1. The Gate Genesis 28:10-17

2. The Gate Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. (Gen 28:10-11)

3. The Gate Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. (Gen 28:12)

4. The Gate Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it." And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!" (Gen 28:16-17)

5. The Gate A picture of the church –A place where heaven touches earth –A connection between God and people –The gate of heaven How can we make church the best gate of heaven it can be?

6. The Gate Last week Important to be planted in a church Our leaders are a gift from God to help us Value leaders because of the giver The way you benefit from leaders depends on how you view them

7. The Gate Support 1) Support your leaders They are not your employees Look after them Speak well of them Speak well to them Give them time for the spiritual stuff (Acts 6:2-3) Honour them materially (1 Tim 5:17) Get behind the vision

8. The Gate Support 1) Support your leaders Be responsive to your pastoral leaders. Listen to their counsel. They are alert to the condition of your lives and work under the strict supervision of God. Contribute to the joy of their leadership, not its drudgery. Why would you want to make things harder for them? (Heb 13:17 msg)

9. The Gate Transform 2) Transform your understanding How do you view church? –A place to visit? –A service to receive at? Know why you come to church Pray for the church Worship with all your heart Communion matters How growth happens

10. The Gate Connect 3) Connect with the church Talk to people Recognise the family Socialise Small groups Come early, stay late

11. The Gate Respond 4) Respond to teaching Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1:22) Take notes Listen to podcast Think about it

12. The Gate Conclusion Support Transform Connect Respond

13. The Gate Conclusion “You get out what you put in” The more active you are, the more the church acts as the gate of heaven –you benefit more –the church benefits more What will you do about it?