A FORCE, not a fortress

Matthew 16:13-19

PSBC 8/6/00

In a nutshell: The vision for Palm Springs Baptist Church is that we will be a collective FORCE for Jesus Christ, and not a fortress to hide from the world. We must be actively, methodically and intentionally ministering the truth about Jesus Christ to the Coachella Valley and the world. Doing so will break down the walls, plans and territory that have taken people captive, whom God loves and wants to be a part of His family.

I. Introduction

A. The beginnings of World War 2

The dark days just prior to World War 2, were characterized by two things
–there was the Nazi aggression that by mid-1940 had enveloped most of Europe ;
–and there was weak leadership in the countries of France and England that failed to take a stand against Adolph Hitler.

But then something happened that changed the course of history. The leadership of England fell to a man by the name of Winston Churchill. He refused to buckle to Nazi demands and threats. For more than a year, England stood alone facing the threat of German invasion. When Hitler indicated that he wanted to make a deal with England, Churchill defied him. When Germany began bombing England, the British people stood strong.

Churchill did everything in his power to stand against German aggression. He deployed troops in the Mediterranean against Mussolini's forces. Although he hated Communism, he formed an alliance with Stalin and the Soviets, even sending them aid when England had very little to spare. And he developed a personal relationship with Franklin Roosevelt, the President of the United States. Eventually that friendship and mutual respect paid off. On the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States into the war, Churchill was reported to have said, "So we have won after all."

B. Churchill's vision

Churchill had a vision for stopping Nazi aggression, that his predecessors didn't have. And every chance he had, he articulated that vision to the people of England. His vision was one of the single most powerful forces that kept England strong, focused and courageous in the most dark times before help arrived. In his very first speech after becoming Prime Minister, Churchill articulated his vision for England...

"We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask what is our policy? I will say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, What is our aim? I answer in one word: Victory–victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for with out victory, there is no survival."

That's a statement of vision that helped free the world of Nazi and totalitarian rule, and helped us and our allies live free and prosper.

C. Transition

Friends, the Bible is very clear about the importance of having a vision. It says in...

Prov 29:18
18 Where there is no vision, the people perish,...(KJV)

Vision is necessary for countries, for political parties, for organizations, and yes, for churches. Because without vision, all these groups will eventually lose there focus, their usefulness, and finally, their very existence. Vision tells everyone how we intend to carry out our purpose.

In our case, our church's purpose, that we adopted at the beginning of this year states that we will Love, Accept, Guide and Partner to share God's Truth and be His Light.

Our vision in it's shortest form, says we will carry out that purpose by being a FORCE, not a fortress.

To see an expanded version of that vision, you can turn to the first page of your new church directory. There I expand the vision statement in this way...

"Inside this book is not merely a list of our church family. Inside is the roster of an army–an army of people who are being trained and equipped to become a FORCE for Jesus Christ.

We are following an intentional plan that is guiding each of us to effectively communicate God's love to a needy world; and discovering how God wants to uniquely use us in our circles of influence.

Following this plan is making us an army–a group of people committed to serve the King of Kings as effectively as possible. Thank you for choosing to be a part of Palm Springs Baptist Church–a growing FORCE for Jesus Christ!"

II. Where the Vision comes from

A. The Rock

God gave me this vision almost 6 years ago, in August, here in Palm Springs, when Diane and I were vacationing here. Two things came together at the same time. One, was that I had been studying the book of Matthew, and had come upon Matthew 16:13-19. And the Spirit of God wouldn't let me get past the truth of what Jesus says in this passage. If you have your Bibles, turn there with me...

Matthew 16:13-19
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.

Notice Jesus' commendation of Peter. Jesus did this because Peter had gone farther than any of the other disciples in his thinking and his boldness. He wasn't content with hearsay or speculation. Peter examined the evidence he had gleaned through traveling with Jesus for almost three years. And as a result of examining the evidence and searching with his whole heart, God rewarded him with a revelation: Jesus is the Christ (or the promised Messiah), the Son of the living God. And so, he was able to answer with boldness and assurance.

But then look at what Jesus goes on to say...

18 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.

Peter made a strong confession. Jesus now told him that upon the rock of the reality of his confession, the Church would be built. In the Greek language that this was originally written in, we have a play on words. The term Jesus uses for Peter is petros. This means "a small rock". The term Jesus uses for "rock" is petra, which means "a huge mass of rock". It was the rock of the reality of Peter's confession upon which the Church would be built. It wasn't on the man Peter. This guy was full of faults–if you don't believe me, just read the last 8 verses of this same chapter, where Jesus predicts Peter's denial.

