Engage in the Vision | Ps Graeme Politanski

Hey, welcome to the City Point Church podcast.

Thanks for joining us. Every day is an opportunity to

take hold of. So we hope this message inspires

you and build your faith that it helps you have more of a God

perspective for your day. Enjoy how?

Amazing is that? Hey, can we just declare out

loud altogether today? My heart is open, my ears are

alert to grow and change. And never be the same.

Amen, Amen. Please be seated.

You always know the pastor means business when the glasses go on.

Thank you Lord, God. So today I've titled the message

Engage in the vision. Engage in the vision now, quite

simply, people have a vision for their lives and I believe that

God gives, gives us a vision. I know when I was about 14

somewhere I always say 12. Everything was 12 when I was

younger, but when I was 12. I had a.

Vision for my life and I could see myself on platforms

preaching the gospel, people being healed, people coming to

to Jesus to know Jesus and the name of Jesus just being.

I testified and lifted up just, you know, through ministry that

God had for my life. But at some point in my life I

had to engage in that vision. And if I just looked at the

vision and just prayed for it to be fulfilled, it would never

come to pass Because God requires you and I to have more

than words and even sometimes more than action.

But we need to have a confession that lines up with the action.

Because you can confess death and look like you live for life.

And the world that is being formed around is the world that

you're confessing. And the world that will be

realized is the one that you're living.

The Bible says out of the heart, the mouth speaks.

So sometimes we have this facade.

In the old days we used to call it, you know, like fake

Christianity and things like that.

But it's got nothing to do with Christianity or being fake or

whatever. It's just about the very fact

that broken people give their lives to God and go on a journey

of wholeness. So you and I were those broken

people and some of us still are pretty broken, and that's

completely OK. This is why iron sharpens iron.

In other words, brothers and sisters in the House of God walk

the journey of restoration with other brothers and sisters.

And that's how we end up with a healthy church.

We don't, we don't, we don't say I stand for the precepts of God

and the things of the Kingdom of God, but not walk or uplift with

our tongue that brother and sister.

We don't curse brothers and says, oh, look at them.

Look at their Christianity. They say that they're great

Christians, but look how they talk in their life groups.

You know, that is using our words for cursing and yet we

wear a suit on Sunday. And so your actions and your

confession don't line up. But this church, in this church,

we are a church a healthy. How do I know that we are a

healthy church? Because I'll look at the

confession and I'll look at the action and I go, God, you're

moving. There is health in this place.

I love it. I love it.

I love the cafe after churches. Please don't go home straight

after the service. Go out to the cafe.

You'll be full of rich conversation.

If you feel still by the end of this, if you still feel a bit

down or that issue is is still just the number one thought that

you're having, just go out to the conversation.

Sit at the table and just go. People come sit at my table and

talk because that will lift you up.

That will build you up. This is what the church is,

right? It's what it's ought to be, but

it's what this Church is. And so engaging in the vision.

Now today I'm specifically talking about why you would be

participate in faith, love, hope two weeks faith, love hope

program. Now what is faith love hope many

would be asking here today. It's it's faith in action, It's

love in action and it's hope right.

So the idea is, is that as every city point church around the

world, once once a year, we take up this massive offering.

Now what? This offering isn't OK.

There's two things I've got to really tell you.

I've been busting to preach because I've just been wanting

to tell you this. It's just so important is is the

offering is our participation in the vision.

What it isn't is you're not giving an offering to Mel and I,

and you're not replacing your weekly ties.

With your faith, if you make a pledge over the next 12 months,

we're going to give as a family this much to the faith of hope.

That doesn't mean you do a wave of tithing.

They're two different things in the Bible.

That's why in the church we often we often tie them together

by saying ties and offerings because they're two different

things. OK, so you're so your tithe or

your pledge doesn't outdo your your weekly sorry, your offering

doesn't outdo your weekly tithing.

OK. And you're not doing?

To Mel and I, Mel and I won't be here forever.

It's pretty sad. I know.

