We Cultivate Heroes
We cultivate heroes because we value pointing people to their purposes.
When you serve others, you are never more like Jesus.
Acts 10:1-6 NIV
1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
Acts 10:34-40 NIV
34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. 39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.
Acts 10:47-48 NIV
47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
Ways We Cultivate Heroes:
- I. Join God in what He is doing.
God is drawing people to Himself.
Romans 3:11 NIV
11 There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.
Acts 15:19 NIV
19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
Cornelius sent for Peter because God sent for him.
We are a church for the unchurched because God loves the whole world, not just your world.
Ways We Cultivate Heroes:
- I. Join God in what He is doing.
- II. Create space for the unchurched.
A person must be willing to make time to be heroic.
- We're not a constituency church; we're a called church.
- We're not a menu church; we're a map church.
- We're not a church about information; we're about transformation.
- We're not a transactional church; we're a relational church.
Ways We Cultivate Heroes:
- I. Join God in what He is doing.
- II. Create space for the unchurched.
- III. See people as God sees them.
The more knowledgeable you are of God’s Word, the more you are accountable for doing it.
Luke 12:47 NIV
47 “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.
James 4:17 NIV
17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.
1 Corinthians 1:26-30 NIV
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
We cultivate heroes when we begin to ask God to show us people as He sees them.
Ways We Cultivate Heroes:
- I. Join God in what He is doing
- II. Create space for the unchurched
- III. See people as God sees them
- IV. Celebrate spiritual conversion
Heroes embrace their God-given purpose of making Jesus known.