Pursue the Strategy of My Church

As I said last week, I believe that the future of Christ Community Church is brighter now than it's ever been before and will continue to get brighter and brighter with each passing day simply because of what God has done in your life. That is, that you have chosen and will choose to give glory and honor to God as you live each and every day. In other words, as you give glory to the Lord, as you put Him on display, as you magnify His name, you reflect His righteous radiance in and through your life.

As you do that, you portray the beauty and brilliance of who Jesus Christ is. When you do that, the future of the church is extremely bright simply because you have chosen to do the one thing and the only thing you have complete and total control over, and that is to choose to magnify the name of God in every situation, in every circumstance, in every conversation, in every relationship, in every interaction that I have at work, at church, at home, at play. No matter where I am, I'm going to put God on display.

I'm going to magnify His name. That's why Paul said, whatever you do, whether you eat or whether you drink, do everything to the glory of God. Do everything to the honor and praise of God.

Do everything so that God is put on display. So Paul would say in Ephesians 3:21, these words, let there be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus from generation to generation to God be the glory. And so we are to put God on display.

When we do that, everything is brilliant. It's beautiful. It's bright simply because you have reflected the righteous radiance of your Redeemer, and that's what it means to put God on display and to glorify His name.

And so we have said that over this time that we are together, these four weeks, our family gathering, a family talk dealing with the promise that we made when we said Christ Community Church is my church, is my home church, is where I want to worship, is where I want to use my gifts, is where I want to learn from the Lord, where I want to grow with the body of Christ. And when you make that promise, when you make that commitment, when you make that covenant to God and to the church, you make four main promises.

The first we covered last week, and that is to preserve the unity of my church. I will do everything I can, as Paul says in Ephesians 4, verses 1 to 3, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace, being diligent, having a holy zeal, doing all that I can to make sure that the church maintains that which God prayed for in John chapter 17, that we would be one as He and the Father are one. Remember, you cannot develop unity in the church, but you certainly can destroy unity in the church. Why? Because Christ prayed that we would be one.

So we are all one basically because of the bond of peace that brings us all together. We've been reconciled to God. And therefore, I am diligent to do that.

Solomon tells us in Proverbs 12:27, that man's most precious possession is his diligence. In other words, the holy zeal that you possess, the drive and passion that you have is a gift from God. It's your most prized possession.

Diligence is man's most precious possession. Why? Because it cannot be substituted for anything else. It's what drives you.

It's what motivates you. So Paul says, hey, I want you to be diligent. I want you to have this holy zeal to preserve the unity, the spirit, the bond of peace. And we said we do that four ways.

Number one, through personal examination. I examine my life in light of what the Bible says.

Number two, through mutual submission. Because I examine my life and I recognize where my life is, I then submit myself to one another. I lift others above myself.

I exalt you above me. That's what mutual submission really entails. I am willing to lift you higher than myself.

And that mutual submission leads to scriptural confrontation, because I'm concerned about your own personal life. Having already dealt with the log in my eye, I can deal with the speck in my brother's eye.

And that leads to beneficial conversation, where my conversation is seasoned with salt, because there are gracious words that come from my mouth.

Those four elements make up the holy zeal by which I preserve the unity, the spirit, the bond of peace. Number two, that's this week. And that is, not only do I preserve, yeah, sorry, preserve the unity of the spirit, and the bond of peace. But I pursue the strategy of my church.

I pursue the strategy of my church. That is, thirty-one years ago when our church started, we said, this is our strategic mission as a church. And that is that we make sure it is our passion to pursue Christ, that it truly is our priority to portray Christ, that it is our purpose to proclaim Christ, and our practice to praise Christ.

That's the strategy of our church. And so I am passionate about that. This is what drives us.

And it begins, and it's on the wall. It's on your bulletin. It's on the website.

It's everywhere you go. It's on the promise card. This is who we are.

And so as we pursue the strategy of our church, we want to make sure that it is our passion to pursue Christ. Paul, in Philippians 3:10, had that passion, that I may know Him in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. Paul had this passionate pursuit in life to know His God.

That should be our pursuit in life, to know God. We pursue Him because He is so incomprehensible. In fact, the Bible says in Romans chapter 11, these words, verse number 33, O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are His judgments, and unfathomable His ways.

For who has known the mind of the Lord, who became His counselor, who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Paul says God is unsearchable. God is untraceable. God is unimaginable.

God is unfathomable. In fact, He is so untraceable that in Revelation 19, when Jesus returns again, the Bible says there is a name written on Him that no one knows. How is it the angels in heaven don't know the name? And they're with Jesus every day.

