Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH Vision SUNDAY Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH CHOOSE TO BELIEVE WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT YOU AND LIVE ACCORDINGLY Connecting people with God and one another

Jesus’ Crowd: ekklesia Connecting people with God and one another CHURCH PEOPLE Jesus’ Crowd: ekklesia Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH

Jesus’ Crowd: ekklesia Connecting people with God and one another Jesus wants his Church to grow Jesus’ Crowd: ekklesia Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH

Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH Connecting people with God and one another Jesus wants his church to GROW And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. [MATTHEW 16:18] Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH

Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH Connecting people with God and one another Church word pictures suggest growth In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. [EPHESIANS 2:21-22] Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH

Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH Connecting people with God and one another Church word pictures suggest growth From him [Jesus] the body grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work. [EPHESIANS 4:16] Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH

Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH Connecting people with God and one another Church word pictures suggest growth As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood [1 PETER 2:4-5] Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH

Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH We, the Church should be growing When we live holy lives hypocrisy is eliminated. There’s nothing that turns people off more than to see someone who professes to be a Christian, but whose lifestyle denies it. SPIRITUALLY : in our close connection with God : : in our love for God - : in being more and more like Jesus MATTHEW 22:37 & 2 PETER 3:18 Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH Connecting people with God and one another

Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH We, the Church should be growing GROW IN CHRISTLIKE CONDUCT AND CHARACTER AND FRUTFULNESS BY USING GPS: GOD’S Word, PRAYER, the SPIRIT’S Guidance SPIRITUALLY : in our close connection with God : : in our love for God - : in being more and more like Jesus MATTHEW 22:37 & 2 PETER 3:18 Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH Connecting people with God and one another

Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH We, the Church should be growing SOCIALLY : in our close connection with our fellow believers and practical love for them MATTHEW 22:38 In serving others with our God-given gifts we steward God’s grace to them Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH Connecting people with God and one another

Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH We, the Church should be growing SIGNIFICANCE : in our extension of the Kingdom through loving deeds in the wider community MATTHEW 5:13-16 & ACTS 2:47 Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH Connecting people with God and one another

Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH We, the Church should be growing May God help us to see that he love’s everyone and so should we. May God help us to see the depth of people’s need – that Jesus died for them. May God help us to see people’s potential as God sees it looking at them as someone for whom Jesus died and rose. May God help us to see people’s true spiritual condition no longer evaluating them merely on the basis of the outward. May God help us to see the great provision and the great part He has called us to play. SIGNIFICANCE : in our extension of the Kingdom through loving deeds in the wider community MATTHEW 5:13-16 & ACTS 2:47 Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH Connecting people with God and one another

Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH We, the Church should be growing GOD invites us to see people as he does and join him in the joyous search rather than staying self-contentedly and self-righteously at home secure in our deserved position. Have a Jesus-sized vision for people. SIZE : by telling people the good news of Jesus, them responding to him and becoming disciples the Church is added to & multiplies MATT. 28:18-20, ACTS 2:47; 5:14; 6:1 Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH Connecting people with God and one another

Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH We, the Church should be growing PLEASE DO YOUR PART EPHESIANS 4:16 : be active in relationships with non-believers – GO, TELL, DISCIPLE Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH Connecting people with God and one another

Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH We, the Church should be growing PLEASE DO YOUR PART EPHESIANS 4:16 : be active in relationships with non-believers – GO, TELL, DISCIPLE : pray about our challenges as we - live beyond our cash flow - minister beyond our people resource capacity - are ageing and are not yet substantially replacing us Having a vision for GROWING GOD’S CHURCH Connecting people with God and one another

Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her EPHESIANS 5:21 COMMUNION Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her EPHESIANS 5:21