The Challenge: Coeburn - Our Jerusalem

This is the first sermon in a series entitled The Challenge, I preached this sermon at the July 27 service at First Baptist Church. Our church has adopted the "Acts 1:8 challenge" and this sermon series has come from that challenge.

Text: Acts 1:8

Introduction: We have a God given mission to go make disciples. Jesus spoke these last words to his disciples before his ascension to Heaven. These words are the mission for each disciple of the Lord, for us today. We must apply this challenge then to where we are at here in Coeburn. Jesus told his disciples to be witnesses of him in Jerusalem. Since we are not living in Jerusalem, the principle for us is that we are to begin the mission in Coeburn. Coeburn is our Jerusalem. I have been sharing something with some of most of the mission teams that have been coming to Coeburn through our church. In 2004 I preached a message at the Guest River Rally about the great mission we have to make disciples of all nations. At the end of that sermon I invited every Christian who was willing to pray to come forward and pray for a move of God in our town. For the light of Christ to penetrate the intense darkness of the world around us. I believe God heard our prayers, but I could not forsee how he would answer. I believe God is answering that prayer and not in a way that I expected. What I have been sharing with these teams is that I believe that each mission team that comes into our town is part of God’s answer to penetrate the darkness with his marvelous light. Thursday and Friday a mission group was here from Bowling Green KY. They distributed food, school supplies, washing detergent to over 180 families. But more importantly they shown the light of Christ to these peoples. They distributed over 60 Bibles, they shared the gospel with some, they prayed with many. They demonstrated the compassion and concern of Christ. And I see similar things time and again with each mission team that comes. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, they are being witnesses of God. Witnesses of the love and grace of Christ, witnesses of the mercy and forgiveness, witnesses that there is room at the cross for all. I have heard the criticism that we don’t want these teams coming in, all they want to do is mock us in the Appalachian mountains. But that is not what I am seeing, sure some of them have some inaccurate views of the folks in the Appalachians, but they come because they love God and the want to show the love of God to others. I think it is sad if we are more concerned about our image than whether or not our neighbor is going to hell. God is answering prayer for our town!
Jerusalem was a challenge! Coeburn is a challenge! Why is it challenging? For several reasons. One is the false assumption that the need to be Christ’s witness in Jerusalem was unnecessary. The second reason that Jerusalem and Coeburn are challenging is that it is familiar. The third reason is that we think we will have time to witness tomorrow. Jerusalem, Coeburn, will always be there. I ‘ll get around to it. But the problem is that we don’t get around to it. We must make witnessing in our own community a priority.

Return
Winning our town for Christ begins when we return to Jesus! We must return to our first love – The church at Ephesus Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5: Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent,
We must return to our first works – The church at Ephesus again and do the first works; What are the first works? Remember how it was when you were first saved? You couldn’t wait to tell others about it. When a church is planted that is the most important thing, not programs, buildings, etc. Souls are most important. But all churches eventually lose their direction and get bogged down in things of less importance than souls.

Revelation
Our town needs a fresh revelation of Christ. How is it that people see Jesus in us? Do they see Jesus because we sit quietly in church? (they do that in the library). Do they see Jesus because we may sing or shout in a service? (they do that at ball games). Do they see Jesus in the gifts of the Holy Spirit? (the gifts are meant to edify the church, not to win the lost!) How do they see Jesus? Is it because I can quote bible verses, is it because I am such a good person. The answer is no! They need a revelation of Jesus Christ! Jesus is revealed by the fruit of the Spirit! A changed, a transformed life! A life where there was once hate, now there is the fruit of love…despair/joy…wrecked life/peace…short temper/longsuffering…coarse living/gentleness…evil/goodness….hopeless/faith…arrogance/meekness….indulgence/temperance. As people witness the power of the transformed life that only comes through the power of Jesus, that revelation will speak volumes. How is God seen in Coeburn? He is seen when you are out in the community. He is seen when you are at the store, when you are at work and so on.

Refuge
As we return to our first love, our first works, as Christ is revealed in the lives of his children, the church then becomes a place of refuge! A place people want to come. The church should be a place where the hurting come to find help, they don’t need to come here to be hurt anymore. As we fight and fuss, and fail to live in peace in harmony, we wonder why people don’t want to come to church. The church is not to be a battlefield, but a refuge!
Isaiah 25:4 4: For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.Are you making our church a refuge? Make the church a refuge, not a battlefield! Most of experiencing enough battles during the week, we should be able to come to church as refuge!

Rescue
If we see the church as a place of refuge, then we should go to the rescue of those who are persishing. Jude 20: But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21: Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22: And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Church, we are on a mission to rescue Coeburn. Let’s not let the familiarity of our town, the wrong assumptions, or procrastination hinder us from rescuing the perishing. Let us return to our first love and our first works, lets pray and work for a revelation of God, lets make this a place of refuge, rather than a battlefield, and lets renew our commitment today to rescue the perishing in Coeburn!