Intro: Status Quo is unacceptable!
Seems a little odd saying that to start of a new year, isn’t it?
After all, don’t we all make resolutions to start the year off?
Some want to lose weight…some want to quit a bad habit.
Others want to make better use of time…or maybe just try to be a better person all together.
Not exactly status quo…right?
Get this 88% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions…nearly 9 out of 10 people.
After only 2 months, nearly 40% of people have given up on their resolutions and most estimates suggest that as many as 97% of New Year’s Resolutions are not kept.
If that isn’t status quo, I don’t know what is.
That is part of the reason I say “status quo is unacceptable.”
Another reason I say status quo is unacceptable is because of what I read in God’s word.
In Isaiah 43:19 God says, “Behold, I am doing a new thing…”
Have you ever thought about that word “new” and what it means?
Some of the definitions for “new” from the Merriam-Dictionary suggest that it is an adjective with roots dating back to 12th century middle English: 4 a: beginning as the resumption or repetition of a previous act or thing
5: different from one of the same category that has existed previously
6: of dissimilar origin and usually of superior quality
Some Synonyms: fresh, novel, original, strange, unaccustomed, unfamiliar, unheard-of, unknown, unprecedented
The mental picture you should be getting here is something is not going to be the same as it was…the status quo is not acceptable if it is going to be labeled as “new”.
And God is doing a new thing.
In our lives…so status quo is unacceptable.
In our church…so status quo is unacceptable.
In our community…in our state…in our country and around the world…so status quo is unacceptable.
As we enter into 2008 my challenge to you is to step out of the status quo and take things to the next level.
I’m not asking for us to make massive changes in our church that make us look nothing like we are…in fact if anything I’m hoping to simplify things.
I want us to look at Scripture together this morning, and with the power of the Holy Spirit doing what He does best…evaluate where we are as individuals and also as a church, and then do what He calls us to do in order to take it to the next level.
And with that as our goal, let’s go to the word of God now.
Read Matthew 28:16-20 and pray.
Transition: Today is the beginning of the rest of the year for us, and I’m hoping to lay out the beginnings of a plan, a vision, a goal, a purpose…whatever you want to call it.
I just hope that what I present this morning is something we can all agree on and grasp onto for taking our lives and our church to the next level.
From our passage I want to show 4 levels of commitment that you as a born again believer can be part of.
As we look at each of these levels, I want you to be honest with yourself and with God as you determine where you stand.
And when it is all said and done, I want to challenge you to do what is necessary to take you to the next level.
And one of my goals is for First Baptist Church to provide for you the tools to make that move.
All you need to do is bring a willing heart.
So, are you ready to take it to the next level? (wait for an answer).
Let’s look at each of these together.
First Level…
1. Living
Read vs. 17.
Our passage says when Jesus was present their first reaction was to worship Him.
Why not, many of these disciples had seen Him arrested or “tried”, others saw Him crucified.
Some of the disciples were among the first to experience the resurrected Christ…if anyone at anytime was worthy of worship; it was Him.
You know what 2000 years later, that hasn’t changed.
When we enter into this sanctuary…this worship arena, we can not forget that we are entering into the presence of the Risen Savior.
He is as alive today as He was when Matthew experienced this mountain side worship.
And when we come together in this place it is to experience worship.
Now my wording there was very intentional…experiencing worship.
Too often we forget that what takes place in here should be an experience.
We don’t just go to church…even though that is what tends to happen.
And we should never “have to go to church”…how many used that terminology today?
We come together to experience worship…and it is the simplest step of living life together.
This is where life happens for us.
This is also where life happened for the early church.
Read Acts 2:42-47…the prototype church, they experienced worship.
They didn’t just meet, and they didn’t feel like that had to go somewhere…the met, they celebrated and they experienced worship and life together.
This is level 1…living.
This is the simplest place for us to be disciples.
And it is part of being a disciple.
And let me define that word too…too often we think of a disciple as one of those 12 guys Jesus chose to follow Him.
A disciple is a follower, a student seeking to be like his master or teacher…for us, we are disciples of Jesus.
And it begins with a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
How….
So, level 1 is living, Level 2 is…
2. Learning
Read vs. 19.
Many of you know of these verses as being the “Great Commission”.
It is that call by Christ, given by His authority in vs. 18, for us to go about building the kingdom of God one heart and one life at a time.
Jesus had a specific way of doing this, in fact if you look back at vs. 16 you see it says “the eleven disciples.”
Jesus took the time to invest in a small group of His followers, mentoring them, teaching them, and helping them grow into maturity.
I can’t think of a better way of making disciples than the way Jesus did…by investing in a small group of folks who are willing to give up a little bit of time because they know that the end results are worth it.
Level 1 is living, coming together and worshipping together…and level 2 is learning through a small group.
