Sunday Sermon
What you need to know if you want to grow
Date: March 11, 2007
Speaker: Ptr. Gerry Gregoire
Reference Text: Philippians 2:13
Listen to Audio Sermon

...FOR IT IS GOD WHO WORKS IN YOU BOTH TO WILL AND DO FOR HIS GOOD PLEASURE.

1. TO GROW, WE MUST TOTALLY RELY ON GOD’S POWER.  

JUST LIKE THE SCRIPTURE SAYS GOD WILL WORK IN US TO ACTUALLY WILL AND DO FOR HIS GOOD PLEASURE. WE MUST BE:

A. GOD CENTERED

(THIS IS HIS PLAN AND NOT OURS). HE IS THE ONE WHO TELLS US TO GO.

(1) MARK 15:15 - GO INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOOD NEWS TO ALL CREATION.

(2) EPHESIANS 4:11-13 HE IS THE ONE WHO EQUIPS US.

AND HE HIMSELF GAVE SOME TO BE APOSTLES, SOME PROPHETS, SOME EVANGELISTS, AND SOME PASTORS AND TEACHERS, FOR THE EQUIPPING OF THE SAINTS FOR THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY, FOR THE EDIFICATION OF THE BODY OF CHRIST., TILL WE ALL COME TO THE UNITY OF THE FAITH AND OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD, TO A PERFECT MAN, TO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST...

B. BE OPEN FOR HIS POWER TO FLOW THROUGH US.

WHEN YOU DO, KNOW THIS:

(1) HE DOESN'T COME DOWN IN THE PHYSICAL, BUT HE FLOWS HIS POWER THROUGH US.

ACTS 2:1-4 READ FROM OVERHEAD

WHEN THEY WERE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT SO THAT GOD’S PEOPLE DID WHAT HAD TO BE DONE.

PETER PREACHED A SERMON AND 3000 WERE SAVED.

1 COR 3:6-7 (AMP) SAYS – “I PLANTED, APOLLOS WATERED, BUT (ALL THE WHILE) GOD WAS MAKING IT GROW. AND (HE) GAVE THE INCREASE. “SO NEITHER HE WHO PLANTS IS ANYTHING, NOR HE WHO WATERS, BUT (ONLY GOD) WHO MAKES IT GROW AND BECOME GREATER.

(2) PEOPLE WILL SEE AND FEEL THE POWER AND BE CUT TO THE HEART AND NOT BE ABLE TO RESIST, DUE TO THE ANOINTING.

ACTS 2:12, 13, 37 – “SO ALL WERE AMAZED AND PERPLEXED, SAYING TO ONE ANOTHER, “ WHATEVER COULD THIS MEAN?” V.37 “NOW WHEN THEY HEARD THIS, THEY WERE CUT TO THE HEART, AND SAID TO PETER AND THE REST OF THE APOSTLES, “MEN AND BRETHREN, WHAT SHALL WE DO?”

C. WE MUST REST IN THIS POWER.

WHEN WE DO WE WILL SEE:

(1) SIGNS AND WONDERS – ACTS 2:43
(2) SELFISHNESS WILL DISAPPEAR – ACTS 2:44, 45 (ALSO ANANAS AND SUFFIRA.
(3) RECEIVE THE FAVOR OF GOD – ACTS 2:46, 47

2. TO GROW WE MUST HAVE AND KNOW OUR CHURCH VISION.

WE MUST WORK HARD TO SEE IT COME TO PASS. PROVERBS 29:18A (KJV) WHERE THERE IS NO VISION THE PEOPLE PERISH.

(A) WHAT IS A CHURCH VISION? IT IS AN ATTEMPT TO ARTICULATE, AS CLEARLY AND VIVIDLY AS POSSIBLE THE REASON WE EXIST AS A CHURCH.

(B) WHEN PEOPLE COME TO OUR CHURCH, WE WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO KNOW WHO WE ARE, WHY WE ARE HERE AND WHAT WE CAN DO FOR THEM.

YOU CANNOT EXPECT THEM TO COME BACK, STAY AND INVEST THEIR FINANCES IN SOMETHING THAT WE DON’T KNOW AND UNDERSTAND.

(1) WE HAVE THE SAME VISION THAT CHRIST HAS FOR HIS CHURCH.

JTRF'S VISION IS ON THIS WEBSITE AND IS LISTED IN MATTHEW 28:19, 20 AND EPHESIANS 4:11-13

(2) WHAT IS OUR VISION COMPOSED OF?

a. EVANGELISM: MT 28:19,20
ACTS 8:4 “THEREFORE THOSE THAT WERE SCATTERED WENT EVERYWHERE PREACHING THE WORD.”

b. MAKING DISCIPLES: HELPING PEOPLE BECOME SPIRITUALLY MATURE - 1 JOHN 2:6 “HE WHO SAYS HE ABIDES IN HIM OUGHT HIMSELF TO WALK JUST AS HE DID.” WE ARE LIVING EPISTLES !!!

c. SERVICE: EPHESIANS 4:1 — “I THEREFORE, THE PRISONER OF THE LORD, BESEECH YOU TO WALK WORTHY OF THE CALLING OF WHICH YOU WERE CALLED.”
AS OUR VARIOUS GIFTINGS DEVELOP, WE ARE HERE TO HELP PEOPLE WITH SKILLS THEY NEED FOR MEANINGFUL MINISTRY IN THE CHURCH. SO THAT THEY MAY “ WALK WORTHY OF THEIR CALLING.”

