PIONEER PEOPLE - Pioneers See The Possibilities // One Church Podcast, 16th January 2023

We Are One church. We love God love.

People love his mission and love his church.

Welcome to the one Church podcast.

Hello. I'm Chris and welcome to the one

Church podcast. It's great to have you with us

today. Psalm 138 verse 8 says, the Lord

Psalms 138:8

will work out his plans for my life, whatever you are facing at

the moment, whether it's a difficult situation, or a tough

decision. Something that has led to

disappointment, be encouraged today that the Lord will work

out his plans for your life. Not that he might but that he

will. Father, thank you that you will

work out your plans for our lives and I pray for everyone

listening there, whatever they may be facing, they would be

able to stand on that truth. Amen.

This week, we are continuing our series all about being a

Pioneer. People with a message from

Philippa recorded on the 15th of January at are owed.

Be site, enjoy tight-lipped. The messages Pioneers see the

possibilities. When you look at an object or a

place or a situation, can you easily see the potential of what

it can be? I love how some children with a

vivid imagination, if they're given a cardboard box, they

don't simply see a cardboard box, they might see a rocket

ship. Ready to take them and explore

new galaxies. They might see a bus ready to

pick up Travelers and going on an adventure together or perhaps

a pirate ship. Ready to Sail and conquer the

seven seas, and find hidden treasure, sometimes children,

find it easy to see the possibilities of certain things.

I have a slight personal character flaw, just the one and

I love sitting down looking around a room and thinking of

the possible ways in, which you can rearrange the furniture in

that room to make. Best use of the space.

Or I think, I friendly, I move that chair.

Had an over. This would be amazing.

I just love to scan the room only in my own house.

Can I say? So if you ever invite me to your

house, I'm not sitting there thinking you could arrange this

furniture better and certain people in my house, find my love

of moving things, around a little frustrating, I don't know

why. And so I've realized that if I

want to see the amazing possibilities and potential

realized I have to move things around myself.

When certain people are not in the house, how heavy can a two

seater sofa? Really be quite is the answer.

How hard can it be to switch around the direction, our Super

King bed faces? Well, when there isn't enough

turning space in the rooms, you have to take it apart and

rebuild it. It's really hard.

How about moving bunk beds from one room to another.

Surely that is easy on your own. Well, let's just say the moment

that I found myself lying on Bottom bunk well holding up the

top button with my legs and doing the final Allen key.

I realized it was a big mistake. I love seeing the possibilities

and visualizing them. I wonder, do you find it easy to

see the possibilities of something?

Or are you one, who prefers to see it in practice and then, you

can really understand how it's going.

I was so incredibly proud of our kids and youth teams.

This week, all of our midweek groups of move, Left to frog

Island. Number 12, and we're having our

kids groups, our young people's groups, our seniors.

Everything is taking place there, and I love the fact that

five weeks ago, this room that we use for Planet shakers that

are together services and it's used for other things, five

weeks ago. It was a mishmash of sofas.

There are many different sofas, there were two fridges, neither

of them were, there were lots of other random Furniture in there.

And I love that our team and our He has walked into this space

and they saw the possibility of something amazing.

I love that that's encouraging. And I love the fact that our

teams are making space are making the most spaces.

Why? Because we want to turn things

into a venue where people feel welcomed where young people want

to be, where people can meet with their friends have time to

grow and also meet with God and grow in their relationship with

God's together. I was just so encouraged by the

can-do mentality of our church. Church.

The first thing is this seeing possibilities which Pioneers can

do Pioneers. See the possibilities seeing

possibilities comes from hearing the promises before Moses died.

He climbed up Mount Nebo and God showed him the land that his

people were going to inherit Moses.

Himself, never got to go into this Promised Land, but God

showed him. The possibilities of what could

be. Moses received a promise.

I will give this land to your descendants just as I promised

to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. When he looked around the land,

I wonder what pictures came to his Mind's Eye.

Alarm. That would be given to his

people, a land that the people could call their own.

A Land of blessing that provided above and beyond for God's

people. And when he looked over at the

land, what were people doing? What were the possibilities?

Did he see pictures of people Gathering Together, making

places of worship for God and place has to offer sacrifices.

Did he picture cities where families could live in safety

and community? And Space where parents could

pass on their faith to the Next Generation?

Did he see a permanent place? Where people could put down

Roots plant seeds and be there to see the Harvest when he heard

the promise, what possibilities did he see?