I can see all your faces. You know someone out the back

crying already. Like it's OK, Mel and I won't be

here forever. But this church will get

stronger and stronger and stronger.

So you're not tithing into us. You're tithing into the vision

that God has upon this church. And we are the carriers of it

all the leaders of it in this season of our life, which I hope

will be till Jesus comes. All right, that's, that's my

prayer. So Jesus has around 10 years.

I'm not saying I'm leaving in 10 years, but I want to be in my

prime when he comes, all right? So I'm kind of doing that

heavenly prayer, you know, I'm praying to the armies in heaven,

the heavenly armies, you know, come on, guys, you know, and I'm

sure they're listening to me, right?

And all, anyway, OK, I'm just going, please.

So anyway, the other thing is, is you have to be, this is just

real serious, just for like 10 seconds, OK, and serious.

And then I'll say something funny when you do giving

finances. Now, it came out in Rachel's

message this morning, but there's a story in the Bible of

Ananias and Sapphire, if you know that story.

Whenever you pledge, you need. To know who you're pledging

before it's the great I am. Please don't pledge beyond your

means mixed with a portion of faith.

Please don't pledge just according to your means.

Mel and I aren't really that interested in people living

according to their means. Mel and I are mostly interested

in people who live by faith. So I believe and I always

practice that when it comes to things like that.

I've been part of this my whole life.

I've given to church things every year like this forever.

And I remember, you know, when you, when you go from giving

like $8000 to $10,000 over the next 12 months, the $8000 you

can do, you just don't feed your children for a year or you give

them minimal survival level, right?

You drink water because it's kind of free from the, you, you

pay your taxes and rates and all that anyway.

But so you, you go for water, minimal food in the house and

down to 1 car and you can make 8 grand work, right?

And so we could make 8 grand work, but we can't make 10.

And so we pray about that and we just go.

Now I'm just using an example of numbers, OK, it could be for

you. It could be moving from 100 to

$200.00 / 12 months. The 200 factor is the faith.

OK God, faith is the currency of heaven.

And whenever we're going to play around faith with money, I

believe you need the heavenly currency.

And so faith is where we go. God, I really believe you spoke

to me and my my wife or my husband and we are in agreeance

that you want us to move from $50.00 to $100 or 8000 to 10,000

or 15 to $20,000 this year. We're in agreeance on this.

But Father God, we can't calculate it on paper.

It's stretching us a bit. It's not silly stretch.

Please don't do silly stretch. Not interested in that.

We want real faith growth to come in this church this year.

And so, but God, we, we, we have to say, we commit, we will take

the steps as far as we can. But father like Abraham when he

had his son tied up, we'll do the tie, We'll go that hard of

this, we'll even lift the knife. We'll go that hard.

But our faith is what we confess to our son.

That was the key in Rachel's message this morning.

The confession will be my God will provide the sacrifice.

He didn't say that's why you're here son.

See Abraham even till the end of obedience still had the faith

portion which is my God will provide.

He always has. Why wouldn't he now?

He's done it before, I'm pretty sure he's going to do it again.

Has anyone had that level of faith?

It's how I want to encourage you.

So this is what Faithful of Hope is.

It's a massive stretch. It's literally a season where we

call the church to come together with one vision, one vision, 2

visions is division two leaders is a monster.

It's 2 heads. There is one, one vision given

by God in this church. And the pastors Mark and Lee.

And we unify and then we go, I can do this, but I believing,

I'm believing for this in faith. And if we do that, we lift up.

Is this OK? Like am I, am I going places not

even on my message? But anyway, we've got the title

out. That's pretty good.

What's the the Kingdom of God when he's when God stretches us

in prayer, Let's use prayer. Just take money aside for a

moment. When God is is stretching you

and he's calling you to more time in prayer and you like God,

I can't. I like I only have so many hours

in the day. I've got kids, I've got family,

I've got work. I don't finish work till 5:30.

I don't even get home till 6:30 as it is.

