Victory Life KY

Get Plugged In

Episode Summary

Get Plugged In is a simple invitation that allows anyone listening to become part of something Jesus is doing through His local church. And studies have proven that one of the fastest ways for someone to experience God is by getting involved.

Episode Notes

• 1 Corinthians 12:27,MSG- You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything.

• In Ephesians 4 Paul says it a little different way, Jesus fits His whole body together perfectly. And as each part does it’s own special work, it cause the whole body to grow.

• I personally don’t think God’s plan for His church has ever changed.
• Obviously we change culturally as a society. And yes, without question, we have to change to maintain relevance, but never who we are as heirs to our Father’s Kingdom.

• That being said, as His body, His church, then we should still look like Him, sound like Him, respond like Him, represent Him.

• Now when it comes to the local church, a popular question is, do I have to be part of a local congregation?

• Truth is, we don’t have to, we get to. It truly is Gods design that we be called out and together.

• Your local church family is a place where we worship together, grow together, we laugh together, hurt together, discover who we are together. Your local congregation is a save place you can get plugged in.

• Get Plugged In is a simple invitation that allows anyone listening to become part of something Jesus is doing through His local church. And studies have proven that one of the fastest ways for someone to experience God is by getting involved.

• God is constantly looking for those willing to come along side other believers to be part of what He’s doing on the local level, serving along side each other, creating our God anointed identity.

• Never out of some competitive agenda, but from a heart of a servant.

• Christianity isn’t just believing, it’s belonging. And one of the coolest things about belonging is that’s where we usually discover our next steps. The journey is the preparation.

• Here’s the thing, being a part of Victory means being part of our  identity and personality that God has graced us with as one of His local bodies.

• Romans 12:4-5,NLT- Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

• When you get plugged in, you’re simply advancing our purpose as part of His body in the earth.

• I love how God describes His church in Ephesians, “I’m building a home, using all of you, irrespective of how you got here.”

• This is why we’re always encouraging you to get plugged in, regardless of how small it may seem, serving in your church is the on ramp to discover some of the gifts God has already graced you with.
• Because at the end of the day, it’s all,about people.

• This is why we're continually trying to get as many as possible involved in serving in our church. According to Romans, serving is one of our greatest acts of worship.

• Romans 12, So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. It’s one of our greatest acts of worship.

• So never underestimate the significance of God orchestrating personalities, giftings and talents in making a local church unique.

• You ever wonder why Jesus set up His church the way He did?

• Think about it, we are these frail, fickle, flawed people. But because God created us to be like Him, His grace allows us the privilege of discovering who we can be when we come together.

• Psalm 133, How good and how pleasant it is when believers come together in unity! It is like precious anointing oil that was poured on Aaron, covering his entire body. 
• Being unified is like the dew that covers mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing.

• Remember Ephesians 4, We are all one body, with one Spirit, called to the same glorious future.

• God never stops calling believers together to love one another, pray for each other, and serve along side each other for Christ.

• Remember what the Holy Spirit said in Ephesians, “I’m building a home, using all of you, irrespective of how you got here.”

• Ephesians 2, Truth is, we are His workmanship, recreated in Christ to do those good works He predestined for us. 
• It’s God’s gift from start to finish! Our part is trusting Him enough to let Him do it. His plan from the beginning was for us to join Him in His predestined work through Jesus.

• I can’t help but wonder how many of us honestly look at what we do for His body, the church as part of that predestined work?

• You’ve heard the old saying, “God’s not interested in your ability until He has your availability.”  Availability=Humility 

• And here’s the kicker, more times than any of us want to admit, availability, willingness introduces itself as change.

• There’s a great picture of this with Jonathan and his amorbearer. I love the heart of his amorbearer in 1 Samuel 14, “Do all that is in your heart. I am with you, according to your heart.” Talk about plugged in!

• This one faithful act, unbeknownst to them at the time was about to become a key part in God positioning King David’s reign over Israel.

• This armorbearer’s simple act of faithfulness brought him into his next part of God’s predestined plan. Think about it, we’re talking about him today.

• One of the greatest things the OT does is repeatedly show us, that simple acts of faithful people discovering their predestined life when they make themselves available for what God is doing.

• When it comes to any of us discovering our predestined plan from God, there will be times, just like Jonathan’s amorbearer that we’ve got to be open to change.

• You know the old saying, growing people are changing people.

• Our God ordained transformation is by design, and the more open and teachable, the more available we are, the more the Holy Spirit can use us.

• Embracing Christ like change results in us becoming people that Jesus doesn't just live in, He lives through.

• Here's the thing, making ourselves available to this life Paul is praying for us to have in Ephesians will always be a struggle without mixing faith with it.

• But when we do step out in faith, and we make ourselves available to Him, the stronger His influence through us becomes. 

• Becoming part of something bigger than any one individual requires change on an individual level. Unfortunately, we don’t like change, it disrupts our routine, asking us to let go of the comfortable and step into the unknown, many times asking us to unlearn old, comfortable habits.

• For example, at 211 degrees, all you get is hot water. But at 212 degrees, you’ve got boiling water. Many times it’s that one degree of change that makes us effective. That takes us to that next level.

• Max Dupree says, “We can’t become what we need to be by remaining what we are.” In other words, it’s time for change.

• And for our next big change, we will be merging campuses starting July 11. 
• Our lease will be up in Lexington, which cost us a little over $7000 a month
• And instead of renewing another 3 year lease, we believe that saving that money helps move toward our next step.
• And our next step is moving toward a new facility that seats 1500 people.

• Our goal is somewhere right off the interstate. We currently have people attending Victory from 15 different cities. 

• Berea, Carlisle, Corinth, Cynthiana, Frankfort, Georgetown, Lexington, Leesburg, Mt. Sterling, Nicholasville, Paris, Richmond, Sadieville, Versailles, Winchester

• And I believe God is going to continue adding people from up and down the interstate. So if you call this fellowship yours, I’m asking you to join us in taking responsibility for creating an atmosphere where people from all over our region can discover and develop a life in Christ.

• A place where they can get plugged in.

• Ephesians 2, Truth is, we are His workmanship, recreated in Christ to do those good works He predestined for us. 
• It’s God’s gift from start to finish! Our part is trusting Him enough to let Him do it. His plan from the beginning was for us to join Him in His predestined work through Jesus.

• When we begin to discover the "good works" He's prepared for us, it's important to understand that at the same time He's revealing, He's preparing us for them.

• This life-long process of staying open to guidance from Jesus positions us for God ordained transformation, and the more open, teachable and willing we are, the more the Holy Spirit can express Himself through us, individually and corporately. 

• The question is, will we let Him?

• Psalm 133:1-3,NKJV- “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing— Life forevermore.”

• Acts 4:32,MSG- “The whole congregation of believers was UNITED as one—one heart, one mind!”