Joshua was also given this same promise in Joshua 1, we read it

says this. Now then this is God talking to

Joshua you and all these people get ready to cross the Jordan

River into the land. I'm about, to give them to the

Israelites. I will give you every place

where you set your foot. As I promised Moses Joshua

received this promise, I will give you this land.

I will give you everything. Every place where you set your

foot. And so when Joshua finds himself

a river, when Joshua finds himself faced with a giant

walled City, Joshua remembers the promise that he has been

given and he sees the possibilities, he doesn't just

see a raging River, but he sees the possibilities of a miracle

that God is going to enable them to cross the river.

He doesn't just see a walled City and tremble in fear.

He remembers the promise that God said, I will give you every

place that you set your foot. And so he thinks of the

possibilities that this land could be ours.

When we hear the promise, it enables us to see and dream, and

look ahead and imagine the possibilities.

How about for it has one Church? Well, a promise that God gave us

15 years ago, was this from Isaiah 54 and large the place of

your tent. Stretch your curtains.

Hence why do not hold back? Lengthen your cords, strengthen

your Stakes for you will spread out to the right and the left

your descendants will dispossess Nations and settle in their

desolate cities. So do not be afraid, you will

not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace, you will

not be humiliated. I promise of stretching out of

enlarging of spreading to the East and to the West.

And so we begin to see possibilities.

We don't just think of locations and meeting rooms in a school

here, or and Music Cafe there. Instead, we think of the

possibilities of taking the good news of Jesus into different

communities of empowering people in leadership of believing for

light to shine in these parts of our cities where we meet whole

neighborhoods and streets and areas to be blessed, and

impacted by the love of Jesus. We hear the promise to enlarge

and stretch out and we see the possibilities of people finding

Jesus of Salvation popping up in all these areas of our city, we

heard the promise and we see the possibilities of just what God

might do. And then through a miraculous

move of God is divine marriage between Trinity Life Church and

All Nations Church joining together to become one church

and sharing everything that we have.

We receive another promise Genesis 26 verse 22.

Genesis 26:22

The Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land.

And again, we begin to see possibilities that come from

this promise, not just a building and a great central

location with lots of parking and a space to work.

But the possibilities to flourish essential

administrative center from which we can prepare and train and

outwork. The plan that God has for us in

our whole city. Place to Resource and outwork

our multi-site vision. At building an amazing building

that has space for us to gather together to worship together to

be inspired and encouraged and built up together so that we can

then be sent back out into our sites but also into our world

and the places that we are called to influence.

We've been given a promise and so together we will be pioneers

and see the possibilities. We are dreaming big together

because we are excited. And expectant of all that God is

going to do promises help us see possibilities.

And can I encourage his church on?

We think about the next six months and our building project

that's happening. Think this is not just a

building. We've been given a promise.

I have given you room, you will flourish in the land.

And so we're going to see the possibilities of just what God

might do in our city. How about hearing One Church?

OB. The promise that came from God,

that everywhere we go, we will have enough people provisions

and premises. And so when Richard snout

reached in Sioux, who used to be the site pastor's here, when

Richard and David came to look around this building because

that was a promise, they knew from God, that they would have

everything they needed. When they look around this room,

they don't just see a whole, they don't just see a great

storage cupboard that we could put stuff in.

But See a room a gathering space ready to welcome people into

find Jesus. They see breakout rooms where

children can Thrive and make friendships and have fun.

And see that church is an exciting place to come.

They see a great and Library where momentum can happen a

space for our teenagers. When we hear the promise, we see

the possibilities. It's exciting.

And and I'm so excited to see what God does here in this

building in this next season. What about has personally when

we hear and receive promises, we begin to see possibilities

Adventures. To be had ground to be claimed

families to love people to reach, workplace has to be

changed. What Promises of we receive

personally, here might be a few, we've been promised life in all

its fullness and so we can think of the possibilities of this

exciting life, we've been promised amazing.

Plans that won't harm us but there were prosperous and give

us a hope and a future surround. We think ahead, we hear the

promise and we think, wow? What could those plans be How

about the promise that we will see the goodness of God, in the

land of the living? We remember that promise.

So that when we go through trials, when we go through

times, that are hard circumstances that we don't

understand, we remember God, you've promised that I will see

your goodness in this land. We see the possibilities of what

that goodness could be the promise for our boundary lines

to fall in Pleasant places. What are the promises?

