Amen okay so Philippians chapter 3 and I want to focus particularly on verses 13
and 14 but we are going to look at the whole chapter as well verse 13 Philippians
chapter 3 verse 13 reads brethren I count not myself to have apprehended but
this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching
forth unto those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize of
the high calling of God in Christ Jesus and the title of my sermon today is
let's keep pressing forward let's keep pressing forward let's have a word of
prayer heavenly father I thank you for your word I thank you for this great
book the book of Philippians this chapter and and I'll just pray that you
fill me with your spirit now help me to be bold and help me to help people to
have open ears and open hearts and want to want to listen to your word and want
to act upon your word and help us to just be motivated by your word in Jesus
name we pray all of this amen okay right we've just had a great visit
haven't we of our pastor here and I mean that's that for me has been a really
great two weeks and look you know I think everyone here got a chance to
speak to him and get to know him a bit but you know it I mean they're a great
couple pastor and miss miss Sherry I've had an amazing couple of weeks of them
and it's it's been great it's been great for everyone here we've had a real great
time you know first Sunday morning when they're here we had our biggest Sunday
morning attendance of 60 we had our first ever midweek service of 48 and
look I've been some midweek services in the UK around Baptist Church so I've
never seen anywhere near 48 in a midweek service we had our biggest attendance at
a soul winning marathon of between 55 and 60 people out soul winning we had
38 salvations in that soul winning marathon which was our most ever we had
our record of 73 last Sunday morning we had 88 salvations during the two weeks
that pastor Thompson was here out of this church okay I mean wow everyone
was pretty pretty fired up weren't they and people were spurring on and doing
some great stuff we even had an ordination of some Wally that thought
that it'd be a good idea to be an evangelist so so we've had we've had
some amazing stuff haven't we and but you know that's come to an end in a way
okay as it come to a complete end but our past has gone home you know all
those kind of great events in that great time and those kind of parties we're
having as well are over and things could start to feel a little flat can they
maybe a little flat you could just start to feel like okay well we've done that
everyone was geared up for it I was excited myself I know what you know for
me it was a big thing there was a lot of ifs and buts as well they've come it's
all gone well now it's kind of right okay what next and for some maybe it
could be hard to motivate maybe a little bit harder motivate maybe until
next year you know when hopefully we get a return visit hopefully that's not the
case but I think that could be the case stick couldn't it well I couldn't just
ask you to stop the fan spinning just because I'm gonna lose my page otherwise
thank you okay how did Paul motivate himself though so how did Paul motivate
himself because he did some great things he had some great times I'm sure he had
some flatter times as well well first he had his priorities in order if you have
a look at verse 8 there Philippians 3 Philippians 3 verse 8 says yea doubtless
and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ
Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them
but dung that I may win Christ so all his previous accomplishments are nothing
in comparison aren't they verse 9 and be found in him not having my own
righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of
Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith amen to that that I may
know him and the power is resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings
being made conformable unto his death if by any means I might attain unto the
resurrection of the dead not as I had already attained either already perfect
but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am
apprehended of Christ Jesus so Paul's not just leaving it at salvation he's
not just one of these well at least I'm saved you know whatever let the chips
fall now no he's not just even though he's saying his goal his goal is to
apprehend or grab hold of the things which are the reason that he's here yeah
the reason that he's here because we were purchased for a price weren't we
we were purchased for a price and we have a job to do here every single
person every single saved Christian has a job to do verse 13 he says brethren I
count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those
things which are behind a reaching forth unto those things which are before
so he's saying that he doesn't count himself to have achieved anything yet
so he focuses on the things which are still there to achieve yeah verse 14 I
press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus
and look he's talking individually here but I believe this needs to be our goal
as a church to the high calling okay the high calling as a church see look we
could sit here couldn't we and say well you know we're a good consolation prize
for NIFB type Christians in this country can't we we go well you know we're not
quite faithful word we're not quite sure foundation not quite Verity Baptist etc
but you know at least we've got the gospel right we got so winning you know
we try and preach hard you know we're you know we do those things right so you
know we're alright it's okay you come here and at least at least you've got
something in the UK hey but is that really what our goal should be just a
consolation prize just a well the best of a bunch in this country because that's
let's be honest any like the competition we don't really want to call it
competition about any other church it pales in insignificance isn't it in
comparison to what we're trying to do here so we could say well we're doing
alright aren't we we're a good conversation you know we and because a
lot of us can and we do and probably for good reason something as well we could
put on a pedestal those churches can't we and we go wow look at that church
we've got no chance of being like that but we're doing the best we can can't
we we're doing the best we can we're in the UK at least we've got a church here
at least we tick the essential boxes we use the King James you know we you know
we we preach on sin we go out so winning yeah we don't try and add anything to
what to salvage we don't have a repent of yes of your sins or anything else
okay we tick the essential boxes and at least while we're the only one in Europe
we're the only one in Europe so again do we really have to try that hard no you
know anyone in Europe pretty much who wants a real church he's going to at
least listen in to us maybe even visit us but we should want to be the best
possible church we can be shouldn't we yeah everyone here I hope wants to be
the best possible church they can be in comparison to the churches in the world
in comparison to those great churches in the state shouldn't we yeah we want to
be not because we're competing with them because we want to we want to press
forward don't we toward the mark the prize of the high coolio God and every
single person here is a part of that everyone is a part of that ever from the
youngest child to the oldest adult in here we're all a part of that aren't we
okay verse 15 says let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if
in anything ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you
nevertheless whereto we have already attained let us walk by the same rule
let us mind the same thing see this is a team game isn't it it is a team game see
