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We Must Do Greater Things
Pastor Floyd's message from his continuing series "Greater Things"
$6.00 — $12.00
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be rich? What it really means to be rich? I hear people say boy if I was rich I would do this, I would do that, oh I would do so much. You do realize, don’t you, that if you don’t do it with what you have now, you wouldn’t do it if you had it then? It’s all a matter of the heart.
I came across something on Twitter this past week that I thought I would share with you. Someone answered that question, what does it mean to be rich. You are rich if you own a car, live in a house, have attended or attending a school. You are rich if you eat at restaurant, have health insurance. You are rich if you are able to buy groceries. You are rich if you drink clean water. You are rich if you have more than one set of clothes. You are rich if you own a pair of shoes.
I know it doesn’t seem like it, but the world is very different in the life that many Americans strive to have. It could be argued that even the poorest of the United States is more wealthy than many around the world. Then this statement is written: Rich means being able to take the margin in our lives to benefit others. I would like to rephrase that statement to say rich means being able to create greater margin in your life to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the world.
We must do greater things. And that’s what I want to talk about this morning. It is simple. It is to the point. We must do greater things for three simple reasons. Reason number 1:
1. There is salvation in no one else.
2. The calling upon our lives is clear.
3. Because thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory Forever.
Yes, we must do greater things. I’m going to begin with reason number 1:
1. There is salvation in no one else. In Acts chapter 4 there is a verse that
speaks to the exclusivity of Jesus Christ. Acts chapter 4, verse number 12 says these words, “And there is salvation in no one else.” Pretty strong statement, isn’t it? “For there is salvation in no one else. For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
The word salvation here means wholeness. It means spiritual health. One cannot be whole without a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. They may be poor, rich. They may be successful as the world categorizes it, but they cannot be spiritually healthy and whole as an individual without having an encounter and a personal relationship with the Living Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Savior of the world. There is salvation in no one else.
In our 3-year vision of Greater Things that will begin and launch next Sunday, we must do greater things because there is salvation in no one else. We must do everything we can as a church to become more healthy, to create greater fluidity in all that we do financially so that we can really begin to do more in relationship to the gospel here in the region, across America, and the world. And the reason why is because there is salvation in no one else.
We believe God wants us to plant 50 churches, at least 50 churches in the next three years, and we must do that. Why? Because there is salvation in no one else, and a gospel-preaching church has the power to change a culture. There is salvation in no one else.
We had a vision to see in 2012 at least a thousand of our people be mobilized to do great commission ministry outside of Northwest Arkansas, and last week unsolicited, unknowing the Holy Spirit of God showed up at a men’s event and within 24 hours at least 2000 of our people determined that they would do that in 2012, just as the video said a moment ago. We don’t know where we’re going. We’re not even sure we have the resources to go, but Lord here I am, send me, I’m going! Praise the Lord.
Why do we need to go? Why do hundreds more need to join us? Because there is salvation in no one else. Why do we want to see 2000 people come to Christ in 2012? I’ll tell you why, because there is salvation in no one else! You say that can’t be done. Right. Without God it won’t be done.
We want to see in a 3-year time every home in our region receives the gospel witness. Why is that important? Because there is salvation in no one else. It’s pretty simple. There is salvation in no one else. Why do we want to see our people give over a 3 year period of time at least 20 million dollars above our ministry budget giving that will be growing as well? Why do we want to see that? Because there’s salvation in no one else! That’s why.
I mean could it be, I just have a question today. Could it be since God has doubled the number sending from a thousand to at least 2000, that’s a very, very conservative number, I could go off the map there, but I won’t today. Could it be that maybe God has in mind more than we have in mind, and maybe He wants to turn the 20 into 40 million? Could it be? I mean just could it be? Could He do that? Oh yea, that’s nothing to Him. He could do anything, anytime, anywhere, and let me tell you something man, heaven’s economy is never altered one bit by the world’s economy. Why? Because He’s very committed because there’s salvation in no one else.
