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Never miss a Sunday again! Watch our past messages on the go here!
Episodes
Thursday Aug 20, 2020
Tuesday Jul 14, 2020
Tuesday Jul 07, 2020
Tuesday Jul 07, 2020
God Chose You
Ephesians 1:4 July 5 - Communion
I. Introduction:
A. I have great news for you You’re Richer than You Think! That was the title to
the book Erwin Lutzer wrote regarding the spiritual riches/spiritual blessings that
we have in Christ!
1. Some of you do not even know that you have a heavenly joint account that
you share with Jesus where He did all the work, made all the deposits into the
account and we get to make withdrawals on this account!
2. Some people know they have an account but really have not grasped the fact
that they are already spiritual billionaires as they live in spiritual poverty and
defeat most of the time.
3. The name on the account is in Christ.
B. We were introduced to this account last week and in weeks to come, we are going
to see and understand a bit more of what is available for us to withdraw from this
account!
1. Let me read what we learned last week. Read Ephesians 1:3
2. God has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing there is to have and
He did this in Christ.
3. We also learned that these blessings have to do with whom we are at the
deepest core of our being, the place where our spirit is.
4. These blessings have to do with our past justification, things that became true
of us when we were saved, things that are being worked out in our lives now
as God is sanctifying us, things that will be completed and fully true of us in
the future when we are glorified in Christ’s kingdom!
• So today, we will continue our series called “This is us!” as we start to understand
better just who we are! The first question I hear from many is …
II. What does “in Christ” mean?
A. It seems so vague, like some kind of abstract spiritual tag on in many verses.
B. When a person puts their trust in Jesus, they become one spirit with Him! Read 1
Corinthians 6:17.
1. We learned last week:
a) In John 3:6 – that which is born of the spirit is spirit
b) We also learned in John 7:37-38 that the Holy Spirit dwells at the core of
our being!
2. So Jesus’ spirit has become one, joined together, and indwelling my spirit at
the core of my being!
C. Now listen to John 14:19-20.
Read v19 Jesus said that after his resurrection we would know something:
1. Read v20 Three things:
a) Jesus is in the Father
b) We are in Jesus = in Christ
c) I in you – Christ dwelling in us, abiding in us
2. So bottom line the same way that Jesus and the Father are one and mutually
indwell each other, so Jesus and us are one and mutually indwell each other,
thus becoming one!
3. So our oneness with Jesus - Him in us and us in Him is as easy to understand
as the trinity – the Father, Son and Spirit as one!
D. So how do I get into Christ – it is something that God did at the moment we put
our faith in Jesus Christ to save us!
1. Read 1 Corinthians 1:3– it is something that God does, not something we do!
2. Ephesians 1:13 – we are sealed, secured, locked in Christ by means of the
Holy Spirit
E. Illustrate with glass of milk (Jesus) and chocolate (us)
1. Before we knew Christ – separate, distinct, apart
2. When we believed – pour chocolate into milk and stir together.
3. The chocolate is now in the milk
4. Identified as one, together, united.
5. What is true of the milk is now true of the chocolate!
F. We are now in Christ and Jesus’ experience has now become my experience (his
death, burial and resurrection has now become my death, burial and resurrection).
His possessions (all his riches, inheritance, and future kingdom from the Father
have become my possessions as a joint heir with Jesus) and his victories have
become my victories, etc.
G. Our great work here is to believe that all of this is true and already all done by the
Father and Jesus and the Spirit. There is not anything we need to do to get in
Christ and get all these blessings but rather that battle is to believe it has already
been done and given to you
H. This is us if you are a believer – you are already in Christ
• So it is true – we are richer than we think because we are in Christ so let’s look at the
very first possession that is ours
III. Chosen in Him to be holy and blameless
A. Read v4 - this verse is not that hard to understand, the battle is believing it
because it is so mind blowing.
B. First God choose you and me to be in Christ. Read 1:4a
1. Not only did He do the work of getting us in Christ but even before that He
made a decision, a choice as to who would be in Christ! Out of all the world
of people that would ever be born He choose you and me that are believers!
2. Yes God did prefer you over someone else – mind blowing and raises a lot of
questions –
a) If you want to pursue this a bit further I did two complete messages in
Romans on this topic for which you can order the CD.
