{"id":44016,"date":"2022-09-30T22:40:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-01T03:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/sermon-moving-forward-challenges-to-accept-1-bible-outlines\/"},"modified":"2022-09-30T22:40:00","modified_gmt":"2022-10-01T03:40:00","slug":"sermon-moving-forward-challenges-to-accept-1-bible-outlines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/sermon-moving-forward-challenges-to-accept-1-bible-outlines\/","title":{"rendered":"Sermon Moving Forward – Challenges to Accept #1 – Bible Outlines"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sermon Moving Forward – Sermon outline by Tom Moore on the challenges of the church moving forward. First in a series of five.<\/p>\n

INTRODUCTION:<\/p>\n

A. I think the saying is basically true: we are either going forward, standing still, or falling behind.<\/p>\n

1. Sadly, this is also true in the Lord’s church<\/p>\n

2. The problem is that many congregations have become complacent and comfortable (the prelude to standing still)<\/p>\n

3. And once we are standing still, everyone passes us by and we begin to fall behind<\/p>\n

B. To introduce our theme… Philippians 3:12-14<\/p>\n

1. Paul believed in moving ahead<\/p>\n

2. We can’t rely on our past laurels or on past reputation<\/p>\n

3. Moving forward is the only way to avoid decline and failure<\/p>\n

C. As a church, we need to think about what it takes to move ahead<\/p>\n

1. We must never be satisfied with the past or believe that what we are doing in the present is all that we can do or should do<\/p>\n

2. 2 Peter 3:18<\/p>\n

3. To achieve all that God will give us opportunity to do, we must move forward to meet the challenges of the future<\/p>\n

D. Today, we are going to be noticing that there are CHALLENGES TO ACCEPT if the church is going to move forward.<\/p>\n

DISCUSSION: [ discussion of this sermon moving forward ]<\/h2>\n

A. CHURCHES MOVING FORWARD ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD<\/h2>\n

1. Notice this critical passage of Scripture<\/p>\n

a. Matthew 5:13-16<\/p>\n

b. 1 Peter 2:9<\/p>\n

1) People need to see a difference in us<\/p>\n

2) We must “show forth” God by the things we do…<\/p>\n

2. We must accept the challenge of making a difference<\/p>\n

a. That difference must come as we live rooted in and founded on the word of God<\/p>\n

b. Christians have been silenced and made to feel unwelcome and unwanted by so many in the world.<\/p>\n

c. But we cannot let the world shut us up, shut us down, shut us out, or shut us in.<\/p>\n

d. 1 Corinthians 15:58<\/p>\n

3. We must not resort to ungodly actions, but must continue to show the world that we have the answers to the problems plaguing mankind<\/p>\n

4. We need to fight in our nation, in our communities, and in our schools for morality and oppose every evil<\/p>\n

5. We can change the world the same way God’s people have always changed the world – by teaching and preaching the gospel of Jesus and changing the hearts and minds of those who live around us.<\/p>\n

6. Paul turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6)<\/p>\n

7. We MUST accept this challenge – the challenge of making a difference in the world!<\/p>\n

B. CHURCHES MOVING FORWARD ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE OF EVANGELIZING OUR OWN COMMUNITY<\/h2>\n

1. Everywhere I have been, most people thought their community was not open to the gospel of Jesus<\/p>\n

a. Was that based on the failure of well planned and well financed efforts to evangelize the community? – NO!<\/p>\n

b. Was it because there was so much opposition or animosity to the church that no one would listen? – NO!<\/p>\n

c. Was is because the people so hated God or His people that they refused to yield to His will? – NO!<\/p>\n

d. It is mostly because the local church simply did not put forth the effort needed.<\/p>\n