When I read Acts chapter 4, verse 12, I think of three things. I think of this important statement: the lostness of the world is real. That’s what I think about. I think about how lost the world is. 6.8 billion people in the world. Even our own region has 65% plus people that have never had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ by recent research. Wow. I’m not sure I believe that. Well fine, don’t believe. I’m just telling you there is salvation in no one else, and every time I hear that I think about the lostness of the world and how real it is.
I mean you think about it, I just made that statement. I didn’t even get an amen from anybody in the house. I’m not sure even anybody, all of us in the house believe that statement. We kind of worked ourselves up with this commitment to well it’s all going to work out okay. I’ve got my buddies and they go to their church, I go to my church, they’ve got their way, I’ve got my way. Oh really? So it’s Baskin Robbins flavor all the way to heaven? No there’s salvation in no one else.
And the lostness of the world is real. And it’s real whether or not you believe it or not! Every time I read that statement there’s salvation in no one else, I’m almost reminded that, that hell and its existence is inescapable. It’s inescapable. Oh I realize in this sophisticated society in which we live where the intellects play their little games out here over what they believe and what they think is right or wrong; I just want to tell you tonight it doesn’t really believe whether you believe in hell or not, hell is real. Jesus talked about hell more than He did heaven. You don’t hear the word hell very much in the pulpits across the land unless all hell’s breaking loose in the church, which typically happens in most churches. But you don’t hear a lot of it. Why? Because we have been la-la to sleep to believe that surely a God that loves us would never do that.
And one of the raging debates right now in the American culture, even featured this morning on ABC News was a debate on whether or not hell is really real! Because somebody supposedly says it’s not, so what! Who cares what they say! I don’t need to hear what they say! I already know what He said. It’s His book. It’s His plan, not mine. He says it’s real. Those who know Christ go to heaven when they die; those who don’t know Christ when they die, they’re in eternity without God in a place called hell. Oh I’m telling you I’m a Methodist, I’m a Baptist, I’m a this, I’m a that, I’m, I’m, ain’t, don’t mean nothing! What matters is has Christ ever revolutionized your life? Have you ever repented of your sins? And have you ever opened your heart up to the life-changing power of Jesus Christ? That’s what matters!
There is salvation in no one else. So I not only think about that, but I think the way to heaven is narrow. I mean it’s pretty narrow. Well surely God wouldn’t be that narrow? Oh really, well let’s talk about what Jesus said. I mean Jesus was pretty clear, right? I mean read the Word; it’s amazing what the Word has. Jesus said this recorded by Matthew in chapter 7, verse 13 and 14. “Enter by the narrow gate for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction and those who enter it are by it or many. But He said for the gate is narrow, the way to God, and the way is what? Hard that leads to life and those who find it are few.” Jesus said there are two ways: one is narrow, one is broad. One meaning will go but there’s one only a few will go. And He said that’s the way that leads to life. The way everybody else is going is broad and leads to destruction. That’s pretty clear. I’m just telling you today there are is salvation in no one else church. That’s why we must do greater things.
You can sit out here and debate it intellectually with me about something. You can experientially debate with me about this, and you can talk about this or that, or whether or not we need to, don’t need to, what we hear or there. Go on. Play your game. I’m telling you as a pastor of a local church but more than that, I’m just going to share with you what Jesus said. There is salvation in no one else! And He has made it real clear, and it’s not up for vote. Amen.
But not only we must do greater things because of that, but also because:
2. The call upon our lives is clear. It’s clear. I realize there is some of us here today we think about that calling upon our lives being clear, and we think about how we’ve been called to be a mom, or we’ve been called to you know work out here in one of these vendors up here in Northwest Arkansas, or we’ve been called to you know work in one of the big three corporations. Oh I’ve been called to be an educator. Oh, all those things may be true that there’s a sense of calling there, a sense of, of, of personal fulfillment, but I want to tell you that is not your number one calling. Your number one calling is not even in ministry if you’re a minister. Your number one calling comes to us as a clarion call from Jesus Himself that is recorded over in the gospel of Matthew, chapter number 28, verse 19 and 20.
