Here we are in 2025, Happy New Year!
New Years Resolutions! According to one survey, only 36%, on average, make it past the first month of January, compared to 9% who successfully keep their resolutions throughout the year. (YouGov, Nov, 2019).
Why is it that most New Year’s resolutions fail? The problem may lie in how people set goals, as well as how they adapt when obstacles come up.
Today we are going to remind ourselves of the vision for ANCC. We had a good start last year to these but they have not completely bedded in and become second nature - to change the culture can take years!
Our vision and priorities are not simply vague promises made to ourselves, others or God. They need to become part of our life. They are corporate, belonging to all of us, but they also need to become part of us as individuals.
At each point today I am going to ask you to corporately commit to the priorities of our vision.
Vision:
We need vision for life and a vision for church.
Proverbs 29:18: Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.
The Hebrew word for revelation or vision here is “hazon,” which is not the ordinary word for something seen.
Rather, it indicates a revelation from God, such as the visions that the prophets experienced. It has to do with a word from God, a revelation from God, a revelatory word.
Habakkuk 2:2: Then the Lord answered me and said:
“Write the vision, And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.” (NKJV)
Then the Lord replied: ‘Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets, so that a herald may run with it.” (NIV)
Our Battle Cry: To make Jesus known to everyone, everywhere.
Luke 19:10: For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
It’s movement statement, not monument statement. It tells us and everyone who and what we are about. Let us not give up on sharing this great, big, good news with anyone.
For me, a vision declares how big we think or God is!
We have four priorities, values:
A Commitment to Go:
Mission: Reaching out with the Good News, both home and away.
John 20:21: Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
There is no get out clause, no negotiation, no excuse.
- If he is the King then we must share.
- If we have any joy in salvation then we must share.
- If we are convinced Jesus is the Way, Truth and Life, we must share.
- If we are Christ-ians we must share.
- If we are His joint heirs, we must share.
- If we are forgiven, we must share.
- If we are loved, we must share.
- If we are blessed, we must share.
Missions drives us out of our comfort zone. It puts us on the footing of advancement. Which means, if an activity or resource ceases to fulfil the mission, it may well get cut!
The comfort zone is where dreams go to die.
We gave you the one-plus-one cards. Later in June we are having Mark Greenwood come to train us in personal evangelism.
My declaration: In 2025 I promise to tell a non-believer about why I believe and bring them to church!
A Commitment to Grow:
Discipleship: Teaching and equipping people to become more like Jesus.
John 13:34-35:“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
It’s not your abilities or gifts that tell people you are a disciple of Jesus.
It is the love you have for one another.
It’s not even your charitable nature towards those outside of the church!
Jesus says this to his disciples, having washed their feet, in the upper room over the Last Supper. It is not a declaration to the love those outside the church- although we do that. It is a command to love those inside the church.
It means the church becomes a living illustration of what a community looks like when they follow Jesus, wholeheartedly. Do you love those around you this morning?
Teaching you to be more like Jesus is to teach you how to love the church!
Every not-yet Christian needs to become a follower of Jesus and every follower of Jesus needs to become a disciple.
This is a process, and will include various courses, teachings, Growth Group involvement, personal study and so much more. It is a life-long process, is not instant, and needs attention.
Remember baby-steps are still steps.
My declaration: In 2025 I promise to show and hospitality to someone in the church I do not know, to foster new friendships.
A Commitment to Glow:
Worship: Facilitating authentic worship where everyone is invited to encounter the presence of God.
John 4: 23-24: Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
This has nothing to do with style, preference or location. In fact, in context, Jesus was saying that no particular form of worship is better than the other.
When we served as missionaries in rural churches in SA we discovered that you had not worshipped until the sweat flowed out of you.
In other settings they do not feel they have worshipped until there’s been silence.
When I was a teenager the pinnacle of worship was the corporate singing in tongues.
God is creative, and there are many ways for us to encounter Him.
But each Sunday we invite you into His presence. That means there should be joy (Ps 16), peace (John 14:27), freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17).
We are a Pentecostal church! We believe the Holy Spirit should move in our midst, move us to greater heights and depths of His love and presence.
You’re missing out on amazing God-moments if you're not here for worship!
My declaration: In 2025 I promise to press deeper into God’s presence, to express my love through worship, to give more of myself to Him
A Commitment to Show:
Legacy: Nurturing and investing in our children, teenagers and young adults - the future church today.
Mark 10:14: When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
This emphasis is making sure young and new Christians start out well, with great foundations.
But in legacy, you need to be an investor! You have so much to give to the younger generation! We will continue to love and look after our older members and the vulnerable, but do not think for one minute that your decades of loving and serving Jesus should be wasted. I call on you all to help the pastors and elders to invest in those who are just starting out!
My declaration: In 2025 I promise to pray for our legacy generation, to set a better example for them, to show them the love of Jesus.
Wrapping this up:
What a glorious future we have as a church!
We believe the Lord is leading us forward. We are truly called into His service and to march into the future with expectancy and heads lifted up.
Onward, Christian soldiers.
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