APP NOTES FOR 2020-9-20

VICTORY CHURCH: A PLACE TO CALL HOME

SERIES: GROW
MESSAGE TITLE: The DANGER of the DRIFT

(Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the New International Version)

Pastor Keith Cross

Text:

Hebrews 3:12-14
12 See to it, brothers (and sisters), that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 
14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.

MAIN IDEA: Strong Convictions and Commitments are Fortified by Strong

.

Strong Connections fortify us from….

1. The DANGER of a DRIFTING
   Reveal Answer
   (Hebrews 3:12).

PROBLEM: The reality is that all of us, (even Christians) have the capacity to turn away from God.

Circles > Rows. Accountability doesn’t happen in rows because…Rows don’t know, a Drifting heart doesn’t show in a row, because we are so good at pretending.

SOLUTION: In community, we are accountable to live according to our beliefs.

1. The DANGER of a DRIFTING
   Reveal Answer
   (Hebrews 3:13).

PROBLEM: Self-Deception leads you to Self-Destruction.

Encourage: Gk. parakelo: does NOT mean: way to go, good job, looking good. ”to call a person to your side” Appeal to, Exhort, Urge Strongly, Beg, Implore, Entreat. YOU CAN NOT DO THIS without being in one another’s lives!

The best defense against self-deception is not you, not me, the best defense is a WE. Why? Because you can deceive you, but you can’t deceive the community that is committed to you.

SOLUTION: In community, we are encouraged and encourage one another to remain in submission to God’s plan.

1. The DANGER of a DRIFTING
   Reveal Answer
   (Hebrews 3:14).

PROBLEM: When the Drift goes unchecked, it leads to unbelief.

One thing has the potential to undermine everything.

SOLUTION: In community, we are strengthened to hold tightly to our HOPE of eternal life.

So, in conclusion….I am concerned for you and therefore I am concerned for our church. Why? Because I’m concerned that as a church, a people, we hear a message like this and we talk to ourselves and convince ourselves that “Hey, I’m good.” I can grow by myself, I’ll just pray more, study my bible more, give more, serve more, etc, etc….I don’t really need to commit to community.

We as a people have become so non-committal…and surely, we will deceive ourselves if we leave here with the mindset that “Sitting in Rows” is sufficient to me becoming a spiritually maturing follower of Jesus. IMAGINE what would happen in your life, and in our church today if you, if I, if we actually decided to make a decision to fortify our decision to follow Jesus by actually signing up for a Connect Group so that we would be strengthened to live out our faith journey together!
 

My NEXT STEP today is to….

Commit my life to Jesus Christ for the first time today.
Receive more info about being water baptized.
Sign up for the NEXT STEPS EXPERIENCE.
Sign up for a CONNECT GROUP.
Sign up to serve on a DREAM TEAM.
Invite someone to church and SHARE this and next weeks LIVESTREAM.

For more info about taking any of these NEXT STEPS, please email or call me: pastorkeith@victorywinchester.com 540-667-9400 x117