everyone here like I said is a part of it how do we all mind the same thing and
here it's talked about the same thing with our goal as a church how do we mind
or at least this is what I'm talking about how do we mind the same thing we
need to all be on the same page don't we everyone here needs to be on the same
page so what page is that what page is that yeah we want to be a successful
church yeah we want to be a great church yeah we want to be the greatest church
don't we I want this church to be the greatest church we can possibly be the
greatest church around not just in the UK so how do we achieve that how do we
get on that page what page is that what a sure foundation Baptist Church UK
short-term goals let's start start with the short-term goals number one is a new
church building okay number one what our first one of our short-term goals is a
new church building if you turn a Joshua chapter 1 book of Joshua chapter 1 see
we've conquered the coastal town I believe we've conquered it now okay and
it's time to advance inland yeah we've conquered it and Southland did put up a
little resistance at first in there there was a little bit of resistance we
had the kovat police didn't we come on our first service they do remember that
I know it was a little while ago now but we had that we had the knocks on the
door and you know and trying to disrupt us we've we've had some council
harassment mostly email a few phone calls we've had a bit of that we even
had the local press in Southland they did try their best in Southland and now
we had the local press trying to write about us and ask for comment and try it
try and criticize us we've had quite a lot of email complaints about our soul
winning and other things like that we've had fly tipping in our car park
we've had we've a German were thinking this the other day during we had a car
part a car parked blocking our front gate which got towed out the way but we
we've had people trying to block the entrance into our building we've had
police called out to soul winning okay we've had that I had that myself know if
anyone else says yet we've had the police called out to a soul winning
we've had local reprobates getting aggressive and threatening and trying to
borderline start fights with some of us here's we're out so winning so there's
been you know South Enders you know the South End militia has tried has tried to
resist the invasion of Shaw Foundation Baptist Church but let's put it this way
we've I would say the vast majority of our 800 salvation have been out of South
End if you add up every single Sunday the Saturdays beforehand they've been
the vast majority been in South End 22 baptisms were in South End our maximum
attendances have been in this church and we need a bigger building don't we we
need a bigger building it's time to advance so we're advancing inland on the
UK but a new town when we march forwards the army of Shaw Foundation Baptist
Church when we march forwards is it's going to be new problems isn't it
there's gonna be new problems new adversaries aren't there there's gonna
be different adversaries as well how are we going to succeed well just sure one
in Joshua chapter 1 and children Israel about to advance over Jordan into the
promised land now God is speaking to Joshua and in verse 5 he says this
there shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of our life as
I was with Moses so I will be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee be
strong and of a good courage for unto this people shall I divide for an
inheritance a land which I swear unto their fathers to give them only be thou
strong and very courageous that thou mayest observe to do according to all the
law which Moses my servant commanded thee turn not from it to the right hand
or to the left that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest this book of
the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein
day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written
therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good
success so look at verse 7 there we will succeed by being strong and very
courageous and by living right living for God doing things his way yeah
following his commands so if we as a church we strive to follow what God says
yeah look we're all sinners we're all going to get things wrong but if we're
striving we're doing our best to follow his commands what did he say then verse
7 be thou strong and very courageous that I may observe to do according to
all the law which so much which Moses my servant commanded he turned not from
it to the right hand or to the left that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou
goest then in verse 8 this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth
but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do
according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way
prosperous and then thou shalt have good success so it's by preaching this book
isn't it by all of us learning it memorizing it and preaching it yeah by
preaching this book that's how we're going to be successfully said in verse 9
have not I commanded thee be strong and of a good courage be not afraid neither
be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee with us so ever thou goest by
being bold and remembering that God is with us yeah God is with us as a church
when we do things his way verse 10 says then Joshua commanded the
officers of people saying pass through the host and command the people saying
prepare you victuals this is food for within three days you shall pass over
this Jordan to go into possess a land which the Lord your God giveth you to
possess it so get the feast ready guys because we're moving building soon okay
we're gonna be moving building soon and when we do we're gonna be having some
feasts aren't we because we're going forward we're bringing the food with us
and we bring the Word of God with us as well and we're gonna we're gonna be
conquering another town yeah and we're gonna be conquering the whole of the UK
going forward from that now a bigger building is going to mean more work
isn't it okay it's going to be more work there's going to be work set up in
the first place I mean we're not just going to turn up I doubt into a building
that is literally set up for church okay so there's going to be work setting up
there's going to be work moving in the first place there's going to be a lot of
work to make it how we want because we want to make it nice want to make it a
welcoming place we this has been a temporary place from the beginning it's
not our building but it's going to be ours when we have it okay and we're
going to make it how we want it but that but with a new building there's going to
be more cleaning isn't there I know pastor Thompson talked about this I'm
not going to re-preach that there's going to be more cleaning to do there's
going to be more work more maintenance to do around the building there and all
of us need to obviously be involved in that there's a lot of work to do there's
going to be more people to look after it's gonna be more people in the
building more people means more stuff more problems more more advice given
more so many areas that we need to we we're gonna be working hard with more
people in a church and look whatever needs doing yeah it is it's not menial
literally just picking up a bit of rubbish of the floor is not a menial
task it's all profitable you don't turn a proverbs 14 23 says in all labor there
is profit but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury okay it doesn't
matter what the job is it's helping the church and if you're helping the church
you're doing a good job aren't you that's a big job yeah that's beyond any
other job you're doing when you're helping the church regardless of how
menial how below some of you some people might think it is okay how below you