3. This morning I just want to give us some insight into why He choose many
of us.
a) I know it is true in my case see if it fits you!
b) Read 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 Listen
c) This removes all boasting and should turn us to worship and gratitude
because what we are learning is what Jesus said – “you did not choose
me but I chose you.” Being saved is not the smartest thing you ever did
but the greatest gift you ever received!
C. When did God chose you and me to be in Christ? Read 1:4a-b
1. He made this decision to include you and me in Christ before God created the
world, sometime before Genesis 1:1!
2. Isn’t that mind blowing – before God created the world He chose you to be in
Christ? That does not mean you were placed in Christ before the world was
created, that happened when you believed but rather He made a decision and
choice at that time for you to be one of those to be in Christ!
D. Now it even gets better listen to why he chose you to be in Christ – read 1:4c
1. Holy (pure vessel, cleaned up and set aside for His use) and blameless (no
defect, without blemish - without fault)
2. Before Him – in His eyes in His sight this is the way that God sees you right
now as holy and blameless because you are in Christ – remember what is true
of Jesus has become true of you
3. Read Galatians 3:27– paraphrased – all of you who were placed in Christ
(that is what baptized into Christ means) says we are clothed with Christ –
a) Grateful for clothing as it covers our blemished and defective body.
b) Illustrate - put paper (you and me) in Bible (Jesus)! - You do not see
(paper – me); you see the Bible (Jesus) and that is how God sees us right
now!
E. The problem is that most of us look at others and ourselves, as we were apart
from Christ, as unclothed and not hidden in Christ. Thus, we focus on our faults,
weaknesses and sins rather than the holy and blameless people we really already
are at the level of our spirit.
F. Remember from last week:
1. Our identity relates to our spirit and was dealt with in the past when we were
justified – we are holy and blameless at the core of our being
2. In the present time God is at work in our souls to make us more holy and
blameless in our daily walks – we call that sanctification
3. And in the future when our entire spirit and soul and body will be completely
holy and blameless – we call that glorified!
• As we go to …
IV. Communion
A. Consider this - read Jude 24.
1. V24 a – God’s present work in our sanctification – keep us from stumbling
2. V24b – God’s future work in our glorification!
B. As you take communion consider this:
1. When Moses stood before God’s glory, God told him he could not look on
the fullness of God’s glory because to see the fullness of God’s glory would
instantly kill him
2. When Isaiah saw God’s glory while He sat on his throne his response was
woe is me, for I am ruined – PBP paraphrase – man I am in deep trouble for I
am going to die because I am a sinful man and my eyes have seen the king!
3. Now consider this verse – when you stand in the presence of God in the
future, you will stand there blameless with great joy.
4. The only response to that is this – read v 25!
Tuesday Jun 30, 2020
Thursday Jun 25, 2020
Thursday Jun 25, 2020
WELCOME BACK HOME MVC FAM!
Reopening the Church
Various Passages June 21, 2020
I. Introduction:
A. Greetings
1. I want to wish every father here today and watching on line a very happy
Father’s Day! May you have a day to be celebrated and refreshed!
2. And welcome to my brothers and sisters here at MVC Church today, our first
day back together after three months! It’s great to see you.
B. A lot has happened in the last three months that has changed our lives, church and
world!
1. COVID 19 has changed many of our lives and has kept us apart for three
months as our hearts cried out to be back together!
2. And the murder of George Floyd has made our hearts cry out for justice.
C. I believe God is using this time as an opportunity to grow His church in
discipleship!
1. He stripped away all our programs to help us see all the more clearly that
programs are designed to disciple people and we want to make sure as we
come back we can do that even better.
2. This time of heightened awareness of racial tension is a great platform to
develop us as disciples because the lessons we learn in this season are lessons
disciples can use all their lives in all relationships and injustices!
• So let’s start by looking at …
II. The cry to be back together!
A. One question our leaders and staff kept hearing repeatedly as we talked to people
during this time was, “When are we getting back together?” “The video services
are good but something is missing!”
1. There were two truths that kept ringing through my heart as I heard this:
a) Read 2 John 12 – as good as letters are, as good as social media is, as
good as a video is, only face to face gathering fill our joy tanks to
overflowing!
b) Read Ephesians 2:19 – we are God’s household, we are the family of
God, we are brothers and sisters in Christ.
(1) It is built into our spiritual DNA as new creatures in Christ to long
to be together just as we long to be together with our blood family!
B. So we put much work into coming back in a way that is timely, wise and as safe
as possible for everyone who longs to be here!