Where do I fit in this prayer? But when you when you go but but

Gods, I say yes. And when you just make it

happen, What happens is not only can God stretch time because

he's the. Author of it, right?

He will then reward that faith. But he might not reward the

faith by asking for more prayer. But next time you pray for

healing, you see a miracle. You're what the Bible calls a

trusted person where he can trust you with his presence.

You're not a church member that that takes it all for granted,

but you come into the House of God and you're a contributor.

You're you're a person that he can trust with his presence, but

you're also a person that he can trust with his power.

How does he know it? Well, maybe put the prayer aside

for a moment and we come back to the finances because he says

this person is about getting into the mission.

I gave Graham Mel that vision, the I am grave, Gray and Mel

that vision. And so when we partner with

that, we're not partnering with Gray and Mel.

We're bypassing us and we're going, we're partnering with the

call of God on this church and he goes that faith that they

exercise Holy Spirit move on their faith, they've moved

heaven. When we say the word currency,

it's not always talking about money.

It's the currency of heavenly release.

It's the currency where where the windows of heaven are.

This is what tied in is weekly this making sense.

And so this is what we are calling you to be part of this

year. Let me use some notes and some

scripture, all right. So engage in the vision now, the

vision of City Point. City Point Church has a vision.

It's clear. It's on the wall out there to

unmistakably influence our world for good and for God.

Who can unmistakably influence their world for God?

If people hate them, Don't lift your hand is a trick question.

We have to do good as a church for people to open their hearts

to the words you have to say. This is what feeding and, and

things like global care that we do at the two locations, Bribie

Island and and here global care. We, we TJ is a weapon, right?

We all love TJ, but he gives people food and then shares the

gospel and they go thank you with an open heart of receiving

and then boom, Jesus is right in there.

You know, we, we give people food for a purpose, sure to

feed, but Jesus said in his scriptures, the hungry will

always be with you. He actually said the poor, the

poor will always be with you. So it's not about fixing the

world crisis of of poor people, but what it is, is God has also

then said to make sure that you feed the poor.

So what does he want? Like he feed the poor, but he's

not going to fix the poor. Like the poor crisis.

You know what I mean? It's like, what do you want from

us, God? Well, when we feed the poor, we

can share Jesus. We don't live on bread alone.

The bread alone doesn't fix it. They need Jesus.

They need the revelation of who the one is.

Is is what? What's happened in the life of

this person that's given them the bread, that's given them the

food, the transformation that's happened in their lives, That's

what will change our generation and our Shire.

Amen. So it's engaging in this.

So this is our purpose and this is the why we exist as a church.

It's the stamp that we want to leave on Morton Shire if we

engage in it. Vision gives meaning to life.

I have spoken to way too many Christians in my life who still

struggle with meaning, who struggle with the waking up

every day and what's what's the reason?

I'm on planet Earth and they're Christians.

The reality is, is if you're a Christian today, you have so

much meaning and purpose in your life.

It's absolutely ridiculous because the creator of the

universe now lives in you through the power of his Spirit,

Amen. And your words have the ability

to form what's your meaning? Speak life over someone else.

Reform their the bubble that they live in or called their

life. Help them reshape.

Let's lift up brothers and sisters in Christ.

Let's feed the poor and get the name of Jesus out there.

We must leave a stamp on the Shire so we engage in this

vision. Now let me read a scripture of

how Jesus brought this to his disciples and the extra people

around. And you'll find it in the book

of Matthew, chapter 28, verse 16.

Matthew 28:16

It says this, we've titled it in the New King James Version, the

Great Commission, so maybe you've heard it before.

It says then the 11 disciples went away into Galilee to the

mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.

When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted

and Jesus came and spoke to them, saying that Jesus said

this. All authority has been given to

me in heaven and on earth. You know what that means?

Nothing has power over your life when you declared Jesus nothing.

There is not a thing man the the the enemy.

The enemy is so weak. Now I'm going to qualify what

I'm about to say, OK, But he is so weak.

It's shameful. Shame on him.

