Better Together

Crosspoint – Dave Spooner – Nov. 1st, 2020

 

Intro:

  • I don’t think we could have picked a worse day to merge churches. We are doing this during a worldwide pandemic with heightened restrictions in our region, days before a contention national election with social and political unrest, on the very morning we change our clocks back an hour.
  • I don’t think we could have picked a better day to merge churches. Because doing this today says that we believe the mission of God continues to move forward despite difficult circumstances. Doing this today, says we believe the Gospel of Christ is the hope of the world for transformation, healing, wholeness and peace. Doing this today says that we believe the fellowship of the saints is worth personal sacrifice. Doing this today says that we believe that we are better together.
  • And if God can merge churches during this time, that God is indeed in this and that He is

 

Eph 3:20-21 ESV

able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

 

Our new day

 

  • This is our new day that is built upon the foundation of thousands and tens of thousands of days of faith and faithfulness, service, and sacrifice and celebrations and salvations, risks and rewards, of perseverance and proclamations. This new chapter for our churches; God is reconfiguring a new body out of three pieces, with distinctive histories and flavors and ages and colors and backgrounds and languages as a testimony to our community and the world that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that nothing is impossible for Him, and that He should be honored, and worshiped, and feared and proclaimed to the ends of the earth for all eternity (Josh. 4:24)

 

Eccl 4:12 HCSB

A cord of three strands is not easily broken.

 

Rom 8:31-32 ESV

If God is for us, who can be against us?

 

  • Prayer of installation (prayer for me)
  • Prayer of consecration (I will pray for them)

 

Our new name

 

  • Process – team of two sifted through hundreds of names using the following criteria to bring the list down to 5
    • Criteria – meaningful, easy to remember, not complicated, not cutesy, and not common
    • Also, a name that captured who we are vs. where we are
    • This team was expanded to 12 (two couples from each church). The name went from 5 to two and then from two to one.
  • Show the name here
  • The cross is what brings us together from every tribe, and language, and people, and nation. God draws us to Him, transforms us to be like His Son and then together we represent Him to all creation throughout eternity.
  • The cross is the point where we are reconciled to God, the cross is the point that our sins are forgiven, the cross is the point where we receive new life, the cross is the hope of the world.
  • Introduce real people to a real God by knowing Jesus and making Him known.
  • Names are something that you grow into, we will embody this name and you are a part of it.
  • And in eternity we will declare with all the saints:

 

Rev 5:9-10 ESV

“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

 

  • Next week when you come back you will see this new name all over the place. This is a new day with a new name, but we proclaim an ancient message and live an ancient mission

 

Our eternal message

 

John 3:16 ESV

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

 

  • For God – the initiation
  • So loved – the motivation
  • The world – the application
  • That He gave – the demonstration
  • His only Son- the propitiation / salvation
  • That whoever (believes in Him) – the invitation
  • Should not perish – the implication
  • but have eternal life – the exaltation

 

Eph 2:8-10 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

 

Rom 1:16-17 ESV

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

 

 

Our sacred mission

 

Rom 1:5b ESV

to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations

 

  • We exist to bring about the obedience of faith (this is what we do)
  • For the sake of His name (this is why we do it)
  • Among all the nations (this is where we do it)

 

Conclusion and Communion

  • This is a new day with a new name proclaiming an eternal message on our sacred mission
  • The method will change but the message and mission will remain the same
  • With the presence of God and the persistent prayers of the saints, we are better together.
  • Tie into communion when Jesus was at the end of His earthy mission

 

 

Rom 11:36

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

ESV

 

Gal 6:14-16

14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

ESV

 

Col 1:19-20

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

ESV

 

Col 2:14-15

by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

ESV