Sermon
Membership 101 Series - Our Strategy
February 5-6, 2000
Pastor Ralph Huddleston

It's been a wonderful afternoon of worship, hasn't it? Nothing this side of heaven seems to come close. We're going to continue in God's Word and as we do that I'm going to ask you, do you all have your blue Membership 101 outlines? It should have been in your bulletin. I want to make sure you put your names in that and yes, we ask that you turn that in and then it's corrected, so to speak, and returned to you. That's all part of the membership process. Should you, after learning who Church of the Highlands is and what we do, and what our strategy is, or what God's strategy is that He's developed over the years, if you make that decision to be part of the membership here, that's how we're doing it right now. And today we're going to be into that segment that we call "The Highlands Strategy". You say pastor, what do we need a strategy for? Well everything that we do if we're planning it and God is the same way, He has had to have a strategy throughout all time in order to get our attention. And He has also helped us to put together our strategy. You plan for your financial future. You have a strategy. Certain things have to be in place before we can see those things. You plan for the education of your children. You plan for marriage. You plan for a job. There is a strategy that goes along with that. No strategy, what happens? Nothing. Absolutely nothing, if you don't have a strategy. So we're encouraged through God's Word to have a strategy and that's what we're going to look at today.

Look what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:22 and 23. Here's Paul's strategy. He says I have been all things to all sorts of people that by every possible means I might win some to God. I do all this for the sake of the Good News. So his strategy is to be all things to all people that he might win some to God, and he does all this for the sake of the Good News. Now is Paul saying that I'm going to pretend to be who they are in order to win them over and win their confidence, and then I'm going to present to them the gospel? No. That would insult us, wouldn't it? If somebody came along side and pretended to be us, pretended to know who we were, we would be insulted. Especially if we had never met them before. How would they know us? What he is saying is that I'll be sensitive to who they are, and where they have come from, and what they might be going through this very moment, or maybe what they went through a year ago, sensitive to that. I would be that minister to them. I would understand. I would hurt for them. I would care for them. That's what Paul is saying. It's a strategy, but it's a righteous strategy. I remember when I was in business before the ministry, so over 20 years ago, and with a customer line and it was diverse. Some of them were ranchers up in the Petaluma area. Now some of you know this story. I probably shared it the last time we had membership class. But I always remember it because I was called to go visit these people and find out what their needs were. And if I went up to Petaluma I'd show up out there not in my suit and my shined shoes because it wouldn't be appropriate. He's out in the field somewhere tending to his herd. It would be absurd to see me come out there like to that, so it might be in boots, Levi's, and T-shirt, and a ball cap. I don't wear cowboy hats. I wouldn't pretend to be a rancher. I was born and raised in the Mission District of San Francisco. I am not a rancher, and I couldn't for a moment fool him into thinking I was. But I would study his needs, his business. I would try to be as close as I could to be on the cutting edge of what his needs were. I would be sensitive to what he needed. I wouldn't pretend to be him, and with every different kind of customer that's what you had to do. That's what Paul is saying. That was his strategy. I will be all things to all men so I might get close enough to them and be intimate enough with them that I might win some to God, all for the glory of the Good News.

Now who are we trying to reach? Our purpose is to reach the unchurched, those that do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Isn't that what we're here for? That's what we have commissioned ourselves, what God has commissioned us to do this entire year. It's been really impressed upon us to that whatever we're doing let's zero it all down and refocus back to leading people to Jesus Christ, helping them to fall in love with Jesus Christ.

Now why don't people come to church? Why don't they come near a church? In surveys they ask those kinds of questions. They came up with four great answers. The top four in this order were the why people do not, and this has to be, this has to affect our strategy. We have to address these things. Why don't you go to church? The first one was boring sermons. Next was the churches are unfriendly. And then they're all looking for money. And finally we can't find quality care for our children in the churches. Now you notice that none of those are theological. They are obstacles, but they're not theological. Folks aren't necessarily coming for those things, but when they get here those are the things that are driving them away. They're really coming for spiritual something. They may not even know what they're coming here for. They're not coming here for a dance or a party or for their social life. They have other places they can go and get that, but they are coming to church they believe to meet God. They may not know how, but those are some of the obstacles, and we need to remove those obstacles by which then they can come in and feel comfortable. Paul says be sensitive to that. Don't be boring. Don't be unfriendly. You better not be looking for money, I've always provided for you. If you teach them what tithing is they'll tithe. You don't have to ask for anything and take care of my little children.