Like he literally what what we, what we got to understand is

there is no battle. Now we've read the book of

Revelations and we know Armageddon's coming.

There's going to be this great spiritual, but what you got to

understand is, is there's no battle in the sense of get your

armies and get their armies and and God's armies are here going,

Oh my goodness, that's a big army.

Like I'm not sure we can do this.

Father, are we going to be? Able to do it, yes, Spirit, we

will be able to do it. And Jesus is going, oh guys, I'm

not sure. Like that's a really big army.

They're giants from the book of Genesis.

They're the real giants. It's not like that.

It's absolutely not, not like that.

The devil just literally goes, OK, devil armies, let's come

together. We got to do it anyway because

we're bad people, so we got to do bad stuff, so let's do it

anyway. But Jesus just goes like that.

It's it's just it's we now what? I'm not saying that he's my

qualification, OK if you give. The devil, a foothold in your

life, he'll. Destroy you so the.

Bible says we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but

principalities and powers. You are nothing compared to the

devil. He's the real deal.

But he is like that when it comes to God.

God's the real deal, the real deal.

Me and my son, we're just, he goes to kindy and I say, son,

you're big. And he goes, no, daddy, I'm not

big and I say you're bigger, you're bigger big.

He goes, yeah, Daddy, I'm bigger big anyway, so he's the greater

greater anyway, so. What I'm trying?

To get at that's just some personal dialogue.

OK, I just shared it with you. It's all good.

But what we got to what we got to understand is when we can

understand this and we stop fighting in the natural and

start fighting in the spiritual, then it's a no joke contest.

OK, But while you stay in the natural in your fights, like,

well, how do you fight in the spiritual then?

Well, it's actually it's, it's actually pretty simple as well.

But you do have to grow in it. OK, It's and it's your prayer.

You can do things like fasting. OK, fasting is a real conqueror.

It's a real deal. It's a real thing in your life,

man. When I fast, what happens?

What happens when I fast? When I fast, I winch, but just

to my wife. OK, so I winch.

I generally like I generally go to bed and I have a good dinner

and I say honey, in the morning I'm going to start fasting and

I'll wake up in the morning. I'm already a mess like and I

haven't really started. It's just a she's like it's all

in your head grave. Although I think it must be like

it's just knowing about them. Like I'm not a good faster.

I've got to be quite honest, but I fast like all the time.

OK, And the reason why is I can't really explain what

happens except for I become more of a victorious person.

Clarity comes, OK, so if I'm fasting or just praying like

crazy, like I'm just like this week, I'm just going to pray

absolutely as much as I can. I get clear, man.

I just get sharp. Like I, I'm just, I just start

getting words of knowledge. I'm just like, got to settle

myself down, you know? It's like sharpness comes.

Clarity comes in your life, purpose comes in your life, but

a sense of power comes now it's not powering me, but it's just a

power in knowing who's I am and who I am in Christ.

And when I don't do these things in my life, the opposite become

starts to happen. Now you know exactly what I'm

talking about. I I actually start to feel

weaker. My manhood starts to feel more

wussier. I don't know what the right word

is that'll do from it's a council word, so.

It's all right, I'm from towns. Alive, I've got permission.

I, I my manhood. So man, you know what I'm

talking about. OK, you, you just don't feel

like you're the man that you should be.

There's just something. This is because you're not

praying. You're not you're not reading

the word of God enough. Now, you might be praying, but

praying over dinner, That's a religious prayer.

Oh, man, I want to talk about it right now, but I won't.

It just falls into religion. OK, That's not what God says.

Pray like I'm saying, get up when your wife falls to sleep.

You hear her fall asleep. Be the man that gets up and goes

and just spends half an hour in the living room and just, hey,

God, here I am. Don't know what to say.

I'm going to practice that heavenly language I got at

church the other week and I'm going to pray in tongues, what

we call tongues. And I'm just going to pray and

just be. Here in your presence or you

will do what the pastor exampled on Sunday.

You know, just all this morning at church where he's just got us

all just to be quiet and just to lift our hands.