THIS EQUIPPING TAKE PLACE THROUGH BIBLE STUDY, WALKING AS EXAMPLES, AND IN OUR PRAYER CLOSETS.

3. TO EXPERIENCE GROWTH, EVERY CHURCH MEMBER MUST BE OPERATING IN HIS OR HER TALENT OR ABILITY.

EPHESIANS 2:10 – “FOR WE ARE GOD’S WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS TO DO GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED IN ADVANCE FOR US TO DO.” WAY BEFORE YOU WERE CONCEIVED -----

QUOTE FROM NAPOLEON AS HE POINTED TO A MAP OF CHINA. “THERE LIES A SLEEPING GIANT, IF IT EVER WAKES UP, IT WILL BE UNSTOPPABLE.”
I BELIEVE THIS CHURCH IS ALSO A SLEEPING GIANT THAT IS WAKING UP TO SEND SHOCKWAVES THROUGH EARTH. WE WILL AFFECT NOT ONLY CLARK BUT SURROUNDING CITIES, NOT ONLY NEW JERSEY BUT OTHER STATES, NOT ONLY THIS COUNTRY BUT OTHER COUNTRIES WHEN WE REALLY UNDERSTAND GOD’S POWER AND PLAN.

THE REASON WHY MANY CHURCHES NEVER REALLY SEE THEIR VISION COME TO PASS IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE 10 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE DOING ALL THE WORK.
I SEE A CHURCH HERE WHERE EVERYONE WORKS!!!

TELL STORY ABOUT WOMAN WHO SAT IN WINDOW TO SET A NEW WORLD RECORD FOR STAYING STILL AND NOT MOVING– HER RECORD 5 HRS 43 MIN.

SOME CHRISTIAN WOULD GIVE HER A GOOD RUN FOR HER MONEY. THAT HAVE BEEN STAYING STILL AND NOT MOVING METAPHORICALLY FOR YEARS. NEVER GETTING INVOLVE IN THEIR LOCAL CHURCH. THEY MAY CRITICIZE BUT NEVER GET INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAMS.

LISTEN GETTING INVOLVED IN THE CHURCH REQUIRED A PASSIONATE LOVE FOR JESUS.

1 THES 1:3(AMP) “RECALLING UNCEASINGLY BEFORE OUR GOD AND FATHER YOUR WORK ENERGIZED BY FAITH AND SERVICE MOTIVATED BY LOVE AND UNWAVERING HOPE IN (THE RETURN OF)OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.” YOU HAVE GOT TO LOVE GOD BEFORE YOU CAN HONESTLY LOVE PEOPLE.

4. TO GROW WE MUST CONTINUE TO BE A FRIENDLY CONGREGATION THAT REALLY CARES ABOUT PEOPLE AND GENUINELY WELCOMES THEM INTO OUR FELLOWSHIP.

ACTS 2:44 “AND ALL THAT BELIEVED WERE TOGETHER, AND HAD ALL THINGS IN COMMON.”

a) IF PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY DON’T BELONG IN OUR CHURCH FAMILY, THEY WILL NOT STAY OR COME BACK.

IN THE BOOK: EXIT INTERVIEWS – WHICH FOCUSED ON WHY PEOPLE LEAVE OR DON’T COME BACK, WILLIAM HENDRICKS WRITES, “THE ONE REASON PEOPLE LEAVE IS BECAUSE THEY DO NOT FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG.”

b) PEOPLE ASK THEMSELVES 4 QUESTIONS:

(1) DO I FIT HERE? WE NEED TO HAVE A PLACE FOR THEM.

(2) DOES ANYBODY WANT TO KNOW ME? ARE WE WILLING TO BE THEIR FRIEND.

(3) AM I NEEDED? THEY WANT TO FEEL LIKE THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE.

(4) WHAT IS REQUIRED OF THEM? DO NOT BURDEN THEM.

c) HOW CAN WE MAKE THEM FEEL WELCOMED?

(1) GREET THEM AT THE DOOR AND DIRECT THEM TO THEIR SEATS, MAKING SURE THEY KNOW WHERE THE BATHROOM IS.

(2) NEVER SPEAK YOUR LANGUAGE IN FRONT OF PEOPLE WHO DON’T UNDERSTAND.

(3) IN FELLOWSHIP WITH FOOD, HAVE SOME FOOD THAT WILL BE COMMON TO ALL.

(4) INVITE THEM TO YOUR HOUSE FOR FELLOWSHIP. (ANYTIME AFTER THE FIRST VISIT)

(5) INQUIRE IF WE CAN HELP THEM IN ANY WAY.

(6) BE READY TO VISIT THEM AT THEIR REQUEST.

(7) PLAN FAMILY OUTINGS.

(8) GO ON RETREATS TOGETHER.

SUMMARY:

1. RELY ON GOD’S POWER
2. KNOW, UNDERSTAND AND WORK HARD TO FULFILL OUR VISION.
3. EVERYONE MUST USE THEIR GIFTS AND TALENTS.
4. BE FRIENDLY ALWAYS.