A Greater Focus

This recording is from Willough Creek Church, in which your spring's Florida, where Reverend Kevin Labia is our senior pastor. Today's message is part four in a series titled Greater. It begins with a word from our founding pastor, Dr. Pete Alanson. This message is taken from Romans, chapter 12, verse 2, and is titled, A Greater Focus. Now here's Pete and Kevin with today's message. Willough Creek, it's good to see you and to be back with you this Sunday morning. Pastor Kevin asked me to come and speak just a couple of words and what a privilege it is to be here, to see you, and to be in this place that is home. Coming here is definitely for me, for our family, coming home. Several months ago, where coffee Kevin said, so when are you coming home? And I said, well when are you comfortable with me coming home? He said, anytime, and so we came home. And after a year or so, it's a privilege to be back with you and to sit under Kevin's ministry. This is coming home. My kids come here. My granddaughter is here, and she's better than your grandkids. And I have got to see her, and it is really a privilege to be back in this place. Somebody once asked me when I first started coming back, it says, is it weird coming back to Willough Creek? And it was at first, but it's not now. It was at first, but it's not now. Except for this, I don't have a key to this place anymore. You don't know how intimidating it is. I want to go in every place. It's just my control issues, frankly, but it really is good to be back. As I was thinking about talking with you, what I wanted to say, what the Lord was laying on my heart, this text came to my mind. In 1 Timothy, chapter 1, verses 3 and 4, because Kevin's been preaching through the book of Ephesians, of course, except for this series that we're doing in the greater series. But this text came to my mind. As I urged, you Paul said, when I was going to Macedonia, remain an Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons, not to teach any different doctor in order to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promotes speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charges love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. What comes to my mind as I was thinking about this is how Paul is the founding pastor of the church in Ephesus and make no mistake about it. I guess the kids are supposed to go, right? Yeah, they can, so kids you can go, they are going, faith the company, right? There it is. I bless you. What was I saying? I'm done. The church in Ephesus was a church in Asia Minor, of course, and so it was a very strategic church. It influenced all of Asia Minor, which is today, of course, Turkey. And so it was a strategic church and as Paul left that church to go on to planting other churches into the next ministry to which God called him, he was very, very, very happy that his protege Timothy was there to take it over. Take over the church in Ephesus and to carry on. Like as Paul loved the elders, he loved the people and he wanted to make sure it was a good hand. History shows us that later John, the beloved disciple that was a youngest disciple, that lived the longest, also served that church in Ephesus. And so one thing we learn from the study of church history is the reality that because Jesus is the king of his church who is spreading his kingdom worldwide, transitions are inevitable. And I want you to know that I am so happy that Pastor Kevin is the pastor here, the senior pastor of this church. Jesus has always been ahead of this church. But even though Kevin has not been my protege, what a joy it is to see that there is a continuity of ministry that he's carrying on so well as the leader of this church. I know he introduces himself as one of the pastors of this church. And that's important. It sends the message that no matter what pastor comes and sees you in the hospital, that is good enough. Right? He did not get the gift of omnipresence just because he became installed as a pastor of this church. He can't be everywhere. Nevertheless, he is the lead pastor. The church needs a lead pastor, a senior pastor. And I am very, very happy that he is the senior pastor of this church. He loves our elders, our leaders, our staff, and he loves you. Really, really well. And that means a lot to me. There is such a continuity of what's going on. And that's what I wanted to say, too, is what I see as continuity. And because there is continuity, it's encouraging from one standpoint, one standpoint is that we didn't start out doing wrong things and it all had to be corrected. I think we were doing a lot of good things and yet there is a continuity with where we're going. And a lot of it, I love the changes. The changes are good and positive and necessary. Some really good changes on. I sometimes say, hey, that was a cool idea. I walk around and say, that's neat. That's good. This is great. This is good. This is positive. One thing is for certain that if a church doesn't grow and change, it will die. And it has to grow. It has to change. And these transitions are a part of God's incredible plan for us. One thing I've seen as I traveled, not only around the country, but around the towns preaching and other churches is how I've really seen something I haven't seen before. I thought it, but I didn't know it. Now I know it. This is a strategic church. We are strategic in our denomination. We are a strategic church in this part of the town. And in the city. And this is very, we've invested far too much for anything to go to waste here. We have so much. We have a great future ahead of us. And that's why we want to continue to see this kind of continuity as we move ahead. We have never been about buildings, haven't we? We'll agree because not about buildings about people. It's about loving God and loving people. We've never been about buildings. And yet we have a great opportunity in this greater mission and this greater focus now to get rid of the debt to kill the debt. I like the way you talk about this