And he taught me something there, God, even when I don't

know what to say, You're with me because I'm a Christian, so

you're with me. And so Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit, thank you Jesus, and you just invite him into

your world, and the dove comes on your shoulder, and you go,

God, I want to practice waking up tomorrow with the dove still

on my shoulder. I want to see how long I can go

on my day with just this flesh, knowing and understanding that

you're still on my shoulder. Now, what I'm not saying is that

he just leaves you, but you do have to cultivate the presence

of God in your life. Anyway, I'm preaching about

vision, apparently. So Jesus said all authority.

Has been given to me in. Heaven and on earth, Go there

for this Is it ready? Go there for.

And make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the

name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you.

And LOL, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

What did Jesus just do? When Jesus spoke these words, he

gave the people a vision for their lives.

It's a commissioning for their lives.

They could now see what their purpose of life is, and it's to

carry the presence via power and the authority because Jesus

started by saying all authority in heaven and on earth.

Oh, that's where I went off track and and on on earth has

been given to me. And then he gives it to them, to

you church and to me. He gave it to us.

The one that carries all answers, all authority has been

given to us. Amen.

So it's a vision for you and I to engage in.

Vision is the fruit of faith. We have a picture of the future,

so that's where we apply our faith to Vision is the fruit of

faith. Now that is interesting because

most people think it's the other way around.

Most things people think it's faith and then you receive the

fruits. But vision is the fruit of

faith. When you have faith in your life

in God, you have faith in the vision he puts on you.

When you have faith in the I am and he says you have my

authority, then it's fulfilled. So vision is the fruit of faith.

Vision is the why we exist, why we can't wait to get out of bed

in the morning. If you're struggling to get up

in the morning, you need more vision in your life because let

me tell you my favorite day honestly, I'm going to just be

honest is Sunday. But Monday is like right there

because what I Sunday to me is I just get so edified, which means

I get so overwhelmed with the love of God, the presence of

God, the company of God and the church, the testimonies, the

worship, right? But I, it makes me just buzzing

for Monday. I love my job.

I I've got the best job on the earth.

I'm sorry guys, but I really do have the best job on the earth.

And I come to church and I'm like in vision mode, man.

I'm like, how do we change this whole Shire for Jesus?

You know what I mean? This is the why we get up out of

bed. Vision gives us goals to achieve

without vision in your. Business, You don't know what

you're going to achieve today, but when you have a.

Clear vision. A clear vision.

Not a muddy vision, not an influence by outsiders vision.

When you've got a clear vision, you know what your purpose for

today is, and if you achieve it, then you can achieve tomorrow's.

Goal it gives you. Clarity.

Vision is the best friend of momentum.

Vision keeps us on track, Vision gives reason for everything, and

vision stops us perishing. Now, disclaimer, I want to get

to the end of my message, so I'm going to go really, really fast.

Are you ready? 1.5 speed.

Here we go. When we have a vision, we have

personal value. When we have a vision, we have

direction. When we have a vision, we have a

purpose. We have something to engage in

here at City Point Church. Vision is designed to put

momentum in our lives and keep us in unity for the great 'cause

churches that are out of unity are out of vision or the visions

on the wall, but there's no clarity in the church.

Proverbs 2918 says where there is no vision that people cast

off restraints. I view it like this.

Where there is no vision, there is monsters.

OK, you don't know what I'm talking about, OK.

All right, let's just move on. So Proverbs 2918 in the New

Living Translation says when people do not accept divine God

guidance, they run. Wild.

So that's the other way to say it.

What was I saying with monsters when there's no clear vision?

The people in the church create their own.

What am I talking about? Oh, OK.

Well, why doesn't city point north?

Do this program. They should be doing this

program. And then your life groups like,

yeah, why don't they? Do you know why?

No, I don't know why Pastor Gray's never told me, say we

should be doing that. Why don't we put something

together? Now there's another vision

formed. So you've just LED 12 people in

your life group down a different vision.

So that's now division. Now, I know no one he has done

that, but I'm just talking about in workplaces, all right?