Do you have? And when you hear them, when you

remind yourself of them, can you open your eyes and see the

possibilities of what just could be?

Pioneers can see possibilities when they hear the promises.

But how about achieving those possibilities, sometimes they

seem a bit crazy. Well, achieving the

possibilities comes from following his presence.

Possibilities can seem daunting and unattainable especially when

we're talking about doing new things, which I guess is the

definition of being a Pioneer, taking new ground stepping out

in new ways. Well, let's go back to our story

with Joshua. A promise has been given you

will inherit this land, but this land happens to be found on the

other side of the river Jordan, which is not just a river.

It's actually a river in flood. Season.

It is a raging River. Stretching far, how are they

going to cross? God, you've promised this, but

how's that going to happen? Well, we read in Joshua 3, verse

Joshua 3:1

1, this happens. Early in the morning, Joshua and

all the Israelites set out from shittim and went to the Jordan

where they can't before crossing over after three days, the

officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the

people. When you see the Ark of the

Covenant of the Lord, your God and the levitical priests

carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow

it. Then you will know which way to

go since you have never been this way.

Before to achieve the possibilities of the promise.

We have to follow the presence. The Israelites followed the Ark

of the Covenant, the very presence of God we got to follow

Jesus. When we when we don't know where

we're going, we see Jesus movement.

So we decide to follow then you will know which way to go.

Since you have never been this way before.

To step out into possibilities. We follow Jesus.

We listen to the prompting and the steering of the Holy Spirit,

we follow, since we have not gone this way before, You know,

as a church, we tried and tried different methods to buy a

building over the years and God never let them happen.

So, what did we do? We continued to follow.

God, we stay close to him. We followed him and went into

all these areas of Leicester that he has called us to do.

And the many more that he will call as into, we loved and

prioritize the poor because that's what God loves, God loves

the poor and the marginalized. And so, we did that they became

part of our heart. We invest.

In an amazing Compassion, Center to serve the needs of our city

all the time by lowing God. So that when a Divine moment

came about because we were following, God, we didn't miss

it because we were following him.

We heard we felt prompted to go meet with these people at all

nations and begin a journey together because our eyes were

fixed on Jesus. Perhaps you're wondering how

even this new change is going to happen with all these people?

Coming well where are they going to fit?

Am I going to be forgotten about well what a be more important

than me? What happens if they don't know

my name and I can't remember their name?

I know that feeling when you try so hard to remember someone's

name and it just goes from your mind.

How are we going to do all this God?

We follow Jesus. We keep our eyes fixed on him.

And for his person, they gotta I feel you're calling me to step

out but I don't know how God I know you've called me to a

position of influence but I've got no idea how I'm going to do

that. God, where do you want me to go

and how will I get there? We follow Jesus closely, then

you will know the way to go since you have not been this way

before to achieve the possibilities.

We follow Jesus, believing the possibilities.

Comes from remembering the big Stones I Of reading passages in

the Bible and discovering something new for the first

time. Perhaps there's a passage that

you've read and read over again and and just one moment when

you're reading it, something just pops out to you.

I had that experience recently In this passage see you in

Joshua 3, we read the time when they're Israelites crossed over

the river. Jordan what happens is the

priests. They step into the river,

they're holding the Ark of the Covenant and God stops the river

flowing Upstream. Dream until the riverbed is dry

and they can pass through safely.

It's a miracle. They've crossed the river.

And then God asked Joshua, to do something that I've never

actually noticed before, but it's this Joshua chapter 4.

Joshua 4 · chapter mention

When the whole nation and finish crossing the Jordan, the Lord

said to Joshua choose 12 men from among the people, one from

each tribe, and tell them to take up 12 Stones from the

middle of the Jordan from right, where the priests are standing

and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where

you stay tonight. So Joshua did this, and he said

them, go over before the Ark of the Lord, your God into the

middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a

stone on his shoulder. A Orange the number of tribes of

Israel and to serve as a sign in the future.

When your children ask you, what do these Stones mean?

Tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the

Ark of the Covenant of the Lord and when it crossed the Waters

of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a

memorial to the people of Israel forever.

To believe the possibilities to even think that it could be.

We remember the big Stones. We remember what God has done

before. If I had studied geography for

longer than a year at University, I probably could

tell you why the big Stones were in the middle, I didn't have got

no idea, but these big Stones were found in the middle of the

river, and the only way to have an altar that was built out of

these. Big Stones was to have got them

from the middle of the river. It would only have been possible

if the water had been stopped. That was the only way to get

them. And so the Israelites they bring

these big stones out, they build a memorial.