C. But I am fully aware that there are others who have that same longing to be
together but they do not feel it is wise for them to come back yet.
1. I want you to know that I fully respect the fact that it is not right for you to
come back now and we look forward to your return when the time is right for
you!
2. We are fully aware that MVC will be meeting on Sunday mornings live in the
auditorium, by video in different rooms throughout the building and in many
homes!
a) We are asking God for wisdom to:
(1) Minister well to all three venues on Sunday mornings
(2) Encourage all of us to connect with other believers because we
need each other as believers, especially in days like these!
(3) Encourage all of us in our faith because we need that in days like
these!
• The second cry we have felt is …
III. The cry for justice
A. What I am going to say is not all that needs to be said nor will it be the final word
that is needed regarding the unjust, brutal and cold-hearted murder of George
Floyd, and the aftermath of that murder. It will be just my two cents added to the
discussion and next steps for us at MVC.
B. Before I jump into my comments, I want to say a few more things so you know
where I am coming from.
1. I am aware that the racial problems are bigger than just in our hearts and it
reaches into our families, churches and culture.
a) But I am also aware that if our hearts do not change first then our
families, churches and culture never will!
b) Tony Evans said if the church is broken then we really have nothing to
say to the culture around us until we clean our own house!
2. I need to let you know up front that as a white person I cannot empathize
with blacks because I have not been where they have been.
a) Their experience in the United States has not been the same as mine as a
white person and they have experienced suppression, injustices and
inequalities in many respects!
3. While there are policies that the police department can still improve upon, we
need to recognize that there are many good police officers who love the
communities that they serve and whose hearts have been broken and repulsed
by what the officer in Minneapolis did to George Floyd.
a) Their reputations have been ruined by the few, the many are bearing the
consequences of the few, and many are hated and judged without being
known.
b) We must not forget them and appreciate our brothers and sisters who are
good and faithful ministers of Jesus on the streets of these communities
as they risk their lives to keep others safe!
c) Please be praying for them!
4. Ultimately, this is not a black and white issue or even police officers and
black community issue – it is a spiritual war where Satan is using people as
pawns to destroy one another, relationships and communities and especially
important to us today – even divide the church!
C. Let me share the two verses that have been rolling around in my heart!
1. Read Psalm 89:14a.
a) Righteousness and justice are the very foundation of God’s reign.
b) Righteousness – that which is morally good and right
c) Justice – the impartial and fair judgement and punishment of the
breaking of a law!
2. Read Ecclesiastes 8:11- I going to give you the Pat Peglow paraphrase of
this: simply if an evil deed is committed and justice is not administered
quickly then man thinks he can get away with it and does it all the more.
D. So let me tell you how I think we got to where we are today
1. So first, consider the fact that most of those who rule over us in our
community, state and nation do not lead from righteousness and justice but
rather have rejected God, His Word and His wisdom and think they have
better and wiser ways than Him.
2. Add to that when a policeman or a looter or rioter, when a wealthy person or
poor person, when famous or a nobody, when a white person or a black
person, when a person in position of power and those who are powerless are
not dealt with quickly and with equal (important word – equal – one more
time - equal) justice for all, not only do they but those around them see they
can get away with it and jump in with both feet so it spreads from the
individual to organization to the culture.
3. Compound this with the fact that this has been going on for decades; you
kind of get what we have today when it comes to racism and prejudice in
individuals, families, churches, cultures, organizations, and court systems.
4. If equal and fair justice for all would have been put in place decades ago and
administered quickly we would not be where we are today!
• So let me suggest a few, not everything that needs to be done but a few…
IV. Next steps for the people of MVC
Repent
1. The standard that God has called us to in our attitudes and relationships with
others that are different than us is the one we find in the Bible and displayed
in the life and character of Jesus
2. In light of this my guess is that everyone of us, black, white, police, rich,
powerful, etc. have places we need to repent!
3. Listen to your own thoughts and what you are saying at home when no one
else is around but your family and you will get a sense of where your heart
really is.
B. We need to celebrate what God celebrates – diversity in color and class and
ethnicity. I love what one speaker said, “Jesus did not just shed His blood to save
us but he shed His blood to make us siblings!
1. One black brother I spoke with told me that all his life he has not felt
accepted or valued as a black man in a white church. Simply the more white
he acted the more he will be accepted by the white Christians.
a) This is not a brother with an axe to grind; this is a man of God humbly
being honest with his pastor.
