Today I am simply noting some thought from the message yesterday. NorthStar is crazy, fanatical, extreme and passionate.  In our culture, normal means broke, living from pay check to paycheck, depression, bad marriage, stressed, worried and freaked out, overwhelmed, bad relationship with parents….We are not normal! God has called us to be different. Normal is not working. Today I want to talk about what it means to be a crazy church.

We believe church is not supposed to be same group of people staying the same but reaching people far from God. The vision of many churches is keeping church people happy. If we are going to be a crazy church I am going to share four things we can focus on today.

>>Jesus Loved And Is Committed To This Church

We have members/owners, we have guest and we have people dating this church.

Some say I am searching for a church where my kids can get something good, I am searching for a place to belong….The number one question should be: “Is the presence of God in this place?”

That should be the difference maker. It makes me crazy when people say “I love God I just don’t need church.

Matthew 16:18  The church belongs to Jesus so the church is important.

Ephesians 1:22 The church was not mans idea but God’s so it has a divine purpose.

Ephesians 3:10  In other words God wants to use his church to proclaim the gospel to the world.

Ephesians 3:20-21

You cannot separate Jesus and the church. Jesus loves and committed to this church. I am focused on this church, I am sure he loves others too.

 >> I Love And I Am Committed To This Church

We love new. When something new comes out at a restaurant or store everybody goes crazy. But the new wears off. The condition of the church in America is not in the best shape because many church leaders love new and the new has worn off.  People will try a church for a while and then move on to another church.

 

I am not the perfect person but I am pursuing Jesus and trying to show you how we can live the Christian life. Please pray I will lead this church well. In order for me to do this there has to be some changes.  The closer you get to Jesus there are more layers he peals back.   

There is a difference in church attendance and walking with Jesus. If we will walk with Jesus we do not become more judgmental, arrogant and self righteous. If we walk with Jesus we become more humble, desperate and compassionate.

The worship leader in our life changes us.  As we walk with Jesus we don’t become people sitting on top of the cross but rather people kneeling at the cross because we are changing. Please read Psalm 139:23-24   This prayer will revolutionize your life. I have to do things in my life that will set me up for success and the church for success.

>>I Am Asking You To Love and Be Committed To This Church

 I have already told you that Jesus is and that I am so I think it is only fair to ask you to be. Jesus did not build the church so we could have a place to attend but where we could belong. 

Ephesians 2:19-22

At the end of the day we are called to belong to the local church. We need the church.  Often the first step people take away from God is away from the church. For those of you who are messing around and not plugging in to the church get plugged in. Half hearted men do not change the world.

Ephesians 4: 11-14

We will never attain spiritual maturity until we use the spiritual gifts God has given us in the context of the local church. If you want to mature, you need to understand maturity is not information. Maturity is allowing information to produce transformation in our lives.  Saved people serve people so that served people can become saved people. If we are going to be like Jesus we are going to have to serve.  He said I am come to serve not be served.  I am asking you to commit your life to something that matters.  Pick a church and plug in.  Take off your referee shirt and whistle and get involved in the game.

>>We Need To See Others Commit Their Lives To Christ and His Church

I want to be like Jesus so I look at how He did ministry. Matthew 9:9-13  Jesus went to Levi and to his house because his friends needed Jesus.

There are people outside this walls that need Jesus and Jesus has called this church to reach them. We don’t need to be comfortable and inward focused but rather go outside the walls of this church to bring the message of Jesus to the world. People matter to God