Kevin to kill it. Cut it off. Real manly terms. Cut it off. Kill it. Let's get rid of it. Let's retire. Listen, when we built this church and finished this last segment in 2007, we knew 2008 was coming. But we didn't know what tsunami was going to hit us. No idea. We thought we'd be able to take care of it, move it ahead. And we wanted to get it all done. But now is the time to move ahead to really retire this debt, to kill it, to get it going. I've also seen in my travels that the churches around town and the churches across our country that are smart are doing exactly what we're doing here. Get rid of that, get in that flexibility so we can move ahead and do what we need to do. Buildings are not this is a very nice building, isn't it? It is, it's not an opulent building. I've spoken recently in opulent church facilities. This is not opulent. We didn't know enough to finish the ceiling in this place, we're trying to ally. And when you look outside the tin roof, right? This is not opulence. But it's a very effective building that is being used increasingly for the extension of the kingdom. We just got to pay it off and get going. Karen and I stand with this vision of this whole thing. We want to see it going. We want to see it. We want to see all the goals accomplished as originally intended. I said to Jesus before I left. I said, I want to get rid of the debt for I left. He said, I didn't ask you. And he said, there's only one Messiah per universe and you're not it. We'll get it done. But we want to see it done. And so let's get it done. And let's move on. I was reflected on one scripture the other day. But we all with unveiled face beholden as an amir of the glory of the Lord are being transformed from glory and glory. Justice from the Lord, the spirit and the thought came to me of behold my glory and risk it off. Let's do that. Thanks. He just gave me the Bible Pat right there. That's pretty sweet. That's how you know we're really friends. We're not just pretending. We're really, really friends. And I want to begin by thanking Pete not only for his ministry here for so many years, not only his words this morning, I do want to thank Pete sincerely because my wife and I both know this personally are families well long before we ever relocated here. Pete had signaled in the strongest possible way, his support, his encouragement. And he has come through that through with that in so many different ways over coffee by email, phone conversations, even around round, round tables with Steve Brown at he life, all sorts of different venues for Pete to show that he is allied with me for the gospel of Jesus Christ. He's an encourager, a counselor, and really a brother in spiritual arms. And so Pete, thank you very, very, very much. Let's give him another round of applause to welcome him back to the pulpit. Also want to let you know, especially excited. This is kind of the trailer, the teaser April 27th. Pete's actually going to be back here preaching somebody in the church said, I'll know you're really comfortable with him around when you ask him to preach. Well, I want to remove all doubt. April 27th, we are so, so excited to have Pete rejoining the ministry here preaching and teaching with us from time to time. This morning, I'm going to ask you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Romans, chapter 12, verse 2. You can also do that on your smartphone, on your iPad, on your Kindle, whatever you have. It's a glorious day in which we live. Turn to Romans, chapter 12, verse 2. And we're going to read these words together. They should be projected overhead as well. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. That by testing, you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Let's pray. Our Father, we thank you for these words inspired by your Holy Spirit written down for us by the Apostle Paul preserved through the ages. Pass down is a sacred trust to your church that we might not be conformed to the pattern of the world, but that we would be transformed in the renewing of our mind by the power of your spirit to be sure, but the spirit as he illuminates your word for us this morning. And throughout all of our days, would you illuminate your word, shine your light upon it, give us eyes to see and ears to hear what you are saying, not only to the church or at the ages, but what you are saying to us that we might walk together in renewed hope, confidence, love and faith together for the glory of your son. Jesus name, amen. So old George goes for his annual physical. He told the doctor that he felt fine, but that he oftentimes at night in the middle of the night had to go the bathroom. Then he said, but you know what doc, I'm so blessed. God knows my eyesight is horrible. So he puts on the light for me when I pee and he turns it off when I'm done. A little later in the day, Dr. Smith called George's wife and said your husband's test results were fine, but he said something very, very strange to me that's been bugging me during his exam. He claims that God turns the light on and offer him when he uses the bathroom at night and that's confusing to me. Felma and his wife exclaimed, that will fool. He's been peeing in the refrigerator again. Steve Brown had his refrigerator joke. Well, that's my refrigerator joke. A joke that the first service cuts up next on the refrigerator joke, but then I thought to myself, on second thought, let's not give Kurt that that charge, but all kidding aside. And now that I have your attention, can we all agree that it's important to have a sound vision, a sound sight as to where we're headed when a church loses its vision for the future. It's really done. Bad things start to happen. That's what the greater campaigns all about. Sure, it's about removing debt, freeing us up financially for even greater expanded ministry, but you know beneath that is a deeper purpose. The greater campaign is emblematic of something much larger and that is remembering the past. God's past faithfulness to willow creatures, what he's done here