1 Corinthians 9:22 says; Yes, whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so he will let me tell him about Jesus Christ and then let Christ save him. All the work in the world that we can do here is not going to save anybody. That's not our job. Our job is to lead them to Jesus Christ in such a manner that they would let Him save them. That's our job. That's our ministry. I want you to turn with me to page 26. You'll notice that your outline is page 24, 25, 26, and then we fool you and we go to 31, 32, and 33. We're really not trying to fool you. That section in between Pastor Sheley will finish next week. Okay? So it's not a joke.

On page 26 you'll see five rings there, and this is kind of in a nutshell what our strategy is, and we'll look more in-depth to what that strategy is in just a moment. But you can see here where we've got the, we want to get the uncommitted, that community, you can write that in there on that line. The community that are outside this building, inside to be at least part of the crowd, committed to attendance. They're going to be the crowd. The crowd might make up believers, nonbelievers, those people that come once in a while that maybe come for Easter and Christmas and an occasional wedding and once in a while a memorial service. It doesn't make any difference why they come, they're coming and what is our strategy when they get here? We want to move them from there into being committed to maturity, to be part of the congregation. And then we move from being part of the congregation to being committed to membership. That's what we're doing right now through 101. They are then committed. Committed to what? Committed to being here regularly, lifting up one another, and we're going to go on serving one another, and encouraging one another, and getting in each other's faces spiritually for correction. And through 201 then we want to move them on into the core. You can write that there right where it says committed to ministry, the core. That's where they need to be and everything that we have as a way of a strategy is to move people from outside the body of Christ clear to the core, committed to ministry. And we will spend time in 301 which will give you the tools for that part of the process. Okay, so Highlands' objective is to keep moving people towards the center by encouraging personal spiritual commitments. Once that process starts then the strategy that Church of the Highlands wants to become will keep that process moving.

Go back with me now to page 24. We have four Highlands' covenants that we want to discuss today. These covenants kind of keep us on track, kind of keep us focused. The first one is the membership covenant is a commitment to Christ and the Highlands family. First of all they must know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. There is no sense in going any further with someone unless they do know Him as Lord and Savior. And then that commitment is then moved into being committed as part of the Highlands family. That's part of the membership. In Ephesians 2:19 it says you are members of God's very own family...and you belong in God's household with every other Christian. That's what you're doing right now. We're not alone. We cannot afford that what we think the luxury of being alone somewhere. He's saying you are members of God's very own family...and you belonged in God's household with every other Christian.

There in Romans 12:4-5, We are all parts of Christ's body, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do. So we belong to each other and need all the others. Circle the word belong. You may not know that person sitting next to you, maybe it's not your wife, or your sister, or your uncle, or your father, but you belong to them. You're a part of them. You're becoming a part of them as you make these spiritual commitments. There are no Lone Rangers in Christianity. Staying home alone is not something that is tolerated. God wants us here together for so many reasons that we'll look at.

