It’s Time!

Introduction: Yearly State of the Church Address

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Ecclesiastes 3:1 For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. ² A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. ³ A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. ⁴ A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. ⁵ A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. ⁶ A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. ⁷ A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. ⁸ A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. (NLT)

Transition: Discerning the time(s) is a very important aspect of life as a whole as well as what time it is in the progress of a church.

Luke 12:54, ‘discerning the times (last days)…..’

One app. Found 61 times that the word or thought of discerning the times could be found.

We have obviously been through a lot of changes:

• Stage of concern / coming to grip with difficulties of COVID.
• Let’s learn how to do video stuff.
• It’s time to reopen.
• How do we reopen (precautions).

Transition: Time to transition toward a rebuilding / return season.

It’s Time to:

1. Return to regular Sunday attendance

Why?

1. Personal Spiritual Growth
2. Personal and Corporate Fellowship

• Spiritual Disciplines

1. Accountability
   1. Support –encouragement, support, spiritual warfare;

• Need for momentum

Role of Momentum

1. Place / Role / Significance of Momentum

Building it
First of all, how do you build momentum? Sadly, it doesn’t come easily or quickly. In his #1 best seller, Good to Great, author and researcher Jim Collins describes building momentum in an organization. He tells readers to imagine pushing a big, heavy metal flywheel. Lots of energy is exerted, yet because of its great weight, the flywheel only moves a few inches. But with repeated, consistent pushing, the flywheel slowly begins to move, and gain momentum. “Each turn of the flywheel builds upon work done earlier, compounding…invested effort,” says Collins. “Then at some point – breakthrough!” He says that momentum will finally kick in, in your favor. The heavy weight now begins working for you.

10 Principles For Gaining & Maintaining Church Momentum

10 Principles For Gaining & Maintaining Church Momentum

Brian Houston

Feb 26 2013

Oh what an exhilarating ride momentum can be! Just like the adrenaline of an amusement park ride, the ebb and flow of a giant roller coaster – when you are riding momentum it seems like ‘anything could happen and it probably will!’

Momentum speeds up progress and propels you forward in a way best described in the Amplified Bible’s definition of the word ‘blessed’: “Blessed, happy, fortunate, and to be envied!”

Momentum is a friend to every leader who is consumed with the cause of Christ and His Church. Conversely, a lack of momentum is the catalyst of great frustration and duress, and often produces striving or disillusionment – neither of which will ever lead to momentum. It is at times like these that the frustration we feel over lack of momentum is only exacerbated by acquaintances or peers who make it all look so easy as they ride on the wings of the momentum we so desperately crave.

So, as a fellow pastor and church leader in constant pursuit of grace-filled momentum, here are my 10 principles for the GAINING and MAINTAINING of Church momentum:

1. MOMENTUM IS PROPELLED BY A HEALTHY SOUL:

Momentum has an ENGINE that is powered by a healthy soul. Every church has a soul and in the same way as a strong ‘core’ is essential to physical fitness, a healthy soul (or core) is critical in igniting momentum within the life of any church. Typical symptoms of an unhealthy ‘soul’ are indifference, ambivalence, politicking and negativity; which eat away at the health of a church like terminal cancers. I will always try and encourage church leaders not to focus as much on the GROWTH of the church as you do on the HEALTH of the church – because healthy things grow.

A healthy church “prospers and is in good health, in the same way as its soul prospers”. (3 John 2.) When the soul of a church is healthy, the church will be unified and in turn, unity ignites momentum.

2. MOMENTUM IS CONTAGIOUS:

Like a magnet, momentum will attract and pull even greater momentum towards itself.

3. MOMENTUM IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO TIMES & SEASONS:

4. MOMENTUM THRIVES IN A CHARGED ATMOSPHERE:

5. MOMENTUM IS THE FRUIT OF GRACE & FAVOUR:

6. MOMENTUM HAS A LIFESPAN:

10. MOMENTUM REQUIRES AN APPRECIATION OF REWARD AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF RESPONSIBILITY:

Hillsong Conference exists to “Champion the cause of local churches everywhere”. I pray you will consider attending this year, as we will be doing all we can to encourage you toward God-ordained, sustainable, Holy momentum!

God bless you,

Brian Houston.
Senior Pastor, Hillsong Church

Transition: Secondly, It’s time to:

1. Return to Spiritual Service

The Body of Christ & specifically Christian Life Church needs all the members executing their gifting!

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https://www.christianity.com/christian-life/what-are-spiritual-gifts-understanding-the-types-and-discovering-yours.html

Spiritual gifts are something every believer is given when they receive the gift of salvation. Just as the gift of salvation is by grace through faith, so are the spiritual gifts. Our God is so generous. He is constantly giving us things.

“Christ has generously divided out his gifts to us.” (Ephesians 4:7 CEV)

It’s His grace at work in our lives.

3 Kinds of Spiritual Gifts

There are three kinds of spiritual gifts. These gifts are not something we possess; they are God’s supernatural ability showing up in our lives in various ways. The Bible calls it a manifestation.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7 NIV)

There are ministry gifts, manifestation gifts, and motivational gifts. All believers take part in these gifts in various ways.

Let’s look at each of them separately.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Ministry

The ministry gifts are the way God works with what believers do to serve others and meet their needs. It’s how we minister or ad-minister the love, grace, and truth of God to others. To administer is to apply and bring into use.

“And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.” (1 Corinthians 12:5 KJV)

The Bible provides a list of these ministering gifts and their purpose.

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13, emphasis added)

Many refer to them as the 5-fold ministry. Not everyone is called to the ministry but 1 Corinthians 12:28 adds a gift for helping.

God graciously empowers us all to help one another by His Spirit.

Beyond the 5-Fold Ministry Gifts

• Apostles
• Prophets
• Evangelists
• Pastors
• Teachers
• Helpers

Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Manifestation

Manifestation gifts are the ones people tend to sensationalize and therefore disqualify themselves from enjoying. In 1 Corinthians 12:7, it says God gives to each of us, not just some. This means everyone.

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to others gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to others miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Corinthians 12:7-11, emphasis added)

This supernatural demonstration of the Holy Spirit’s power is to serve others as well as minister to ourselves. It’s commonly thought these gifts are only to minister to others but that’s limiting the grace of God. The Spirit can give you a message of wisdom when you ask for one in your life just as easily as He can give one to you to deliver to someone else. Let the Holy Spirit minister to you also.

These manifestation gifts are how God works through us bringing joy and fruitfulness in every one of our lives.

9 Manifestations of the Holy Spirit

• A message of wisdom
• A message of knowledge
• Faith
• Gifts of healing 
• Miraculous powers
• Prophecy
• Distinguishing between spirits
• Speaking in different kinds of tongues
• The interpretation of tongues

Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Motivational

The motivational gifts are how the Spirit of Grace moves through us motivating our words and actions. It’s a filter we’re given for our perspective shaping how we relate to and serve others.

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” (Romans 12:6-8, emphasis added)

7 Motivational Gifts

• Prophesying
• Serving
• Teaching
• Encouraging
• Giving
• Leading
• Showing Mercy