Sasolburg Baptist Church

Revealing the heart of God to all nations

Vision Sunday: Part 1

Listen to the sermon: (due to a technical issue only the first 12 minutes were recorded)

Reason & Purpose

From one man he made all the people of the world. Now they live all over the earth. He decided exactly when they should live. He decided exactly where they should live. God did this so that people would seek him. Acts 17:26-27 (NIV)

What is the reason for being here? Why are we here?

What is the purpose for being here? What are we here for?

(Next Sunday: How do we ...?)

Reason: God's love

We are here because God loves.
We are here because God loves this community.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son..."

God's love is the motivation, reason for giving His Son.

None of us would be here if it was not for God's love.

For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.

Rom 5:5 "...Because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who He has given us".

We are born of God therefore have His nature in us. The NEW CREATION IN CHRIST.

NB: It is only from our new nature that we can identify and participate in the reason and purpose of God's love.

When we connect to this we have the TRUE REASON for living.

Purpose: To be called children of God

God's love has a purpose:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Jn 3:16-17 (NIV)

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 Jn 3:1 (NIV)

REASON: For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died...

PURPOSE: All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor 5:14-21 (NIV)

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love. 2 John:3 (NIV)

Grace: is pre-eminently used of the Lord's favour – freely extended to give Himself away to people (because He is "always leaning toward them").

Grace is unmerited favour. It is God's free action for the benefit of His people.

Christ gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Cor 5:18 (NIV)

Ministering to the undeserved. Practical grace.

Our purpose is for this community 1947 to be reconciled to God and to be called Children of God.

Children – His nature being revealed through our lives.

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Born again
Discipling in the new nature.
Christ's love within gives reason and purpose.
Lifestyle of love and the application of it's purpose

Reason and Purpose for being in this town.

Our Focus

Reason: We are in this town because God loves the people in this town.

Purpose: The purpose of God's love is for all in this town to become His Children.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The "NIV" and "New International Version" are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™