some people and I hope we don't have that here but some people I don't want
to do that sort of job let anything that helps the church is going to be
important is it moving to a new church is going to be new jobs yeah new stuff
to do more work to do for everyone here okay won't just be turning up to church
we all need to get involved but we've got to keep pressing forward don't we
okay we want to keep pressing forward we want a new building we need a new
building we need a bigger building to hit those big attendances and we want to
move forward now going in inland make it easier to for people to access the
church as well from around the UK okay short-term goals number one is a new
building okay number two with the new building is a midweek service okay
midweek services turn of Hebrews chapter 10 so once we have a new building it's
looking like it'll be a Wednesday night it's looking like it'll be a 7 p.m. on a
Wednesday night and that's when we're going to have a regular midweek service
okay that's what we're going to be doing unless something suddenly changes as a
big reason not to that's look that's what it looks like it's going to be a
Wednesday night at 7 p.m. will be our midweek service now I want everyone here
to start thinking about how they're going to be able to make that okay how
are you going to be able to make a midweek service at 7 p.m. what can you do
what is there something you can do with your work situation is something you can
do with the kids work things out work a way of making that midweek service at
7 p.m. why why do you need to make what you come on a Sunday don't you why I
can't come say again we are commanded aren't we and have a look at verse 23 let
us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithful that
promised and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as a manner of summaries but
exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching we
don't want to be wavering when professing our faith do we we don't want
to be wavering we don't just come to church to tick the church box I hope you
don't for a play date for our kids for a little social for the adults to just be
able to say I've come I've been here we're here for each other aren't we
every single person is here for each other to provoke unto love and to good
works so ultimately not just for each other for the for the greater good for
the salvation of souls when you come the church you're provoking each other to
love and to good works to exhort to encourage one another we'll be doing the
opposite if we're not here and it becomes like the usual dead mid-week er
that you see around most churches in this country won't we well if it gets to
the point where the midweek Wednesday service has three old people in it you
know who are ferried along there then they don't really have a choice and and
people are just sitting there and and and and there's three four five when the
singing starts you can't hear anyone but the song leader that that's not gonna
that's gonna do the opposite isn't it it's gonna do the opposite and but it
starts so you start to feel a bit like about this I've been in churches like
that I've been in midweek services like that and it's and look it's hard to get
encouraged by that isn't it okay we need to find a way to be here verse 25 said
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as a man of summies
but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching
do you see the day approaching yeah I tell you what I see the day approaching
I think everyone here could probably see the day approaching I think even
just the petrol shortages recently it's just like another kind of little thing
isn't it where you're just seeing that day approaching just weird stuff going
on all the time things that we haven't really experienced so much in our lives
obviously all the COVID stuff all the travel bans and everything else and what
a wicked world we live in and the day definitely is approaching so how do we
do all that and more as we see the day approaching we look we come to church as
much as possible don't we that's the answer you come to church as much as you
possibly can midweek services preaching night soul-winning yeah that's
assembling together as well isn't it we do the maximum we possibly can because
we all see the day approaching don't we no I don't know about you but when I
walk around around outside of this church outside of my at my house yeah
look it's wickedness everywhere isn't it it is wickedness everywhere I went I
went the other day to a big shopping center near me and look you don't even
know where to look do you you're just and it's not just that just all the
scantily clad women walking past all the men dressed like queers but it's also
that all the shops it's like every other shop is some sort of lingerie shop it's
that bad now and every advert every billboard it is absolutely wicked out
there I don't want to be around that but I have to be around that sadly we have
to be around that to some degree don't we but when you're around the worldly
people the the way they talk they're blasphemy the the words coming out of
people's mouth that the the stuff they want to talk about all of that and look
we have to be around that but what's the answer what's the answer how do we
refresh ourselves by being in God's sanctuary don't we when you come to hear
it isn't it refreshing to be away from that is it refreshing to have a
conversation with not some sort of blasphemy every other word isn't it
isn't it refreshing to be there and not see see women just dressed like whores
and men dressed like queers isn't it nice to be around that to be just around
real people real people of God we should want that we should crave that
shouldn't we we should want to be here in the house of God which is the Church
of the Living God the pillar and ground of the truth it's a pillar and ground of
the truth because out there it's to see everywhere isn't it I mean we were just
talking about that this morning what was it is there a motive behind a pet
shortage maybe it's just happened I don't know but you just don't know
anymore do you because you can't trust anything you can't trust anyone you
can't trust the thing and the only people we we can and hopefully should be
able to trust is is well one people here to a degree but ultimately it's the Word
of God isn't it so Word of God and and the Bible being preached and the hymns
being sung and that stuff we can trust and being here the pillar and ground the
truth should be something we crave for it's not oh what a hardship I've got to
come a third time you know well I come once that's enough no do your utmost to
come to church you should want to because if you don't you're not right
with God okay so I'm 27 4th you have to turn this is one thing have I desired of
the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all
the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple
let's keep pressing forward let's keep press forward for that midweek service
and when we have that midweek service let's keep pressing forward and make
sure we're coming to that midweek service short term goals number one was
a new church bill number two was a midweek services number three a thousand
Salvations this year okay now you might be you might be thinking what only a
thousand you know already nearly up to 800 aren't we but look a thousand
Salvations is a great achievement okay that is an amazing achievement when you
talk to other churches and you talk to pastor Thompson talk to others you know
they have some tough soul winning in some of their areas there and look for
this group of people we're a new church our average attendance is probably under
50 and we're up to a nearly up to a thousand Salvations but we want to push
on and make sure we get that this year because that you might think well look
