How to Get the Most Out of 40 Days of Community
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We are so glad you are here this morning.
Over the last several months we have been getting ready for a special event around here called 40 Days of Community which launches next weekend.
Now if you are new to Victoria or you’re a first-time guest today, you going to get an inside track on what we are going to be focusing on over the next couple months, and I would love to invite you to be a part of that.
I would like to engage your imagination. I want you to imagine that, as part of her Jubilee Tour the queen is coming to Eastbourne.
And in an attempt to try to really get a feel for our town she has decided to have dinner with the typical family, and you get the call. Elizabeth II is coming to your house.
- Now you wouldn’t think of having the queen in your home without cleaning it from top to bottom without getting the kids prepared, probably buy new clothes getting your husband (or wife) out of their scruffy jeans and into something more fitting for the occasion.
- You pull out the recipes that are your family prides itself on you spend all day preparing a meal that would be fit for a queen. <ppt>
- And then you set the table. You pull out the fine china, the best crystal, and you gather the family. Isn’t that how your table looks every night? Certainly is how it is at my house. The family is gathered, and you wait for the guest of honour.
Well, in a way our church staff team has been preparing over the last several months for a sort of spiritual meal.
- We have been setting the table, so to speak, for a special occasion. Every one of you has been invited to participate in this special spiritual growth project called 40 Days of Community.
- I am sure we are going to enjoy what’s been prepared. It’s going to be fun doing it together.
- But I also want to make sure that we are prepared for the guest of honour. Because even more important than us meeting together and enjoying one another – and meeting people in the community surrounding the church, over the next few months I want to make sure that we also have a time that we meet with God.
- We have been setting the table for God to visit.
To set the framework for our discussion this morning, I want to take you back to a story in the Old Testament It is a spectacular God-encounter that I find really intriguing. I want us to try to understand what happened in that story.
- As you know from the book of Exodus, it is the story of the people of Israel leaving the tyranny and bondage of Egypt and making their way to the promise land.
- And God through Moses delivers the nation of Israel from the Pharaoh they cross the Red Sea and they are confidently marching toward the promise land.
- They number a little over 2 million people by now and they have been on the road for 60 days in Exodus 19 opens with the nation of Israel standing at the foot of this imposing mountain called Mount Sinai.
- And the Bible says that Moses climbed the mountain in order to appear before God.
- This begins one of the most significant God encounters found anywhere in the Bible.
From this story I want to draw out some principals and applications that you and I can use to think about how we can spiritually get ready for what’s going to happen during 40 Days of Community.
I want to share with you several encouragements to meet with God through 40 Days of Community
1Look back and remember God’s faithfulness (v4) <ppt>
As we think about where we are headed in the next 40 days I would encourage you just to stop for a moment and remember what God has already done. Look at how the Lord tells the people of Israel to do this:
<ppt> Exod 19:4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.
When a young eagle learns to fly the mother eagle often flies just underneath the baby eagle with her wings spread out to support and catch if needed. What a great picture of God’s faithfulness. Always ready to be there in a time of need to support us when we are in trouble.
Soaring – but without any effort!
When I think about his faithfulness to our church and how over 12 years ago when Rosi and I, Chris and Esther moved to Eastbourne to become part of Victoria we had no idea what would happen.
But as I look back over the 12 years I can see the faithfulness of God.
And the hundreds of people’s lives who have been changed as they have met Christ here, as they learn about their purpose in life and now to see a church that’s not only as filled on the weekend but a church whose influence reaches to the corners of the earth. You and I are a part of something very special and God has been faithful to this church down through the years.
I want to ask you to do something now. Take your outline, and I want you to write in the margin one area where you have seen God be faithful.
Maybe take just a moment now to celebrate God’s faithfulness in your own life. Listen to these words from Deuteronomy 7 verse 9,
<ppt> Deut 7:9 [God says: I want you to] know … that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.
