impact(s)

Today was our first Sunday back to FFC from our 9 week sabbatical. Coming together in worship was magnificent! Meeting new people who have come to find FFC as home over the past several weeks proves that the church is bigger than anyone person.

We introduced a new series that will take us through the book of Acts (see below for today's outline), taking a look at the characteristics that made the early church the impact that it was. We will be casting vision from the book of Acts at how we can be a glorious Church of impact... the Church God sees, and the Church I believe we are to be.

Everyone was challenged today with two specific ways: 1. Over the next several weeks to read through the book of Acts, 2. Boldly pray that God would interrupt our lives and disturb our hearts in order for us to shake off comfort, complacency and good intentions that never come into action.

I believe that great things are going to happen in all our lives as we position ourselves before God and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us!

If anyone is willing to share stories of the things that God is doing in your life: where He's challenging you to increase, how God is touching your heart and life, what the Holy Spirit is showing you in your time of prayer... anything of good report and praise, please feel free to leave a comment and share with others the goodnews.

Below is a review of this past Sunday's Message:

THE CHURCH I SEE IS A CHURCH OF IMPACT.


Matthew 16:18 the Message “And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.”

Acts 1:1-2 NIV
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

1. JESUS CHRIST LIVED A LIFE OF IMPACT.

His birth – from the virgin Mary as prophesied hundreds of years prior.
His life – best summarized as a servant rather than a king,
His ministry - which goes beyond just miracles and teaching, but the ultimate ministry that Jesus accomplished was His death and resurrection which restored us in right relationship with God
and His preparation – the passing on of the call/commission to us (seen in His disciples)


2. WE CAN'T LIVE A LIFE OF IMPACT WITHOUT JESUS IMPACTING OUR LIFE!

Everything that Jesus did while on earth was done for one purpose: to seek and to save that which was lost in order to change the course of their life and “pay it forward”.


3. JESUS DIED FOR THE US, THE CHURCH, SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE AN IMPACT IN OUR WORLD

This is God’s House/His Church… and He is faithful to His Church. God didn’t send His only Son Jesus to die a brutal death for us, so that we can live a happy little life. Don’t let His death be for nothing… don’t entertain weak excuses that keep you from living as His Church… WE OWE TO JESUS, THE KING OF KINGS TO LIVE A LIFE OF IMPACT!

In order for you to impact your world… God needs to impact your life and the world called everyday life.

God is moving and accomplishing His work all over the world. Sometimes I get irritated when people (typically church people who have been Christians for some time) who talk about what God is doing in certain places. “Did you hear about what’s happening over there… God’s really moving there.” Not all of the time, but most of the time that comment is said because they are articulating what they believe is a lack of “God’s working” in the church that they are at. BUT in reality, God may be moving around them in the lives of people that they are completely unaware of. But it’s easier to say: “God’s moving there in that church, over there” than to say I am not seeing God moving in my life… I’m no longer allowing God to IMPACT my life in such a way that it disturbs, interrupts and challenges my life to go beyond my comfort zone to touch the lives of those around me.

If you want to see God move… allow God to increase His IMPACT in YOUR LIFE, and find someone that you can serve in order to be an IMPACT in their life and see “God move” where He’s been waiting for you to move all along.


YOU AND I, THE CHURCH, WE ARE GOD’S ONLY PLAN FOR THE CONTINUED WORK OF CHRIST.