We have a great ministry here that many of you have discovered, but some of you have not…it’s called the Sunday School hour.
This is a time for us to gather in small intimate groups of like minded believers and open up God’s Word while we fellowship together.
It is an opportunity to build disciples.
But you know what, learning through small groups doesn’t have to be limited to Sunday School.
Next week when we kick off First Place again…that is a small group Bible Study.
When our ladies hold their occasional Bible study…that qualifies also.
In fact, I’m more than open to having even more small group Bible studies taking place inside this church building and even into our homes.
You know why?
Because it is part of learning, it is that 2nd level of being a disciple.
And maybe you are stuck at level 1…you are here for worship.
Sunday morning, 11 am…we can count on you; maybe even for the occasional Sunday or Wednesday evening too.
Let me challenge you, get out of the status quo.
Take it to the next level…come to Sunday School.
Find a small group Bible study.
If there isn’t one to meet your needs, let me know…we can start it; and maybe you are the person to get it started.
Status quo is unacceptable.
Don’t let your life end at Level 1…take a step of faith and take it to the next level.
What’s the worst that can happen?
You grow closer to God?
You develop closer relationships with your brothers and sisters in Christ?
Dare I say you even enjoy it?!?!
Do you need to take it to the next level and get into the learning phase?
Let’s review, Level 1 is living, Level 2 is learning and then level 3 is…
3. Loving
Read vs. 20…”observe all that I have commanded you.”
If you go back into the Gospel Matthew and on into Mark, Luke and John…you see that Christ taught about 2 relationships.
He said there was a vertical relationship and a horizontal relationship.
Read Matthew 26:36-40.
Jesus was approached by a lawyer, an expert of the day in the law of Moses who asked Him, “What is the greatest commandment”…a test to see if Jesus would say the wrong thing.
Jesus responded by saying you should love God…a vertical love.
And that vertical love will then display itself into a love of man…horizontal.
And as Jesus went on in Matthew 25:31 and following to share the parable of the Sheep and Goats, showing how that love of God and love of man can be illustrated.
Level 3 is doing ministry, it is doing what Jesus taught us to do.
Part of what Jesus did to draw people to God was perform miracles…meeting needs so that they might see the power of God first hand.
God expects nothing less from us, meeting needs so that others might see the power of God first hand.
Your talents, your skills, your experiences…they may all be the miracle that someone is waiting on.
You have been uniquely built and equipped by God, and the reason for that is so that you might be used to do ministry.
Loving people with the love of Christ, both inside and outside the church.
Jesus said in Matthew 25 that when ever you do for the least of these, you do it for Him.
Because when you do this for the least of these…you are sharing him.
Are you involved in the ministry of First Baptist Church?
It’s not something that is left for me as the pastor or selected members, like the deacons to do alone.
Ministry…loving people is something that all believers are called to do, and equipped to do.
All you need to do step up and step out.
It means leaving the status quo behind and letting God use you.
Once again: Level 1 is living, level 2 is learning, level 3 is loving and then Level 4 is…
4. Leading
Read vs. 20 again.
Jesus said not only should we do what He has commanded us, we should teach others to do that also.
We need to lead others into not only a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, but lead others into becoming fruit bearing disciples.
Our task does not end in the waters of baptism…that really is where the work begins.
Jesus invested in His disciples so that they might have life, that they might learn, that they might love…but more so that they might lead.
He said “Do what I taught you…but make sure you teach others to do the same.”
The Apostle Paul caught onto this truth and passed it on to those that he discipled also.
Read 2 Tim. 2:1-2.
Count the generations in verse 2.
God has called us to multiply disciples, His plan for building His kingdom is not a matter of addition…but in multiplying.
Wouldn’t it make sense for it to be that way, think about when Jesus sent out the first 70 apostles, He sent the two by two.
And those two could go and make 2 more…and those 4 could make 4 more, and those 8 could make 8 more…16 make 16 more, 32 make 32 more…and on and on.
And here is the beauty of it…no one needs to be excluded.
If you are part of the body of Christ, you can be part of this kingdom building mission.
All you have to do is step out of the status quo and take it to the next level.
Let me ask you…where are you at today?
Are you at Level 1? Meaning that you are a born again believer, but worship attendance is about it for you…you’re living.
Or maybe you are at Level 2…you are involved in Sunday School or a small group Bible study, a learner.
Maybe you are at Level 3…you are involved in ministry here at First Baptist Church, you found your place of service and you are loving others.
Or maybe you are at Level 4…leading others into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ and leading them to grow into a fruit bearing believer.
This morning…take your bulletin, tear out the Visitor Card.
Number 1-3 and then answer:
1. What level are you on?
2. What do you need to do to move up to the next level?
3. Who do you know that you can invite to be a level 1? (non-believer or inactive member)