2. Mark 16:15-16<\/p>\n

3. Matthew 28:19-20<\/p>\n

4. Here is an illustration to help us see the challenge:<\/p>\n

a. Coca Cola is so well known, that you can go into some of the most remote places in the world and there you will find bottles of coke<\/p>\n

b. Their motto: Think globally but act locally. They want to be everywhere, but to do it they know they must take care of each location<\/p>\n

c. The Lord’s church needs to learn this lesson<\/p>\n

d. It is good for the church to be involved in mission work, but the most important work we need to be involved in is locally<\/p>\n

1) Many times our numbers drop because we are more concerned about evangelizing the world than we are our own community<\/p>\n

2) Does the community cry out as did David in the long ago? “No man careth for my soul” (Psa. 142:4).<\/p>\n

3) The gospel is best spread into the world – one community at a time<\/p>\n

4. Remember Proverbs 11:30<\/p>\n

5. We must accept the challenge of making a difference in the world, evangelizing our community, and…<\/p>\n

C. CHURCHES MOVING FORWARD ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE OF DEVELOPING LEADERS<\/h2>\n

1. Have you thought about who will lead the church 10, 20, 30 years from now? Elders….?<\/p>\n

a. Notice this key passage… 2 Timothy 2:2<\/p>\n

b. Paul invested himself in the training of Timothy, and Timothy was to do the same with other faithful men, who would in turn invest themselves in yet others<\/p>\n

c. Christian leaders must develop future leaders<\/p>\n

d. There needs to be planning – leaders are not trained by accident – we can’t just work day to day<\/p>\n

2. Just as there is a responsibility of leaders to train, there is the responsibility of followers to become trained<\/p>\n

a. The best leaders have had good followers<\/p>\n

b. Good leaders first learn how to be good followers<\/p>\n

3. I might add that currently the challenge is to develop male leadership. Notice the chain of command…<\/p>\n

a. 1 Corinthians 11:3<\/p>\n

b. Ephesians 5:23<\/p>\n

c. We must abide by God’s chain of authority if we are going to succeed as God’s people.<\/p>\n

d. We might ask, “Why are women in many places usurping the authority over the men?” It is because many men are acting like wimps and not taking the leadership role.<\/p>\n

e. We must accept the challenge of making a difference in the world, evangelizing our community, developing leadership, and…<\/p>\n

D. CHURCHES MOVING FORWARD ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE OF FOLLOWING GOD’S WORD<\/h2>\n

1. There is a movement in the church today to abandon Scripture as our authority for what we practice<\/p>\n

a. But as we move forward into the future, the Bible must be the foundation of what we believe and practice religiously.<\/p>\n

b. In recent years, there have been some decisions made that threaten to change the true worship and work of the church…changing worship, women’s role, etc.<\/p>\n

2. Notice what the Bible says about the importance of God’s word<\/p>\n

a. Deuteronomy 12:32<\/p>\n

b. Proverbs 30:6<\/p>\n

c. Revelation 22:18-19<\/p>\n

3. We must be a people rooted in the book<\/p>\n

a. We must know what God’s will is… 2 Timothy 2:15<\/p>\n

b. Matthew 15:9<\/p>\n

c. Jeremiah 6:16-17<\/p>\n

CONCLUSION:<\/p>\n

A. Ultimately, moving the church forward into the future involves every member<\/p>\n

1. Since we are the church, the church moves only as its people move<\/p>\n

2. All these challenges are personal challenges to each of us<\/p>\n

B. This is the Lord’s Church…<\/p>\n

It is composed of people just like me.<\/p>\n

\n

It will be friendly if I am.<\/p>\n

It will do great work if I work.<\/p>\n

It will make generous gifts to many causes if I am generous<\/p>\n

It will bring others into its fellowship if I bring them<\/p>\n

Its seats will be filled if I fill them<\/p>\n

It will be a church of loyalty and love, of faith and service.<\/p>\n

If I who make it what it is, am filled with these<\/p>\n

Therefore, with God’s help, I dedicate myself to the task of being<\/p>\n

All these things the church should be<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

C. WILL YOU ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE? [ ending of this sermon moving forward ]<\/p>\n

See also:<\/h3>\n