But there's a name written on Him that no one knows, not even the angels in heaven. And someone always says, well, what's that name? No one knows. That's why it says there's a name written on Him that no one knows.

But you see, it helps you understand something about God. He is so unfathomable, so unimaginable, so untraceable that you will spend all of eternity and you still will not know all and who God is. Because there's a name written on Him that no one knows.

He is eternal. He is infinite. He is way beyond human comprehension.

He is not a better brand of us. He is completely different than us. And therefore, we will spend eternity serving Him, praising Him, honoring Him, and somehow spending the rest of eternity trying to understand this unimaginable, unfathomable, untraceable God who gave His life that we might live for Him.

At the end of Paul's ministry, he's in prison, 2 Timothy chapter 4. He's already said, I run the race. I finished my course. And now there is laid before me a crown of righteousness, and not only for me, but for all those who love His appearing.

So he's writing his last epistle. This is number 13. He's already written 12.

This is number 13, under the divine inspiration of the living God. And you come to verse 13 of chapter 4, 2 Timothy, and Paul says to Timothy, come to me before winter. And when you come, bring the cloak, bring the books, and bring the parchments.

In other words, bring the Old Testament scrolls. And you ask yourself, why? You're on death's doorstep. You're about to die.

You've already written 12 epistles. You're writing your 13th epistle. What is it you can still possibly know, Paul? You've already been caught up into the third heaven.

You've already seen things you can't even speak about. So what is it you want to learn, Paul? But see, that's the driving force behind Paul's ambition, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. I just long to know my God.

So when he's suffering in that Mamertine prison, about to die, knowing that execution is just moments away, days away, saying, bring the parchments, bring the scrolls, bring the books. I still need to know my God.

Well, Paul, when you die, you're going to get to heaven, and you're going to see Him, and you'll be like Him, for you'll see Him as He is.

What's the driving passion? Just sit back in your cold, wet cell, relax, knowing that you're going to die. But see, that's not the way Paul lived his life. He always wanted to know more about his God.

I guess it begs the question, how much do we want to know God, right? Do we have this driving passion to know Him, this driving passion to pursue Him? That's why the Bible says, let not the mighty man boast in his might, or the rich man in his riches, or the wise man in his wisdom. But if you want to glory in something or boast in something, boast in this, that you know me, that you understand me, that I'm the God who exercises loving kindness and mercy and justice on the face of the earth. You want to get excited about something, get excited about knowing me, because that's what it's all about.

That's why God said to Hosea, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. They just don't know who I am. They should, but they don't.

And God has given us His Word to study, to learn, to memorize, He's given us a church that we can come and hear the Word of God every Wednesday, every Sunday, every Bible study, every gathering, every get-together. The Word of God is proclaimed and preached, honored, and held in high esteem. Whether it's in youth ministry, children's ministry, women's ministry, men's ministry, no matter what it is, God's Word is held in high esteem.

Why is it we don't want to know more about who Christ is, and look for every opportunity to learn more and more grab all that we can, not just on Wednesdays and Sundays and Bible studies, but all throughout the day by studying the Scriptures and saying, Lord, I just want to know you? Excuse me. Why would I do that? Well, let me give you a couple of reasons.

One is because when you know God, strength is received. Daniel 11:32, those who know their God will display strength and do great exploits. Wow. So Daniel says, those who know their God will display strength.

You want to be able to display strength in the workplace? Display strength in your family? Display strength in your neighborhood? Display strength wherever you go? Daniel did that because he knew his God. Paul did that. He knew his God.

James did that. He knew his God. The apostles knew that, because they knew their God. Excuse me. And so we realize that when you know God, strength is received.

You become a strong man, not a weak man. You don't become weaker the more you know God. You become stronger the more you know God.

So if you find a weak man, what do you assume? He just doesn't know God. Why? Because weak men don't know God. Strong men know God.

Those who know God display strength and do great exploits. That's just… Thank you. There you go.

At least someone's awake over there. See, that should at least receive a holy grunt. Right? Some kind of holy grunt, some kind of praise, hallelujah, something that would say, yes, praise the Lord.

Yes, that's the way we should be. Strength is received. Number two, security is reinforced.

Security is reinforced. Listen to what the psalmist says in Psalm 46. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change, and though the mountains slip to the heart of the sea. No matter how great the earthquake is, there is no fear. Why? Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake in swelling pride.

No, verse 7, the Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Verse 11, the Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our stronghold. So verse 10 is the key.

Cease striving and know that I am God. Just know me. And you have no fear.

The security that you will receive will be reinforced over and over again. You don't have to be afraid at night. Don't be afraid of your boss, afraid of an earthquake, afraid of a fire, afraid of death.