Why so that when your future Generations ask you what is that

you can tell them Believing the possibilities that just might be

from the promises that we've heard made easier, when we look

at the big Stones. Wow, God's done that before he

can do it again. I love that.

We were just singing about the same God when we think about

what's possible, we remember God, you defeated Giants, you

can do it again. God you favored, the lowly, you

can do it again. God you Delivered.

You can do it again in the future Generations.

When the Israelites were facing trouble, they looked at this

Memorial and they saw God, you stopped the flow of the River.

Jordan to allow your people to cross safely and inherit the

land. You can do it again.

Let's remember what God has already done.

Let's thank him and it member, it gives us confidence for the

future that he can do it again for me.

Personally, I've I've been healed once when I was a

teenager there for, I know that the God who was restored my

strength before will restore my strength once again.

What about you? What are your big stones that

you can build as a memorial to help you remember?

And believe that the possibilities just might come to

pass? Reaching the possibilities means

ignoring the phrase. Is it worth it?

It's always worth it. Have you ever done something

that doesn't feel completely worth it all necessary and you

just saved yourself? Why did I even bother?

A few years ago, we were on a trip to Belton house.

It's a lovely National Trust property in the in Grantham in

the middle of nowhere. It takes an hour to get to from

Lester and Tom and I have been there a few times with the girls

and we've loved it and we decided it would be an amazing

place to run a trip for our little ones families.

So are in our stay and play group, the children are their

parents and carers thought, wow, wouldn't it be wonderful to

bring NG families out of Leicester, especially some of

those who wouldn't normally get a chance to leave.

Lester as much to bring them out, of Leicester, and

experience. This wonderful beautiful period

property. I think the best player in there

is actually in England, I could probably say it's gonna be a

great trip. I have, to be honest, take it

was very slow, very, very slow. In fact, I think we actually

even bribed some of our church families that had lots of kids.

If they would just come and please sit on the couch to fill

up the Because no one wanted to come and when we arrived with

our half-full coach Matt who's our children's worker said to

Tom and I this very amazing phrase.

He said, have you guys heard of happy Park?

Yes, Matt. We've heard of a be part that we

thought people would want to come to Belton house.

It's a wonderful day and I remember Tom and I we we were

trying to be so enthusiastic about this trip.

Come on everybody. Let's go.

And do amazing and people are waiting for the one toilet that

was so far away from the playground.

I just, we just came back and we thought that was not worth it.

I felt completely unnecessary. And yes, we were able to bless

some families, but for the years afterwards, we felt like it was

an awful decision, a loss maker, a bad idea and never again.

The Israelites in Jericho will go back to the story in a minute

when the Israelites had crossed over the river Jordan.

The first place they came to was Jericho a city with fortified

walls and so, because the promise was, you will inherit

every bit of land where you set your foot.

The Israelites knew this was a possibility, this city could be

defeated, and it could be become our land.

It could be become ours, but the thing is, since the Israelites

crossed the Jordan, all the kings of the area.

It says this in Joshua 5 verse 1, their hearts melted in fear,

Joshua 5:1

and they no longer had courage to face the Israelites.

Therefore, in Joshua 6, the gates of Jericho was securely

barred because of the Israelites, no one went in and

no one came out and I have to ask myself, what is it really

worth it? The people of Jericho were

afraid. They weren't going to attack the

Israelites. They were bunkered up.

Locked up. No one was going in.

And no one was coming out what he really worth the effort to

gather all of your men together to try and take and Conquer a

city. But the promise was for all the

land, not part of it, not every bit of land apart, from that

City will ne'er to you scared. They won't bother you.

Anyway, the promise was I will give you every place you set

your foot the promise was for all the land.

So the answer to was it worth it?

Well yes, it was because God did another miracle.

He gave a promise there were possibilities and then the

people were able to take the city of Jericho, how through

this incredible story of walking.

And And actually it paved away because once they take in the

city of Jericho, then cities began to fall, because people

heard that this God was doing amazing things, and no one could

stand against the people. Sometimes we can think.

Is it worth it? Is it really causing too much

harm? It's not really bothering me.

Perhaps there's a work situation or a family situation that you

know God could move in, you know, that this is not currently

God's best but you think it's going to take effort Is it

really worth it? Is it worth wanting to create a

culture of work that eradicates gossip or slander?

