Topic: Own the Vision

Why do we need to talk about the vision of our church?

1 Corinthians 1:10 NKJV (10) Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Genesis 11:6 NLT (6) “Look!” He said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!

• The reason we talk about vision and purpose is for this thing called unity.

There are three things that make us who we are as a church:

1. Purpose – the reason someone or something exists.

• • Springhill Church exists to reach people with God’s grace, His unconditional love, and the life-changing power of His Word and the Holy Spirit.

2. Mission – How you plan to arrive at your destination.

At Springhill Church, we organize ourselves around these four guiding principles to fulfill our purpose. We lead people to:

• • Know Jesus – (Salvation) – To introduce people to a meaningful, life-changing relationship with Jesus.
  • Encounter God – (Worship and Prayer) – We believe all of us need to have an encounter with the presence of God because it is impossible to stay the same after coming face to face with Him.
  • Experience Life-Change – (Discipleship) – Real life-change happens as we grow in God’s Word and in the context of relationships with others.
  • Make A Difference – (Service) – We believe your life will never make sense until you discover, develop and fulfill your purpose and you use that purpose to serve and meet the needs of other people.

3. Vision – What the end results look like. (Objective)

Proverbs 29:18 MSG If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.

Four Ways We Will Grow:

1. 1. Grow in numbers.

Remember, people matter to God. We want our numbers to grow because those numbers represent people.

• • • Every number has a name, every name has a story, and every story matters to God.

Acts 2:41 NKJV (41) Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

Acts 2:46-47 NKJV (46) So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, (47) praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Acts 4:1-4 NKJV (1) Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, (2) being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. (3) And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. (4) However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

• • • Numbers are not the measure of success in church growth. Changed lives are the measure of success.

We want this room to be full of hungry people. A short-term goal is 150 people.

We want to grow our Dream Team so that we can serve one and worship one.

1. 2. Grow in maturity.

Ephesians 4:11-15 NLT (11) Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. (12) Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. (13) This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. (14) Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. (15) Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

1. 3. Grow in health, getting better and stronger.

Healthy things grow.

John 15:1-2 TPT (1) “I am a true sprouting vine, and the farmer who tends the vine is my Father. (2) He cares for the branches connected to me by lifting and propping up the fruitless branches and pruning every fruitful branch to yield a greater harvest.

1. 4. Grow financially.

As the church grows, so should the church’s finances grow.

Ministering to people is expensive. Technology is not cheap; facilities are not cheap; outreach is not cheap; children’s ministry is not cheap; but the good news is God is not cheap either.

Whatever He leads us to do in His will and plan, He will provide for it.

Three areas we will be asking from you:

1. Talent
2. Time
3. Treasure

Mark 12:41-44 MSG (41) Sitting across from the offering box, he was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. (42) One poor widow came up and put in two small coins—a measly two cents. (43) Jesus called his disciples over and said, “The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. (44) All the others gave what they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all.”

• Never diminish your supply.
• Jesus is looking for your best to be given confidently.

Short-Term Vision

• We want to provide the best experience for attendees we possibly can. (Little things make a big difference.)
• Small Groups Ministry
• Webcasting/Video of our services – Online Campus
• Live Praise and Worship

Why do we need to talk about the vision of our church?

1 Corinthians 1:10 NKJV (10) Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Genesis 11:6 NLT (6) “Look!” He said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!

• The reason we talk about vision and purpose is for this thing called unity.

There are three things that make us who we are as a church:

1. Purpose – the reason someone or something exists.

• • Springhill Church exists to reach people with God’s grace, His unconditional love, and the life-changing power of His Word and the Holy Spirit.

2. Mission – How you plan to fulfill your purpose.

At Springhill Church, we organize ourselves around these four guiding principles to fulfill our purpose. We lead people to:

• • • Know Jesus – (Salvation) – To introduce people to a meaningful, life-changing relationship with Jesus.
    • Encounter God – (Worship and Prayer) – We believe all of us need to have an encounter with the presence of God because it is impossible to stay the same after coming face to face with Him.
    • Experience Life-Change – (Discipleship) – Real life-change happens as we grow in God’s Word and in the context of relationships with others.
    • Make A Difference – (Service) – We believe your life will never make sense until you discover, develop and fulfill your purpose and you use that purpose to serve and meet the needs of other people.