and viewing that past as a pledge of his future grace. That just as God begins a good work in us individually, he begins a good work in us corporately. And he did through Pete's leadership and with many of you in the earliest days and member homes and then a storefront. And then here on this side on East Lake Drive and then through a series of facility expansions, God growing and making more fuller and more complete. The ministry of willow creatures toward a greater future. That's been the past. I believe it's the present and looking to the future we want a vision that's going to carry us confidently. And so it makes good sense to come to a passage like this that speaks about the renewal of our mind and discerning the will of God. Because if we're going to do anything together, we need to discern it not as my vision, not as Pete's vision, not as anyone of the elders vision, not as a staff vision, but as God's vision for willow creep church. So let's look at the passage this morning and see that there's it begins with the single admonishment that something negative Paul warns don't be conformed to the world. The Apostle Paul first tells Christians that they need to see things differently by the spirit of God. The eyes of their heart have been opened. They now see in a way that they could not see before the gospel of grace came to work in their hearts and in their minds. They now see from a whole new perspective and Paul is urging them in view of that perspective to live a non conformist life, to not go along with the world, but to follow Christ, a perspective that changes their priorities. And in changing their priorities changes the way they practice their faith in every spirit of life that they touch. You know, Jesus said I'm going to give you life, but not only life, I'm going to give you life more abundantly. And by that, he didn't mean length of time, chronological abundance, what he meant was a new kind of life. A life lived to the glory of God, a life that lived on earth, cherishing the kingdom of heaven, and making the invisible kingdom of God visible in this present age. You know what Paul says don't be conformed to the world. Don't read into that some antithopathy toward the world or some hatred toward the world or rejection of it. It's not an opposition to the world per se that Paul has in mind, but the apostle Paul is speaking against and pointedly is something different. We know from his life that he wasn't opposed to the world per se. He had traveled all over the world. When he came to faith in Christ, God called him to be a messenger to the Gentiles, to those non-Jews who were lost in the darkness, who were captive to the devil and his schemes, who had never heard the word of truth, never heard a word of the prophets, didn't have the scriptures lived in complete and utter spiritual darkness. God called Paul to enter into the world and preach to them the light of Christ in Paul was faithful, missionary journey after missionary journey, going among the cultures of the world and in every way he could without compromise, without capitulation to the cultures around him, whatever way he could, he integrated himself. To save the Jew, he became as a Jew, to save the Gentile. He became as a Gentile. So Paul's example shows us that Paul is not speaking against the world per se. We're not simply called to incorporate with the world to be sure, but we sure aren't called to isolate ourselves from it either or even insulate ourselves from it. We're called to get dirty, we're called to engage, we're called to integrate and to redeem what has been lost. That was actually the teaching of Christ in his high priestly prayer. If you have your Bibles, you could turn there if you'd like, but you don't have to, in John chapter 17 verses 14 through 19, listen to the way Jesus prayed before he offered his life on the cross, died, took his life up again and then was ascended into heaven, listen to the way he prayed for us. He said, I've given them your word and the world has hated them because they're not of the world, just as I'm not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They're not of the world, just as I'm not of the world, sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth. Now listen carefully, as you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake, I consecrate myself that they also might be sanctified in the truth. You know, sometimes Christians think that the most holy thing to do, the most spiritual thing to do is to retreat from the world, to not get stained by the world, to not get their hands dirty by the world. Sometimes people think that the world around us is something to endure rather than redeem. Sometimes we look to the future and we're so looking for the return of Christ that we think the world can go to hell in a handcart, we're just going to wait for the return of Jesus. After all, that's what God revealed in His word, that we are to do. We're to wait for Christ's return. And even though things will go from bad to worse, one day Christ will return and rescue us from it. Sometimes we build an eschatology of view of the end times that says that's the call of the Christian life. Just hold on, bear down, huddle until Jesus finally comes to rescue us, but that's not the call of Christ. Christ will return in His own sweet time according to the Father until that time we are to contend for the faith in the world, seeking to advance the goodness of the gospel in this present age. God's redeeming. He's reconciling. He's renewing all things and sure the kingdom of darkness grows up as the kingdom of God grows up. Sure there are tears as well as wheat, but we don't shrink back. The writer of Hebrews tells us we aren't among those who shrink back. We persevere. We run the race with faith. And there I say tenacity, strength and courage. We're called to be in the world, but not of the world, but we are sent to it. That's what Paul said to the Corinthian church in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5. He said this, all this