Culture of Celebration (sermon notes)

I have to start my sermons with something funny:
a young couple once said
When we brought our new-born son to the pediatrician for his first checkup, the doctor said, "You have a cute baby." Smiling, we said, "I'll bet you say that to all the new parents." "No," he replied, "just to those whose babies are really cute." "So what do you say to the others?" we asked. "He looks just like you."
Today I’m continuing a new VISION sermon series…
Let’s Dream Again church!
Please visit the Vision Bulletin Board in the foyer…

No matter Where You’ve been
No Matter What You’ve done
You can begin again
We are sending a clear msg to our community and within these walls that the Assembly of God in Rogue River is a place of NEW BEGINNINGS in Jesus…
Really all we’re doing is giving ourselves an identity…
Before the name change we were simply identified by our denomination…
We are also communicating that we are Christian 1st and Assembly of God 2nd…
Methods change But the Message remains the same
Ministries Begin and End But The Church will Never die
Matthew 16:18…Jesus said… I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it.
I know change is hard! Remember there really is only one thing you can depend on in life…change, it’s inevitable, it’s necessary.
We must remain pliable in the Potter's Hand!

Our first TEAM mtg. last week was well attended and I feel we had good communication…
I realized that I get together with the board and staff, but the annual family business mtg. is not enough communication…so ALL are welcome to the TEAM mtg., the first Sunday of every month, it’s an informal time with leadership lessons, discussion, and prayer…
One of the things that came up in our discussion is our love for some programs that are no longer happening, like Sunday school or home groups and ofcourse our beloved CLS…
I want to remind you that we need to do a few things well and not stretch ourselves too thin, especially in today’s economy and culture, we need to remember that acronym…busy (being under satan’s yoke)…we are in the last days, Jesus is coming soon…we musn’t be too busy in the church that we’re not being salt and light outside the church…
Family groups fulfill the basic model of Sunday school or a home group…God’s people getting together for bible study, prayer and fellowship (three legged stool).
I’m believing God is going to make new family groups, they don’t just have to be on campus on Wed. eve….family groups can happen anytime and they do… Linda, Phyllis, medford, grants pass (back of the bulletin)…
The focus needs to be: everybody is a minister, everybody needs a ministry…what is God calling you to do? Is God calling you to start a new family group?
I would have a hard time believing God is calling any of us to revive an old program, I believe He wants to do something new!
But, don’t misunderstand your pastor, if your heart aches to revive a former ministry, come talk to me, and I will back you up if the HS has led you to do so…I want our church to be a place where we are all free to fly or flop, to try and try again!
Addressing CLS again, the reason we were forced to close the doors was the economy…Regarding the secondary issues of division from the last 30 years of ministry I will be transparent with anyone who wishes to sit down and discuss it…
Please use the right bucket (water, gasoline) on the gossip and practice Matthew 18, go to the source...
(2nd Offering to help cover CLS large deficit)
Dream with me about what God wants to happen with our extra space…youth center, kids center, amphitheatre, harvest ladies, nursery, war room, library, food bank, etc...

OK back to my sermon series…We’ve already talked about creating a culture of Mission, Love, Passion, and TEAM at NBCC
Today we get to continue creating a culture of CELEBRATION
I had so much fun with the bible word search last week…
I did it again…
The word celebration only shows up in the NIV 8 times,
versus the 383x “together” showed up last week…
Let me share a few thoughts from what I learned from my bible word search…
1 Samuel 11:15 says
So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king in the presence of the LORD. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.
So, #1 Celebration requires SACRIFICE…

Saul gets to be King…
The Israelites are excited about their new leader…
But, the animals sacrificed probably weren’t feeling very celebratory…
We call it a CELEBRATION service every Sunday morning…
But we don’t all feel like celebrating every Sunday…
Praise sometimes takes sacrifice…
Being faithful to church takes sacrifice…
Scripture says come into his presence with singing, with a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving…
Shout unto God, Zach sang this morning!
Hebrews 3:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.
This really doesn’t sound very spiritual, but sometimes you gotta fake it until you feel it…
step out in faith
choose to celebrate
God will bless a sacrifice of celebration!

Continuuing our CELEBRATION bible word search…
Esther 8:15
(two weeks in a row, hitting Esther, that may just be a sign)
Mordecai left the king’s presence wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration…
#2 Celebration requires Honor

If you are familiar with the book of Esther you know that Mordecai only knew scorn because his entire race was being shown disrespect and hate…
But what the enemy meant for evil…GOD made good!
Our God specializes in turning ashes to beauty!
No matter where You’ve been
No matter what You’ve done
You can begin Again
God has reversed man’s idea of who deserves honor…
Jesus said the last shall be first…
Those who are humble will be exalted…
Honor is not just for those who have accomplished much here on earth…
Christ has honored every sinner by taking their cross for them…

The king of kings, the Lord of lords, the prince of peace, the eternal Father, Son and Holy Spirit deserve all Honor!!!!!!!
So of course church is a celebration!
We’re honoring our God, we’re honoring one another…
God inhabits the praises of His people!
God really knows how to party!

and the final scripture I’m going to share from my bible word search is…
Acts 7:41…That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and held a celebration in honor of what their hands had made…
#3 Celebration requires GOD
Stick w/ me here
I did a tidy little 3 point sermon
but now I’m getting a little feisty
We get together all the time to celebrate people…
Thats really good...
birthdays, anniversaries, graduations…you name it…
But if God’s not in it…it’s not a real Celebration
You see, you don’t know real Celebration until you know my JESUS…
If God’s not glorified, if it’s simply man’s stuff…
It’s empty, It’s unsatisfying, It’s hollow…

I think it’s time for the Christian to take back the Party!
There are some that think it’s not a party till somebody’s drunk or acting stupid…That’s not a party, that really is foolishness…
You know that song we sing…I could sing of your love forever…
The second verse says…Oh I feel like dancing, It’s foolishness I know…
I have a problem with that verse…
It aint foolish to celebrate and dance for Jesus!
It aint foolish to get excited about Amazing Grace!

The world may look at our road sign and say, Celebration Service what? Church is boring…
Christian it’s time to change the world’s definition of boring!
I know what’s boring…the hangover the next morning…
Ok so I’m picking on the drunk…that’s not fair, there’s a lot of other sins I should pick on, like overeating…
Maybe we should even take back the wild party too!
Pentecostals are supposed to be known for getting a little wild…

I’ll tell you the greatest reason for CELEBRATION!
We have Access to the Riches of God!
My God will supply all my needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus…
Philippians 4:19
Some of us need a radical mind-set transformation…move our thoughts from worry to celebration…
I found this inspiration this week on line…
The positive side of life…
Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun every year.
How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on.
Birthdays are good for you; the more you have,the longer you live.
Happiness comes through doors you didn't even know you left open.
Ever notice that the people who are late are often much jollier than the people who have to wait for them?
You may be only one person in the world,but you may also be the world to one person.
Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened.
We could learn a lot from crayons:some are sharp, some are pretty,some are dull, some have weird names,and all are different colors...but they all exist very nicely in the same box.
A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

(replacement theology)
Open your bible and quote the word back to that devil!
If you know how to worry, you know how to memorize, how to meditate, how to think God thoughts…
Stop rehearsing your hurt and start rehearsing the word!
"Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse" (Philippians 4:8 MSG).
Come on and Celebrate!

Can NBCC truly be a NEW culture of Mission, Love, Passion, TEAM and Celebration?
I’m daring to believe…
Choosing Faith instead of Fear...
Hear it again and for the first time…
No Matter Where you’ve been
No Matter what you’ve done
You can begin again
Come to Jesus