3. Vision – What the end results look like. (Objective)

Proverbs 29:18 MSG (18) If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.

• • The local church is supposed to be Jesus to the world.

John 17:20-23 NKJV (20) “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; (21) that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. (22) And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: (23) I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

• • The local church is the hope of the world.

Jesus is the hope of all mankind.

1 Timothy 1:1 NKJV (1) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,

1 Corinthians 3:9 AMPC (9) For we are fellow workmen (joint promoters, laborers together) with and for God; you are God’s garden and vineyard and field under cultivation, [you are] God’s building. [Isa 61:3]

We are called and designed to be God’s work force in the earth.

• • Jesus takes the Church very personally.

Acts 9:1-6 NKJV (1) Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest (2) and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. (3) As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. (4) Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (5) And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (6) So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

• • The Church is a really big deal to Jesus.

Matthew 16:13-19 NKJV (13) When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (14) So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (15) He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” (16) Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (17) Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. (18) And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (19) And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Jesus is saying:

• • • • The Church is going to be big.
      • The Church is going to take you some places that maybe you would not have gone into.
      • This Church is a big deal, not meant to be a shelter or club for people who are already convinced but is going to go into the darkest places of this world and make a difference in the lives of people who otherwise would be lost.
      • Gates are designed to keep people in or keep people out. Jesus said it is hell that has the gates so who should really be attacking whom? Is it hell attacking the church or is it us attacking the gates of hell and snatching people from their grasp? We should be the ones going after them and not the other way around.

Our God is not a marginalized God and that is what we want to show people how big our God is.

We are going to be bold in asking you to volunteer and to give because we believe that this really is a big deal.

Why do we need to go to church?

Hebrews 10:24-25 NKJV (24) And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, (25) not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Forsaking – leave behind or desert

Assembling – a gathering and putting together (implication is the same as puzzle pieces)

This is not a haphazard gathering of believers.

Matthew 18:19-20 NKJV (19) “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. (20) For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Agree – to be harmonious, in accord (one heart)

Gathered – comes from same root word that we find in assembling (sunago) – there is a place that you fit.

Jesus did not say that the prayer of agreement would work with just anyone, but with those that the Lord has gathered you to be a part of it is most effective.

Acts 4:23-24 NKJV (23) And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. (24) So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them…

The word for their own company should be more correctly translated, “they went to their own…” The implication is that there were other groups of believers, but they went to the ones that were their own.

Acts 4:31-35 NKJV (31) And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. (32) Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. (33) And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. (34) Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, (35) and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

The power that manifested because of the local body being assembled caused the building to shake, great boldness to win the lost, power for manifestations to be present, eliminate lack and insufficiency and caused the church to grow.

Understanding why it is important for us to go to church,
then where are we supposed to go to church?

1 Corinthians 12:12-18 NKJV (12) For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. (13) For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. (14) For in fact the body is not one member but many. (15) If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? (16) And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? (17) If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? (18) But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.

We must find the place where God desires to set us in the Body as it pleases Him.

There is a church that it pleases God for you to be a part of in the Body of Christ.

Whatever body part you may happen to be, God knows exactly where you would fit the best.

You could also say that a body part that has been separated from the rest of the body has been cut off from the life that it needs to live and function and will wither and die.

How do I find the place, the local church that I belong in and pleases God for me to be? God has made it very easy for you to find it.

1. Ask God to show you the place, the church where you need to be.

God will begin to bring people or something into your life to invite you to visit.

2. Follow the inward witness of the Spirit – God’s way of verifying a good decision for you.

Follow after peace; Feels good OR like finger-nails across a chalk board.

3. The sheep know the voice of the shepherd.

John 10:3-5 NKJV (3) To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. (4) And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. (5) Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

You will be able to be comfortable with the under-shepherd of the church and receive from his ministry.

God will not send you to a place that you will have a problem agreeing with in some area of major importance. (Amos 3:3)

1. 1. Statement of Faith – what do they believe
   2. Church Vision – both short and long term
   3. Conduct of Ministry – organization, church government

Once you find the local church that you are to be a part of,
what do you do now?

Ephesians 4:15-16 NKJV (15) but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— (16) from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Edifying of itself in love – Building up of itself in giving love to meet the needs of others.

God desires for the church to increase so that it’s ability to meet the needs of mankind grows and increases.