2. Stop saying you do not see color. Actually, start seeing different colors and
glory, delight in, accept, and learn from the diversity that God has built into
His church.
C. As disciples, we not only follow Jesus but we impact others! Many of us think
we need to do something big and significant to impact others and our world!
1. I want to remind you of the last sermon I preached before we went to videos
entitled “Changing our world – one life at a time!
2. Remember this quote from Jeff Manion – “Most of us desire to live great
lives. We fear we will fritter away our days without leaving any discernible
mark on our world. However, in our quest to live greatly, we search for
something great to do. Something big. I believe this to be a huge mistake.
Greatness is rarely achieved by doing great things but instead by doing good
things repetitively. Jeff Manion “dream big think small”
3. The first step we can do in changing the world is to be faithful on the circuit
of life and people where God has placed you.
a) Lovingly and humbly, challenge those of the same color as you who are
displaying words, attitudes and actions that are sinful racially.
b) And those of a different color from you use your words, attitudes and
actions to help heal and bridge the racial gap!
D. Our next step as a church – a community of people together
1. In July, we have a hands on opportunity that Ron Ovitt talked to me about,
that would give us a chance to provide diapers and baby food to help young
mothers in an area that was hit by riots.
2. On Sept 27, we are going to have Roy Patterson, the head of the urban
ministry at MBI, preach to us and we will follow that with a round table
discussion on race relations with Roy.
E. There is more that can and should be done but I think the best place to start is by
calling a black brother or sister, and calling a police officer. Just say I want to
hear your heart, and then really listen to understand them and then pray for them.
You do not have to have any the answers now as you are just learning.
1. I called seven different black adults that come to MVC. God used these calls
to do something deep in my heart and give me a better glimpse into what
their world has been like as well as how good hearted and biblically minded
our people are! I love the story one woman told me.
a) She had a white electrician at her house and he asked her what this thing
“Black lives matter.” He said, “I do not get it because all lives matter!”
b) She said, “White lives have always mattered here in this country but
what they should have called themselves is “Black lives matter, too!” I
thought, “Wow that is good!”
c) Black lives matter too because:
(1) Every human being has been made in God’s image
(2) When it comes to race, biblically there is only one race the human
race. Then they were scattered all over the world from Babel to
form the different nations of the world.
(3) God’s plan in beginning was to bless every nation
(4) Jesus died for the sins of the entire world.
(5) The great commission sends us to every nation
(6) When God’s purposes are fulfilled in the future every nation, all
tribes and peoples and tongues will stand before the throne of God
and before the Lamb saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the
throne and to the Lamb!
V. Send off
A. Brothers and sisters, commit yourself this week to begin to listen and learn!
Whites from blacks, blacks from whites, blacks from police officers, police
officers from blacks and let’s begin the healing at MVC.
Tuesday Mar 10, 2020
Tuesday Mar 10, 2020
Wednesday Feb 26, 2020
Wednesday Feb 26, 2020
Pastor Bill Mills continues in our sermon series, "Transformed".
God is worthy of it all!
Tuesday Feb 18, 2020
Tuesday Feb 18, 2020
Generous Loving
Various Passages February 16, 2020
I. Introduction:
A. Every ingredient in food adds a different and distinct flavor to the food!
1. My wife has the ability to taste a piece of food then discern and savor the
different ingredients that make up that particular food.
2. I cannot do that as I just taste a piece of food and enjoy it but am unable to
distinguish the different ingredients that make it up.
B. Did you know there are different ingredients that make up love? The better you
can understand and distinguish the ingredients of love the better chance we have
to fine tune those ingredients and make our love even better and better!
C. During our 75th year as a church, we have stated we want to excel still the more as
a disciple making church and thus be a greater blessing to each other and those
outside these walls!
D. Actually, the badge that we wear that communicates to the world that we are
disciples of Jesus Christ is our love. Just like the policeman wears a badge that
identifies who he is so we who are Christians have a badge that identifies who we
are. Love is the badge that identifies us as a disciple of Jesus Christ
1. Listen to John 13:35
2. Did you realize that being a better disciple means you will be a better lover
and thus a better blessing to those around us – our mate, children, others in
the church family, neighbors, friends, classmates, co-workers etc.
E. So to excel as a disciple making church means we will excel in love for one
another and those beyond the walls.
1. To excel in love means we will better understand the ingredients that make
up love so we can better fine-tune our love!
