Sermon Central
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New Hope
Contributed by Jon Sullivan on Mar 22, 2010 (message contributor)
Summary: This message was delivered at the kick-off of New Hope Christian Church but the principles apply to the starting of any new church work.
“New Hope”
Six reasons why to start this congregation
“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread together in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:46-47
The six reasons why...
1. It’s the heart of God to reach people.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. [17] "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.
"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
2. The mission of the gospel rests on the local church congregation.
But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. [17] And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. [18] And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. [19] "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
3. Heaven and hell are both realities.
"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master.' [22] "The one also who had received the two talents came up and said, 'Master, you entrusted to me two talents; see, I have gained two more talents.' [23] "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' [24] "And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed. [25] 'And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground; see, you have what is yours.' [26] "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I scattered no seed. [27] 'Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. [28] 'Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.' [29] "For to everyone who has shall more be given, and he shall have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. [30] "And cast out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
[31] "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. [32] "And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; [33] and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. [34] "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. [35] 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; [36] naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' [37] "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You drink? [38] 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? [39] 'And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' [40] "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' [41] "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; [42] for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; [43] I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' [44] "Then they themselves also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' [45] "Then He will answer them, saying, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' [46] "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