2. The Maturity Covenant is a commitment to the habits necessary for spiritual growth, good habits, basic habits that insure our growth. I don't know you, and for the most part you don't know my habits, my bad habits, but the process here is the Holy Spirit in my life continually moves me away from those bad habits and breaks those bad habits. Once I've made that commitment, He's going to break those bad habits and get me on level ground that I can stand, and then He begins to build new and growth habits. That's a process. Scripture is alive in the New Testament about putting off the old and putting on new, and being rebuilt, and being made new in everything. That's your commitment. Your commitment to the habits necessary for spiritual growth. In 2 Peter 3:18 it says, Continue to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You mean that when I ask Him into my life that's not it? I can't just be comfortable in the heavenly warehouse somewhere back in the back row with a smile on my face? No, because Scripture says that's not enough. You're already saved but it says continue to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is the process. It says continue until when? I don't know. That's the hard part about that because it doesn't say how long so I take it to mean until somebody tells me to stop. Paul said, and we know a lot about Paul, we know what he went through, his victories, the beatings, the mistreatment. And Paul said I have not yet arrived. Okay, so I have to continue to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 1 Timothy 4:7, Take the time and trouble to keep yourself spiritually fit. When I read this, and when I read this I think about the time that I spend keeping myself physically fit. I'm not a big exerciser. Don't get me wrong. But to make myself ready to come to church to be presentable. You know, shine my shoes, press my clothes, shirts to the laundry, ties, shave, brush my teeth, all that. If I take, and you're probably right there with me, if I were to take all of that time spent during the day preparing myself other than spiritually, and then match that against how much time do I consciously spend making myself spiritually fit, I'm sure I wouldn't be satisfied and I know God would not be satisfied. But here Scripture is telling me take the time, and it's significant, and the trouble because it is difficult to keep yourself spiritually fit. We'll learn more about how to grow and fulfill that in 201.

3. The Ministry Covenant is a commitment to discovering and using my God-given gifts and abilities in serving God and others. Well I have believed, or I did believe, that serving God and others was the protocol. And now I find through God's Word that it is by serving others that I do serve God. He doesn't need me, but He calls on me to do His work and in doing that work I fulfill it by serving others. It's a commitment to discovering and using my God-given gifts and abilities in serving God and others. 1 Peter 4:10, God has given each of you some special abilities. And then it says, be sure to use them to help each other. Don't put them in your purse. Don't put them in your briefcase. Don't put them in your desk at home where the bills are, use them, keep them out there where you're using them for the good of others. Use them to help each other. I didn't give them to you to bury somewhere to keep safe. When we were born we were given abilities, some as basic as breathing, and then we learned to talk, and then we learned to walk, but when we are born again now He starts to bestow on us some special abilities. And that is what He wants us to use in building up and serving one another. Look here what it says in 1 Corinthians 12:5 and then 27. It's out of the Living Bible. It says, There are different kinds of service to God...together you form the Body of Christ and each one of you is a necessary part of it. Circle necessary. There are different kinds of service to God. Together you form the body of Christ and each one of you is a necessary part of it. Isn't it true that as we look at God's grand scope we really could get to feeling really insignificant? And you know that's okay, to be humble, to feel insignificant when you match yourself to God, but this scripture says you are very, very necessary. You're not insignificant. And I think of things that help me with that concept of being insignificant. As I look at my body, doing inventory if you will, what could I find that would be insignificant? Now let me, as you do the same inventory, let me help maybe I can throw one out. How about your little toe? Now you may have heard this before, when I did this segment before, I don't know, but it always brings me back to reality; little toe, or smaller yet the toenail on the little toe. Is it insignificant? You can put a sock over it, a shoe over it. It could be gone and nobody might know it once you learned your balance again, to walk without the little toe. But it seems to be insignificant. Well I learned in a real way how significant that little toe is. Once many years ago back in the waterbed days, that's back with the lava lamps too, we had this pedestal around our, that our waterbed sat up on. And most people had the pedestal that would fit inside the perimeters. Not me, I had to have the home improvement kind of pedestal. It was a monster and it stuck out from the bed. It also was about four inches into the pathway from the hallway into that bedroom, and I ran, I don't even remember what I was running for, but I got all of me past that pedestal except for my little toe. Folks I went down like a shot. I mean it was as though Mohammed Ali just boom, and I went down. I mean just down and I howled. If I could have, I'm not double jointed so I could not get my toe in my mouth. Why is it that that's what you want to do when something hurts, when it's an ouwee. I howled like a 5-year-old kid. I was not ashamed. It hurt. My whole body hurt. That toe was very significant then. It is a necessary part, and that is the same with you as far as the Body of Christ comes. You are a necessary part, and if we take you out of it then the body hurts. If we don't use you or you don't use you, then the body is left needing. That's what this Scripture verse says. There are different kinds of service to God. We all have a different thing to do here on this earth. Together you form the Body of Christ and each one of you is a necessary part of it.

