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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