Church the Way It was Meant to Be!
Steve Wagers
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
April 19, 2007
Sermon Outline
1. The Excitement that Marks the Church!
A) The Worship that they Experienced
B) The Word that they Embraced
2. The Evangelism that Measures the Church!
A) Concerned About the Condition of the Lost
B) Committed to the Commission of the Lord
3. The Experience that Motivates the Church!
A) They Labored in the Work of God
B) They Looked for the Son of God
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 don't know about you, but I have no desire to be the worst; and, I see no reason why not to be the best.
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 1 person a year to Jesus Christ
The average SBC baptizes only 8 people a year
It takes 5 churches to support 1 missionary.
Many churches are like the airplane pilot who came on the loudspeaker and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to know that our navigational equipment has malfunctioned. We don't know where we are; and, we don't know where we're going, but we're making excellent time."
That is the plight of many an "average" church today. They don't know where they are, don't know where they're going, but they think everything is just fine. As a result, because of a lack of passion, priority, or purpose, every time they assemble together it's just business as usual.
However, I want to introduce to you a model church for a modern world. Notice I did not say a "modern church' for a "modern world." I don't believe that Christ ever intended for His church to become like the world to reach the world; but, I do believe that He intended for His church to be ...
Steve Wagers
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
April 19, 2007
Sermon Outline
1. The Excitement that Marks the Church!
A) The Worship that they Experienced
B) The Word that they Embraced
2. The Evangelism that Measures the Church!
A) Concerned About the Condition of the Lost
B) Committed to the Commission of the Lord
3. The Experience that Motivates the Church!
A) They Labored in the Work of God
B) They Looked for the Son of God
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 don't know about you, but I have no desire to be the worst; and, I see no reason why not to be the best.
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 1 person a year to Jesus Christ
The average SBC baptizes only 8 people a year
It takes 5 churches to support 1 missionary.
Many churches are like the airplane pilot who came on the loudspeaker and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to know that our navigational equipment has malfunctioned. We don't know where we are; and, we don't know where we're going, but we're making excellent time."
That is the plight of many an "average" church today. They don't know where they are, don't know where they're going, but they think everything is just fine. As a result, because of a lack of passion, priority, or purpose, every time they assemble together it's just business as usual.
However, I want to introduce to you a model church for a modern world. Notice I did not say a "modern church' for a "modern world." I don't believe that Christ ever intended for His church to become like the world to reach the world; but, I do believe that He intended for His church to be ...
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