we've only got three months let's not take our foot off the gas it will soon
be dark in the afternoon here won't it's going to be darker the the weather's
going to be miserable okay this is England isn't it okay we've actually had
a nice September haven't we we but a terrible August but we generally have a
nice September but let's be honest it's going to go downhill isn't it okay it's
going to be harder to motivate ourselves going to be harder when you wake up and
it's dark and you get home and it's dark to get out on those midweek ones it's
going to be harder to go out for the day on a Saturday when it's pouring down
with ice cold rain you know it is going to be harder we need to keep motivating
it's going to be harder on a Sunday and we've got quite a few of our church
obviously you know got babies coming and you know going to be heavily pregnant or
going to be going to be with us with a young baby so it's going to be harder
for some of them as well it's going to be hard of some of the dads at times as
well because they're going to be having to help out and and and you know pick up
the slack at the house as well so look there's going to be this there's going
to be some challenges over the next few months so let's not think oh easy you
know we're averaging about a hundred a month we got it down no look it's
Christmas coming up as well okay and yeah you might think oh we'll get loads
of people saved you know we're all going to have stuff to do ourselves as well
obviously there's going to be look there's going to be people that don't
want to hear there's going to be less people in the highways and hedges aren't
there okay there's going to be less people out and about when the weather's
bad there's going to be less people that have that time when they're getting up
that busy period and they're all well just got to go and buy you know little
Johnny he's like you know thousand pounds worth of presents I've only
spent nine hundred so far you know I've still got to go and find more there's
going to be a lot going on so we need to make sure we push on let's get it long
before Christmas let's hit that thousand salvation and what what an event that's
going to be and look it you know you know if we do that yeah when we keep
numbers high on the marathons and on that on the marathons you know let's
let's repeat what we did yeah don't get accused of just trying to impress the
boss what is here yeah okay so look you know the next marathon we've got five
weeks until it or whatever it is you know let's make sure maybe six weeks
let's make sure that that marathon we have you we have a good turnout again we
have a big turnout we're all there we're all out so winning and we should
hit those numbers then shouldn't we we're gonna hit that thousand Daniel 12
3 you don't have to turn this is and they that be wise shall shine as a
brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the
stars forever and ever let's be a church that turn many to righteousness yeah
let's be a church that does that and shine as the stars forever and ever okay
I'm thinking you know I want I want to shine as the stars in eternity I hope
everyone else does here as well okay and look we're all in this together
with that and do you know what's a thousand salvation stars as well that's
a big number you know that that does a thousand salvation it sends a strong
message to the few churches left in this country doesn't it it sends a strong
message when you when we making it clear and I'm not saying to boast about it but
we should be inspiring them and provoking them hopefully to at least go
out and try and knock some doors get people so show them look actually going
out and knocking does does get people saved yeah because it does doesn't it
okay and it's not oh well we just got to preach the gospel every week in church
no we're sending a message out to the few churches after those week shirts in
this country get out get people say because it is actually receptive nation
yeah it's not Uganda but you know what it is receptive isn't it it is and we're
getting people saved a thousand salvations out of you know 50 or so on
an average and and of what of that half of which are kids you know and I'm not
saying the kids because some are some of the kids are starting to learn how to
give the cost and get people saved as well but regardless you know that
there's a lot of silent partners really out of that 50 as well aren't there okay
so look we're getting you know we're gonna be sending a strong message and
hopefully inspiring those churches to actually do something I'm speaking to a
brother the other day who was telling me that how he's been inspiring a church
not far from from here down in London easy been inspiring them to get out and
get so winning and they're now doing more and going out and that's from a
sole winner being there and getting that and if he could say look this church up
the road I've actually just got a thousand salvation going out and doing
this exact process of going and knocking door going through some form of
Romans right as you know to salvation then amen to that what a testimony that
is a so thousand salvations so let's keep pressing forward short-term goals
number one a new church building number two midweek services number three a
thousand salvations and number four new believer baptisms new believer baptisms
is a short-term goal now that we can okay now we're able to at this church
let's encourage our new converts and also our previous salvations get
baptized hopefully you've maybe sent an email sent a call made a call sent a
message to some of your previous salvations okay if you have you could
probably send them something again and just say just to let you know we're
doing baptisms at this church try and encourage it maybe something's happened
in that time where you maybe didn't get a response because let's face it there's
a lot of thorny grand Christians here but we want to encourage him to get
baptized don't we okay turn it acts 8 while you turn now I'm going to read
Matthew 28 19 which says go ye therefore and teach all nations
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is
part of the Great Commission isn't it it's part of the Great Commission to get
people back baptized and we're not going to do a special baptism service here
once every month six weeks two months six or once a year we do baptism someone
was telling me that later they chose why would we wait a year to baptize someone
he's just got saved a week after that baptism service no way there's no
pre-baptism course here we're not going to sit down and you know just double
check that you know that they really are truly look if they if they've
confessed with their mouth the Lord Jesus then you know as far as I'm
concerned they're ready to be baptized look at acts 8 verse 35 so the eunuch
is just been reading Isaiah 53 then Philip opened his mouth and began at the
same scripture and preached unto him Jesus and as they went on their way they
came on to a certain water and a eunuch said see here is water what does hinder
me to be baptized has he stated allegiance to the church's end time
beliefs yet no I don't think he has is he has he been attending for at least a
few months no has he written and read out a salvation testimony to everyone he
hasn't has he what does hinder me to be baptized and Philip said if thou
believeth with all thine heart thou mayest because that's all it takes
doesn't it that's all it takes belief if you believe with all your heart you may
and he answered and said I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God well that
was enough for Philip wasn't it okay why do we have to add a hundred other things
that was enough for Philip and he commanded the charity standstill and
they went down both into the water both Philip and the eunuch and he baptized
