Sunday Recap @ da Chapel
Pastor Joshua Goodin
Matthew 21:12-17 (NRSV)
“Getting the House in Order” Pt. 1
God wants to do some great things in and through you, but God can’t do that in the position that you are in. God needs a deeper level of devotion, prayer, and worship. You may find yourself in the place that you are in because you want God to take you further, but you don’t want to go deeper with God. What happens when you want God to keep blessing you, but you don’t want to walk in obedience? What happens when you want God to open doors and to prosper your life to be successful, but you don’t want to spend time with God. God is more concerned about your soul than your appearance. The church is preparation for real life. If you can handle church people you can handle anybody.
*The church has become this place where people feel like they are obligated to come to every week because it is a part of their weekly routine. If you are not passionate about something you will find yourself struggling to show up to it. If you don’t like your job, you know it is a struggle for you to get up every day and go to work. If kids don’t like school, they struggle to get up every day and go. How great was your struggle to come to church today? The church has become a part of your routine, so you feel like you have to put on your clothes and show up, and because you showed up, they should be happy. You think you are doing a disservice to others when you don’t show up for church, in reality, you are doing a disservice to yourself. It’s time for you to change your mind as it pertains to the church. There are places in the world where people would love to be able to come to a facility and worship God without the fear of losing their lives. Not everyone has the liberty to open the doors of the church walk in, and sing praises to God.
The church has become comfortable, complacent, and very divided. You find issues to be divided, not because it affects your eternity or your spiritual development, but you find issues to have division amongst yourself and others. What would the church look like if the church was on one accord?
**None of us are worthy. It is important to get back to a place where you fear being elevated. You know when God is agitating you when nothing you do lets you sleep. Have you ever been bothered by God? Be honest with God when you don’t feel like you are worthy of what God has called you to. God has done his greatest work with broken people. Stop disqualifying yourself, telling yourself that you will never amount to enough to be called to a certain position. God uses redemptive stories to remind you that he is continuously at work in you. To bring you to a place that he has called you to. Stop thinking you don’t have a testimony. You may never have that testimony that makes you feel worthy, but when you say yes to the Lord, he’ll give you some things to testify about. He will put you in some predicaments, positions, or some places so that you can have a testimony. Before you get to the mony part you have to go through the testing part. God will put you in some places that will test your faith, test your trust, test your integrity and your character. God is preparing you for where he is taking you. You may never feel worthy, but God always makes you worthy.
***What happens when the church is focused on revenue and numbers, but not concerned with souls, discipleship, and community impact? Sometimes you have to take off your church shoes, put your sneakers and your sweats on, go in and shake some things up. People need to see that you are serious about the business of God. If they won’t respect the house then they can get out of the house. Everybody that’s in your church or a member of your church doesn’t want to see you and your church win. Some people are just looking for opportunities and when they get what they need they go to the next church. Some people in the pews are discouraged when people leave the church. Don’t, when people leave God is making room for what he’s getting ready to send. Apply that thought to your life. Every time God allows someone to walk out of your life he is sending you someone to replace and fill the void. Maybe God is allowing that thing or person to leave so he trying to get you to a place where you can allow him to fill the void.
****Jesus turns over the seats because the problem is that some seats have been exalted in church even higher than God. What would the church be like if there were more leaders who are willing to pull up their sleeves and get their hands dirty? Jesus says that the place that is supposed to be a house that has parts with designed purposes, has been turned into a den where anything goes. Don’t repurpose what God has already defined as the purpose for the house. You have lost the purpose of why you come to church. When you come to church already prepared for worship the fire that is on you can catch on someone else. God is trying to shift you back to the purpose that you come to the house for. Do a better job fellowshipping during the week, so when you get to the church you don’t have to sit next to people to catch up that you miss the word. Come to church to get what you need to get refilled for whatever God has prepared for you in the coming week.