F. So as we look particularly at one ingredient in our love today we are going to be
both intentional as a church to do our due diligence to grow in it but also deeply
depend upon the Lord that we would excel still the more in our love.
1. The ingredient of love that I want to talk about today, the one we want to fine
tune and increase in is generosity.
G. We are so used to thinking of generosity in the realm of money only and it can be
hard to pull our minds back from that but that is my task today as I want to talk
about generosity as a key ingredient in the love of a believer.
• Today my focus is on a generous heart, a generous life, a generous love apart from
money. So let’s talk about a
II. Generous Love
A. So if the badge of a disciple is love and we have already learned many times that
the goal of a disciple is to become more like Jesus, then where we want to go is to
love as Jesus loved.
B. Look back at John 13:35
1. Reread v35 – our badge as a disciple of Jesus Christ is our love
2. But the verse before describes to us what this badge of love looks like. Read
v34
3. Jesus has raised the bar here because the old commandment they had was to
love your neighbor as yourself, now Jesus is saying you are to love one
another even as I have loved you.
a) That means in the same manner in the same way that Jesus has loved us
we are to love one another.
b) When we answer the question how Jesus loved us, we are starting to
fine-tune the ingredients of love!
C. Since we are here turn over to John 15:13. In verse 12 Jesus reminds us again it is
a command to love like He loves but in the next verse rather than telling us it is
our badge He is sharing with us a main ingredient in love.
1. Read v13
2. Laying down our life, our agenda, our time, our schedule, our energy, our
resources for someone else’s benefit is the heart of love, it is the heart of
being a disciple, it is the heart of blessing others, it is the heart of where we
want to go as a church!
D. You might be thinking at this time – what does that have to do with generosity?
Well let’s stop for a minute and define generosity. Generosity has four
ingredients of its own!
1. Generosity always involves giving or sharing of something we have with
someone else.
2. Generosity is about giving more than what is needed. It is an abundant
amount and usually cost us something to do it
3. Generosity is about doing things freely – it is giving freely without restraint
4. Generosity involves giving something of value to you – generosity is not
about giving people left overs or your throw aways but rather something that
is special to you.
5. So this ingredient of love makes us love others by the lavish, extravagant,
excessive, and freely without restraint giving of ourselves, our time, our
talents, and our resources, something that is significant and special to you to
bless and benefit others!
E. We see all of this displayed for us in John 3:16
1. Read
2. “So loved” that talks about the degree of love – this was an extravagant
excessive love that God had for us
3. “That He gave” – there is the giving part of generosity, the cost of love – the
laying down of the life
4. Now listen to the value and significance of the gift – “His only begotten son”
5. God has a generous love towards us, an extravagant love as He so loved, a
costly and giving love as He gave His son, it was a love that gave the one
who was most precious and valuable to Him - His only begotten son.
F. The manner which God loved us and which He calls us to love one another is a
generous love – freely giving away in abundance that which we value to bless and
help someone else.
G. I love these definitions of generous living that I read in my study for this sermon.
1. “A generous lifestyle is where I realize just how greatly I have been blessed
by God is so many areas that, in return, I seek to be just as great a blessing in
His name to others.”
Rev Kevin Barren
2. “Living generously is living gratefully, offering from one’s abundance
without thought of recompense or expectation of return in order to enhance
and enrich the lives of others.” David Bowman
H. Generosity is what God wants us to grow in and this is what we want to grow in!
Listen to these verses
1. 1 Peter 1:22 do not just love another but fervently love. That means there is
an intensity in your love! Read
2. 1 Thessalonians 2:7,8 – not only giving the gospel to people but our whole
lives, with the same kind of care a nursing mother gives her baby. Read
3. 1 Thessalonians 3:12 – God wants and is the cause of our love increasing and
abounding (that is generous love) not only for other believers but for
everyone – lost and saved. Read
4. 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 God wants us to excel still the more in our love.
Read
5. Listen to Paul pray in Philippians 1:9 that their love would abound still more
and more. Read
• So generosity is not just something that happens with our money but is something that
should be a part of our entire life! So what can that look like for me this week if I
was to love with generosity?
III. Application
A. We have been learning from Ron Ovitt on Tuesday nights in the Emotional
Resilience class that there are two sides to the brain –
1. The left side which is the logical and rational side that works with words
2. The right side is the relational side of the brain – it is the non-verbal side of
the brain, which responds to eye contact, facial expressions, tone of voice –
not words but the tone of those words, sincere touch even sensing if someone
is happy to be with you.