him and when they were come up out of the water the Spirit of the Lord caught
away Philip that the eunuch saw him no more and he went on his way rejoicing
he didn't even get a church invite afterwards he got baptized and he moved
on now I'm not saying we should do that but you know look obviously getting
people saved is our main goal isn't it but getting people baptized is important too
isn't it and whether or not we think they're gonna definitely be a member of
this church forever well that's not important let's get him baptized let's
get him baptized if people get saved we want to baptize them don't we okay now
we're just gonna get we're gonna get a simple tub here okay and and we'll
baptize on demand I want to get one for here as soon as I get any person that
says they want to get baptized you know that's enough reason to get it here if
not then we're gonna get something obviously at the new place and and we'll
baptize that I don't care if it's if it's every week we're baptizing one
person it doesn't matter okay it's worth it we don't have to have like oh it's
got to be a load of people together yeah let's just get them it week by week get
them baptized get them saved and encourage them to get baptized guys
because look I mean I started this from yesterday you know soon as soon as I've
got lady saved yesterday straight away I'm saying to her look you need to get
baptized okay it's important isn't it because that's what we're told to do
we're commanded to do that okay and look yeah they're still saved obviously okay
but let's let's try and follow what God tells us to do encourage them when you
get people saved from today start encouraging them come to church you need
to get baptized okay and then it's up to them isn't it you've done your bit with
that okay so let's keep pressing forward short-term goals number one is a new
church building number two is midweek service number three is a thousand
salvation is number four and you believe are baptisms and after those you believe
are baptisms number five is discipleship okay discipleship a short-term goal now
that we can baptize we can do things decently in an order can't we with
discipleship to now of course you can disciple people that aren't baptized but
you know what let's try and do it in the order that God wants us to do it yeah
Matthew 28 19 said go ye therefore and teach all nations baptize them in the
name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Ghost verse 20 then said teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you a low I am with you
always even until the end of the world amen okay we teach them the gospel we
baptize them and we then teach them the Word of God yeah and I do believe that
getting people to church is getting harder and harder in this wicked nation
and I think probably around the world as well and I think people are so
unchurched now they're so away from the idea of it now Sundays have completely
changed when I was growing up Sundays you could barely go to a shop there was
like one shop in the whole area that was open if if at all in a lot of villages
it wasn't like that as well sometimes you can get pets you can get anything
Sunday there wasn't much else to do really for people there wasn't just that
the TV just full of like Super Sunday football and all this stuff all day you
know it was a different world and we don't live in that world now and there's
distraction after distraction and reason after reason for people not to come to
church on a Sunday but look it might be hard but we should still try shouldn't
we okay we should still try we should still try and get them to church but
listen that's each of your responsibilities okay that's not my
responsibility that's not us as a church's you know well we've got a you
know find a way of work here making it you know putting up the flashing lights
for when they come in and everything else so we want it to be a welcoming
place yeah and I'm gonna talk about that in a minute but it's your
responsibility everyone here for your disciples the people you get saved to
try and encourage them to come to church okay they're your disciple at first then
they come in and they become part of the church yeah okay and that's something
that that everyone should be trying to do now look I'm not look you could go
through life and get many people saved maybe never get anyone to church and
that's not a slight on you but we should at least try shouldn't we okay because
many people won't come to church they're still saved but we want them to
come to church okay but once they're here once they're in this church it's
our responsibility as a church to be warm and welcoming isn't it okay it's
our responsibility for them to want to be here to want to come here okay to be
a warm welcoming kind nice church yeah and and look you might think well that's
pretty obvious yeah that's pretty obvious of course we're going to be kind
we're going to be polite to people but look you know you see crazy stuff and
not just among Chris you see crazy stuff in the world where people will use people
that are new to something to puff themselves up you'll see that in the
workplace I'm sure where when you'll get someone of the newbie and people will be
trying to show themselves off trying to puff themselves up coming across all
cocky and arrogant and trying to show their knowledge we shouldn't be doing
that obviously with new people in the church yeah we're all every single
person here is a sinner saved by grace aren't they okay we want a nice
atmosphere because new believers or new churchgoers because some people have
been saved for a long time maybe haven't really been a part of a church are going
to feel insecure coming to a church aren't they okay they get most them
won't come because they feel so I mean how many people have you spoke to on the
door who they are adamant they are coming what changes what changes a lot
of it is the nerves it's the insecurity it's a worry I mean obviously I've got a
friend that I saved a while back and look he keeps he wants to come I know
once we keep saying he wants to come he's he's reading his Bible he wants to
come to church but deep down it's that insecurity it's that war he's going to
come and be the guy that just doesn't know anything and that is a bit out of
place it doesn't really know what he should and shouldn't be doing and saying
and everything else people are concerned about that stuff so we need to do our
best to encourage people it's not like that and not to be like that when they
come not to be like that because look many of us here can feel insecure can't
we yeah I think many people here could have times when they come to church and
feel a little bit insecure about things insecure about maybe some of the social
aspect of it and other things yeah that we all have weaknesses we need to cut
out that holier-than-thou crap yeah don't we okay get that crap out of this
church we don't need to be here trying to trying to just use church to show
people how amazing we are okay look we of course we all we all are going to try
and behave well at church aren't we okay you should be behaving well at church
but we don't need to be puffing ourselves up and trying to show people
with something we're not at church as well okay we need to cut that crap out
because new believers new church guys even people that are probably already
here it puts them off yeah stop the boasting stop the gloating okay point
scoring off other Christians okay this goes on in church as well try and look
one area you see this and and I'm gonna hit on this a bit and and look I hope
that we don't have this going on in this church but I've seen this in many many
areas as well so I'm gonna hit on the women a little bit here is and to be
honest the men as well is competitive parenting okay you see this I've seen
