Christus Victor: Cast the Sail
Christus Victor: Cast the Sail
Gateway’s 18th
April 6th 2025
Sunday 937!
“What you believe about God is the most important thing about you.” A.W. Tozer “What you believe about the Church impacts her influence and your life.” C.W. Weir
Acts 2:42-47 (NIV) They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Here is what I know about a growing church…
Church growth is realized spiritual impact.
When more people are spiritually impacted, more spiritually impactful people are needed.
More spiritual impact creates a need for more organization, more resources and more space.
The biggest challenge of a growing Church is maintaining unity of purpose/mission. More people can = a splintering of purpose, which in turn minimizes impact. Or more people can = immeasurably more impact. How do we achieve the latter?
Immeasurably More Impact
Maintain Personal Humility
Philippians 2:1-4 (NIV) Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Immeasurably More Impact
Maintain Personal Humility
Integrate Giftings
1 Corinthians 12.
Don’t compete for attention.
Find your place to serve.
Stick the landing.
Immeasurably More Impact
Maintain Personal Humility
Integrate Giftings
Unity of Mission
Fresh Starts is about an ever-developing relationship with God
Great Friends is the community shaping, caring, supporting element of the Body of Christ
Real Purpose encapsulates that we were built for spiritual influence in every arena in which we work and live.
Casting a Big Sail
Join ServTeam. Serving fills a hole in you and it fills a hole in others.
Pray.
Give.
“What you believe about the Church impacts her influence and your life.” Dr. C.W. Weir