Why? Because security is reinforced because God is your refuge, a very present help in times of trouble. He is the Lord of armies, the Lord of hosts. He's the God of Jacob.

He's your God. And when you know Him, ah, security is reinforced. Why? Because strength has been received.

Let me give you another one quickly. Satisfaction is realized. Satisfaction is realized.

This is what Peter says, 2 Peter chapter 1. He says this, verse 2, grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. When you know God, grace and peace are multiplied in your life, seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

Satisfaction is realized because I know God. There's an abundance of grace. There's an abundance of peace. Great peace have those who love your law and nothing causes them to stumble.

So the more I love the law of God, the more I get to know my God, the more I know my God, the greater the peace that envelops me and overwhelms me. Christ says, my peace I give unto you not as the world gives unto you, but my peace I give unto you. It's my peace.

And therefore, you're so satisfied because you're at rest. You're at peace. And God's grace is His unmerited favor given to those who are unworthy of anything.

But yet grace is multiplied beyond measure. God gives grace, grace to the humble, but He resists the proud. And those who know their God live a life of humility.

See? And so satisfaction comes to those who know their God because grace and peace are multiplied. I wish I had a lot more time to go into this. Ephesians 1:7 talks about the spirit of wisdom and how that's revealed in and through your life.

And then Colossians 1:9 and 10, how spiritual fruit is reproduced in your life simply because you know God. Listen, knowing God is more important than knowing anything or anyone else. You must understand that.

Knowing God is everything. And so as you pursue Him, as you make it your passion to pursue Him more and more and more, you grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord. And strength is realized.

And security is reinforced. And spiritual fruit is reproduced. And satisfaction is realized.

All because I've come to know my God. And then you just want to know Him all the more. See? That's the passion.

Our passion is to pursue Him. That's the strategy of our church. Number two, my priority is to portray Christ.

My passion is to pursue Him. My priority is to portray Him. In other words, I want you to see Christ in me.

I can't portray someone I do not know. But the more I know the Lord, the better I can portray Him. And I want to portray everything about Him.

I want to portray His grace and His mercy. I want to portray His love and His justice. I want to portray His forgiveness and His grace.

I want to portray His holiness. He's a holy God. So the Bible says in 1 John 2, verse number 6, he who says that he abides in Him ought Himself to walk even as He Himself walked.

In other words, I'm walking like Christ walked. I want to portray His life. I want to live His life.

And so therefore I want others to be able to see Christ in me. Like John the Baptist. He must increase. I must decrease. It's a constant pursuit of knowing God so that He is increased in my life and I am set aside. I am put away and Christ is seen in and through my life.

I want you to see in my conversation: Christ. I want you to see in my relationships: Christ. I want you to see in my home: Christ. I want you to see in my church: Christ. I want you to see Christ everywhere.

That was an amen by the way right there. Did you hear that? Even the babies say amen.

See this is just so important. I want to live for Christ.

I love what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 when he says, he says, finally then brethren we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that as you receive from us instruction as how you ought to walk and please God just as you actually do walk that you excel still more. I know you're walking with God but I want you to excel even all the more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of our Lord Jesus for this is the will of God your sanctification that you abstain from sexual immorality.

I want you to walk and please God, I want you to be holy. I want you to be set apart. That's what holiness means. It means to be set apart. Set apart from creation and set apart from corruption because God is holy, holy, holy, and he's set apart from his creation because he is God and we are not. He's set apart from corruption because there is no sin in him.

So to pursue holiness is to be set apart from creation the world around us because we're aliens and strangers in a foreign land and we're set apart from the corruption around us because we want to live his kind of life. See and so I make it my priority to portray Christ but that's not going to be my priority if my passion is not to pursue Christ. See so I passionately pursue him so I can really truly accurately portray him.

And then number three I make it my purpose to proclaim Christ. It's hard to proclaim somebody you don't know but when you know him you want everybody else to know who he is. So our purpose is to proclaim him to go into all the world and make disciples teaching them to observe all that God has commanded us.

We proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2, verse number 9.

Listen to what happens in the life of a man named Apollos in Acts chapter 18. Now a Jew named Apollos, verse 24, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man came to Ephesus and he was mighty in the scriptures.

That's just a great phrase. Mighty in the scriptures. Would it be that when you're dead, they put on your gravestone, oh he or she was mighty in the scriptures.

I wonder if they would say, I wonder if your kids would say, my dad was mighty in the scriptures. My mom was mighty in the scriptures. I wonder what they would say.

