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INTRODUCTION
Roughly 3 months ago, Edwin read a letter to the congregation here
informing everyone he was going to leave the work here at Franklin
and go work with the congregation in Brownsburg. And in his letter
he made a statement about perhaps another person working with us
here and helping to “take this congregation to the next
level”. Over the past several weeks as Edwin and family were
getting ready to leave and especially once the decision was made
for Mitch and his family to come work with us, that phrase has
been used multiple times.
While I don’t think there
is anything wrong with that phrase, the question I have is this:
what exactly is the next level? And how exactly do I impact
reaching it?
I’m
going to share with you what I think it means. I fully acknowledge
I may be way off base or I’m not totally covering everything the
“next level” entails. But when I think about myself and this
congregation moving to the “next level” I start by thinking
about… I.
STRENGTHENING MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD A.
Why is this so important? 1.
All other aspects of my life are dependent upon this one! a.
My relationship with my wife is better if my relationship
with God is stronger – cf.
Ephesians
5:23 b.
My relationship with my children is better if my
relationship with God is stronger
i.
As I understand how God the Father deals with me the child
it impacts how I deal with my children c.
My relationship with my brethren is better if my
relationship with God is stronger d.
My relationship with co-worker, neighbor, boss, etc. B.
No matter how strong
our relationship with God, we
can always improve 1.
Paul recognized this
in his own life - Philippians
3:12-15 2.
Peter wrote that our
spiritual growth must always be increasing (aka going to the next
level) - 2
Peter 1:5-8 C.
Therefore we must continue to add to our faith virtue, to
virtue knowledge... 1.
Much of this is
accomplished through personal
and daily devotions - Psalms
1:1-3 a.
TEASER!!! B90X 2.
But personal efforts
must be accompanied by frequent
assembling - Hebrews
10:24-25 [If
we are going to take ourselves and subsequently the congregation
to the next level, the foundation has to be our relationship with
God. And then we turn our attention outwards.] II.
BUILDING UP THE BODY A.
Why is this important? 1.
Our love and unity
is a powerful witness for
Christ - John
13:34-35; 17:20-21 2.
A strong network of Christians is essential
to assimilate and nurture new Christians 3.
A strong family of Christians is essential when troublesome
times come B.
No matter how strong our relationship with one another, we
can always improve 1.
As Paul exhorted the
Thessalonians - 1
Thessalonians 4:9-10 2.
As Peter wrote to
Christians in general - 1
Peter 1:22 C.
Therefore we must seek out opportunities to strengthen our
bond in Christ... 1.
Regular attendance
is certainly a great help - Hebrews
10:24-25 2.
And so is simple
hospitality (both offered, and accepted) - 1
Peter 4:8-9 [How
can we expect to go the next level together if we aren’t
together? The body has to be built up in order to take the next
steps] III.
DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE LOST A.
Why is this important? 1.
Light must shine in darkness to be
of much value - Matthew
5:14-16 2.
If people are sick,
those with the cure must be willing to be among them - cf. Matthew
9:10-13 3.
Relationships with the lost can serve as the
basis for continued relationships with them after
they are saved B. Developing
relationships with the lost is an
ongoing process 1.
If an effort to
share the gospel is not well-received, we may need to move on - Matthew
7:6 2.
Just as Jesus could not stay in one place, we cannot limit
our outreach to just a few friends, relatives, and neighbors - cf.
Luke
4:42-44 C. Therefore
we must always be on the lookout for new relationships with the
lost... 1.
Simple hospitality will go a
long way (both offered and accepted) - cf. Matthew
9:9-13
a.
Matthew extended hospitality to his friends soon after
Jesus called him
b.
Jesus accepted the opportunity to eat and be with the lost 2.
Inviting the lost to our
assemblies can be very profitable
a. Giving them an opportunity to meet other
Christians i.
With whom they may also develop relationships D. Most
probably already have relationships with the lost. The question
becomes are we trying to take that relationship to the next level
by talking to them about God? 1.
So often we are afraid of what they will say or how they
will react rather than focusing on what we have (God’s
forgiveness and salvation) and what they need (God’s forgiveness
and salvation) [To
get to the next level, we must be engaged in…] IV.
SERVING GOD MORE FULLY A.
Why is this important? 1.
Because being a servant is what a disciple of Christ is
called to be a.
Jesus stressed this
point on several occasions
i.
While rebuking the Scribes and the Pharisees in Matthew
23:8-12 (“but he
who is greatest among you will be your servant”)
ii.
During the Last Supper – John
13:12-17
iii.
By His own example – Philippians
2:5-8 2.
If we are talking about taking it up to the next level, to
go up in the Kingdom is to go down in service to others! 3.
Being a servant is a sign of maturity (aka: the next level) a.
Someone who is
immature is normally focused on themselves (i.e. newborns) b.
But a person who
serves others is not selfish but understands the value and
importance of putting other people first B.
The great thing about being a servant is there is never a
lack for areas to serve. What we have to do is have our eyes open
for the opportunities 1.
There are physical areas of service: driving someone
around, mowing their lawn, fixing food, etc 2.
But there are also spiritual areas of service: teach a
Bible class, etc. C.
If we want to go up in the kingdom of God then we must be
willing to go down in service to others. That is what Christ did
(i.e. washing the feet of His Disciples) CONCLUSION What is it going to take for us as individuals and a congregation to get to the next level? In some ways it's too bad there is a "Next Level" chart where we could see the requirements for moving up to see where we are. But then again, there is a chart. It's the Word of God. It shows us and tells us where we should be and what we should be doing (2 Peter 1:5-8).
Glory
to God in the church by Christ Jesus
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