this on school gates I've seen this in in groups I've seen this in churches
I've seen this in many areas where mums and dads comparing and trying to boast
about their kids to lift themselves up okay trying to like and often it could
be subtle little subtle comments here little subtle digs there sometimes not
that subtle you know little you know little Frankie you know how he's you
know oh he's just talking so early and he's just this and that and it's all
just you're just trying to lift yourself up but all you're doing is putting other
people down with it and look when you believers come you get a new family come
with their new kids who are on church and everything else they're sitting in
church and they've just got they might have and I hope we don't but if they've
got a load of mums just they're trying to be you know the holy than now the
best mom and try to show everyone what a great mum they are what a great dad they
are dads do this crap as well then then what's that gonna they're just gonna
feel insecure they're not gonna want to be there okay they're not look sure we
want our kids to behave in church but we don't have to you know compete with that
do we okay and amongst each other as well because people do that I've seen
this in so many different places well there's something called mum shaming as
well where people will try and shame other mums who don't do things the way
they do it you know so it's like you know and there'll be a little common
little dig and again that goes on in groups and mums I've seen that I've seen
that on school gates that happens as well and it will happen in churches as
well commenting on people's parenting amongst each other okay you don't have
to do that okay and dads you don't have to do that either okay you don't have to
be your your child yeah great they are a slight extension of you but but if
you're there just boasting and trying to be puffed up because of how you think
your kid is because your kid is like walking earlier than someone else or
because your kid is so winning earlier than the other one and that's shame on
you that's sad you know you don't have to boast about that crap and it's it's
it's not a slight on anyone else they're all individual the kids are different
and they all need to be raised differently as well we all do things
differently don't we okay and we should do things differently I'm going to talk
about that in a minute for those 27 to says let another man praise you not like
no mouth a stranger and not their own lips okay let someone else praise your
kid yeah don't you don't we don't need to be boasting about our children of
people and that goes for every area of life okay that's for everyone here we
don't need to be boasting and we don't need to be praised ourselves if someone
asks for advice great yeah we don't need to be constantly giving advice to
everyone who doesn't even want to hear it okay that's a good area good thing
to think about as well the key point is that they want your advice that's what
you want somebody wants it okay don't be one of the people that's constantly
telling everyone how to do stuff and again when new believers come in we
don't want to be like that do we we don't be like that with each other let
alone new believers okay now with that it might in my experience the worst
culprits for this are insecure deep down okay and people who are constantly
trying to shame others or lift themselves up in a group setting people
love to proclaim their own latest cutting-edge knowledge okay let's not be
like that in this church the latest fad diet yeah the the fad parenting
technique the fad money-making scheme the fad fitness plan okay there's so
many fads in life and I've seen this for years it all sounds so scientific you
know and I've seen this in the health industry for years where people are
suddenly telling everyone you've got to do it this way you've got to eat this
way you've got to do this diet you know it's like yeah give it another six
months year five years and it'll be a new thing and then it'll be a new thing
but it just sounds so scientific and look if it works for you great yeah
that's great you don't need everyone copying you to validate it okay everyone
doesn't have to do the same thing and this is something I want to talk about
a bit okay because this happens in every group in society this happens from
school to the workplace to the sports team to the group of friends yeah and
that's basically that everyone starts doing the same thing okay now look in a
church we all want to be obviously the same doctrine yeah okay that's important
but but what happens this is and you'll remember this from school and we don't
want to be this yeah we don't want to be conformed to the world okay so you get
the dominant personality in the classroom the dominant personality then
everyone starts becoming more like them then you have this group forming where
everyone's doing exactly the same thing where everyone talks the same way they
make the same jokes they behave that this happens at school you have it in
workplaces where you have the group the group of people and if anyone doesn't
behave like that they're kind of a bit excluded from the group because they're
not conforming to the group now I don't know if you know what I'm talking about
here but let me give you an example in a church setting how that would work
because churches become weird when this happens when everyone is doing the same
diet when everyone has the same homeschool curriculum when everyone has
the same parenting techniques when everyone has the same side job how does
that happen and this happens in churches where suddenly just get this group where
everyone's doing the same thing they're dressed in the same way they're acting
the same way look we should all dress like Christians but there's a lot of
fashions amongst Christians look we we should want to do the best thing we can
and sometimes there will be something which is the best thing but when it
becomes a dominant personality basically making everyone else do everything the
same that's the problem in a church isn't it why is that a problem I'm sure
you can understand why that becomes a problem because then basically you have
a guru figure who's a lot of the time that dominant personality who makes
everyone else do what they do why and how do how do other and people get into
that and this is this is it happens in social settings everywhere but we need
to be strong and resist that and we want to be just individual people in the
church don't we look we should all become united by doctrine in the Bible
we should be united by the Word of God we should be united in our motivation
for the church but we shouldn't all look like a cult of clones who just does
everything the same because someone with someone who's more dominant is doing
that and a lot of time it turns into a bully mentality because then when people
don't do that it's like not doing what we all do who are you okay we need to
avoid that in this church I don't want this to happen in this church okay
because that is not welcoming to outsiders that's not welcoming to new
people it's not welcoming to the people in the church because if you don't
conform you don't become the gang that does everything the same then you're
some sort of you know and then they feel like you're judging oh you must be
judging because you're not doing the same as us so everyone does that and you
see it everywhere you see in schools like I said you see in workplaces and
you see it in churches we don't want to do that okay because look in general to
prevent that happening as a church yeah let's just remember yeah we're all
individual okay we like what works for you as a parent might not work for
someone else yeah that's not you know and now if they ask you sure give me
advice but don't state everything as fact yeah a lot of people do this as