is from God. Who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry reconciliation. That is in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. And we implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake, He made Him to be sin, who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. We who now by grace share in the righteousness of Christ share also in His mission. And His mission is to go into the world, to make the appeal of the gospel message that those who are opposed to God might in this era of grace turn to the Lord, be forgiven and be reconciled. Being reconciled to God will then bring reconciliation to every sphere of life that they touch, even though there's evil in the world to be sure there's good here. And the good that is here is here by grace. And it's grace that we must embrace moving forward. So when Paul says, don't be conformed to the world. He doesn't mean to run from the world. He means something much more specific, much more targeted and it's simply this. Paul meant the world system. Don't be conformed to the world system that exists opposed to God and is under the control of the evil one. He means the world driven by the pursuits of the flesh that are still captive to the spirit of this present age. Don't go along with the wisdom of the world, but be renewed and transformed in your mind. Now of course this means that Christians live counter-culturally in many respects, but it doesn't mean that they live off on their own isolated, ignoring the culture around them quite the contrary. It means that they bring the values of the kingdom of heaven into the world below. They make the invisible kingdom visible. And how do they do it? Well, the second admonition we see in verse 2, they're transformed by the renewing of their mind. Paul's message is simple. Once God regenerates your heart, he goes for your mind. And he gives you a new perspective. And with a new perspective, new priorities. And with new priorities, new practices, we conform our lives to the pattern of Christ and we run counter to the world system that runs counter to him. And as we do, things are transformed around us. The transformation that begins here, extends here and then outward in our hands, every sphere of life that we touch, individuals that are transformed by the gospel, transformed families, families transformed by the gospel, transformed communities, communities transformed by the gospel, transformed the culture. Will that ever be perfect at this stage of redemptive history? Absolutely not. Of course not. Sin, it's still at work in the world. The world, the flesh and the devil still stand opposed to the plans and purposes of God. But will we see the first fruits of the kingdom of God coming into every one of these spheres? Absolutely. We already do. And that's why Paul says, thirdly and finally, that in so doing, we will be able to discern the will of God for ourselves individually. Only when we go to the word of God to be transformed in our mind, will we be able to discern the will of God for us individually and collectively and for a quarter of a century, that's what you've been doing. Pastor Pete taught the whole Council of God for the salvation and transformation of the people of Willow Creek Church, winter springs and its surrounding communities. And together through that emphasis on preaching and teaching the whole Council of God, God has equipped you to discern as will, to build a great ministry for his glory and for our shared good. You discern division and you pursued it. You met in member homes, you moved to a storefront, you moved here, and you've been growing ever since reaching more people and sending people around the world, not only as missionaries, but as people called to study at seminary and then go out as pastors to other places, people who have been designed by God's provenance to spend time here and then moved to other cities and spread the gospel message that was preached here so faithfully and still is preached faithfully. Over the years, things have changed here to be sure and they're still changing as Pete said, he's right on. A church that's not changing is the church is dying because the church is a living organism, it grows, it matures, it adapts, it overcomes, it changes constantly. A church that's not changing in healthy ways is soon dead, but make no mistake, certain things have not changed here and that's what I'm excited about. Certain things have not changed here and I pray they never changed. The core mission remains to say, you know, Pete and I are very different men in some respects, he has thick lustrous hair. He has a Southern California complexion, he's got the rugged masculinity you'd expect from the leader of key life's men's ministry. He shoots alligators, he climbs mountains, you know, a joke to the early service that Pete Owlinson once fought Superman on a bet and the loser had to start wearing his underwear on the outside of his pants. You know, death once had a near Pete Owlinson experience. Pete Owlinson once made a happy meal cry. We're very, very different men in some respects. I'm bald, I'm tasty, I'm stocky, and let's face it, you might find me singing let it go, let it go. On a car ride to church, I'm willing to bet times the doughnuts you'll never see Pete doing that. But you know, for as different as we are, we're fundamentally the same and then every way that matters for the pastoral leadership of this church, we're the same. We love the same God, we preach the same gospel, we have the same passionate intensity and fire to protect and prosper the family of God at Willow Creek Church. In my desire as the senior pastor, Willow Creek is not to make Willow Creek Church my own, any more than it was Pete's to make it his own. There's one who owns this church, and he purchased it with his blood. Our desire is to do together what we've been doing together all along. Preach the word that our collective mind might be transformed as Paul wrote to know the will of God for our lives as individuals, as well as