The first and primary way we meet human need is by the Word of God.

He desires churches to be built up in their capacity to be able to reach and meet the needs of others with the Word of God to bring lasting change to their lives.

Two contributors that produce increase:

• • Making a supply – a spiritually supply, soulish supply and natural supply.
  • Effectively Working – being productively involved in an area that you are talented and gifted in.

If you want to increase, the body you are a part of has to increase.

All the body parts grow and increase together in a normal healthy body. If the body part is making a contribution to the growth of the body then it will increase and grow. The greater the increase, the greater the impact on the world!

Hebrews 10:24-25 TPT (24) Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them toward acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love. (25) This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing, because we need each other! In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate that day dawning.

Why do we need to talk about the vision of our church?

1 Corinthians 1:10 NKJV (10) Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Genesis 11:6 NLT (6) “Look!” He said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!

• The reason we talk about vision and purpose is for this thing called unity.

There are three things that make us who we are as a church:

1. Purpose – the reason someone or something exists.

This starts out with why we exist. Why did God call us and create a Springhill Church?

• • Springhill Church exists to reach people with God’s grace, His unconditional love, and the life-changing power of His Word and the Holy Spirit.

This is our purpose in a very simple compact expression.

2. Mission – How you plan to arrive at your destination.

At Springhill Church, we organize ourselves around these four guiding principles to fulfill our purpose. We lead people to:

• • Know Jesus – (Salvation) – To introduce people to a meaningful, life-changing relationship with Jesus.

• • Encounter God – (Worship and Prayer) – We believe all of us need to have an encounter with the presence of God because it is impossible to stay the same after coming face to face with Him.

• • Experience Life-Change – (Discipleship) – Real life-change happens as we grow in God’s Word and in the context of relationships with others.

Matthew 28:19 NIV (19) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations (ethnos – people groups)…

• • Make A Difference – (Service) – We believe your life will never make sense until you discover, develop and fulfill your purpose and you use that purpose to serve and meet the needs of other people.

Matthew 10:7-8 TPT (7) And as you go, preach this message: ‘Heaven’s kingdom realm is accessible, close enough to touch.’ (8) You must continually bring healing to lepers and to those who are sick, and make it your habit to break off the demonic presence from people, and raise the dead back to life. Freely you have received the power of the kingdom, so freely release it to others.

3. Vision – What the end results look like. (Objective)

Proverbs 29:18 MSG If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. 

What Limits God? 

Psalms 78:41 NKJV Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited (pained) the Holy One of Israel.

• • A wrong view of your life.

If your perception of life is limited to how you see your life being lived out as it is now, then that is the way that is always going to be. It becomes your reality. Get your eyes on something bigger!

Genesis 15:5-6 NKJV Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” (6) And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

• • A wrong view of ourselves.

All of us filter our lives through the way we view life and if we want change then we must see ourselves the way that God sees us.

Numbers 13:27-33 AMPC  (27) They told Moses, We came to the land to which you sent us; surely it flows with milk and honey. This is its fruit.  (28)  But the people who dwell there are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; moreover, there we saw the sons of Anak [of great stature and courage].  (29)  Amalek dwells in the land of the South (the Negeb); the Hittite, the Jebusite, and the Amorite dwell in the hill country; and the Canaanite dwells by the sea and along by the side of the Jordan [River].  (30)  Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once and possess it; we are well able to conquer it.  (31)  But his fellow scouts said, We are not able to go up against the people [of Canaan], for they are stronger than we are.  (32)  So they brought the Israelites an evil report of the land which they had scouted out, saying, The land through which we went to spy it out is a land that devours its inhabitants. And all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature.  (33)  There we saw the Nephilim [or giants], the sons of Anak, who come from the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Do you see yourself as a grasshopper or a victor that can do all things that God has called you to do? Do you see yourself able to go up and take possession of what God has already said is yours?

• • A wrong view of God.

Are you praying boring prayers? We need to understand Who our God is.

Luke 18:27 NKJV But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

Mark 9:23 NKJV Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

Jeremiah 32:17 NIV “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. 

What Does a God Vision Look Like? 

1. A God vision will require faith.

It is a faith step. God requires faith. 