But the confession that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and the Divine Son of God points us to the only true foundation upon which the church can be built–Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus said that the gates of Hades (or Hell) would not be able to stand against the awesomeness of it's power. In fact, a church built upon Jesus Christ as the Messiah and the Divine Son of God will have the most powerful offensive weapon known in the spiritual realms, totally at it's disposal.

Notice what else Jesus says in the next verse...

19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Friends, the keys to the kingdom, that Peter is given, and that have been passed down from this first true leader of the Church, to every leader and every church, through to this present age, is the Good News that Jesus Christ, God's divine Son, came to earth to perform a massive spiritual transaction.

1. Jesus humbled Himself by becoming a human, was tempted as we are, yet did not yield to that temptation. So He did what no other human being could ever do, or has ever done–He lived a perfect human life.

2. He was crucified, dead on the cross. This was done unjustly, without cause, but willingly on His part. In His death, He became the perfect sacrifice that was demanded by a just and holy God to pay for the sins of humanity.

3. He proved He was God, when three days later He rose from the dead. And by proving He was God, he demonstrated His authority and power to make a life transforming transaction with any human being that is willing.

4. The transaction is this... Anyone who is willing can turn over his or her sins to Jesus, and in exchange receive the righteousness that Jesus earned through His perfect life. This transaction takes place when a person acknowledges his or her sin to God, and asks that Jesus becomes his or her personal Savior.

5. This transaction, using Bible terms "clothes a person in the righteousness of Christ", when he or she stands before a Holy God on Judgment Day. And that covering of righteousness is what allows that person to be accepted by a holy and just God into His family, forever.

This gospel (or good news) is encapsulated in my favorite verse in the Bible...

John 3:16
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

B. Braveheart

But combined with the study of that passage, there was a movie that we saw out here. The movie was Braveheart, starring Mel Gibson. And this is the scene that stuck in my memory...

Show battering ram scene from the movie

Walking out of that movie theater, it hit me. Our gospel message is not a passive weapon, used only in defense of Christianity. It is an offensive weapon, designed to come against, and obliterate the walls, the plans and the territory of the Evil One, that have taken people captive, whom God loves and wants to be a part of His family.

And just like the men pushing the battering ram against that castle in England, we have to be active, methodical and intentional in using the Gospel to break down the walls behind which the devil is holding people captive.

III. The Vision

So these are some of the ways we intend become an offensive weapon in the hands of God.

A. The "PLAN"

First of all, we have designed a very specific plan to mold every person at Palm Springs Baptist Church into a valuable army member for the Kingdom of God. Our plan consists of four core courses that will always be offered through our adult education program and at other times that are convenient for people.

The 101 course is an introduction to this vision, our purpose, our core values , our plan, and our history as a church. Taking this course prepares a person to responsibly decide whether or not he or she wants to be a part of this church and the direction God is leading us.

The 201 course is called "Becoming a Contagious Christian". This course teaches a non-threatening way for each person who is a part of Palm Springs Baptist Church to be involved in fulfilling the Great Commission of our Lord, which is, "to go into all the world and make disciples..." within the unique circles of influence God has given each one of us.

The 301 course is called "Network: The Right People, in the Right Places, for the Right Reasons". This course will help you discover the Spiritual Gift or Gifts that the Holy Spirit has given you for ministry. Based on your personality, life experience and spiritual growth, we will help you discover the passion God has instilled in you to be involved in His Kingdom work. And we will help you find the best way you can partner with others to see rewarding ministry take place.

Finally, the 401 consultation will help you identify a specific ministry that fits your passion, gifts and personality, and train you in how to best carry that ministry out.

By the end of taking these four courses, every person–regardless of age or Christian experience should be able to look me in the eye and give a specific answer to this question: "How are you intentionally advancing the Kingdom of God?"

B. The Land

A second part of the vision involves this five acres we currently own. We have only developed two of these acres. We can conceivably grow to be a church of nearly 1000 people on this current piece of property. To do this will require an expansion of facilities that include an additional building for educational purposes, a renovation and possible expansion of our current Family Center, a renovation and possible expansion of our present administration building, and a sanctuary or sanc-tin-a-sium building that will allow us to offer gymnasium activities during the week and state of the art worship activities on the weekend.

