I love the PowerAde Sports Drink commercial that reminds us “We’re all just a kid from somewhere.” This is so true. We all have a story. Every one of us and every church has a story about where we are from. But where are we going? Where is God leading us? That is a vision question.
In my sermon this past Sunday, titled, “Taking The Longview”- I unpacked vision for Fellowship Raleigh.
I started with looking at the Past 7 Years at Fellowship. I shared how God has shaped my life personally and Fellowship Raleigh’s story up to this point…
First, a sense of vision starts with God-
I was raised in Christian home I don’t remember a time when I did not believe in God. A sense of vision must start with the Creator God. The God of the Bible is a God who, out of nothing (Latin- Ex Nihilo), spoke the beauty, majesty, and complexity of Creation into existence by His Word. Every good Biblical plan and every kingdom vision of a man or woman is rooted in that man or woman being created in the image of his or her Creator and Visionary God.
Second, the Good News must transform us and our vision-
The next step toward gaining clear vision is the Gospel. In the early 80s I made a profession of faith in Christ at a Billy Graham Stadium Crusade. The Gospel declares that a just, holy, good, and loving God has made a way, through Jesus, for rebel people (me and you) to be right and at peace with him. This is solely by His Grace alone and through faith alone- not by my works. The Gospel changes everything from the inside-out. The Gospel changed me.
Third, we must seek God’s Will-
In college I became a very committed disciple of Christ and I can remember wanting to know the exact plan God had for my life. I did not know how or where to figure out God’s will, but I wanted to know! It was such a relief to realize that the main thing I needed to know was simple- to live my life for the glory of God. (Soli Deo Gloria, Only God be the Glory). I wanted to do that. I even wanted to go to seminary and be in ministry. But how do you do that? How does God want me to do that?
Fourth, we need to fall in love with the bride of Christ- His Church-
>>> Conviction about the Local Church is born… Important Note- Up to this point in my Christian journey the local church had not had a huge conscious role in my journey. I had a decidedly neutral and perhaps negative feeling toward the local church so this new conviction and love for the church came as a big surprise. I am a stubborn person and I will usually only get passionate about something if I 100% “get it personally.” On this issue of the church I needed a blinding light (like Paul) or a 2X4 to the head. That is exactly what God did for me.
Bible Conviction about church is born for me –
I began to study the Apostle Paul. In Acts 9:1-6 Jesus blinds Saul on the road to Damascus and says, “Why are you persecuting me?” Note- He does not say, “Why are you persecuting the church?” The point it = Jesus personally identifies with His bride, the church. If you mess with the church, you are messing with Him. Jesus then says to Saul/Paul that he will “be told what he is to do.” What did Paul do? He gave his life to planting and building up the church he once persecuted. He did all this in the face of great suffering. From studying the Apostle Paul I realized that the local church must be central in my life and my ministry ambitions (Acts 9, Acts 13-14).
Experiential Conviction about church is born for me –
Statistics and my own experience told me that the people of God, our entire country, the world, and large cities like Raleigh have a great need for great churches. Not only did my head tell me that it was Biblical for the local church to be central to my calling and aspirations, but my heart began to break for the disrepair of the church in our land. Ministry begins with a burden…. a Nehemiah like burden.
My own Nehemiah Moment- (Nehemiah- 444 BC, Israel had been in exile since 605 BC)
Nehemiah 1-2: “The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire…..As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven……If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.”
Just like Jerusalem sat in ruins not fulfilling its great purpose among the nations in Nehemiah’s time, so also the church around us today is broken down! ( I saw it then … was burdened by it… and I see it now).
- 80% of churches plateaud and declining
- Many Christian college students (like I was just years earlier) were serious Christians but totally uncommitted to the local church.
- 11am on Sundays is the most segregated time of the week in America.
- Many great cities filled with the poor were not being served by solid Bible-centered local churches.
These feelings are not just for Pastors and seminary students…
- Do you feel helpless when you pass by a strategic church property in Raleigh that is void of the preaching of the Word of God?
- Have you ever wondered why there seems to be a great wall on Sundays dividing Christians racially and generationally?
- Are you burdened by the sea of difference between disciples in the New Testament and the professing Christians in Raleigh? Would you want to watch the Superbowl on a black and white TV?
