SERMON NOTES

F.O.C.U.S- New Year- 2022

ANNOUNCEMENT> God’s Money Offering, Phase 2, total= $72,699.00 WOW

INTRO> That leads me in directly to want I want to talk to us about today, I believe that God has given me a word for our church for 2022. Like, that money that was raised is amazing, but without this word, that money means nothing. Arnold Palmer is considered by many to be the greatest golfer to ever play the game, Arnold told a story once about the 1961 Masters, he was playing the game of his life, he approached the last hole and hit a bomb off the tee that had him set to win. As he walked up to the ball, a friend was there and said, “Congratulations!” Arnold said there was all kind of celebration, then it happened, he hit his next shot into the sand, then out of the sand over the green and ended up losing the masters. He said this 30 years later, “I knew when I shook my friends hand that I had lost focus and was thinking about the celebration and not finishing the game.” He would go on the next year in 1962 and win the Masters, what was the difference, according to Palmer, one word… FOCUS. 

APP> The O.E.D. defines the word focus as, “a central point of attraction, attention, or activity: to concentrate on the main thing.” Do you see that? the main thing. OUR WORD FOR 2022 is FOCUS, FOCUS but why? Well because.. Distraction is dangerous.*ILL> Distracted Driving is actually a legal term now 3,142 died in a car accident in 2019 an increase of 9.9% over 2018, 400,000 people were reported injured due to distractions. They even list the 3 types of distractions! 

Big Idea > The best way to fight distraction is to have a clear focus. 

CONTEXT> Did you know that they Bible talk a lot about focus? Did you know that Jesus was focused? 

• “And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”….. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” Luke 1:49 & 52 APP> Moving forward requires a clear focus. 
• “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” Luke 9:51….. “When it came close to the time for his Ascension, he gathered up his courage and steeled himself for the journey to Jerusalem.” (The Message) APP> If you don’t have a vision for your life, life will give you don’t want. 

APP> I want to do something a little bit different today. Rather than walk through a single passage. I want to break down the word F.O.C.U.S for us and lay before you a vision and a word for this new year…. 

1) Family Focused

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God…” Ephesians 2:19 

• “The idea of salvation cannot be reduced to a personal relationship with Jesus. God’s plan is much more encompassing. God intends for salvation to be a community-creating event.” ― Joseph H. Hellerman,
• What is your name?
• What are your need? 

2) Others Focused.

“And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” Mark 16:15

• “The Church is the Church only when it exists for others…not dominating, but helping and serving. It must tell men of every calling what it means to live for Christ, to exist for others.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison
• Investing in people. 
• Inviting people. 

3) Commitment Focused.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25

• Committed to gather. 
• Committed to scatter.

4) Unity Focused.

“I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” John 17:23

• As missionaries.
• As mediators. *ILL> Church isn’t like marbles but grapes.  

3) Scripture Focused. 

But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”- Matthew 4:4

• Plan for it.
• Pray through it. 

APP> What would it look like if we gave ourselves to this vision corporately? How powerful is a vision?

*ILL> This is a picture of Art Linkletter, Art was the famous TV host back then, Kids say the dardnest things. He was there on opening day for disney! So on the 50th anniversary back in 2005, he did more TV spots. during our 50th when he shared a story about a man at Disneyland Park who asked him, “Isn’t it a shame that Walt Disney couldn’t be here to see this?” and Art said, “He did see this, that’s why it’s here.”