Hebrews 11:6 NKJV  (6) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

2. A God vision will require God’s help.

Dream a dream that God must show up for it to happen. Are we living life big enough? All the glory will go to God. Live life according to God’s bigness and not your smallness.

Isaiah 54:2-4 MSG “Clear lots of ground for your tents! Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big! Use plenty of rope, drive the tent pegs deep. (3) You’re going to need lots of elbow room for your growing family. You’re going to take over whole nations; you’re going to resettle abandoned cities. (4) Don’t be afraid–you’re not going to be embarrassed. Don’t hold back–you’re not going to come up short…

Exodus 33:14-17 NLT The LORD replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest–everything will be fine for you.” (15) Then Moses said, “If You don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place. (16) How will anyone know that You look favorably on me–on me and on Your people–if You don’t go with us? For Your presence among us sets Your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.” (17) The LORD replied to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.”

3. A God vision will always impact more than just you.

It will always be bigger than just you and yours. Your life is really about impacting other people’s lives; your life intersecting with other people’s lives.

Ephesians 1:8-12 MSG He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, (9) letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, (10) a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth. (11) It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, (12) part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. 

Last week we spoke about why Springhill Church exists and that is people matter to God. They are of utmost importance to Him. People are the main reason that He has done so much including sending Jesus to redeem and save us.

Why do we need to talk about the vision of our church?

1 Corinthians 1:10 NKJV (10) Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Philippians 2:1-2 TPT (1) Look at how much encouragement you’ve found in your relationship with the Anointed One! You are filled to overflowing with his comforting love. You have experienced a deepening friendship with the Holy Spirit and have felt his tender affection and mercy. (2) So I’m asking you, my friends, that you be joined together in perfect unity—with one heart, one passion, and united in one love. Walk together with one harmonious purpose and you will fill my heart with unbounded joy.

Genesis 11:6 CEV (6) He said: These people are working together because they all speak the same language. This is just the beginning. Soon they will be able to do anything they want.

Genesis 11:6 NLT (6) “Look!” He said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!

• The reason we talk about vision and purpose is for this thing called unity.

There are three things that make us who we are as a church:

1. Purpose – the reason someone or something exists.

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” Mark Twain

This starts out with why we exist. Why did God call us and create a Springhill Church?

• • Springhill Church exists to reach people with God’s grace, His unconditional love, and the life-changing power of His Word and the Holy Spirit.

This is our purpose in a very simple compact expression.

2. Mission – How you plan to arrive at your destination.

At Springhill Church, we organize ourselves around these four guiding principles to fulfill our purpose. We lead people to:

• • Know Jesus – (Salvation) – To introduce people to a meaningful, life-changing relationship with Jesus.

We believe that Jesus Christ is the answer to all of man’s needs: spirit, soul, and body.

John 14:6 NKJV (6) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

• • Encounter God – (Worship and Prayer) – We believe all of us need to have an encounter with the presence of God because it is impossible to stay the same after coming face to face with Him.

John 4:23-24 NLT (23) But the time is coming–indeed it’s here now–when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way. (24) For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 TPT (17) Now, the “Lord” I’m referring to is the Holy Spirit, and wherever he is Lord, there is freedom. (18) We can all draw close to him with the veil removed from our faces. And with no veil we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus. We are being transfigured into his very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. And this glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

• • Experience Life-Change – (Discipleship) – Real life-change happens as we grow in God’s Word and in the context of relationships with others.

Matthew 28:19-20 NIV (19) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  (20)  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…

• • Make A Difference – (Service) – We believe your life will never make sense until you discover, develop and fulfill your purpose and you use that purpose to serve and meet the needs of other people.

Matthew 10:7-8 TPT (7) And as you go, preach this message: ‘Heaven’s kingdom realm is accessible, close enough to touch.’ (8) You must continually bring healing to lepers and to those who are sick, and make it your habit to break off the demonic presence from people, and raise the dead back to life. Freely you have received the power of the kingdom, so freely release it to others.

3. Vision – What the end results look like. (Objective)

The bigger picture for us as a church is to have a growing, healthy, and thriving church that is seeing all of these things fulfilled in every members’ life.

