Big God, Small Box (06.04.17 Notes)

Big God, Small Box

Outside the Box Church Week #1

Pastor Kris Freeman

Revolution Church

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Scripture: Isaiah 40:12-25 (NLT)

12 Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale? 13 Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him? 14 Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice? Does he need instruction about what is good? Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice? 15 

No, for all the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more than dust on the scales. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand. 16 All the wood in Lebanon’s forests and all Lebanon’s animals would not be enough to make a burnt offering worthy of our God. 

17 The nations of the world are worth nothing to him. In his eyes they count for less than nothing—mere emptiness and froth. 18 To whom can you compare God? What image can you find to resemble him? 19 Can he be compared to an idol formed in a mold, overlaid with gold, and decorated with silver chains? 20 Or if people are too poor for that, they might at least choose wood that won’t decay and a skilled craftsman to carve an image that won’t fall down!

21 Haven’t you heard? Don’t you understand? Are you deaf to the words of God—

the words he gave before the world began? Are you so ignorant? 22 God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him! He spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them. 23 He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing. 24 They hardly get started, barely taking root, when he blows on them and they wither. The wind carries them off like chaff. 25 “To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.

The prophet Isaiah does a good job of explaining both the MAGNIFICENCE of God and the INTIMACY of God.

Why do we love to imagine the greatness of our God, but then LIMIT His significance when it comes to the application of our lives and churches? Here’s a few reasons:

1. Legalism (adherence to manuals over mission)
2. Tradition (adherence to customs over calling)
3. Preference (adherence to wants over worship)
4. Prejudice (adherence to entitlement over evangelism)

Revolution Church began with a mission to see the love of Christ turn lives around. To do so, we have busted the church PARADIGM - but there are some things we could LEARN from the past and do better and some things we should continue to champion!

Five core values of Revolution Church that are significant to our view of God, and God’s calling for our mission:

1. We are Authentic
2. We are Passionate
3. We are Generous
4. We are Servants
5. We are Family

Every one of these values should emphasize that God is GREAT and people MATTER.

So let’s break down what God can do through us - and how you are important to this mission.

Champion the things outside of the box (things we do well):

• Embrace our creativity 
• Explore innovation - constantly find new ways to share the Gospel
• Expand our partnerships (make our community better!)
• Empower a hospitable and servant attitude
• Expand our mission (next week, we will focus on outreach and missions)
• Envision production that doesn’t get in the way of the praise

Challenge the system on things we could do to learn from the church of the past:

• Discipleship (be better students of the Word and our spiritual development)
• Giving (exponential generosity for the cause of the church)
• Attendance (the average church family at Revolution Church attends approximately 50 percent of Sundays and less than 25 percent are in a group)
• Care (bust the mold of employee-based pastoral care and embrace a Biblical value of community)
• Leadership (a dedicated and committed approach to spiritual disciplines)

Spiritual growth should proceed NUMERICAL growth, or the foundation is built upon dangerous ground. But if you never evaluate your weakness inside the box, you will never expand OUTSIDE of it.

No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:39 (NLT)

Let’s challenge the paradigm. Let’s go outside the box. But let’s remember who God is, and how He truly wants to work in us.

#OutsideTheBox