4. The Missions Covenant is a commitment to share the Good News with others. This is not for those that are gifted in evangelism. This is for all of us. We are bound to share the Good News. Somebody shared it with us and then we pass it on. Acts 1:8, you will be my witness for me...to the ends of the earth. Now I assure you when Jesus spoke those words the ends of the earth were much closer to them, the earth as they knew it. Now there doesn't seem to be an end. It just keeps going around. Now you think well how can I, because Jesus is speaking to us here, that we will be His witnesses all the way to the ends of the earth. The only way that I could understand that is that in this area every three years we lose 30 percent of our church because of the type of work that's in this area, the airlines and computers and that. So every ten years we get a new church. So in my tenure here we've gotten two new churches. So I don't know any of you. Well there are still remnants here, but in pastor's tenure there have been four new churches. Now I ask you where did those people go? They went somewhere. They're now serving somewhere. They're now influencing somewhere. They're now preaching the Good News somewhere other than here. There is a process. Not only is that a strategy here, but it's a strategy of God's all over the earth. You say it, somebody else repeats it, somebody else repeats it, and it doesn't stop. And so this is a fulfillment of a promise of Jesus Christ it just doesn't end. It's a process that keeps on going. Did you ever think that you would influence somebody on the other side of the world, or at the end of the world somewhere? Well that you will if you haven't already. 1 Peter 3:15, Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. Now we'll stop right there for a minute. Be aware that when folks come here, no matter where they come from, we look at each other, we observe one another, we're great observers. We are. And they may know what you're going through. They may sense that it's not a good time, but they also see the hope or the glimmer of light in your eyes because there is always that hope. There's always that strength that comes from that relationship with Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. And when they ask for a reason for the hope that you have you're to give it. Have an answer it says, and then it goes on to say but do it with gentleness and with respect. You might have to give them the gospel twice or three times. But what if they don't get it? Do you get just, Oh go on get out of here? No, with gentleness with understanding. You were them once. You were them talking to someone else that took the time to share that relationship with you, that same one that you have with Jesus Christ. And do it with respect. With respect of who they are and where they've come from. What a building up.

And you say well why do we have these? Why do we have these covenants? Well I believe, we believe, I'm sure you do too that we are or we become what our commitments are. You become nothing if you have no commitments, but if you commit to something, and here's the caution, make sure that you put a great deal of thought and prayer into your commitments because once you make them then God wants you to fulfill them. So be very careful about the commitments that you make. Here is our strategy. The nine principles or statements that make our church unique. Now when you say unique does that make it better than any other church? No, but nowhere else is there a church just like this because you make this church body. You make this part of the body of Christ so that's what makes it unique. And these nine principles or nine statements that I'm going to share with you had better always be visible and working, and if they are not, then we need to be telling each other that they're not. And maybe it's because of us that they're not happening. But here's how you'll identify the strategy of Church of the Highlands as we believe that God has led us into this 21st century and given us these things. And this has changed. Our focus has changed since the last time we did this membership class. It doesn't mean it's totally different, said I believe God has matured it. He has matured how we look at it as leaders and how we respond to His nudgings and His purpose.

First one, H - helpful preaching. A lot of preaching goes on, but if it does not edify and build up people and correct them and bring glory and honor to God, then it's not helpful is it? It might be a good sermon, but it needs to be helpful. We need to be able to apply it to our lives. It needs to be correct in its biblical basis in order to help us.

