WHEN COVID SAID NO, YOU SAID GROW!

1 Corinthians 3:5-7 TPT

“Who is Apollos, really? Or who is Paul? Aren’t we both just servants through whom you believed our message? Aren’t each of us doing the ministry the Lord has assigned to us? I was the one who planted the church and Apollos came and cared for it, but it was God who caused it to grow. This means the one who plants is not anybody special, nor the one who waters, for God is the one who brings the supernatural growth.”

The BIBLICAL model for organisational GROWTH is:

1 -PLANTING

2 - CARING / CULTIVATING / BUILDING CULTURE - In fact, the word "culture" has its origins in both the Latin and French words for cultivate, beginning with the idea of tilling the land, "preparing the earth for crops" in order to promote growth.”

3 - MIRACLES

We have continued to see GROWTH through this unprecedented season?

We have had to PLANT some things

we have had to build CULTURE

we have had to have God show up and bring MIRACLES into the life of our church.

1. PLANTING

1. Perfection is the enemy of progress. - Keep innovating
2. A clear and unchanging vision brings stability in a volatile environment - Keep casting vision
3. Urgency keeps teams functioning at a high level - Patrick Lecioni (Emergency Room Leadership) - Everything matters or nothing matters
4. Listening to the Holy Spirit brings breakthrough - Increase our reliance on the supernatural
5. Planting reaches unreached people - Keep on planting churches.

2. BUILDING CULTURE

Matthew 28:17-19 MSG

17 Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, (NOT ‘doubted’ as some translations used distazo) not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally.18-20 Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”

Jesus promises to be with His Church, WHEN they are ON TEAM/MISSION! Want to get a little closer to JESUS…get on team!

This is the culture of our teams at Beyond Church, it is the culture code that Jesus lays down for HIS first TEAM in these verses.

1. TAKE A RISK - Open Your Heart / hear from God through the word of God and encouragement (prophecy) from trusted leaders.
2. GO - Say Yes. After we worship Jesus, listening to His voice, hearing His call on our lives…what is our response?
3. TRAIN - Grow your own leadership capacity so that you have the room, the capacity, the margin and the skill to lead others into God’s future for them!
4. COMMISSION - Baptism is a commissioning moment. It is where you say Yes to mission. This is what we are called to do, to invite others into their God given mission and send them out to live it!
5. RAISE LEADERS - Finally, we continue to instruct….mentor, lead and grow those who are wiling to keep taking risks, keep living worshipful lives, to keep on saying Yes to Jesus and to stay on mission with Him. We raise leaders who raise leaders in Jesus name.

People do still want to give up their ordinary grave tending, lives and start an adventurously expectant one, on mission with Jesus. - Romans8:15 MSG ‘This resurrection life...’

We have to shift our thinking. We aren’t asking people to do something FOR US, we are making room for people to do something that will build THEIR lives...it isincumbent on us to make room.

“Every time we gather,we will give every person every opportunity to serve in every way that they can.” (picture of the tabernacle - no seats in the tabernacle)

A Practical Shift in Culture

We count all people because all people count.

We measure engagement because we are about raising leaders not simply increasing attendance.

“To say somebody’sNO for them is to rob them of their God given opportunity to step into the greatest thing they will ever do with their lives!”

3. MAKING ROOM FOR A MIRACLES

• The first miracle I want for our team today is for God’s miraculous POWER to ENERGISE us!

Ephesians 3:20 TPT “Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.”

• The second miracle I want for our team today is for us to PRAY miracle PRAYERS!

Psalms 65:5 TPT “You answer our prayers with amazing wonders and with awe-inspiring displays of power.”

God doesn’t answer your prayers with predictable mediocrity and boring, uninspiring acts of powerlessness. So TODAY we STOP praying small prayers!

• The final miracle I want for our team today is for us to ENJOY some MIRACLE REST!

Mark 4:26-27 NLT

“Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens.

This is what I know God wants to do with us right now….we have PLANTED, WE HAVE CULTIVATED….now lets REST in His presence MAKE ROOM for a MIRACLE in our lives today.