Sermons, Outlines, Illustrations and Pastor Resources

Sermon

Following is an excerpt of "A Great Cause (3 of 4)" by Steve Wagers added on 02/04/2008.
This content is part of a series.
A Great Cause (3 of 4)
Series: Kingdom Great in 2008
Steve N. Wagers
I Peter 4:10-11
January 20, 2008

Sermon Outline
1. A Cause that Demands our Participation!
A. We are Equipped with Specific Gifts
1) Accountability
2) Responsibility
B. We are Empowered by Special Grace
2. A Cause that Deserves our Appreciation!
A) The Person We Exalt
1) We Declare the Praise of God
2) We Display the Power of God
C) The Purpose We Embrace

At the end of the 18th century, Britain's William Wilberforce prayed to make a difference in the lives of slaves and slave owners. He prayed, "May God enable me to have a single eye and a simple heart, desiring to please only God, and to do good to my fellow creatures." But, outlawing slavery, within Britain's Parliament and among England's financial power brokers, would carry with it great sacrifice and personal discomfort.

Nevertheless, for the 20 long years Wilberforce prayed, and tenaciously worked with the nation's leaders to end what he called "a course of wickedness and cruelty as never before..." and "a disgraced Christian country."

William Wilberforce was on a mission, and often quoted David's infamous question before his epoch battle with Goliath, "Is there not a cause?" As a result, his relentless courage brought a Parliamentary vote to end slavery in Britain.

Yet, it didn't stop there. Eventually, although it took a Civil War, eventually slavery was abolished in America as well all because William Wilberforce believed he was fighting for a great cause. [1]

My hat goes off to William Wilberforce and the impact he had on 2 continents because of a cause in which he believed. But, ladies and gentlemen, as the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have the greatest of all causes. Our cause is not physical, but spiritual. Our cause is not temporal, but eternal. Our cause is not incidental, but fundamental.

If I were to ask you the question, "What is the purpose of Gardenview Baptist Church?" or "Why does this church exist?" I'm sure that I would receive a variety of answers. But, I want you to allow those questions to sink deep into your heart, and see if you can discover the true reason for our existence.

Sometime ago, I read a powerful definition, and description of the church that stirred my heart.

"The church is not a refrigerator for preserving personal piety; it is a dynamo for changing human wills with power. The church is not a store to furnish hammocks for the lazy; it is an equipping house that offers well-fitted yokes to handle life's load. The church is not a place to dodge life's difficulties; it is a place that furnishes strength and courage to meet them."

In 1949, Dr. R. S. Beal, pastor of First Baptist Church in Tucson, Arizona preached one of his greatest sermons to his large congregation. His closing comments are so applicable to the church of our day. He said, "Surely a world at its worst demands a church at its best."

If that statemen ...

There are 27935 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 3000 character sample of the full content.

Add the entire series to my cart