It has been said that all mankind can be categorized into one of three groups: believers, non-believers, and make-believers. It is with this in mind that John writes his first epistle to the New Testament church. We begin a new sermon series in 1 John which I have entitled "Absolute Assurance". The purpose of his letter is two-fold:

1. To answer the questions of doubt for those who are not absolutely sure of their salvation
2. To point out the error of the ways of the non-believer and the make-believer pointing them to the single source of salvation.

March 25, 2007

The prophet Jeremiah ministered to Judah during forty years of the nation's history. In spite of his faithful preaching of the Word, Jeremiah watched the nation decline until Judah was taken captive by the Babylonians and Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed.

He was a priest called to be a prophet. He was bold before men but broken before God and we call him "the weeping prophet." Once, during his time of weeping, he approached God and presented to Him a list of problems. It wasn't the list that sparked a reply by God, it was his heart. Listen to the words of God in Jeremiah 32:26:

I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is there anything to hard for me?

What "list" have you taken before God recently? What is that has your heart burdened and your mind concerned? Remember the words of God, "Is there anything too hard for me?"

It is important for each of us to understand God's purpose for Port Gibson Church. We are not unlike other churches in that we are commanded to "go and make disciples". This presents a two-fold question: What ministry process needs to be implemented to lead us to obedience in this area and how do we implement it? Thom Rainer, in his book Simple Church makes this observation, "Ministry is done so that the body of Christ may be built up. The word "built" is a construction term. It paints the picture of building a house. Constructing lives is the calling of God's church."

Clarity

In light of Rainer's advice, I want to provide some clarity as to our direction to "go and make disciples". There is nothing more important in the construction process of a building than a strong foundation. This is achieved in two ways—evangelism and discipleship. Evangelism is the pouring of the concrete on which to build while discipleship is the framework on which everything is connected. Personal evangelism is the core of Christianity, the essence of Jesus' ministry, and the opportunity of every believer. It is, simply, sharing the gospel to those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ. Effective discipleship can only take place after evangelism occurs. This answers the "what" now the question remaining "how".

Pray about your involvement as we continue to be a church after God's own heart.

What does it take for the church to effectively minister to its people today? We need Clarity. Last week I mentioned our church's purpose is two-fold: evangelism and discipleship. We are called to "go and make disciples." How, then is this done?

Movement

Movement is the "sequential steps within the church that cause people to move to greater areas of commitment". The important point here is to make sure that we are committed in the right areas—evangelism and discipleship. How can we as a church and as individuals move toward greater areas of commitment within these areas? Churches have attempted many ways in the past. I would suggest that the most popular ways have been:

• To beg people to be a part of something that they do not understand or want to do
• To guilt people into doing something that they do not understand or want to do

I hope that our plan would be a little more God-honoring than these. As a matter of fact, I can think of no better way to encourage people to move to greater areas of commitment to God than through prayer. My request to you is this, for the month of March, commit to spending two minutes (just 2) every day in focused prayer asking God where He might grow your area of commitment, evangelism or discipleship. We will wait patiently while God begins His work in our hearts. Once this is revealed, the next step will begin to take shape.

Watch for more next week as we continue to learn what it means to be a God-focused church.

March 11, 2007

It has been said that if you do not know where you're going, you will not know when you get there. Knowing where we are going is important to Port Gibson Baptist Church. As believers, we are commanded to "go and make disciples" and are not exempt from this because we are small in number. How do we do this? We become God-focused. Let me remind you where we are. The first step in becoming a God-focused church is Clarity, understanding where we are and where we are going. Secondly, movement occurs when people are encouraged to move to greater areas of commitment. I have asked that each of us spend just two minutes each day this month in prayer asking God where He might grow our individual areas of commitment, evangelism, or discipleship. When we understand our individual purpose within God's church, alignment must take place to ensure each are moving in the same direction. Alignment is the "arrangement of all staff, ministries, and members around the same simple process." Alignment ensures the entire church body is moving in the same direction, and in the same manner. How does this look in reality? It's like looking at a blueprint of a building. When all the different contractors, plumbers, roofers, framers, electricians, and others involved in the building process look at the blueprint, they are all looking at the same finished product. They are all involved in different tasks, but with the same purpose in minds. So it is with each member of PGBC.

Are you willing to become God-focused? Do you desire for PGBC to be a God-focused church? Are you praying, asking God to call you to greater areas of commitment for His glory? If so, your focus is becoming much clearer!

In recent weeks, I have been sharing with you how we can become a God-focused church effectively serving Christ in the 21st century. Let me update you:

1. Clarity. Our purpose is to be obedient to God's Word and "go and make disciples."

2. Movement. Establishing goals to help us live our purpose daily insures movement in the right direction.

3. Alignment. Ensuring that everyone has a vision for our church and are moving toward that vision together is essential.

The fourth step in the process is Focus. Focus is the commitment to abandon everything that falls outside of God's purpose and direction for our church and our lives. Focus sometimes means saying "no" to things that are good and always saying "yes" to the essential commands of God.

It is my plan, if the Lord wills (James 4:13), to share with you on Sunday, April 1, the direction that I believe God is leading Port Gibson Baptist Church. I ask you to continue spending just two (2) minutes every day in focused prayer, asking Him where He might grow your area of commitment, evangelism, or discipleship.