Church Is…Active with Craig Smee
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The Church is…Active
Pastor Craig Smee
Sunday 10.4.2020
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Genesis 26:12-25 (NLT)
Conflict over Water Rights
12 When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him. 13 He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow. 14 He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him. 15 So the Philistines filled up all of Isaac’s wells with dirt. These were the wells that had been dug by the servants of his father, Abraham. 16 Finally, Abimelech ordered Isaac to leave the country. “Go somewhere else,” he said, “for you have become too powerful for us.” 17 So Isaac moved away to the Gerar Valley, where he set up their tents and settled down. 18 He reopened the wells his father had dug, which the Philistines had filled in after Abraham’s death. Isaac also restored the names Abraham had given them.
19 Isaac’s servants also dug in the Gerar Valley and discovered a well of fresh water. 20 But then the shepherds from Gerar came and claimed the spring. “This is our water,” they said, and they argued over it with Isaac’s herdsmen. So Isaac named the well Esek (which means “argument”). 21 Isaac’s men then dug another well, but again there was a dispute over it. So Isaac named it Sitnah (which means “hostility”). 22 Abandoning that one, Isaac moved on and dug another well. This time there was no dispute over it, so Isaac named the place Rehoboth (which means “open space”), for he said, “At last the Lord has created enough space for us to prosper in this land.”
23 From there, Isaac moved to Beersheba, 24 where the Lord appeared to him on the night of his arrival. “I am the God of your father, Abraham,” he said. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you. I will multiply your descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will do this because of my promise to Abraham, my servant.” 25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the Lord. He set up his camp at that place, and his servants dug another well.
Creating a Space of Transformation
What kind of space do you need to grow?
What kind of space do others need to grow?
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A Space of Salvation
A space of rest for the mind to think
A space where obstacles to salvation are intentionally removed
A space of peace from opinions, judgements, and political rhetoric
A space for people to find Jesus allowing him to grow them, correct them and turn their weakness into strengths
It is not just about our moment of deciding to follow Jesus it is about living in that moment every moment and realizing that we often obstruct others moments
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A Space of Growth
Being born again is an ongoing activity. It is about constantly changing the preference of the will from self gratification to God gratification.
Your salvation is immediate but your kingdom impact is exercised by growing and allowing others to find their space of growth.
We do that in love not through demanding rules and regulations. We do that through genuinely loving others.
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A Space of Genuine Love of Others
1 Peter 1:22-23 NLT
22 You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters.[a] Love each other deeply with all your heart.
23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
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1 Peter 2:1-3 NLT
So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. 2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, 3 now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.
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Ephesians 4:1-4 NLT
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
As we grow in our awareness of God in our lives. we will grow in our awareness of others.
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A Space of Gratitude
Gratitude is a posture of humility.
Gratitude pushes back:
Pride
Entitlement
Depression.
Critical Spirit
Gratitude is a prerequisite of worship (Isaac and the wells)
Thanksgiving (Psalms 100:4-5 NLT) Enter courts with gratitude leads to entering with praise.
Psalm 103:1-5
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
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Gratitude is not inactive
Luke 6:45 NLT
45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.
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A Space of Helping Each Other Out
Natural Response
Something in our spirit balks at serving
Something in our helping out spirit needs to be comfortable
2 Corinthians 9:13 NLT
13 As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.
2 Corinthians 9:11 NLT
11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.
Galatians 5:13 NLT
13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
Mark 10:45 NLT
45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
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Helping out is not a spiritual calling, its just what we all do! A task or job a the church is an opportunity to meet someone, an opportunity to create a space of love, to make a difference (whether you see it feel it or not). The task alone is not your identity or your purpose.
We are actively creating moments of transformation
Active: pursuing an activity at a particular place or in a particular way. (Posture)
Activities: a thing that a person or group does or has done (deeds)
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To create opportunities or moments of transformation:
1. Sacrificial
2. Grace filled
3. Deliberate and intentional
4. Follow through in our genuine love
Moving people from discovering their need for Jesus, discovering the connection to their better life through Jesus, to asking questions, opening up to the space and moving towards genuinely and passionately belonging to HIM.