New Hope Notes
The Church Is The Hope Of The World
Pastor Micah Simpson
July 8, 2012 - W1228
Turn to one another and say, “You are the hope of the world.” As the Bible says, “And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus … God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ephesians 3:6, 10-11)
Let us pray. God, thank you. Please meet us where we are at because all of us are at different stages in our lives. Amen.
Have you ever been handed a responsibility that was really big? Like for example, President of the United States? You know that job is real hard. Well, I was a lifeguard when I was 17. That’s a big responsibility. But I used to fall asleep on the tower! However, there was another lifeguard who smoked Marijuana and came to work high. We thought that he would never be able to save anybody!
But 2 kids jumped off the diving board simultaneously. Both couldn’t swim – and even though high that lifeguard saved them both! We were amazed that somebody with so much impairment did save two people. So we too might ask ourselves, “With so many of our own faults, how can we be the hope of the world?”
God can take anybody, any race or ethnicity, etc. and put them into a church. There is no need to build the church because Jesus said he would do that. But there are some things that we must do …
1. WE MUST FIGHT FOR UNITY.
It should not be about competition in the church. When I was younger, my businessman mentor told me, “The way that I got to the top was that if anybody got in my way I just ran them over!” My businessman mentor was successful but in the church we don’t vie for the top because Jesus is at the top.
Apostle Paul said, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3)
When you get saved you drop into unity. We don’t create it but we get it through Jesus.
When the Egyptians built the pyramids, we see a great accomplishment by man!
When you look at unity in the church, it is a great accomplishment through God.
When we work in unity, God gets the glory, if there is no unity and we work separately then we claim the glory.
So “Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:5-6)
In daily church life there can be normal conflicts and we can easily develop a grudge against the church or other members but we should not. We should remain united and have the same purpose to glorify God.
With that in mind, our New Hope children grew up in ministry and so are doing great. We got student leader programs because we want our children started early united with the same mission. So remember …
2. WE MUST STAY ON MISSION.
Sometimes we might think it would be great to have the “Men In Black” memory eraser so that life could be easier for us if we could erase our memory of our commitment to God. But if we did then the great commission could become the great omission.
The Bible says, “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20) This is fellowship. This is a change in our relationships. Jesus becomes most important and people become most important.
We must be disciples and make disciples.
Someone used to always ask me, “Micah, what’s the Lord speaking to you today?” That is a good question for all of us. We should all ask ourselves, “How are we making disciples?”
Christianity began as a fellowship, then went to Greece and became a philosophy. Then it went to Rome and became an institution. It spread through Europe and became a culture. Then it went to America and became an enterprise. It should be a relationship NOT an enterprise.
Instead, we should know that Jesus gives us His presence so that we can be disciples and make disciples. We need His presence to refresh us and our mission. As Christians …
3. WE MUST KNOW AND LIVE THE TRUTH.
“but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:15) We should note that “household” denotes a relationship and that truth is essential. If we are not the truth then we are not the church.
Furthermore, the Bible says, “For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.” (3 John 1:3-4)
I don’t want to be fooled by lies so I have developed my senses of detection. For example, since I have small children I’ve developed a great sense of smell. I can easily smell a dodo diaper and so I know when to change the diaper or not. Likewise, we all should develop our Biblical sense so that we can determine Biblical truth.
In the TV show “Pawnstars”, the buyer says “I don’t want to be fooled into buying something fake so he calls in an expert to determine whether the item is authentic or fake. As Christians, our truth expert is the Word of God.
Christians need to know what is true and not true Biblically. We are a church that is devoted to daily truth. One of the ways to discovering that truth is through journaling. I would not be the man I am today if not for daily journaling.
Beginning January 1, 2013, all 4 Square churches in 134 countries will begin to do journaling. We want to get God’s daily message from journaling.
Let’s be a church that not only knows truth but lives it. We want to be a church that looks out for one another because the Grace of God does not allow us to be passive.
Here’s one last story. There was a ship lost out in the ocean for months. It was stormy and everyone had given up hope. There was no food and only a little water left. The Captain was distraught that he had brought all those people on board to die. But the captain then saw a light in the distance. He announced it to the rest of the ship. There was a dim cheer. In the morning they found themselves in port. They looked up and saw where that light had come from. It was a light house that had saved them. So if we, as Christians, are not going be the light then who can be saved?
We must be the light and hope of the world!
Study Questions
1. What must we fight for?
2. What must we stay on?
3. What must we know and live?
4. What must we be?
5. What must we make?