well in the world they just state things as fact when it's not okay look like
give advice if people want of us when they want advice but we don't need to
all just do the same thing and force everyone to do the same thing together
okay this King James Bible yeah that is truth that is fact that is what we
follow that is what the rest of it the the the variance of how we live and how
we deal with our children and how we behave amongst each other how we do this
and what you know that's all separate okay and we don't have to be carbon
clones of each other and look and and something I wanted to talk about with
this is worth health advice as well because look in the old days yeah people
read a book and that made it gospel now it could be a video and that makes it
gospel in their mind yeah look sure we should you know if people ask you and
you think something's a good idea tell them but show them that it's an opinion
because it can be dangerous with health advice yeah there can be and you get
this a lot of forums where it's a bit unchecked and people are just giving out
health advice health of myself advice and that people a lot of people will
just follow that without looking into it do people do that they just say okay
well he said this or she said that so I'm gonna do it and then make sure that
you know you're sure about that advice to make it clear it's you're not you're
not giving medical advice don't get me wrong the doctors give a lot of bad
advice yeah but look we need to be careful with that okay because some
people go away and do crazy stuff sometimes yeah I'll do stuff that
doesn't work for them make sure that when you're giving advice you make it
clear it's just your opinion and then that should stop that that group forming
that happens in churches happens in social settings where everyone just does
the same thing and follows the leader and if that leaders not the church
leader that's you can see how that could become a problem can't you because
people are just looking up to one person and we don't want that let's cut
that crap out yeah make sure we don't have that in this church because the
flesh wants an excuse not to come yeah and people that come to this church will
see that will see this guy clique of people that all do everything the same
and they'll be like sod that a bunch of weirdos you know they were just they're
all just exactly the same person or they all just do exactly you know and they're
and or or they'll come to church someone's just telling them you need to
do this you need to do that this how you do and they don't want to be here you
know and we don't want that we want to be a welcoming place we want to be a
place of different people with different things that that have different ways of
doing things you know when they're not essentials of the Bible yeah okay we
want to disciple people and eventually we want to get them preaching the gospel
too because ultimately if we could become a welcoming environment we're not
the world we're not that clique we're not that bully group we're not that kind
of you know where anyone who comes it doesn't conform is like some sort of
weird outside and I sit on the outside well we're not that we're gonna have
more people in church God will build this church and ultimately really we're
going to get more salvations aren't we because we're discipling people to then
want to go out and preach the gospel okay because very few people here went
out and preached the gospel the second they got saved okay they might have tried
a little bit and then after that and I don't think they're probably that
successful we want to decide because ultimately we want to get more people
saved yeah and the way we're going to do that is by being a welcoming church by
being a kind church by being loving to each other by not trying to point score
off each other not trying to point score off new people by just being a good
group of people here yeah okay when all these short-term goals are realized
will then be on course to achieve our long-term goals okay what are our
long-term goals growing into a real presence in this wicked nation okay okay
that that is a long-term goal of Sure Foundation Baptist Church to be a real
presence yeah a presence where people are like wow have you heard of Sure
Foundation Baptist Church yeah that church is doing stuff the only the only
church here currently could get big couldn't it okay if we do things right
if we're a place where God wants to add people to our church having an army of
soul winners to hit towns and cities around this country okay that's what we
want we want an army so we can literally just go we're going to that town I
remember hearing a pastor holes sermon once where he said that he had a sheriff
of a town said if you send any more of your guys around here we're gonna have
to lock him up so he said well I'm sending I can't remember was something
like 5,000 so he's like they're gonna preach the gospel you better have a big
prison he's like okay we're not looking about and that's what we want we will
have so we could just go that town we're hitting it and we just knock every
door in that town you know and we just start hitting areas hitting areas we
could just go and do a little missions trip somewhere in the UK somewhere and
just whack out an area and it's done and we've just all just flooded it and we
could do that if we build this army up if we realize our short-term goals
that's a great long-term goal planting churches in strategic
positions around the UK okay that's something we want to do don't we and
strategic positions not just because someone says oh yeah that could be a
cool place there no somewhere where people can access because it's not
actually that big a nation is it okay there are probably we wouldn't need that
many churches so everyone is within a few hour drive of it you know okay
planning churches around there that is a long-term goal of this but we have to
realize our short-term goals first we have to be a church that will grow we
have to be a church that's going to achieve the other things to get there
and look there will be a lot of enemies that won't there they already are there
already are a lot of enemies 1st Corinthians 16 9 if you want to turn
there turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 16 and verse 9 Paul said for a great door
and effectual is opened unto me and there are many adversaries he said for a
great door and effectual is open unto me and there are many adversary and there's
been a great door opened unto us here in this country hasn't there okay and the
adversaries are building they are aren't they the adversaries are building they're
going to be building if we're doing things right now if you go back to
Philippians 3 where we were so I should have said keep a finger in there go back
to Philippians chapter 3 and verse 2 Philippians 3 to the Bible reads beware
of dogs beware of evil workers beware of the concision okay so Philippians
starts with a warning in verse 2 and then it ends with a warning to verse 17
says brethren be followers together me a mark then which walk says you haven't
asked for an example for many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell
you even weeping that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ whose end
is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is in their shame who
mind earthly things okay Paul is weeping about it again like he did with the
Ephesian Church in Acts 20 yeah we've had a taste we've had a little taste and
it's only gonna get worse okay hundred percent it's only gonna get worse he's
describing the many that walk see that word there many many that walk we have
to be aware yeah everyone has to be where all of us now turn back to
Philippians chapter 1 and just look at verse 1 here because he says Philippians