Notice what He says the calling is: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Behold I am with you always to the end of the age.”
Why is it important for us to understand the call upon our lives? Do you know what the call upon your life is according to Matthew 28:19 and 20? Make disciples. That’s what it is, make disciples. Make disciples. But you can’t make disciples until you become a disciple. And you can’t become a disciple without Christ and Him alone. I mean let me ask you this question: If you’ve been born between 1980 and the year 2000, would you stand? All right. From 1980 to the year 2000 that’s a lot of our folks. You notice that? Pretty amazing, isn’t it? I mean let me tell y’all some bad news. The bad news is for the first time ever this generation is larger than my generation, the Baby Boomers. That was a joke. But do you understand this generation is called the Millennial Generation? There are 78 million of you. You are changing the culture landscape of America. You are changing corporate America. You are changing everything in the advertising world. You are changing it all! Amazing.
Let me tell you something about your generation; 31% of the Millennial Generation believes that Jesus is the only way to salvation. Only 31% of you. Hm. That’s why the calling upon our lives is clear whether it be in your generation or the older generations, or even the youngest of the youngest that’s in the nursery today that’s been born since 2000. I mean the calling upon our lives is clear! We must disciples, not only of all the nations, but of, but of all generations! It’s pretty obvious the largest generation in the American culture believes, only 31% of them believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation. We are now living in post-Christian America. You may be seated.
When you look at Matthew 28, you’ve got to understand the language here. The way it was written was to bring great demonstrative belief about one thing: making disciples. That’s what God’s called us to do. He’s called us to make disciples. And then He says He wants us to make disciples of all the nations. If you were looking at a Greek New Testament, and you understood how to read Greek, you would find these words, “make disciples,” and then you would find this word in the Greek, “Panta ta ethne.” Panta ta ethne. Do you know what that means? Of all the nations. You know what that literally means? Ethne – ethniticities. What does that mean? OF all people groups in the world.
I mean in Northwest Arkansas we have 65 people groups, plus the big white cluster. The biggest is the big white cluster, but beyond the big white cluster that is 65% in need of Jesus, you have to understand that a large segment of unreached people groups right here in our region. 65 of them! I mean I wonder today if I asked the people in this auditorium if you are not a white anglo, I want you to stand, I wonder how many would be here? Some of you say well you know I don’t know about whether or not a church ought to have those kind of people. You know you should have really lived a hundred years ago, and you really might biblical salvation because I’m just telling you Jesus is into all of them! And you know what, if we want to personify the church, let me just make it real clear, we need to personify the region. We ought to die trying to get every people group represented in this church.
And then you think about the University of Arkansas. Oh boy we go down to the University of Arkansas. We rant. We rave. We just call the hogs. We do everything we can do. Ah man that’s where it’s at, boy this is just great. Some of you live your life and if something doesn’t go right, you just get depressed. Lord help us if we ever get depressed over something like that. But let me just tell you something, do you realize there are 123 nations represented at the University of Arkansas. 123 of them. Did you hear me? 123 nations. And out of that 123 nations, they represent 1,136 students on the campus of the University of Arkansas. Wow. Ha-ha. And God’s brought them right here to us! Isn’t that awesome? We have the privilege of making disciples of all the nations, but not only here, but going! So you’re calling is clear upon your life! God wants you to make disciples!
Now how do you do that? Well there are 3 things you’ve got to do according to what the Scripture says. You’ve got to be involved in:
(1) Going. That’s right. Jesus didn’t say now as you think about going, um, and you think about signing up to go, uh, no. That’s not what He said. He’s saying as you go make disciples. He is assuming you’re going. If you believe to Him you go. Why is that? Because He went. Amen.
