2008 Nov 8
SBCC’s Mission Statement
It’s our second Sunday here in our new sanctuary, (and this I just have to add), our late Pastor Bob’s birthday. And as Xaris said during the Praise and Worship time, it’s the first time that SBCC gets to worship in a place where sunrays can actually get through the windows — a wonderful reminder of God’s light flowing through Sampaloc Bible Christian Community. What a wonderful Sunday for worship, and for live blogging! (Our very first!)
November 9, 2008
Speaker: Pastor Dave Trinidad
Passage: 1 Corinthians 3:7
Have we noticed the change in this place since we got here? More importantly, are we feeling the changes from within? The call is for us to change our attitude, our views, from the inside out. Are we the same person with a different attitude now? Are we excited to see what God’s going to do in this place?
Pastor Dave encourages everyone to feel the place, to go around — do a Jericho walk! — and imagine what God has in store for us in this place. He prays for God to transform SBCC. To change our hearts, change our eyes, change our vision to one that is in tune with His purposes.
Jesus said, “I will build my church!” This church is His church.
We have one purpose. While each one of us is doing something together, each one will be rewarded according to his our labor. We are God’s worker, and we are also God’s garden. We are God’s building. How deep can we go in our spiritual life will determine how tall our building can be.
What kind of foundation do we have? That foundation is how far we can go. Jesus is building His church. He is causing the growth, and we are His partners and co-workers.
What is the purpose of God for SBCC?
We start the month with the theme, “God’s Unstoppable Vision”. It is not OUR unstoppable vision. NOT Pastor Bob’s unstoppable vision. Not Pastor Dave’s unstoppable vision. It is GOD’s unstoppable vision.
Pastor Dave discusses the purpose of the church based on:
- The ministry of Christ on earth
- The images and names of the church
- The example of the New Testament churches
God is transforming us from glory to glory. We cannot be drinking and allowing ourselves to get lost in worldly desires one day, and expect ourselves to be holy the next. There should be progress in our walk with Him! (Amen!)
The church is a flock. You cannot be alone and call yourself a “flock”. When one is lost, God our Shepherd pulls us back to the right path. The church is a community. It is an army.
Our duty is to understand the purposes Christ has for the church and to implement them. It is not our job to create the purposes of the church but to discover them. While the programs may change in every generation, the purposes never change. We may be innovative with the style of ministry, but we must never alter the substance of it. The substance is always, and should always be, worship.
We must ask ourselves
- Why does the church exist?
- What are we to be as a church?
- What are we to do as a church?
- How are we to do it?
The Five Purposes of the church
Based on Acts 2:42-47
1. Devotion to the word. Loving God’s Word. Faithfulness to God’s Word. Maturing in God’s Word. Doing God’s Word. Teaching God’s Word. Equipped to serve!!
2. Dedication to fellowship (Acts 2:42). We must have a deeper understanding of what “community” is. Are we just a Sunday community? Or are we a community from Monday to Sunday? Our being a community, our commitment to strengthening the fellowship, our loyalty and sacrifices for the sake of the community — these are the mark of what God wants a community/church to be.
Let’s understand and try to see what a community is in a new lens.
3. Faithful Stewardship (v45). Faithful stewardship means faithful ministry.
Christian stewardship in a broad sense means using and managing everything that God has entrusted to us for His purposes and honor. How can we use our time, talents, work, money, possessions, and even our very lives?
Loving God is not loving Him partially. Loving Him is giving Him everything.
4. Zeal for Worship (v46-47). Worship as celebration and adoration. Everyone is praising God, grateful to God. Jesus’ passion for God’s house consumes Him.
The greatest commandment is, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
Loving God is not loving Him partially. Loving Him is giving Him everything. On Sundays, we shouldn’t come to church late and unprepared. He deserves more.
5. Commitment to the Great Commision (v47). As you go, make disciples — Evangelism! Baptizing them — Incorporate them!
SBCC’s Mission Statement
For the glory of God and our commitment to Christ’s Comission, we help build lives and transform communities through faithful stewardship and aggressive church-planting among Manila’s ubran poor and beyond.
We build lives and transform communities through God’s Word for God’s glory!
SBCC: Building Lives, Transforming Communities
1. It starts small but the goal is big.
2. It is based on God’s Word. Unless we love His Word, unless we obey His Word, we cannot change lives.
3. It is for God’s glory. For the glory of God, we sweep the floor. We feed the hunger. We go out, we labor, we sacrifice, we give, we share, we use God’s resources. ALL for God’s glory. No more, no less.
4. It is participatory! Through collective effort, every member must contribute towards the goal, we must all believe and embrace our mission.
*Mission Statement still for Board’s approval, but everyone seems to be saying AMEN.