I - inspirational. What do you mean by that? Inspirational? We're inspired by God's Word. We're inspired often times by speakers, but can we inspire one another to greater levels and greater maturity? As we view one another as believers shouldn't we be able to inspire one another? Our children, for probably all the wrong reasons, are inspired by athletes and what they do, but in that inspiration they're sometimes caused or compelled to try things that they never thought were possible for them to fulfill. Should we not do that for one another? That we would inspire each other spiritually. We don't need any other inspiration here, but to inspire each other spiritually.

G - for growth. Numbers are exciting, aren't they? When we worship with the numbers here during this service it just, the more that sang the more you wanted to sing and the level just kept going up, and up, and up, and up, and up; and the excitement. But more importantly, not the numbers, but the growth, the spiritual growth, the maturity.

H - for harmony. There needs to be harmony/unity in the body of Christ. Does that mean we never disagree? Does it? We're going to disagree. Sure we do. At our staff meetings we disagree because we are different individuals and we look at life itself from different perspectives, and in the course of those staff meetings we share that. Does that mean we go out mad? Or we never get anything done? Or we never settle anything? No. I hope that we're broadened. I hope that our view of God's Word and God's work is broadened by each other. But we can be in harmony. We all serve the same Lord. We all are compelled to share the same gospel so we are in harmony.

L - for lay ministries. We are so blessed here to have such an alive lay ministries. Over 80 ministries that go on in this building. There's no way that the on-staff pastors could handle that nor are we supposed to. We're supposed to equip the saints and give them the resources and the training and encourage them to be part of the ministries. That's called the lay ministries.

A - for all inclusive. You say what does that mean? Well look across this congregation to your left and to your right and do you see a multiplicity of cultures? It is wonderful that we are blessed probably nearly all the countries of the world are represented here, and I don't even know how many countries of the world there are, and I don't care because I know we've got most of them right here. All are included; none are excluded.

N - for nourishing. I love that word because it reminds me of a relationship with a parent and a small child. That we would no matter what continue to nourish one another. How careful we are at what we feed that child. And how we have to continue to hand feed it even though it is bent towards feeding itself with all the wrong foods, and we are bent towards nourishing it with all the right foods. We are to nourish one another, come alongside when it's necessary for uplifting, for teaching, for encouraging. The hard part; for correcting. That's part of nourishing us.

D - for a defined purpose. We've already stated that, to reach the unchurched. To lead them so that they might fall in love with Jesus Christ. That they might someday call Him Lord and Savior. That's our defined purpose.

And lastly, that we would in everything be scripturally based. Those last two, the defined purpose and the scripturally based, have to be present in all the ministries here or we modify them to make sure that they are recommitted to those two things. Make sure that that focus of that the ministry is to lead children, infants, children, youth, young adults, singles, married, senior citizens, all of them to be led to the Lord. That's paramount. And if those ministries don't use it as their focus then we have to modify them. And everything that we do would be scripturally based. It must be. We do a lot of things, but it must be scripturally based.

I'm going to ask you to turn over to page 31, 32, and 33. Very quickly, I won't bring you through all of it, but there's one last fill in here. It's on page 31. It's the difference between "attenders" and "members" can be summed up in one word, service. That's the end result of this strategy. That once we know Him as Lord and Savior. Once we've moved into membership and once we've discovered our gifts, we're called to serve God and to serve others. That's the difference, the basic difference. We want you to also know that at Highlands we never ask members to do more than the Bible clearly teaches, and we only expect our members to do what the Bible expects every Christian to do. Nobody is singled out.

As you look on to page 32, some statements that if you decide, if as a result of this you commit yourself to membership here, or if you reconfirm your decision a long time ago to become a member, these are the things that you already committed to or what you will commit yourself to. I will protect the unity of my church. That's number one. How do you do that? By acting in love towards other members, by refusing to gossip, by following the leaders. Let's go back to refusing to gossip. Why would you put that in there? Well we're protecting the unity of the church, of the body of Christ. Don't we just love to talk about each other? Don't we? Sometimes that's all we have to do is to talk about one another. Let me define gossip here just for the sake of what it is. Gossip is when we speak of someone and their presence is not there nor is their permission to speak about them, even if what we're speaking is the truth. You say well I thought it was if you were telling a lie. No, it's gossip and that would be probably the best tool to tear the body of Christ in half, or to tear a large chunk out of it is gossip. It's a sin folks and we need to guard against it in every way. Though the temptation is always there isn't it? Scriptures says let us concentrate on the things which make for harmony, and the growth of our fellowship together. Live in complete harmony with each other - each with the attitude of Christ toward each other. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, not yours, but to theirs. And last there in Hebrews 13:17, Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be to no advantage to you.

