TOGETHER

It is so good to see everyone here this morning my name is Charlie and I am the student ministry pastor. Thank you for making two rivers Bible church part of your Sunday morning worship experience. Well I would just like to start out with. AWE it's over Thanksgiving is officially behind us now have any of you ate way too much this weekend I know that I did. Christian I had a nice quiet relaxing Thanksgiving with plenty to eat that you know there were some people didn't have a whole lot this Thanksgiving and didn't have a lot to eat either. Dan immediately following Thanksgiving, it's Black Friday with and everybody started their Christmas shopping at many of you guys thought the crowds Friday morning to get all the good deals on sales not me I stayed at home but I was thinking about that Black Friday fail on an off pay week for some some people just did not have the money to go shopping started Christmas shopping others began maxing out their credit limits and I believe that we all can honestly say that we're not in the most stable economic times right now my dad always had a little funny way of looking up at things in the youth always asked me how my economic environment was basically what he was asking was you got work and are you paying your bills it's and I would tell them yes and he would say you're living in pretty good economic times but isn't that true all of us to certain extent if we've got a steady income and were paying our bills we tend not to look at the bigger picture of the economic environment around us and are in our community today. What is the hope for city? I believe there are four myth that may give us a sense of false hope for community the first one is that the oil boom will get us out of this tough time. Well I believe that yes the oil boom will definitely lend a hand and help us out a little bit up it's definitely given some hope to a few bank accounts in our area and even helping out with some taxes but I think we tend to put little false hope into those leases. I was talking to a lady just last week she was tell me that all the land around her as well Wells on they don't have any money yet and no one's go well on their land but when they do spend a lot of great things money to pay for our daughter's wedding, by the church her church a new van she said some of the things these are really noble things to do that as I listen to her I could hear her putting hope into something she doesn't have yet. The second when is kind of a twofold false hope or myth that the larger stores like the new ATB in the coming at Walmart are reflections of growth and positive economic times I believe this is a myth I know that I've seen in the past where big corporations will already a lot some money for projects in the spend that money when it doesn't make sense when they use it as a big tax right off the second part of this mess is if we created good jobs for young adults them give our city some hope because our workforce won't be leaving to go to college never to return and that's a myth were always going to have people leave our community regardless of the jobs that are here I know for me when I was old enough to move out of the house I not only left mom and dads neighborhood I left the city they were living in and I moved two completely different state is I wanted to make it on my own out from underneath the reach of mom and dad were there opportunities in the city that we lived in absolutely we lived in Houston. Another myth need better education for children this is the hope of our city I believe this is a myth as well do we need to have the best education system out there yes absolutely that's looking to something that we may not necessarily have at this time to cash into a better education for children benefits everybody but it is not hope of our city. Just coming off an election year a lot of people believe that governments is the hope for our city this is a myth with government you get government programs do they benefit a few yes but they tax the rest of government puts their efforts in one thing that they create something else somewhere else that needs to be attended to is a nonstop cycle But I like to ask you a question what do you see when you look at the people of Gonzales? Do you see a community that needs hope do you see a community that is thriving do you see a community that may not look like you? Always share the stats with you know you've heard of before because Jesse has talked to us about these before 80% of Gonzales is unchurched think about that eight out of every 10 people in Gonzales are unchurched or under church this was something I thought about Wednesday when I went to HEB as I walked down the crowded aisles is thinking eight out of every 10 people I pass are unchurched and may not have a relationship with Jesus Christ. 85% of our counting is unchurched think about all the people down the Nixon nine knee to 95% of Nixon is unchurched but a lot of people did are not growing in faith with Jesus Christ that's a lot of people that do not have a relationship with him or even know him. Why the mission of Christ together matters it's a good question to ask ourselves. As we first talked about the different myths that bring false hope to our community what does? If you have your Bibles with you this morning I like for you to turn to Ephesians chapter 4 verses three and six as you make your way to Ephesians chapter 4 will be looking at verses three through six and it reads like this eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace there is one body and one Spirit just as you were called to the one hope that you belong to your call one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. I was think about that for just a moment and want us to think about the economic times we are living in not only that but just think of our community and all was still in your first blank Jesus is the hope of our city. Jesus is more than just a good teacher or a way to heaven but in him we find the answer to life's greatest questions the fulfillment of humanity's deepest needs and the solutions to the world's greatest problems. The story of the church is a story of a people who have been transformed by Jesus and to then transforms the world. Both the power of our witness and the effectiveness of our ministries are driven by the depths to which we have been transformed by God. We talked about the amount of unchurched in our city and our in our County. The cylinder that second set of blanks. Every person in Gonzales County matters to God. We believe that here at two rivers Bible church never noticed a sign on the wall right here(read sign) or if you ever notice that last paragraph on the back page of our connection guide Jaggers with you just check