Is it worth the effort or what we might say?

Is it worth doing School's Out owed be in the library where you

have to move? The computers, is it really

worth that effort? Is it worth stepping out and

tell them my neighbors that I'm praying for them?

Is it really worth it? I wonder what would have

happened if the Israelites looked at Jericho and said now

it's not worth it. How long would it have been

before those people got courage again to fight against the

Israelites? This is what I think the

possibilities wouldn't have been reached and the promise of

inheriting, all of the land would never have been fulfilled

five years after the disaster of Belton because let's be honest,

that's what it was. I find myself in a coffee shop

talking to my Muslim friend about Jesus a privilege that I

think I had because of the The shit that I've shown her over

the years, she was coming to our stay in play groups.

And as we were reading the Bible together, talk about Jesus, out

of nowhere. This woman says, what was that

amazing place that you took us to my daughter?

Still talks about that to this day and suddenly I realize she

was on the disaster to Belton. She was there, I was waiting

outside the toilet whilst her child was going to the toilet

and and everyone else wanted to do the me.

Mase, she was on the trip. And part of the reason why I

believe we had developed this relationship and she she wanted

to come along to the church groups.

And she wanted to talk to me about Jesus was because we were

people that went above and beyond.

We welcomed her and her daughter into our family and took her on

trips like that. I think it's worth it.

When we think about the possibilities of what could be,

because of the promises new think are, is it worth it?

It's all worth it because the promise for the Israelites was

to inherit all the land, God has great promise is for you.

Possibilities are out there and they are always worth it.

Finally, this seeing the possibilities leads to all and

worship as Joshua found himself. Looking at Jericho, he had an

encounter and God said to him. God, God appeared before him and

he's like, what are you doing here?

And in that, in that conversation, God told him that

he has already delivered Jericho into the hands of the Israelites

and I love what Joshua's response was.

Joshua 5 verse 14. Joshua fell face down to the

Joshua 5:14

ground in reverence and later on.

It says God said, take off your sandals for the place where you

are standing is Holy and Joshua did Being told of the

possibilities there in mind, there was this promised that he

was going to inherit all the land and then being told of the

possibility that even the city of Jericho had been delivered to

them. Joshua's response was only one

thing. He fell to the ground in

reverence in awe and worship. As we hear promises as we look

and we see the possibilities of what just might be.

As we determined to follow Jesus.

As as we remember the big stones in a Memorials of what God has

done before, as we dream together and allow our eyes to

see the possibilities. We can't help but worship.

The full of all and wonder. Wow.

God, you want to do that in my life?

God you've placed Us in this in this building not just because

it's a convenient location but because we're in the middle of

an area where people don't know you and you want to say to them

wake up, Jesus is here. When we open our eyes and our

workplaces and and God gives the picture that he has placed as

there on purpose with purpose for a purpose and we think, wow,

God, you want to use me to bring your kingdom into where I live

in to, where I work in to, where my children go to school.

When we see the possibilities, we can't help, but be full of

awe and worship. Seeing possibilities comes from

hearing the promises achieving possibilities.

Comes from following his presence.

Believing the possibilities comes from remembering the big

Stones reaching. The possibilities means,

ignoring the thought of is it worth it and seeing the

possibilities imagining them leads to all and worship.

Our man. Thank you Philippa.

Let us be people that see the possibilities, and may we have

many stories as a result, if you would like to respond in any way

to that message, or if you would value prayer or support for

anything else, remember that we are here and that you can always

get in touch details, can be found on our website.

There are many things coming up in church life.

So this is your family news. For all of our midweek groups

are back up and running for Ages.

And we'd love to see you at one of them soon.

We have an encounter night on Sunday, the 22nd of January at 7

p.m. this will be a great chance to spend extra time going deeper

into the presence of God on Saturday.

The 28th of January at 6 p.m. we have United kids, and event.

For all children, aged between seven and 11 from churches,

around leicestershire. We love being able to join

together for events like this. And finally, save the date.

Our next one church together, is on the 5th of February at 9:15

and 11:30 do all you can to join us for a great morning together.

The Lord bless you and keep you the Lord, make his face shine

upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward

you and give you peace. And finally, save the date.

Our next one church together, is on the 5th of February at 9:15

and 11:30 do all you can to join us for a great morning together.

The Lord bless you and keep you the Lord, make his face shine

upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward

you and give you peace.