B. What studies have shown are that people who connect with other people heart to
heart and are fully present in the moment and are truly happy to be with the other
person and listens with non-judgmental attitudes or words – have the ability to
heal a person’s damaged soul!
1. Parents are you listening? Husbands and wives are you listening? Friends
are you listening? - repeat (b)again
2. Neurological studies not only show us that but Scripture teaches us the
importance of community and we have seen and felt this in ourselves when
we have experienced that kind of relationship
C. Now here is the problem as I see it, we live in a culture that is busy and
preoccupied and carries its cell phones with them into conversations. Thus
constantly being disrupted by texts and calls or constantly having the TV going!
1. So people have very little time or interest to give, give, give – that is
generously give of themselves to others for deep connection. When they do
give the time they are usually preoccupied in their minds and hearts from all
the busyness of their lives and their internal to do list that never shuts off.
a) So our connections are superficial and seldom reach the kind that brings
healing to soul.
2. Add to that that very few people today genuinely listen to others but rather
dominate the floor of discussion with their own multitude of words. They
dominate 90% of the conversation while giving others only 10%.
D. So here is an application of generous love since we are in a day and age where we
value our time as much as we value our money! Generously give of your time
and full attention to listen to two people this week in order to bless them!
1. Be intentional to invite someone to coffee with the intention of letting them
know you are happy to be with them not so much with your words but by
your full attention, non-judgmental, empathic listening that is truly interested
in what is going on in their life! Listen for their heart and emotions and not
just their words. Finish that time by praying for them.
2. Try it this week and you will not only bless someone and maybe begin a
healing in their soul but you will begin to exercise and stretch your heart in
generous love, a spiritual muscle we all need to develop.
Tuesday Feb 11, 2020
Tuesday Feb 11, 2020
Where and How/Mission and Values of MVC
Various Passages Feb 9, 2020
Introduction:
A. We saw at our 75TH anniversary that God has given MVC a firm foundation of
discipleship for 75 years and going forward we want to be a church that is blessed
by God so we can even be a greater blessing to each other and the world around
us!
B. To do that our desire is to excel still the more as a disciple making church.
1. Thus, we are now doing a series called Transform – how God changes us at
our core to make us even greater disciples and a disciple making church. So
we want to position ourselves in line with where He is working!
2. We also learned that unless God builds MVC as a greater disciple making
church we are laboring in vain, so we want to do our due diligence and
deeply depend upon God!
• So what are some of the things that need to change at MVC for us to be an even more
effective disciple making church to be a greater blessing to each other and the world
beyond these walls? Let’s start with
I. MVC Mission
A. Our Mission over the last number of years has been bringing people to Jesus and
becoming more like Jesus! We want to tighten that up a bit after we did a whole
series on discipleship a year ago and learned that a disciple is simply someone
who follows Jesus and impacts others.
1. We saw that from the great commission, the meaning of the word disciple
and what Jesus called his disciples to, “follow me and I will make you fishers
of men” –
2. Following Jesus, impacting others is exactly what a disciple is and does!
B. So our mission going forward is simply: following Jesus, impacting others!
1. This is what we want to excel in still the more.
2. Repeat!
C. Let me expand just a little what that looks like – First, following Jesus
1. To equip believers to be passionate followers of Jesus committed to growing
in Christlikeness,
2. The Great Commandment tells us to love the Lord with all our hearts and
Romans 8:29 tells us that God’s goal in our lives is to conform us into the
image of Christ. We learned just last week that God is transforming us into
the image of His glory, from one degree of glory to the next
D. Impacting others
1. To raise up the next generation of disciples!
a) God’s Word repeatedly calls us to raise up the next generation but also
for us to thrive as a church for the next 75 years it is essential that we
raise up the generations after us
2. To radically impact our communities through the hope of the gospel, one life
at a time, one step at a time.
a) That fulfills our call to make disciples of all nations and brings it down
to a very practical level for each one of us to impact those around us.
• So with a tighten target of where Jesus wants MVC to go, we need to adjust some
key principles and practices to get us there. These would be …
II. MVC Values
A. Mission driven - mission is why we exist
1. We believe that we carry the hope of Jesus to the world. We have been
placed in our church and community for the sake of others. When each of us
plays our part families are strengthened, believers grow, the hurting are
healed, the lost are found, and our community is blessed.