1 1 says pull into Mothias the servants of Jesus Christ to all the saints in
Christ Jesus which were at Philippi with the bishops and deacons he's writing to
everyone okay he's writing to everyone here he's writing to all the saints and
the leads in Philippi saying in verse 17 to mark them be aware of everyone he
said in verse 2 to beware why everyone because look and why do you say everyone
and not just the leadership why did why did he not just say look bishops and
deacons beware why everyone because the enemies are after the sheep and look
look you can preach this stuff enough because it's a theme throughout the New
Testament okay the enemies are after the sheep yeah the shepherd gets attacked to
get to the sheep okay but the sheep are the target okay the sheep are the target
and look ultimately we're all the target here okay and we're all going to get
attacked in one way or another but it's not always obvious how the sheep are
being attacked in a weak sheep can affect the rest of the flock aren't they
okay a weak sheep's gonna going to affect the safety of the rest of the
flock the many enemies of the cross of Christ they want to use you to do their
dirty work okay that's what they want to do they want to use the sheep they want
to weaken sheep to then do their dirty work to weaken the church you do
understand that a ho they so discord from the inside and from the outside okay
and we've talked about this before it comes from both sides they want you to
be upset they want you to be discontent little comment here little comment there
little little whisper about something and then it starts getting you
questioning someone else in the church being upset with someone else being
angry about someone else that's what they want that's what the enemy wants
okay he wants this we're doing a great thing and effectual door has been open
hasn't it here okay this is a massive thing we are the only church in Europe
okay let's not get it destroyed by our own petty squabbles because everyone
here will be attacked in one way or another to be some way of disrupting the
church yeah by our own egos by our own pride by our own problems by our own
issues and there will be people that that will try and trigger that from the
inside and from the outside see we can easily even without manipulation and
outside influence become a problem can't we come on everyone here is able to be a
problem in a group setting especially in a church without any influence we can
all get an annoyed with people a lot of the time unfair we can all our ego gets
up our pride you know we're not gonna have him talking to me or she talking to
me on the way this don't know about this and we can all get like that can't we
okay we don't we could do it without the influence and we can be the problem in
the church okay I'm not saying that you know I hope there's no one wicked here
but you know what even without even without an infiltrator here you can
become the problem in the church you could become the person that's so
discord you can become the person that affects hundreds maybe thousands of
salvation's in this country you do understand that yeah just by letting
your own ego your own issues your own problems we've all got issues we've all
got pride so how do we resist how do we resist well get behind the church yeah
get behind the church get behind the short-term goals the leadership get
behind the leadership your fellow brothers and sisters get behind them
what's best for them love them want them to succeed yeah want them to go on
to be better you know want everyone want this church to be to be that great
church yeah that's what we want don't we and not to let our own petty issues and
problems and squabbles and egos and need to puff ourselves up and need to put
down other people get in the way of that because it will cause problems at a
church and it will stop it growing resists the temptation of back bite to
murmur to squabble to compete we'd have to compete with each other okay there's
no competition here okay we're here as a church to do the best for the church the
best for God Philippians 3 20 says for our conversation is in heaven from
whence also we look for the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ focus on the Lord
focus on the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus but you know
that's what we should be focusing on should we not focusing on how can I show
everyone that I'm the best at X Y & Z yeah short term that's number one a new
church building that's going to be hard work number two midweek services we've
got to make that work don't we we're going to make sure we're there number
three a thousand salvation we need to keep getting out and obviously onwards
from there as well number four new believer baptisms we need to encourage
people to get baptized we want to get new disciples here because number five
is discipleship and we need to be a welcoming environment for that yeah okay
we all need to just you know sort ourselves out make sure that we're
welcoming that we're going to be be a church that people could just come in
and not feel like they're just on the outside you just want to welcome them
be normal be nice yeah resist the devil and his minions and we will accomplish
this won't we okay we've got like look we've got some big long-term goals we've
got some big short-term goals as well we can do it but we've got to resist we've
got to resist all that junk verse 21 in Philippians 3 says who shall change our
vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the
working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself look we
only get one go at this don't we we only get one go at this life everyone here
you've got one go at it before you know it you're going to be rid of this sinful
flesh aren't you okay before you know it yeah and it goes quick doesn't it life
goes quick every year it just seems go quicker and quicker and it eternal life
is going to be good isn't it and you don't want to be an eternal life for
looking back if only I've done more if only I've done a bit more funny I hadn't
just you know if only I'd just not let that little issue get in the way of me
being a great servant for Jesus Christ yeah if only I hadn't just put away my
own junk my own issues my own egos and just got on with it that's what we want
to do all of us here let's get on with it let's get on with it with the short
term goals first and and let's let's press forward yeah let's press forward
because despite then we've still got this vile body haven't we we've got this
vile body there's going to be challenges going to be struggles but look we can do
all things through Christ which strengthens me can't we yeah let's be a
good church let's be a welcoming church and let's be a great church on that
let's pray father I thank you for this word I think I thank you for all your
all your many blesses I thank you for this church I thank you for all these
great people I thank you for these zealous people I pray that you just help
all of us to to just be more like you to just just be be the sort of church you
want us to be the sort of people you want us to be to be to be a great church
that people want to come to and feel welcome at to go forward and just
achieve all the goals that we have as a church and and they go on to achieve the
you know great things in this country and in this continent as well and and
ultimately in your world and we just pray that you'll help all of us with
that help us to all be a part of that help us to all not be a hindrance to
that help us to just be be a good group of people to be to be united by our
common goals and I pray that you just help us starting this afternoon to go
out and get many people saved to encourage people to get baptized and to
want to come and be discipled at our church in Jesus name we pray all of this
Amen