C. Leadership

A third component of the vision involves leadership–both pastoral and non-pastoral. Currently we have a staff of three full-time pastors and one part-time assistant to the pastor.

1. Pastoral Staff

As our church grows at this location, I can see us adding several more staff members to give leadership to the ministries of our church.

Under Pastor Darrin, we have seen major growth in both our weekly Youth Ministry and our Sunday School ministry. Statistically we are seeing some of the largest Sunday School attendance in our church's history. And we are seeing more youth and young adults involved in Bible-based discipleship programs than we have ever experienced. So, eventually Darrin's job will need to be split into a Youth Pastor position and a Family Pastor position.

A passion of our new Music and Worship Pastor, Darrell Armstrong, is to raise up music leaders from our youth and young adults through discipleship and leadership opportunities. I can envision, under his leadership, adding summer and school-year interns to our staff who will help expand the music ministry beyond what we have ever dreamed.

Greg James compliments me so well with his people skills, visitation abilities and willingness to help wherever its needed, that he is laying the ground work for that position growing into a full-time Visitation and Counseling position someday.

2. Non-pastoral leaders

But something that my years at Scottsdale Bible Church showed me, is that the true secret to an effective church is the non-pastoral leaders. We call them elders at this church.

I require every pastor on the staff, myself included, to be actively discipling a lay leader or potential lay leader in the areas of godly and effective leadership. This is done by meeting on a weekly basis, honestly sharing our struggles, and challenging each other through the study of leadership materials that will help that new or potential leader be effective in advancing God's Kingdom. Over the years to come we hope to fortify, bolster and grow our pool of leaders at Palm Springs Baptist Church, so that if God would take me home prematurely, our lay leaders will be so strong in their convictions and leadership ability that the church will continue to grow under their guidance.

In addition, I hope to see in the years to come enough money in the budget so that whenever a pastor goes to a conference for training and motivation, that he can take one of the elders with him, so they can learn together and catch the same excitement and enthusiasm.

D. The World

A fourth area of the vision involves a phrase in our purpose statement. The last part of the full statement says, "We will partner with each other to intentionally do Great Commission work in the Coachella Valley AND THE WORLD. The fourth area involves "the world" part of that statement.

Somewhere on that three acres that we haven't built on yet, I'd like to see a furnished three bedroom house. I'd like to call it The Commission House. And I'll tell you why. It's in that house that we will have a chance to intentionally do Great Commission work in the world.

I would like to see us, over the next 10 years, get to a point where every missionary we support receives at least half of their support from Palm Springs Baptist Church.

The intention is that when that missionary comes home on furlough, we will automatically add him or her to our pastoral staff for half of the year that they are on furlough. And The Commission House will become their home.

Their job during that half year will be to instruct us all in what they are doing, how we can better partner with them, get involved in the life of the church, help us make arrangements to go over to that foreign field to help for one or two weeks in a cross cultural setting, and to help with pastoral duties at our church.

Our job will be to train them in Purpose Driven Church philosophy and practices, the latest methodologies in ministry, and church leadership.

IV. Conclusion

Do you get the idea that the vision isn't just business as usual? But like the statement I have above the bulletin board in the hallway of the church office says, "Before any great accomplishment, someone must have a vision."

I was convinced the first time that I visited this church about 18 months ago that God wants to do something great through Palm Springs Baptist Church. And our most productive years for the Kingdom of God still lie in the future. But the future starts with a vision.

Phil Grant wrote in Leadership magazine a few years ago... (front of bulletin)

A vision is the dominant factor that governs your life. It determines all the choices you are making. It's what's left after all the layers are peeled away like an onion. Clinging like glue to the inside of your rib cage. ... It's what your mind naturally gravitates toward when it is not legitimately concentrating on something else. It's ... what determines your friendships and your relationships that you are cultivating. ... It's what your prayers are about--what you dream about and are giving money toward. (Phil Grant. Leadership, Vol. 15, no. 3.)

My friends, the vision I've shared with you this morning is something God birthed in me six years ago, right here in Palm Springs. But little did I know that the place where the vision was birthed would also be the place where the vision would grow. What a sense of humor God has!

Palm Springs Baptist Church will be a FORCE for the Kingdom of God–never a fortress to hide from the world. Everyone of us must be actively, methodically and intentionally ministering the truth about Jesus Christ to the people of the Coachella Valley and the world.

It's going to be an exciting ride these next years as we become an army of people who are being trained and equipped to be a FORCE for Jesus Christ in the Coachella Valley and the world.

Amen.