A Church Alive in 2005!
Steve N. Wagers
I Thessalonians 1:1-10
January 2, 2005
Sermon Outline
1. The Witness this Church Released!
A. The Condition of the Lost!
B. The Commission of the Lord!
2. The Worship this Church Regarded!
A. Divine in its Focus!
B. Dynamic in its Format!
3. The Word this Church Received!
A. They Eagerly Received the Word!
B. They Earnestly Received the Word!
- I have never liked the word 'average.' Someone has defined average as being, "One step above the worst, and one step below the best." I have no desire to be the worst, and I see no reason why not to be the best.
- Yet, sad to say, there are many 'average' churches today. Let me give you a picture of the 'average' Southern Baptist Church.
- The average Southern Baptist Church has 381 members.
- Of those 381 members, 110, or 29% do not live in the nearby community.
- It takes 81 of those 381 members to win one person to Christ in a year.
- The 'average' SBC church baptizes 9 people a year.
- It takes 5 'average' SBC churches to support one missionary.
- I don't know about you, but I am interested in being an 'average' Southern Baptist Church. In fact, I am not as interested in being a Baptist church as I am in being a Bible-believing, local New Testament Church. For that will be the church that's alive in 2005.
- Many churches are like the airplane pilot who came on the loudspeaker and said to the passengers, "Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to know that our navigational equipment has malfunctioned. We do not know where we are going; we do not know where we are; but, we are making excellent time."
- Sadly, that is the plight of the 'average' church. They have no idea where they are, or where they are going. They have no clear vision of their priorities, their power, or their purpose. Thus, every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night, it is simply business as usual.
- I want you to look with me at our text and notic ...
Steve N. Wagers
I Thessalonians 1:1-10
January 2, 2005
Sermon Outline
1. The Witness this Church Released!
A. The Condition of the Lost!
B. The Commission of the Lord!
2. The Worship this Church Regarded!
A. Divine in its Focus!
B. Dynamic in its Format!
3. The Word this Church Received!
A. They Eagerly Received the Word!
B. They Earnestly Received the Word!
- I have never liked the word 'average.' Someone has defined average as being, "One step above the worst, and one step below the best." I have no desire to be the worst, and I see no reason why not to be the best.
- Yet, sad to say, there are many 'average' churches today. Let me give you a picture of the 'average' Southern Baptist Church.
- The average Southern Baptist Church has 381 members.
- Of those 381 members, 110, or 29% do not live in the nearby community.
- It takes 81 of those 381 members to win one person to Christ in a year.
- The 'average' SBC church baptizes 9 people a year.
- It takes 5 'average' SBC churches to support one missionary.
- I don't know about you, but I am interested in being an 'average' Southern Baptist Church. In fact, I am not as interested in being a Baptist church as I am in being a Bible-believing, local New Testament Church. For that will be the church that's alive in 2005.
- Many churches are like the airplane pilot who came on the loudspeaker and said to the passengers, "Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to know that our navigational equipment has malfunctioned. We do not know where we are going; we do not know where we are; but, we are making excellent time."
- Sadly, that is the plight of the 'average' church. They have no idea where they are, or where they are going. They have no clear vision of their priorities, their power, or their purpose. Thus, every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night, it is simply business as usual.
- I want you to look with me at our text and notic ...
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