” DOES NOT MEAN
YOU NEED MORE MORALITY AND RELIGION IN YOUR LIFE!
WHAT “BORN AGAIN” REALLY MEANS
THAT MORALITY AND RELIGION ARE NOT ENOUGH TO SATISFY,
RESTORE AND HEAL THE DEEPEST WOUNDS IN A BROKEN HEART!
“BORN AGAIN” IS A CHALLENGE TO MORALITY AND RELIGION
IN THAT IT IS NOT ABOUT BEHAVIORISM, BUT INNER HEALING AND
DEEP EXPERIENTIAL EMPOWERMENT!
BORN AGAIN IS RADICAL
BORN AGAIN IS DISORIENTING
BORN AGAIN IS A GIFT OF GRACE
YOU CAN’T CREATE BORN AGAIN MOMENTS,
BUT YOU CAN FACILITATE THEM!
WE CAN’T REIMAGINE WHEN WE DON’T KNOW THE WHY!
PROCESS RELATIONSHIPS [SUNDAYS, GROUPS]
GROWTH TOOLS [GROUPS, WORKSHOPS]
SERVING PRACTICUMS [WORKSHOPS, TEAMS]
GOD’S OUTWARD HEART [TEAMS, INVITATIONS]
FULL SURRENDER [SUNDAYS, FIREPITS]
WHAT IF … NEXT 21 DAYS
What are YOU excited about for this decade and year?
Use the 21-day prayer & fasting to answer this!