2. We just spent a lot of time on the mission, our destination of following Jesus
and impacting others. What we mean by mission driven is what ultimately
leads us in our decisions is our mission and becomes the focus of our work.
What we align our work and ministries around is the mission. What we want
to be intentional and strategic about is the mission Jesus gave us!
B. Grace+truth - Grace+truth is our context.
1. We believe we all need grace and truth. How God meets us in our brokenness
is how we engage one another in our current culture.
2. We learned in the book of Revelation that Jesus wants His churches to be
churches of both grace and truth
3. We learning in our Christmas series that right at the heart of the glory of
Jesus is grace and truth John 1:14
C. Future focused - the next generation is our sight.
1. We believe our legacy is to raise a generation that knows and loves Jesus. We
leverage our opportunities to help the emerging generation find their place in
God’s story.
2. While we have a special focus on young families, we all have a generation
that is younger than us both spiritually and age wise. There is someone
whom each one of us can take what we learned in our stage of life or spiritual
growth and pass onto someone who is coming up behind you.
a) We are not just talking about 70 year olds working with 15 year olds
even though if God leads that way all the better
b) There are people in their 70’s who know people in their 50’s and 60’s
whom they can help prepare and equip for the next stage of life. People
in their 20’s that can help teens. We have every age between, above and
younger than those ages that can focus on their next generation
c) There are also mature believers in Christ that can help a new believer in
Christ grow their roots in Jesus and there are new believers in Christ who
can help a lost person find Jesus.
d) The point is that we all have someone age wise or spiritually that we can
help prepare for the next stage of life or growth in Christ.
D. Together strong - together is our vehicle.
1. We believe we are better together. We are committed to connecting in
authentic community where discipleship takes place, burdens are carried and
each is spurred on in our next steps with Jesus.
2. None of us grows in isolation we need others to sharpen us and us sharpen
them.
3. Even Jesus sent out His disciples in twos when He sent them out to do
ministry and the great apostle Paul went in teams.
4. We need to live and grow and serve together in the family of God and
independently or in isolation. We have been designed by God to live and
depend upon community. To do otherwise you do it to your own hurt
Ephesians 4:15-16
E. World changers - transformation is our destination.
1. We believe our world is changed one life at a time. Every life matters. Every
moment is an opportunity. We are sent ones (missionaries) bringing the love,
life and truth of Jesus to our community.
2. We saw the reality of this in the video by Ron Hutchcraft on our 75th when as
a child he came to the children’s programs at this church and was saved.
Ron has literally touched thousands upon thousands of lives since then
through Youth for Christ, businessmen’s ministry and now his ministry to
Native Americans here in the United States, not to mention his radio
broadcast, which many of us have heard.
3. Every life matters, whether a child or a senior, every moment is an
opportunity to minister to someone whether at church or work, school, home
or play
4. Every one of us is a missionary/pastor not just the paid professionals at
church. Ephesians 4:11-12
5. So when everyone of us at MVC sees ourselves as God’s evangelists and
missionaries, in our home, school, work and play places with every person
we engage. Seeing every interaction as an opportunity for a conversation or
act of kindness to continually prepare the soil of their hearts. When someone
comes to Christ we have no idea of how God changes their life and their
world – everyone they touch and every place they go.
6. We truly can change the world by changing one person’s world, one life at a
time, one step at a time and leave the results to God as He takes it from there
to further His work.
III. Conclusion
A. Turn to Read Matthew 4:18-22
B. Following Jesus to be someone who impacts others means we need to leave what
we are currently pursuing to follow Jesus. It is an individual decision that each
one of us must make. Bottom line it is a matter of priorities. Will we seek God
and His kingdom first or will others lesser things keep us from that?
1. The disciples were fishermen who left their jobs, their families, their
businesses, and their possessions, literally everything to follow Jesus.
2. What do you need to leave to follow Jesus?
C. That decision of just 12 men forever changed their lives and history. What do
you think God would do through a church of 500 people who said we are leaving
everything to follow Him?
D. This morning I want to let you talk to Jesus about what you heard!
1. Some may be ready today to say Jesus I’m all in! Today I am giving up
__________ to follow you with all my heart.
2. Others have lesser things than Jesus controlling your heart, you want to
follow Jesus but these things have a strong hold on you. Would you present
your entire life to Jesus and give him the freedom and right to break the hold
these things have on you and to make you a wholehearted follower of Jesus.
E. As you meet with Jesus, consider this picture and ask yourself what is your teddy
bear?