Dr. Montia Setzler, Senior Pastor
January 24, 2016
Series: A Fresh Vision for a New Year
A Vision for Our Community
Acts 16:25–34 (HCSB)
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself, because all of us are here!”
29 Then the jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he escorted them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the message of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house. 33 He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized. 34 He brought them into his house, set a meal before them, and rejoiced because he had believed God with his entire household.
- A VISION FOR OUR COMMUNITY
A city where people are neighbors.
A city where family values are priority.
A city where crime is virtually non-existent.
A city where streets are safe from drunk drivers.
A city where pornography is eliminated.
A city where broken people can mend.
A city where Jesus is Lord.
THE KEY IS INTRODUCING OUR COMMUNITY TO JESUS
- A PLAN FOR ALL COMMUNITIE
- Developing relationships is the precursor of Evangelism. v 25
- Integrity is the pivotal issue of Evangelism. vv 27, 28
- God’s movement is the provocation of Evangelism. v 26
- Recognition of lostness is the preface of Evangelism. v 30
- A verbal witness is the process of Evangelism. vv 31, 32
- Salvation is the product of Evangelism. v 33
- A STRATEGY FOR REACHING OUR COMMUNITY
Step 1: Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us to ripe fruit.
Step 2: Educate our people concerning networking principles.
Step 3: Train our people to share their faith.
Step 4: Love our community enough to courageously share our story.
Step 5: Develop and implement the process of making disciples.
DISTURB US LORD
Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
attributed – sir francis drake -1577