But not only going, but:
(2) Baptizing. Baptizing. Baptism is the mark that you have entered into the family of God. It is the testimony that you have entered the family of God. Because I have followed Christ, and I now belong to Jesus. He’s changed my life; I now will follow Him in believers’ baptism. And it’s not something we ought to debate. Doing is not something we ought to like to take forever to decide if we’re going to do it. I mean come on man, He’s said it! Our church needs to be very committed to going and baptizing, but also to:
(3) Teaching. What do we teach them? We teach them all that Jesus commanded. We need to teach them all that Jesus commanded. So once we become a disciple, we remain a disciple, and then we try to find people that we can disciple. However that discipling issue works in our life. In other words, we’ve got to just know a little bit more than somebody else knows. And I want to tell you we live in a pretty illiterate world, so we ought to know a little bit more than many know. You say well I could never see myself doing that. Well stop imaging that you have a little book, and you work through a little book with somebody, just invest your life into somebody, poor your life into somebody. Stop trying to complicate it and trying to give a thousand reasons why you can’t. Let the devil talk you out of it. Just be who God made you to be. I’m telling you the calling upon your life is clear! Pastor it may be clear to you but it’s not clear to me. Well it’s clear. It’s clear.
I want to remind everybody today that, that, that we’re not talking about the great option here. Matthew 28 is not the great option. Now, you know, you’re up for it. If you want to do it, you can do it! I mean it’s pretty good! No it’s not the great option! It’s the Great Commission! Ha-ha. It’s not the great omission by the way, are you with me? It’s not the great omission; it’s the Great Commission! It’s not what I’m going to omit in my life; it’s what I’m going to commit to do!
Listen we must do greater things because the calling is clear upon our lives! I tell you one of the greatest things said last week on this platform by our guest Bruce Wilkinson was said in the early service at Springdale, and the later service here at Pinnacle Hills. And I quote what he said, powerful statement, “God has assembled the greatest talent pool in the nation right here, so use it to advance the gospel, the church, and the Kingdom of God.” Wow. Now I’ve tried to dance around all that for years, and tried to say it in certain ways, but he nailed it.
I mean think about it, we have tremendous corporations, multiple national companies, I mean much of the best of the best is right here! And they’re not just here and been endowed to simply build a company, no, but to make disciples! And to build the church, and to expand the Kingdom of God, and to advance the Good News of Christ around the world! You’ve got to get a bigger vision for your life than what you have. You’ve got to see things bigger than you have the posture, you have the position, you have the platform, you’ve got the resources, you’ve got everything you need that God needs as long as you couple it with a willing heart to make a difference around the world. Wow.
Now you don’t know me Pastor Floyd. I don’t have to know you. I know Him, and that’s what He says. We must do greater things. Why? There is salvation in no one else. The calling is clear upon our lives. And then notice this last reason:
3. Thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory Forever. Did you hear it? Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory Forever. Do you remember what Jesus said over in 6th chapter of the gospel of Matthew? I like the way the King James has it. It says, “For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory Forever. Amen.” Wow.
We must do greater things because He is the Kingdom, not my kingdom. He is the Power, not the little old power and influence that I might have or not have as a person. He is the Glory, meaning He is, He is the presence of God. I mean He is everywhere! And even said Amen to say yea, I believe it! All right! Glory hallelujah!
Few men could call a coliseum to wake up any greater than the black preacher named S.M. Lockridge. S.M. Lockridge, I’ve heard him in person, I’ve seen him do it before he died and went to be with the Lord. He was used in incredible ways. He was a master of the English language, a scholar of scholars, an articulate, brilliant, black preacher.
A few years ago along with our guy that does all of our graphics for us in the big stuff named Zach. I had Zach create with S.M. Lockridge’s voice graphics that call about, and talk about “That’s My King.” I played it here once, maybe twice through the years. In fact I introduced it to our, just introduced a section, a session in our men’s conference, just to try to get guys out there in here, and it wasn’t a planned thing. In fact, I told Josh in the break that’s what I want you to play at this time. And you know, I mean there was, there wasn’t…just kind of heard it. It’s just kind of one of those things because we’re so familiar, and we’re so used to greatness at times, or used to hearing something that we’re not moved by any longer. I’m telling you man it’s a powerful deal because it talks about Jesus. It talks about how great Jesus is. It talks about who He is, where He’s been, where He’s going! What it’s about, and He ends up with a statement that Angela sang a moment ago that is the powerful statement that is the third point of this message! Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory Forever! Amen.