This is God's testimony on Apollos. The man had been instructed in the way of the Lord and being fervent in spirit he was speaking and teaching accurately things concerning Jesus being acquainted only with the baptism of John. But he was boiling over in the spirit.

He was overflowing with excitement and joy because he was mighty in the scriptures. You see a sad person, a person down in the mouth, a person with a bad attitude; they're not mighty in the scriptures, because people that are mighty in the scriptures are fervent in spirit.

They're eloquent. They're driven. They're passionate. There's joy about their life.

There's excitement about their life. But when a guy's always down and complaining and moaning and groaning, they're not mighty in the scriptures. Not even close because when you come to know Christ you want to be like Christ and then you want to tell other people about Christ.

That's the way it is. This is Apollos. But he only knew or was acquainted with the baptism of John.

He began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. Boldly. He speaks boldly.

No hesitation. Speaks boldly for Christ. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Why? Because he knew nothing about the death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah. He just knew the ministry of John. There were so many things he didn't know about Christ.

So they explained the way to him more accurately about the Christ that the Messiah had come. He was born just as the prophets had said. He died. He rose again the third day. He's coming back again.

Apollos now is learning all this because you see he's mighty in the scriptures. He's a humble man. He wants to learn and grow. He's not saying, well you can't tell me that.

No, he wants to know. So it says, and when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. And when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed the grace. For he powerfully refuted the Jews in public demonstrating by the scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.

Wow. See he could powerfully refute others because he was mighty in the scriptures.

He was powerfully taught by Priscilla and Aquila and he wanted to be fervent in spirit. He was driven by the Lord because his purpose was simply to proclaim the Christ. And that's your purpose.

You'll be mighty in the scriptures. You'll be fervent in spirit. You'll speak the way of God more accurately and boldly.

That was Apollos. I want to pursue the strategy of my church. That's my promise.

So I make it my passion to pursue Christ. I make it my priority to betray Christ. I make it my purpose to proclaim Christ.

And then I make it my practice to praise Christ. Isaiah 43:21.

Spoke many many weeks, a little over a year ago, on the practice of praise. Isaiah 43:21. The people that I have formed for myself they will declare my praise.

That's my practice. The Bible says in Psalm 34, I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise will continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the Lord to humbly hear it and rejoice. So magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together. I want to praise the Lord.

Listen to Psalm 147. Praise the Lord for it is good to sing praises to our God. It's a good thing to do.

Remember we told you when we went through our series on the practice of praise, that the most repeated command in all the Scripture is to praise the Lord. Is to give thanks to His name. Is to rejoice in Him.

It's the most repeated command in all Scripture. 635 different times we are told to do that. It's repeated over and over and over again.

Why? Because the Bible doesn't want us to forget. We're here to give thanks and to praise Him and to rejoice in His precious name. So Psalm 147 says it's good. It's so good to give thanks to the Lord. And this is this. For it is pleasing and praise is beautiful.

Praise is beautiful. You want beautiful children? It's not the clothes you dress them in. It's the heart attitude of praise that they give to God.

That's what makes a person beautiful. Why? Because praise enhances every scene, every circumstance, every situation. Praise makes that situation absolutely beautiful.

Why? Because you raise the level of perspective in the lives of people. You raise it to a heavenly perspective to get their eyes off of what's around them and on the Lord above them. Praise is beautiful.

Praise is becoming. Praise is that which enhances every scene, every circumstance, every situation, every hospital visitation, every negative diagnosis, every hardship in relationships and every conflict. Praise beautifies every scene.

That's why I make it my practice to praise His glorious name. Why? Because praise is becoming. Praise is beautiful.

And that's our practice. This is my promise to you. It's our promise to one another to preserve the unity, the spirit, the bond of peace and to pursue the strategy of my church every single day.

That's my promise to you, your promise to one another, our commitment to one another. When that happens, when that happens because you're honoring the Lord, you're glorifying His name, the future is brighter than it's ever been before. Why? Because Christ is seen and He's the light of the world.

And when He is seen, everything changes. Let's pray.

Lord God, we thank You for today, the opportunity You give us to be together.

As brief as it is, we praise You for the opportunity. Thank You, Lord, for bringing us together this day. May it be a precious day.

May it be a special day. May it be a God-honoring day. May it be a day where we renew our commitment to You and to one another, where we renew our promise that maybe we have forgotten, that no matter what it takes, I will, I will preserve the unity of my church.

I will pursue the strategy of my church because I want others to know Christ and to see Christ. So, Father, give us the grace and the strength and the energy that we need from day to day until You come again, as You most surely will, in Jesus' name. Amen.