I hope when you look back over your life journey that you see God’s faithfulness and that your heart fills with gratitude. As we think about what God has in store for us in the next 40 days, I want us to remember how faithful he has been in the past and the same God who is faithful in the past will be faithful in the future.
Here is the second thing I want to encourage you to do:
2Look ahead and anticipate your FUTURE (v5) <ppt>
Again the Lord says in Exodus 19,
<ppt> Exod 19:5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’
Now again remember who God says this to. This was a vagabond group of nomads.
- Sixty days ago they were slaves. They were nobodies. They were poor, they had no influence and no political clout and now two million strong God looks at them and says, “You are my special treasure.”
- Here’s a truth I want you to learn about them and about us that is – because you follow Christ you are God’s cherished possession. The truth about that is that some of us who are in the room today really just have a hard time believing that God could ever think about us in that way.
You might look around and say to some people I can understand why God would feel that way of them. I mean they are gifted, they are talented, they’ve got it all!
- But God certainly couldn’t feel that way about me.
- If he really knew what’s in my past and what’s in my world there’s no way he could feel that way about me.
- My friend, the truth is he does. You are valuable to him. You matter to him just as much as anybody else in the room.
But he doesn’t stop there. He also goes on to say about them that they are CHOSEN PRIESTS. He says in verse 6 of Exodus 19,
Exod 19:6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ <ppt>
He says that not just to the clergy, not just someone who has been to seminary he says it literally to the entire nation.
Some of you are thinking right now there is no way that I am a priest.
- The priesthood is reserved for people who are a lot more holy than me.
- But in the NT Peter wrote these words to average Christian people
“But you are a chosen people a, royal priesthood, a holy nation of people belonging to God that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful life.”
Three things priests do:
Number one is priests have DIRECT ACCESS to God. <ppt>
It’s what we call the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. You don’t have to go through any intermediary in order to get in touch with God. You have a connection opened for us on the cross.
Ephesians 3 verse 12, “Because of Christ and our faith in him we can now come fearlessly into God’s presence assured of his glad welcome.” You have direct access to God.
Number two, priests REPRESENTS God to people. A priest speaks on behalf of God, he represents God. They don’t just live to do what they want to live on their own agenda they have an assignment from God, a sacred responsibility.
- Do you realize this morning if you are a Christ follower you carry the reputation of God around with you. And what some people think about God is directly shaped by how you live as someone who represents him.
- So if you are angry and mean spirited, harsh and legalistic and it’s known in your office that you’re a Christian then some people are going to conclude well that must be what God is like.
- But if you are kind, compassionate and patient hard working and doing stuff with excellence, then people are going to know that that’s what God — that’s what God is like.
So as a priest you have direct access as a priest you represent God,
but thirdly as a priest you have dedicated yourself to a life of SERVING GOD.
- In this particular story as he talks about the priesthood it’s not just about a vocational choice it’s a calling. You see your strongest devotion in life is not to be to your career but rather to your calling.
- Your highest calling in life is not to your profession it’s to your priesthood.
- And your real job is to stay faithful and serve God as a priest all the days of your life.
- Sometimes it will be the most rewarding and fulfilling thing you will ever do and sometimes it’s hard and sometimes it’s lonely and sometimes you are misunderstood.
- But there’s no retirement. You have been called to give a lifetime of serving God as one who represents him.
So we look back at God’s faithfulness and remember all that he’s done in the past. We look ahead and realize we are his cherished possession that we are called upon to be priests on his behalf.
But there’s a third encouragement I want to give you and that is to look around. Listen to this:
3Look around and be part of the Community.
Let me explain what I mean by that. After God challenges the nation to obey him completely and follow him wholeheartedly the people respond back to God. And in fact, their words are recorded in Exodus 19 verse 8, I put them in your notes,
Exod 19:8 The people all responded together, “We will do everything the LORD has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.
The word I want you to zero in on is the word together. As a community of God followers they unanimously responded to God and said, “We will obey, we will follow.”