Oh I’m not going to play all of it today, but I am going to ask you to get yourself in it. I’m going to ask you dial out of where you are, and dial in to who Jesus is for a moment. I’m going to ask you to be released and to express who Christ is to you. Oh I’m just going to let you hear the last 3 minutes of it, but oh, what a great reminder it is. I tell you the other day at my computer when Zach sent it to me again, I could barely control myself. I didn’t!
Listen. Watch. Let God speak to you. This is Who you serve. This is the One you’re committed to. This is the One who died for you. This is the One who will be always. Listen now.
You know that’s really who Christ is. Did you hear what he said? He said, “…and ever, and ever, and when you get through will all the forevers, then amen.” It makes me wonder what does this all mean? It means the Kingdom of this world will not last. If He is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory Forever, then that means the kingdom of this world will not last.
And you think about how all you do in this world, and how none of that is going to last. I’m not saying that we don’t need to do some of those things. Obviously God wants us to do good works, but good works don’t save us, and we need to do more eternal things than good things. Right? But the kingdom of this world will not last. And I ask you today what are, what are you giving yourself to? What are you selling out to? Is it the kingdom of this world?
And then what also it means the Kingdom of God will never end. That’s what thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory is. The Kingdom of God will never end. That’s means never, never, never, never, never end. One day all we do ends, but He never ends. He’s the beginning and the end, end, end, end. There is no end. It’s infinite. It’s eternal. It’s everlasting.
I want to tell you we must do greater things. Is it really option? I mean when you really think about it, is it really an option? I mean let’s just put the biblical evidence on the table. Is it really an option for us not to do this? There’s really not because the biblical evidence ought to convict us, and it ought to convince us there is salvation in no one else.
About 3 or 4 months ago, I forget exactly, but I went with some friends, had dinner, and then we went and we saw The Grace Card. A preview of The Grace Card. That night I began to think on something and, and I, I articulated it about 2 weeks ago to our team. I said listen I want us to get 2 theaters. I want one at wherever it’s going to be in the north, and one wherever it’s going to be in the south, and I want us to fill it with teenagers, and give teenagers an opportunity to receive Christ on the Wednesday night that it’s there. Why is that? Because I guarantee you there’s a lot of teenagers that need to understand the grace card.
But you know what moved me to that was not simply the movie; what moved me to that is there is salvation in no one else, and the movie was real clear where the salvation is. So we share the vision. We’ve already mobilized the groups. I even threw it out to our men’s conference the other day, hey, if you want to get one of those theaters, it’s this much, and I think we had one and a half of them purchased. We went ahead and filled the other one, by the way. We’re already committed to it.
But you know what? This past Wednesday night 24 teenagers came to know Christ between both of our campuses. All because of that. 24! You know what, if you had a universal as a pastor he wouldn’t worry about it. I mean if I thought everything was going to turn out for everybody okay I would, why in the world would I do it? Why in the world would people give to that? Why in the world would we ever move everything to do that? Because we know there is salvation in no one else!
And we also know the calling is clear upon our lives. I really don’t have a choice! Because God wants me to be sure every teenager has a chance in this region to hear the gospel! And some might go to a movie that would never come to this campus! I’ve got to be convinced and know in my heart that thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory Forever, even though things are good here. They’re nothing in comparison to Him. Nothing in comparison to the Kingdom of God! And I don’t want to end my life one day and say well what, there it is! No, I want to talk about Kingdom business! You say pastor I don’t know how to do it. I’m trying to, I’m a layman out here, and I’m trying to…how does all that work for me? Use who you are, where you are, all you have, all you are, your platform, all God’s given you, use it to expand the Kingdom of God! Use it to portray and to live righteously! Use it to declare your salvation in no one else! Use it for the Gospel! God has given it to you so your ego won’t be better. Your ego’s never going to be satisfied! Neither is mine! Wow. We must do greater things.
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