corporately together, our mission is the same. To make Jesus Christ known with passion and with grace, at one season it looks this way, another season it looks this way, another season it looks slightly different, but the core mission is the same. And so I want to encourage you to not see Willow Creek Church is anything different than Willow Creek Church has been by God's grace. It's a work of God purchased by the blood of Christ, called into existence by the sovereign providence of God, and we're moving forward, changing to be sure, but we've been changing it every stage anyway. We're building on the foundation, it's just my privilege to now stand in a leadership position that Pete stood in faithfully for so many years. And my hope is one day, after many years, I'll be able to come and speak for another guy who stands after me. So would you join me in prayer this coming week, as you're pushing the vacuum cleaner in your house or driving in your car, singing, let it go along with me, would you pray that God would reveal to us collectively his will, not only for our salvation, but for our transformation, not only his individuals, but as a church, and would you pray how God might be calling you individually to really go all in for Willow Creek, and more specifically God's work here. I'm all in, Pete's all in, are you all in with us because we want you to be all in. A small cross-section of our leadership was able to get together for a dinner recently, where we talked through these things. And it was over Seminole County Spring Break, and in many ways wasn't a great time, but we had a good turnout, but it was still just really kind of a small sampling of our leadership, not everybody involved in some aspect of leadership here that could attend. You know, we asked those people, would they as leaders in accordance with a scriptural kind of practice, would they step out and make their pledge to reduce the debt of this church as part of the broader mission to strengthen us for the future, a greater future, and even though it was only a small cross-section of our leadership, not the whole thing. I want to share with you how amazed I am. I was told that of that initial group over $300,000 has already been pledged to reduce our debt. Praise God. Next Sunday, we're going to have a kickoff offering for the greater campaign. If you've never given anything, pray about what you might give on that day. Everything you give over and above our normal operating budget for the week is going to go immediately toward reducing our debt. What we're hoping for is the greatest single-day offering in the history of Willow Creek Church toward that goal, and what I want to challenge you is maybe for you to give the greatest gift you've ever given to God's work at Willow Creek Church, so that we can go for the throat of this debt. Until it. It grows up around us, it chokes us, it distracts us, let's get rid of it. Next Sunday is that kickoff offering, but next Sunday is also the day in which we're going to ask all of our members and friends to make a two-year commitment. And maybe, as I said, you've not supported Willow Creek Church after this point, and maybe you think yourself, well, I can't support it in any great way. Do something. Come into it with us. Start getting behind what God is doing here, and come and join the team, as we endeavor a great ministry together. And if you've been giving, we want to communicate to you the strongest possible thanks for all that you've ever done for this church, and God's work here. We are so appreciative, and maybe it's time that you can give a little bit more, so that we can be free, liberated from this debt, put it aside, and go forward to a fuller and greater ministry. I'm going to close this by saying this, feel indulged me. I don't like talking about money, any more than anybody else likes talking about money. But God talks a lot about money in his word, and that would be derelict if I, looking to Christ my king, the great shepherd, who tells me to preach the whole council of his word, if I said, no, I don't really want to talk about that. That makes me uncomfortable. That would not be good of me, and it wouldn't be faithful to you. The fact is, God has blessed us all, and in blessing us, He's equipped us that we might be a blessing. And He's given great things to us, that we might be generous as He is, and know the joy of coming into His work, not only His recipients of His grace, but channels of His grace and mercy. And the closing pledge I want to give to you is our desire here at Willow Creek Church is to be faithful stewards of that. And one of the reasons that we want to pay down this debt is because we think that's the stewardship to which God's called us, and we want you all in with us. We love you. Let's love one another, and love what God is doing here. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for the great foundation upon which we rest. We know that it extends into eternity past into your sovereign decision by grace alone to redeem us. And Father, ever since you resolved in love through Christ to lay a foundation for our individual faith, you've been laying a foundation for each of our lives upon that person and work of your son Jesus Christ. And Father, this church willow Creek rests upon Christ in His glorious gospel. And Father, I thank you so much, and we thank you together for the faithful ministry of Pastor Pete, for the leaders, for the members and friends who came alongside him in the earliest days of this church in ministry. And Father, the number that have been added to over the many years, the number you're even adding still, as we come together, Father, remind us that this is a great work, and it's a great work with an even greater, fuller future ahead of it. For your glory, for the good of your people, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Willow Creek Church is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America. Our website is www.Willow Creek Church.org and our phone number is 407-699-82-11.