I want you to understand this, this morning. We are more than just a collection of individual Christians who happen together for worship at the same time on the same day. We are a community.
We are a family, a living organism, a church.
- We are the body of Christ. And Paul says in Romans 12 that each part belongs to the other. You and I are connected because we are relatives in God’s family.
And during this 40 Days of Community we are asking for the same kind of corporate commitment.
We’re asking every single small group to study the same 40 Days of Community curriculum. That’s why it is not an exaggeration to say we are hopeful that every single person who considers Victoria their family will say, “I am in.”
And I hope that there is something inside of you in your heart that when you hear, hey, this is what our church family is doing, that your response is, “I will do my part.”
- Because I am a part of a community, living for Christ is not just about me and my things. It’s about God and His things!
Now let me give you the fourth encouragement:
4Look outward and prepare for action
We’re asking each small group (or join together if that’s easier) to do one act of kindness or help for the community around the church.
- That community is the people you know, the people in your network of friends or the network of the church
The purpose of the nation of Israel under God was to be a beacon of light to the nations around them – to declare by example as well as by precept what the love-filled, justice-motivated, merciful God of the universe was like. – It’s the same with us
In Peter’s letter to persecuted Christians he says that, even if there is opposition, we are not to shrink away from declaring just the same
<ppt> 1 Pet 2:9 you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
5Look inward and prepare yourself spiritually
As we think about starting this campaign next week what does it look like to get ready spiritually? Listen to the words of God again in Exodus 1910 it says,
<ppt> Exod 19:10-11 And the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Make them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
Tucked in these verses are three very practical steps you and I can take, I believe, to get ready spiritually for what God wants to do in these next few weeks.
6Look up and prepare for God’s arrival
I want to skip over to a later point in the story. It was vital that Moses spent time with God
Exod 24:18 Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
We will get the most our of 40 Days if we set aside TIME.
You won’t be able to take 40 days out like Moses did!
But remember, these people are just like us.
- They have jobs and they responsibilities and they have families to take care of, they are tasks that are on their list. And yet God says, this is important enough. I want you to carve out time to be involved with meeting me.
- So again just to be very up front if you are going to get the most out of 40 Days of Community it’s going to happen partly because you set aside time.
- I want to ask you to take out this brochure you should have on the inside of your news sheet you are going to find 4 very specific commitments we are asking every single one of us to make through out this campaign.
- Some of them are very simple. Some of them are a little more time consuming.
<ppt> Be part of a small group
<ppt> Attend Sunday worship for 7 consecutive weeks Culminating in our church weekend on 16th-17th June
- I know your lives are busy. I know you have a lot of things going on. But each weekend will build on the last. We are asking you to commit to being here for 7 consecutive weekends in a row.
<ppt> Read the 40 Days devotional book (available after the service). Each daily devotion is going to be about 3-4 pages long. You can read it in about 7 or 8 minutes. What a great way for you to start off your day in God’s word and also understanding what his plan is for what it means for you to live in relationship of other people.
<ppt> Help meet the needs of the community by participating in at least one service opportunity (a well thought-out sheet of ideas is also available)
- And then read a daily devotion each day for 40 days. And then memorize a verse each week. You are going to get a set of memory verse tags that you can put on your key chain and on the back of each tag is a different verse. We are going to ask you to memorize a verse a week because we know the power of putting God’s word in your life.
Pray …
Let’s pray together. Lord, we want you to be the guest of honour. We don’t want this to be all about our plans. We don’t want this to just be a program. We want it to be a time when your spirit changes us, changes our lives and changes our community. We can’t manufacture that. We wouldn’t want to even if we could. But we ask you to do it by your power. Thank you that you have invited us to the table and that some powerful things are going to happen in the next few weeks and we pray that it would all be about you. We point people in our families and in our church and in our communities to you and that you would be honoured in Jesus’ name, Amen.