2. I will share the responsibility of my church by praying for its growth. Let me tell you that there's nothing on this earth that you can do greater than, more powerful than, praying, for your church for one another. I don't care if you are doing the ministry of this church 24 hours a day and you're in a room they never turn the lights out and you're just going, going, going, going. Nothing, nothing will be as powerful as if you just stopped and prayed through it. Nothing has the power of prayer but prayer. By inviting the unchurched to attend, and by warmly welcoming those who do visit, whether you invited them or not. Yes they are strangers, and they'll be a stranger until you introduce yourself to them. To the church...we always thank God for you and pray for you constantly. Then it says in Luke 14, go out into the country...and urge anyone you find to come in, so that my House will be full. Great command. I mean I'm supposed to go out and find people? Well, you read it for yourself. So warmly welcome each other into the church, just as Christ has warmly welcomed you; then God will be glorified. My wife invited me here. Now you'd think that she would have, you know, not had to go and find me. Well we were at that time of our life that she had to go find me and invite me here, but it wasn't until I was invited that that process began. I don't know those people that you know out there. You know them and you know where they are, and you know they're not here and they're not in the body of Christ, and they may not be believers. That's the whole point. Search those people out.

3. I will serve the ministry of my church by discovering my gifts and talents, by being equipped to serve by my pastor's side, and by developing a servant's heart. Much of that will be discussed in 301. Serve one another with particular gifts God has given each of you. God gave...some to be pastors and teachers to prepare God's people for works of ministry, so that the body of Christ may be built up. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ...who took on the very nature of a servant. That's all He's calling us to be. He's not calling us to hang on the cross, but to be a servant. That's part of the strategy of Church of the Highlands.

And lastly, I will support the testimony of my church by attending faithfully, by living a godly life, by giving regularly. All these things are scripturally based. That's why they're part of this strategy. Let us not give up the habit of meeting together...but let us encourage one another. But whatever happens, make sure that your everyday life is worthy of the gospel of Christ. Yeah. Each one of you, on the first day of each week, should set aside a specific sum of money in proportion to that which you have earned to use for the offering; 1 Corinthians 16:2. So we're not ever going to in our strategy asked one another to do anything that Scripture hasn't already asked and/or commanded. Amen?

I pray that this is will help you in your decision to be a member here. That you would count 1900 Monterey Drive as your church family. Not just to be, it's not a club. As you can see it's a one of activity, not frivolous activity. We want to be about God's work, and we will need each other to encourage each other to be about God's work as we discover what that work is. We make up a lot of work. We make up our monsters on our own. Just sit back and let Him tell you what His work is and let's be busy about that. Make sure that you put your names in those little books. You're going to hand them in. They're going to be, for lack of a better word, corrected, and sent back to you. We want you to keep them where you can get to them, where you can read over them, because there're really, really great things in there. It's God's Word directing us towards being an active part of the body of Christ.

Would you stand with me and let's pray? Heavenly Father thank you. Thank you that You have given us this strategy. Now we ask that You would give us the insight, and the motivation, and the strength, and the excitement to stay with that strategy, Your strategy. To be all things to all people. To serve one another. To love one another. To be gentle and respectful of one another, and when others view us and they ask what is the source of our hope that we would have an answer. An answer that would bring glory to the gospel of the Good News. Thank you for Your Word that so leads us, that so guides us. Father continue to do that in our lives, and we pray all of this in Jesus' precious name, and all the saints said, amen. God bless. Have a wonderful, wonderful afternoon.