So yeah, it's OK. I can see everyone just staring

at me just like, my God, I just did that last week.

It hasn't come back to me yet. But don't worry, I'll give you a

phone call anyway. But that's that's what happens

when you get division. You've got 2 heads, you've got 2

leaders. 2 heads is a monster, two visions is division.

So when the vision is clear and plain, the people don't perish

or run wild. We stay in one accord.

Faith, love, hope is the greatest opportunity for you and

I to get back on the page. If you feel your spirit man

start to wander, or maybe you've been looking at your church and

kind of going, you know, I don't know where we're going.

I don't know what we're doing. This is a good opportunity for

you just to go. But God, this is your church.

I believe that you are still the head.

So I'm going to be part of this vision.

Would you give me clarity of what it actually is?

Because I'm I'm struggling to see it, but I know that I want

to engage with the vision. And so today is a call.

Would you engage in the vision in Wales meant to be going fast.

So our vision keeps us unit united and pushes back division

for the people of City Point Church world worldwide.

We are engaged in the vision to unmistakably influence our world

for good and for gone. This vision statement, it's our

commissioning as a church. We take it personally, take it

personally, we apply it, we work towards it daily.

We are City Point Church and we are here for this purpose.

I write that. Here because it's not this is

City Point Church. It's not I go to City Point

Church, it's I am City Point Church.

So for the unmistakably influence our wealth for good

and for God to be fulfilled. I have to pay my part, play my

part, otherwise there's an element that won't get

fulfilled. We take it personally.

We take it upon ourselves. This vision statement is what

God has given to our senior pastors, Mark and Lee Ramsey.

So run with it, God said in Habitat 22 to three said, write

the vision and make it plain on tablets that he may run.

Who reads it? Church, Would you run with this

vision? Would we have the problem in

this church where Mel and I has to ask people to slow down

rather than to get going? Could you be our problem this

year? Could you be the one that is

coming up at our staff meetings all the time, which is between

me and Mel because we're the only staff?

And so could you be our marriage issue where we're like, how come

these people are just running and running?

We can't keep up and we can go back to the scriptures and go

because it's so clear and they're so full of passion and

hunger. They've owned it for themselves.

We are the ones that need to get running a bit faster.

Wouldn't that be a great problem in the life of church health

transformation? Good works, the name of Jesus.

I've just said them because I'm about to come to something.

In a minute. The key to vision, a vision like

this, unmistakably influenced, isn't to just be a statement on

the wall, or a slogan or a sticker.

Our vision needs to get inside of us.

People leave churches when they don't know the vision because

it's just a slogan on the wall. It's just all, I can take that

even further. This is good bit of gold.

It gets set on the platform but doesn't get exercise through the

leader. We can say in our life groups

leaders, life group leaders in this House, in whatever

department demographic, you can say it, but if you don't do it,

the people. Will will move away from

following it. They might follow you, but not

the vision. So they can follow you out the

door because they don't have the vision.

The objective of every. Leader on every level is to get

vision into the people and us as the people here today it's to

allow the vision to soak into our lives and to say yes, God

and Amen, I am part of this thing Amen it's our

participation commitment to unmistakably influence our

wealth of. Good and God, it's our

participation commitment. I commit to participate in this

vision. The vision becomes our why we

are in this church in the 1st place and what we are set out to

do as a church army in our community.

Listen to this. In a lifetime, the average

person influences 80,000 people in 78 years of life.

And you thought that your life was coming to nothing.

You know, you used to think that before you gave your life to

God. You wonder, am I really doing

anything in this world? Well, let me tell you, you are

definitely doing something in this world, but without vision

and clarity. You can be doing something for

evil or doing something for good.

You can do. You can be leading people to

dysfunction because you're still on your journey.

Or you can be leading people in the same sphere of, of

understanding and maturity that you are.

Or you can have a greater vision and you can say, guys, don't

follow me, but follow the vision that's within me.

