The preaching of this period centered on being willing to let others see, understand, and share our world. In fact, maybe God wanted us to open our windows even wider to let many see what He was doing among us. One of my series dealt with “The Christian, the Church, and Society.” Specifically, the purpose sentences were:
As Christians, we inherit the role of significance in shaping a society.
The initial sign of renaissance in a society is the commitment of Christ’s followers to the life style He taught.
Our society acutely lacks a Christian vanguard crying out to God for help from a position of need.
Society can only benefit when a united spirit of advancing God’s Kingdom sweeps through the church.
During the last quarter of 1970 the attendance, crossed the five hundred mark!
However, we finally admitted that, in the midst of real turmoil, size was not as immaterial as we had hoped to make it. A very strong resistance had built up among the membership. They were tired of constantly meeting new people. It was the core group that bore responsibility for what had become the burden of hospitality.
When each week you entertained six people in your home in an attempt to develop meaningful friendships, and each Sunday you faced between twenty to forty new first-time visitors—and the pattern was repeated for weeks without let-up—the result could only become pure frustration. The growth was so rapid there wasn’t opportunity for the active nucleus to absorb it. The core appreciated “low” Sundays because at least they afforded a chance to talk with each other, and maybe get in one or two newcomers as well.
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Sunday’s coming. Do you have your sermon ready? Is it relevant? Will it effectively motivate your congregation to walk more in step with the Master? What about that Sermon Series you’ve been thinking about?
Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?
David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Saturday or Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions.
We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.
For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.
You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.
