Flatland/Pics: Being the Rain
Well, I managed to recover
a part of the post that I lost from a couple weeks ago. I am going to include it along with this weeks sermon since they go together well. We at Flatland have been looking at our logo and discovering how it is a picture of Flatland, a promise to us and a call of ministry.
Flatland logo – where ever you are feeling dry, God will bring you refreshing. Last week we learned that God wants us to step into his rain of redemption. Without God, we are a dry and cracked land. But God will pour out His salvation upon us, even though we are ugly dried up mud. Flatland must be like God and accept people as they are.
But there are even more refreshing that God is willing to do. He wants to transform us. Pour out His rain on all parts of our lives. Eph 2:1-2 we were dead but now we are alive.
We can loose our passion for God. Sin in our lives can dry us up. But God wants to continually rain on us, to transform us into spiritual beings.
Have we stepped out of God’s rain and are drying up? Stepping into the rain. Parable of the sower. Matt 13. We need to go deep into our relationship with God in order for our roots go deep that we may mot dry up. We need to practice the spiritual disciplines.
We need to follow God’s manual instead of trying to be spontaneous. Believe He has a plan and follow His will. God wants us to enjoy life and is passionate about giving great things BUT we must be passionate about Him first and foremost. He must be our focus our passion our love and when we do he will rain on us.
This week we are moving from being the flat and dry land in need of God’s refreshing rain to being the refreshing rain on the dry parched land of the world.
Flatland has two new opportunities for being that rain, Flatland24 and an 8:30 service at Flatland144.
Our logo represents our lives and the world without God and the promise we have with God.
Only 20% of Omaha have an active relationship with God. We live in a spiritually dry place but God is willing to pour out His rain and He wants us to be that rain.
Acts 13:47 and Hebrews 2:3.
How do we confirm God’s salvation? We are not sales people trying to sell God. We are to proclaim that we are satisfied customers.
Work out our salvation.
Staying physically fit is like working out our salvation. It is a daily commitment. We have to watch what we eat. Slacking off ends up making it harder to start up again. Garbage in garbage out. Regular working out is required (spiritual disciplines).
Stalling a plane results in a quick plumet to the ground. Spiritual stalling can lead to a falling from God’s grace.
Monitor your heart rate. Spiritual heart rate is your involvement in outreach.
Getting into the gym is to live our Christianity in front of the world.
Got to take supplements, extra protien, recovery stuff. Spiritual suppliments us being involved with other Christians (small groups etc).
Saturate with Hope.
Society is looking for hope. Hopelessness leads us to despair and giving up. Heb 10:23. God gives hope and we can represent that hope to the world.
Putting our heart in the right treasure. Involve God in our everyday decisions. Work hard to honor God.
Live right
Based on God’s expectations.
Don’t condem the world John 3:15-17
Live consistently according to His Word.
Whoa, lots of stuff there and some of it I can’t explain, you will just have to listen to the podcast – http://www.flatlandchurch.com/
I am being really struck by the very clear call by our pastors to action. The last sermon series “Dive In” and this one are both challenging us to be involved in ministry, in different ways. This one is more of a look at what Flatland is committed to, namely, to bring refreshment to all who are feeling dried up. One can be lost, without God and need redemptive rain, one can be feeling dried up spiritually and in need of a refreshing rain. Flatland Church has as its focus to bring that rain to all.
I really like what Pastor Jeff said this week about how we don’t sell salvation rather we proclaim how we are satisfied customers (yeah, the picture is of Pastor Bart who started the sermon). And so we are challenged this week, “How are we bringing God’s refreshing rain to those who feel like a dry and cracked land?”