Ephesians 4:10-16 NKJV (10) He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) (11) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, (12) for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, (13) 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; (14) that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, (15) but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— (16) from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Ephesians 4:15-16 GNB (15) Instead, by speaking the truth in a spirit of love, we must grow up in every way to Christ, who is the head. (16) Under his control all the different parts of the body fit together, and the whole body is held together by every joint with which it is provided. So when each separate part works as it should, the whole body grows and builds itself up through love.

Acts 10:38 NKJV (38) how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

I believe we all would agree that Jesus was anointed by God to fulfill His assignment.

Philippians 2:5-8 TPT (5) And consider the example that Jesus, the Anointed One, has set before us. Let his mindset become your motivation. (6) He existed in the form of God, yet he gave no thought to seizing equality with God as his supreme prize. (7) Instead he emptied himself of his outward glory by reducing himself to the form of a lowly servant. He became human! (8) He humbled himself and became vulnerable, choosing to be revealed as a man and was obedient. He was a perfect example, even in his death—a criminal’s death by crucifixion!

He ministered as a man, anointed by the Holy Spirit and not as the Divine Son of God.

Luke 5:17-26 NKJV (17) Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. (18) Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. (19) And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. (20) When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” (21) And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (22) But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? (23) Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? (24) But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” (25) Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. (26) And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”

Notice verse 17 says that the power of God was present to heal THEM.

But, we can see that only one man got healed because of his faith and the faith of his friends.

• What the anointing can accomplish in your life depends more on you than it does on the one who is anointed.
• How you regard the anointing of God determines what that anointing can do in your life.
• We need to learn to receive by faith from the anointing that is present in the environment.

Let’s Start with WHY!

Luke 15:1-24 NKJV (1) Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. (2) And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” (3) So He spoke this parable to them, saying: (4) “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? (5) And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. (6) And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ (7) I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. (8) “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? (9) And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ (10) Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (11) Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. (12) And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. (13) And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. (14) But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. (15) Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. (16) And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. (17) “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! (18) I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, (19) and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ‘ (20) “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. (21) And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ (22) “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. (23) And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; (24) for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

Luke 15:1-2 MSG (1) By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. (2) The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, “He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends.”

This is the only instance in the Gospels where Jesus told three parables about the same thing in a row.

Three common threads that run through these stories:

1. There was something of great value was missing, something that really mattered.

• • The missing sheep was important to the shepherd because it represented a portion of his livelihood.
  • The lost coin was vital to the woman’s survival. Perhaps she was a widow and the coin represented a large part of her entire financial well being.
  • The son mattered greatly to the father.

In short, what Jesus was saying in these three simple stories was that these people: the wanderers, the lost, the spiritually confused and selfish actually have value to the Heavenly Father!

God’s love is so great that it can look beyond sins and treasure the wayward people behind them. God’s love says, “Even though you’re way off track, you still matter to Me! You really do!”

When you and I begin to look at others with the attitude that they really matter to God it will revolutionize the way that we treat people.

You have never locked eyes with another human being who isn’t valuable to God.

You might say, “All right. People matter to God, but how much?”

2. The second common thread in Jesus’ three stories is that which was missing was important enough to warrant an all-out search.

The sheep got lost and shepherd went out looking for it until he found it.

The coin was missing and the woman turned her house upside down until she located it.

In the story of the wayward son, the father exercised restraint and let the son use his free choice and make some bad decisions but his eyes kept scanning the horizon looking for the day when his son would return home.

When you really value something, and it winds up lost, you just naturally want to search for it.

Luke 19:10 CEV (10) The Son of Man came to look for and to save people who are lost.”

3. The final common thread in these three stories is that when that which matters and was lot is found, the retrieval results in great celebration.

• • The shepherd retrieved his lost sheep and threw a party.
  • The woman found the lost coin and threw another party.
  • The wayward son came home and the father threw the biggest party of all.

Luke 15:10 NKJV (10) Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Luke 15:10 MSG (10) Count on it–that’s the kind of party God’s angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God.”

Whether last week or forty years ago, when you gave your heart to Jesus, all of heaven erupted in a magnificent cosmic celebration where your name was written on the banner that hung up.

If that brought joy to your heart knowing that kind of celebration occurred on your behalf, just imagine what kind of joy will take place in your heart when you are a primary player in the process.

There is nothing like the adventure of being used by God to contagiously spread His love, truth and life to others – the people that matter so much to Him.

That is how much people matter to God. If people matter so much to God, then they should matter to us too.