Don't follow the the lifestyle that I'm coming out of because

I'm still on my journey, but follow me to where I'm going.

That's what a vision is. It's a connection point.

A vision connects from the now into this great future.

In fact, a vision is even greater than you and I Yeah.

Are we getting this today? Are we feeling this vision is

greater than us? It's unattainable.

It's unachievable. That's why it's vision and not

today's goal or task. Amen.

We're influencing anyway, so we engage in the vision.

Of our lives, the church Mel and I see, and this is where I

wanted to get to. Mel and I have a vision for this

church. It's clear because we've done

some surveys and you didn't even know about it and we came up 10

out of 10. So it's pretty good.

Probably 9 out of 10 to be on. I'm just going to be honest, it

was 9 out of 10. It's clear.

But we are what's? Called painters.

Mel and I are what is called painters.

We paint the vision and so everyone can see the painting,

but we don't override past the mark and Lee's vision for City

Point churches, It is to unmistakably influence our world

for good and for God. So Mel and I under that have

painted a picture over the years of what that means to get that

into this community, to get that into this community because into

Carindale, it's completely different.

You know, you're you're talking about BMWs and two three story

houses and you know, lots of money and big business.

And then you come to Caboolt Caboolture.

Just try to dodge my own spirit. You come to Caboolture and it

needs to be outworked differently, All right?

Then you go to Redcliff, it has to be outworked differently.

Then you go in the West differently.

You go over into America differently.

You go to New Zealand. It's differently, but it's the

same vision with a different package or a different painting.

Mel and I see people from this church having God revelation of

how to partner with the mission to reach our community for

Jesus. Listen, we don't want you to

just reach our community. I love good works, OK?

We should be known for them. But good works without declaring

Jesus and seeing transformation in someone's life is just good

works. We, Mel and I, aren't here.

Listen, we aren't here for the church to be known for global

care. That's not why we're here.

We are here and I've been given, if you've ever been in my

office, I've got a big picture of it and God gave me a clear

vision. We are here to see Jesus as the

banner of Mortonshire, starting with our community.

And what does that mean? You don't have the banner of

Jesus just by declaring Jesus. Declaring Jesus is telling

everyone that we are the church, but they're not.

We've got to go further than just the declaration.

We have to walk with people and see transformation.

We have to not transform to us, but transform to the Word of

God. We have to spend the time with

our neighbors, our friends, our work colleagues and make sure

that they are being transformed by the gospel.

Because there is nothing else on planet earth that matters more.

Nothing. Not one thing.

Your business, the purpose of your business is to see this

vision fulfilled. I got no shame in saying that at

all. None at all.

We all have our gifts, we all have our purposes, but they're

all for the vision. The Great Commission, I read

before, all Pastor Marks vision is statement, is the Great

Commission reskinned? That's all it is.

It's just reskinned for the outworkings of it that God has

put in past the mark in Lee's hearts.

All Mel Mel's and my picture painting thing is, which is

weird. I can't even paint.

But. All that that is, is it's

reskinning directly for our community, all right?

It's just a reskin of the Great Commission.

This is where people need to be transformed, not into the good

things that the church does and what we're all known for.

If they're not being transformed for Jesus, I don't care how big

the church is at all. I want a church full of truth.

When people walk in this church, I know this already and I love

it about this. I'm so proud of this church.

But when people walk in, we just put our arms around.

We don't care what they look like, smell like, where they

come from. We don't care at all.

In fact, we just go, man, you're, you're one of us now.

Like, you know, what's the difference?

I wear a suit. Well, who cares?

Like, I just do that because I've got this funky thing inside

of me. I think I look younger than what

I am. It just doesn't matter what

people think about me. I feel good.

So I wear my jacket. It's not about looks.

Does this make sense? It's like this is, this is what

it is. This is the transformation of

the gospel of Jesus Christ. Anyway, I've still got SO.

Many more points the band wants me off.

OK, people from this church are so passionate to see

transformation in our community that sharing the gospel is a

must for us. A church so on fire for Jesus

and who he is that we worship and we pray.

