Antioch Community Church - Sermon Audio

Salvation isn’t the end for us. It’s the beginning of an intimate relationship with God. But it’s only through His ruach – the Spirit, wind or breath of God – that we actually find that nearness. And it's this connection that the whole world is longing for, now more than ever.

Finding and living our purpose doesn't have to wait until we have it all together, it starts NOW. Our faithfulness sets the stage for God to fulfill His promises. So no matter your season or vocation, what does it mean for you to cultivate faithfulness today?

While we all share forever purposes, our NOW purposes differ from person to person. One way to discover what they are is by asking this question: what breaks your heart? When we see something that isn't right, when we hear something that cuts our heart, this passion can be turned to action as we say yes and become part of the solution.

The Church is a supernatural community, designed to host and display God's presence and live surrendered to Jesus. In order for this body to function healthily, it requires forgiveness, encouragement and speaking the truth in love. The world needs the Church to be all it was made to be.

Worship is one of the most powerful tools we have. This forever purpose refocuses us and creates pathways to see God at work in our lives now. In the midst of hardship on the journey, giving God a sacrifice of praise has the power to transform those places of pain into places of purpose.

We are created for God. Before any other purpose, our heart for Him determines everything else that follows. It's not about our gifts or our glory; it's about the Lord as our Shepherd, His voice and His purposes being fulfilled. Connecting to the Shepherd connects us to our purpose.

We've always been a people with a passion for Jesus and His purposes in the earth, and this year we have a new take on our original vision. After much time of listening and prayer, we sense God conscripting our church for such a time as this to be a troop carrier for His glory. This means that we all have the chance to live differently in 2021 than we did in 2020 – to rewrite the story and be those who move forward missionally while intentionally listening to God.

It’s a new year and with that comes a fresh word of the Lord for us as a church! This year our elders, staff and leaders across the Antioch Movement have taken extra time to pause and seek the Lord for His direction and leadership. We sense God conscripting us to return to our purpose by getting back to our apostolic & prophetic calling – to be ones moving forward on mission with our ear always open to what God is speaking. Hear from our pastors how we plan to be a people conscripted to God and His purposes in 2021.

When we have God's perspective, we then have the power to work through everything else. Starting from a place of thankfulness, remembering what He's done and said in 2020, and taking our pain to God, are all necessary if we're to have that heavenly perspective. Revisit the message from last week to take time to listen to God and check out our resources for processing the past year and looking ahead at http://antio.ch/2021resources.

What better way to usher in the new year than with worship, prayer and listening to God! As we seek the Lord, we're asking and listening for what He says – and not moving ahead of Him. God, what are Your plans for me? What are You speaking about my personal needs? What areas of my heart do I need to surrender again?

The family line that Jesus came from anticipates the line that He will come for—messy, broken and in need of redemption. Instead of allowing this year to change our identity, what if we believed that Jesus our Redeemer has even more opportunities to bring us back to the Gospel?

God didn't stop at giving specific prophecies surrounding Jesus' birth - He fulfilled every single one. He set the stage to declare His Son as the Messiah, using people who didn't know Him and decisions that weren't made for Him to fulfill His purposes. The anthem throughout all of history is God's faithfulness. And if God went to such great lengths to see that the promises of His Son were fulfilled, He will continue to go to incredibly great lengths to see the promises that He has spoken for our lives come to pass as well.

Weariness is more than physical - it impacts us emotionally, spiritually and mentally, taking a toll on how we see God and ourselves. We have the responsibility to sabbath and rest in God. Renewed vision and hope give us grace to continue to press in, and sabbath creates space for that to happen.

Gratitude is not based on circumstances. Grace is the foundation, a personal revelation of our role in God's grander story and how He's chosen us. And from that place, gratitude is the most natural response, not only for the gift but for the Giver.

Our story is more than our short time lived on this earth. God's not looking for spiritual heroes to partner with. Saying ‘yes’ to Jesus allows Him to write our story and embark on the greatest adventure we could ever know.

Being blessed is not primarily getting what you want from God - it's seeing what you want from God's perspective. If we have His perspective, we can see the beatitudes more than a list we’re striving for, but a demonstration of God’s character. Whoever you are, wherever you are and whatever the condition of the world you are in, know that you are blessed.

To hear necessitates action; if we hear the words of Jesus and yet don't act on what He said, we did not hear because we did not respond. In order to hear, we must be desperate for the Lord, separating ourselves from what would keep us from acting and present in a believing community.

Amid uncertainty, we must remember two things - Jesus is King and we are called to love, serve and follow Him above all else. While the challenges of today may seem immense, God calls us to live our lives with an eternal mindset. Following Jesus is about biblical truth and living accordingly.

We have to acknowledge that sin is never just about us—it always affects others. Broken relationships and a lack of forgiveness drive all sin and hinder us from the fullness of life God has for us. When we are submitted to God and press into repentance, there is power in our life.

The Gospel is the good news of Jesus! But there are other narratives in the world today. It’s easy to confuse the message of culture with the message of the Kingdom. Who is shaping us today?