it out last paragraph on the back page our vision is that every man woman and child in Gonzales County with have the opportunity to experience the life changing reality of Jesus Christ because they heard the gospel from the lips of someone at two rivers Bible church does every person matter to God. Check this out John 316 for God so loved the world or you could say for God so loved Gonzales that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Every person does matter to God to amazing 85% of our County and go to church to take us out what God says in first Timothy chapter 2 verses three of four sibs this is good in his pleasing in the sight of God our Savior who deserves all people to be saved and to come to know the knowledge of the truth. If they're not going to church how they going to know who Christ is and how will they ever discover the truth began to go. But there on the wall 90 to 95% of Nixon unchurched unbelievable numbers what you see when you see the people of Gonzales County? A read your parable from Luke chapter 15 versus three through 10 so he told them this parable what man of you having 100 sheep if he has lost one of them does not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he is found it he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing and when he comes home he calls together his friends and his neighbors saying to them rejoice with me I have found my sheep that was lost just so I tell you there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who rejoices then over the 99 righteous persons who need not repent. Imagine this imagine if Gonzales went from 80% when he percent unchurched imagine if our County went from 85% to 20% unchurched imagine if Nixon went from 95% unchurched 20% unchurched can you imagine the rejoicing that would be taking place in heaven for those sinners who have repented have been rejoice over one sinner or one unchurched every single person matters to God regardless of race of educational level of social economics status or any other distinguishing factor and every one has in routable worth and value to him he created us loves us and even paid for us because every person every man woman and child matters God. This was God calls his people to pursue it his mission to gather. I began by reading the English standard version of Ephesians 4 verses three through six. I would like to read the message to you if you only have one Bible version you look at I really suggest that you get to or three see you can see the different ways that things are said sometimes another version said something just so much clearer I really like the way the message puts it together here but a backup and read verses one through six from the message it reads like this in light of all of this here is what I want you to do while I am locked up here a prisoner for the master I want you to get out there and walk better yet run On the Rd., God called you to travel I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands I don't let anyone strolling off down the path they goes nowhere and Mark that you do this with humility and discipline not in fit and start but steadily pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love of alert at notice differences a quick at mending fences you were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction so stay together both outwardly and inwardly you have one master, one faith, one baptismal, one God and father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and say and do is permitted with one. When God looks down from heaven he doesn't see many different churches throughout a city but one church gathering in many places additionally we understand that the great commission to be more than an inspirational calling it is an actual objectives in every time and location the church has a responsibility to saturate their area with the gospel while no one church no matter how large can ever hope to accomplish this on their own the church can still in that last link it is not our church it's thee church. Yet Bible still open widgets job over here with me to Matthew chapter 28 versus 19 verses 18 through 20 and Jesus came and said to them all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me go therefore and make disciples of all 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 and behold I am with you always to the end of the age that's what we've been called to do we been commanded to go saturate our area with the gospel of Jesus Christ can we do it on our own know we cannot it takes partnership with other churches. Here in Gonzales we have very strong ministerial alliance because of the relationship of these pastors the youth groups in this community for almost the last two years set aside our denominational differences we come together once a quarter to worship one God as one youth because we know that together we make one we also during football season have our fifth quarter events that we do where the different youth groups in this community provide a safe environment for students to come after the game to unwind and have fun like I said once a quarter we come together as one youth group to worship an incredible an awesome God but it just doesn't in with us the ministerial alliance they're doing great things for our community working together. I got tell you last Sunday night I set right over there at the ministerial alliance community Thanksgiving service and God brought to my attention that the road to the right in front of me set five pastors to the row right beside me said more pastors each one from a different church from a different denomination from a different background and his we began to seeing that first song I just couldn't help but to stop and praise my God because I realized sitting behind those men with their congregations and we were coming together as one to worship one to give thanks to one over the past year some of the things that the ministerial alliance is done they fed the hungry and clothe them they have held let services together they have served and honored the first responders by providing a meal to the firefighters the policeman and EMS workers they have held their annual Thanksgiving community service just to name a few and there's more to come how can we reach every man woman and child in Gonzales County with the life changing reality of Jesus Christ the because we work together in partnership with other churches to saturate the gospel in our area where is your area is it your workplace your neighborhood? Why the mission of Christ together matters because he first loved us and sent his only son to die on the cross to shed his blood for us so that we may have eternal life one is awesome and routable God we serve he is worthy of all praise. Let us pray