Unreserved, unashamed like we we just when it comes to prayer

meetings like we already do Example this.

But this is just who we are as a church.

New ideas springing out of this place that helps others find

wholeness and joy. We want we want you to come up

with ideas. It doesn't have to all come from

Melani. If you're part of this church,

you're empowered. Go in Jesus name and come up and

great with great ideas to help people to love on people.

If you're a counselor in this house, let us know.

We'll use you so much. It's unbelievable.

But because we want to see wholeness and we want to see

people healed. I want to get healed.

We all want to get healed, Amen. We move into the things of God.

We want we see a church where repentance is flooding, this

church where we humbly lay our all down for God.

I am not too proud to say I have to repent daily.

I have to repent daily because until He gives me a new body,

new flesh, and a new mind, I'm not worthy.

I'm made worthy by Jesus and I'm grateful for that.

But I'm still. Conscious of my flesh.

And so I lay it down daily before God.

I go God I'm sorry for my stinky body that I thank you for your

grace. I'm sorry that my mind goes that

way and I lack the self-control so holy.

Spirit. Fill me with that.

But I thank you for your grace. I'm sorry that I in the flesh.

Sometimes I feel dirty, I really do.

I'm sorry for that. I repent of those things that

would make me feel that, but I thank you that they never change

or diminish my identity in who I am in Christ.

Does that make sense? It's the war.

The Bible says that we are the flesh wars against the Spirit,

and the Spirit wars against. Engage in the war.

Engage in it. Don't just let it happen and

then wonder what's going on. I feel like I'm a mess going

this way and that way. Engage in it.

Acknowledge there is a war between flesh and spirit.

And so I engage in that thing and I I get the flesh and I

renounce it thin and I thank God for his spirit and tell that

thing to get in line. But it doesn't change who I am

or the power I have or the anointing I walk in.

Remember I said right at the beginning, the devil has no

power. Your flesh, which is his realm

has no power. Anything you feel Christian in

this place, that world does not dictate to this.

This dictates to that if we keep it in submission, we see a a

church that flows in finance into this church to see the

mission realized where each member of this great church

lifting high the banner of Jesus for all to know.

An undeniable mark left on our community that testifies Jesus.

Melon. I see a church pursuing and

walking in personal health of body, mind, soul and emotions.

Do you know that in this very house we have had around 70

people a year for three years now get professional

counselling. Not because they're bad people,

but because they're becoming whole people.

Amen. Can I encourage you?

Why don't you do the same? I'm sure there's an area in your

life we have some contacts we can help.

We engage in it ourselves. Our whole leadership team of

this church has done it. Because we're all about getting

whole, not just saved. We want to become the best us we

possibly can, not just going to heaven, Amen.

So we want to see health in the body, mind, soul and emotions.

We see a church moved to see our Shire come into relationship

with Jesus Christ. Amen.

We see a church who embraces love, who embraces loves and

walks alongside newcomers to Jesus.

Jesus for. Our generation Amen.

Receive that. We are here to make a difference

and faith love hope offering in two Sundays time is a way in

which we can all be involved in this great vision.

This church has a vision to engage with this offering is

hell that we do it together. Engage in the vision received

that word today. It's pretty good, pretty good.

Thank you Jesus, Father God, just pray over this great

church. Today, many of us are deciding

in our hearts to engage. Today, we're like, you know

what? Being part of this church for

too long. Today is the day of engagement.

Father, I just. Pray Holy Spirit, would you give

them clarity and vision, show them how to engage Father with

faith, love, hope, obviously, but just in life, Father, for

everyone that's heard about faith, love, hope, maybe got

more understanding than ever before.

Holy Spirit, I just pray that you.

Would meet with us stretch our faith this year, but in that

teach us wisdom as well. And Father God, we just thank

you that this year for this church, our faith, love, hope in

this season will be the greatest that we've ever experienced in

this church. But father not just great

because of money. But great, because of the

stretch of faith that you have done in our lives, we call this

church to greater faith.