The Hope =
Matthew 16:18- And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Jesus does not make a particular promise that He will build my family up, or my business, or democracies. He promises to build up His church.
Jesus may not make America Great again, but Jesus will make the church great again. I really really want my life to count toward that. This is why Fellowship Raleigh began and continues.
Songs with lyrics like these convey my heart then and now …
The Bride (Lecrae)
I know she may look gritty
When her Man come back she gone look so pretty
She the Church
You might see her actin’ crazy
Be patient with her though cause she still God’s baby
She the Church
Before you diss her, get to know her
Jesus got a thing for her and He died just to show her
She the Church
She ain’t bricks and buildings
She all of God’s people, men women and children
We the Church….
People how I pray that you’d look at this thing from God’s eyes
Take responsibility inside the whole council
Not just the area where you might have a mouthful
Who should folks submit to, who’ll conduct the discipline?
If excommunicated, what body will they be missin’ then?
Peep Ephesians 4 where Paul gets practical
1 Timothy and Titus if you thinkin’ I’m irrational
Shout to the North (Charlie Hall)
Rise up Church with broken wings
Fill this place with songs again
Of our God who reigns on high
By His grace again we’ll fly
In Summary: A sense of Vision for me starts with knowing a visionary God, being transformed by His Good News, then asking a discipleship question about what is His will for my life, then realizing that His will for my life (and all Christians) is very connected to His church (the bride of Christ). This led to Raleigh and to Fellowship Raleigh.
Why Raleigh?
- Large City (Hebrew: Gadol) & Strategic City (Like Antioch in Acts 13)
- We planted in Raleigh to make a BIG difference in Raleigh and beyond Raleigh. We had a burden for the American and global church and Raleigh was the strategic place God led us to put roots down to make an impact.
- Simple idea: We could plant in Siberia and reach Siberia or plant in Raleigh and reach the world.
The 5 P’s of establishing Fellowship Raleigh –
- Progress– We have seen great progress (The Word preached, financial goals met, baptisms, conversions, people trained and sent out)
- People– We have great people. Members, Elders, Emerging Leaders. Men and Women. Artists. Musicians. Mechanics. Stay at Home Moms. Coffee Roasters. Accountants. Teachers. Tech and Computer ninjas. Salesman. etc.
- Passion– Our people are passionate disciples of Jesus Christ.
- Potential– There is so much potential at Fellowship Raleigh. Potential is a double edge sword. It’s great to have it, but it is scary to think you could waste it.
- Place– This is the most recent (and very important) addition. Let’t talk more about Place!!!
“Place” (410 Lord Berkley Rd)
The Hand of God: God Unmistakably Moved in recent months….. In the fall of 2014, our leadership sensed the Lord leading us not to extend our lease in our church’s previous location of four years (Tillery Place). This made us solely trust the Lord to provide a new home for our church. For 9 challenging months we looked everywhere for a facility that fit our church’s vision. We were determined not to settle for less than God’s best. Just as we were running out of time, God unmistakably moved on our behalf and amazingly opened the door for us to move into 410 Lord Berkley Rd, a perfect home for the exciting next season of Fellowship Raleigh.
About Longview (history)-
Clarence Poe (A Newspaper Editor) and his wife (A Governors daughter) bought 90 acres in East Raleigh in 1916. They build a stone house in 1925 that had a great lengthy view of Crabtree Creek. Because of that long view, when they developed this neighborhood, they named it LONGVIEW GARDENS. The neighborhood is a registered historic neighborhood and our building is listed as a key landmark.
A Different Kind of Place- with a LONGVIEW
Our place is different than the 5 previous places where FR has met in that it provides a sense of permanence in the city of Raleigh. The building and neighborhood has already been here for 50 years. At our previous location we did not know where we would be next month! Here, we have the OPPORTUNITY & OBLIGATION to dream big and have take the LONG VIEW.
We’re all just a kid from somewhere. But where are we going next? Where is God leading us? What does the LONG VIEW look like for Fellowship Raleigh in light of our Progress, People, Passion, Potential, and now this PLACE? Stay tuned for the next post to get into that some more….
Pastor Matt Schoolfield 
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