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revolution church sacramento

Church Planting & Philippians 2

There are some truly beautiful things happening at Revolution Church Sacramento right now. We are able to introduce the idea of what a small, organic church plant looks like to some that thought it was going to be like a big grand opening, conversations and relationships are forming, some great word is being spoken, music at an amazing level is being performed and hundreds of people from around the world have personally committed to pray for this new ministry in addition to over 1,800 churches praying with us through our time in the One Prayer series. It really is a special and rewarding time for me!

I feel that there is a great unity amongst us at the moment to give our all and see how God uses this time and who he connects us with. Philippians 1:1-4 describes my feelings about us as a church right now:

1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

I really feel as if we are one in spirit and purpose. Waiting to see how things go forward in regards to our vision for the city. It’s an exciting time to be in ministry!

Continuing on in Philippians 2, Paul talks about humility in verses 3-4:

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Humbleness and humility is something we strive for in ministry, yet it is often difficult to find. It is too easy to take pride and credit for giving a great sermon, growing a large church, helping homeless families get placed into homes, etc. That is definitely something I appreciate about our people. We started in a home group setting as a gathering of people that didn’t take pride in our gifts. Even to the point of down-playing them at times. Through a spirit of humbleness, things have come together to work in an amazing way. A lot of things that would need to be spoken of at length in other churches just flows naturally for us. No one is bigger than any other, even to the point of running out to the street and waving our Revolution Church Sacramento signs and letting people know where we are.

Above all else, having a humble spirit and the willingness to do what it takes for the sake of people coming to know Christ Jesus eternally is one trait I would not fluctuate on in assembling a team. Especially our Revolution Team as we seek to connect with those outside of the church and ignorant of the gospel of good news. It has to be about others and not about our own desires. We must love God and love others selflessly.

Some key phrases in the remainder of Philippians 2 are:

¹³for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
¹⁴Do everything without complaining or arguing, ¹⁵so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe ^16aas you hold out the word of life
²⁰I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. ²¹For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2 is a reminder to us that we should imitate Christ’s humility and rejoice always that we are in God’s will who is doing a good work through us for his good purpose. Planting a church, while sometimes tough & challenging can lead to the rewards of knowing that people came forward to share life with us and through God in us came to know Christ on an eternal level. There is no greater reward on this earth than that, which really is only an extension of our faithfulness and perseverance in sharing the gospel with those whose paths we cross through the divine nature of God’s universe.

church planting / leadership / ministry / revolution church sacramento / vision — 4 Comments
15
Jun 09

Church Planting & Philippians 1

While in prayer today and reflecting on all that has transpired in the past two weeks with Revolution Church Sacramento, I was led to the book of Philippians. I decided to share my thoughts in the hopes that it may benefit someone else as well. Philippians is four chapters and I’ll work through one a day for the rest of the week…

The theme in Philippians seems to be joy and rejoicing. Not joy in fleeting moments, but continual joy regardless of what one’s circumstances happen to be. One of the things that always tends to overwhelm me is the thought of how Paul faced so much persecution and imprisonment in his time of ministry. Even amongst the Apostles, Paul was not always in their favor. He struggles with his own sin while he speaks publicly against it and suffers at times due to what seems like lack of finances. People hear the gospel through him and churches are formed, yet he gets news of their unruly gatherings and idolatry after he has left some of the cities and continues to advance the gospel. Paul is the epitome of the modern-day church planter. He is someone I can really relate with. This is why Philippians is such a great place to be in my devotion time at the moment, because the church in Philippi was the exception.

Philippians 1:3-6 reads:

⁴

⁵

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As we are just two weeks into our preview services at Revolution Church, I am contemplating this passage quite a bit. God has blessed this city and our church with some really gifted people. We are a church that worships & loves God and freely give of our gifts to do so. However, I have to wonder how much of this is based on giving of ourselves in areas we are comfortable and talented rather than stretching ourselves and doing what it takes in partnership with each other and with Christ to see the gospel be made known to those outside of a personal relationship with The Creator of their soul. It’s still early and part of jumping into One Prayer and having preview services was to have a chance to experience a worship environment and engage others to share in the journey with us. While we have financial partners outside of our community that have given sacrificially for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, we have yet to have anyone personally embrace this notion yet.

When Paul talks about the church in Philippi and their partnership with him in the gospel in verse 5 above, the context is in regards to financial gifts. Even though Paul is not with them and in prison at the time of writing the letter to the Philippian church, he is thanking them for their financial support. Paul was a tentmaker and as such he would work in order to offset his personal costs and travel while planting churches and preaching the gospel, however the church was being called to help those with need and Paul was the recipient of such offerings at times. The church in Philippi was faithful in that regard. How will we as a new church come to deal with this as we move forward?

Regardless of whether or not God’s people feel compelled to help us financially in reaching others with God’s love and kindness, I am committed to praying and offering deep, heart-felt thanks to my Lord for connecting us with some fabulous people that have really given of their time and effort to help us launch a new ministry. I truly believe God will provide for us as we continue to trust in him and not in men & women. In him, we will be strong where we are weak and persevere rather than let Satan win over any more souls.

In concluding his opening prayer of thanksgiving, Paul writes in Philippians 1:9-11:

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¹⁰

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A lot of thought and prayer has gone into these 3 verses for me. As a church planter I have an uncontrollable desire to see those far away from Christ to be reconciled through him. To know that their way isn’t the only way and that if they look to God’s way they can find life and live it to the fullest. That they have a purpose here on earth that is far greater than they could possible comprehend. To let them know that through the cross, Christ willingly accepts all of their burdens and makes them his own. It is not for us to worry. As much as I passionately feel called to share the gospel in this manner, at the same time I recognize that there are individuals out in our community that have at one time repented and been baptized, yet question their faith. There are some that feel left alone to work through their Christianity on their own outside of the church because of past hurts or current irrelevance. These people have heard the gospel, but struggle with discerning it in their lives. Should Revolution Church Sacramento be a place for those that know Christ, yet are weary or seeking fellowship? How do we balance between advancing the gospel to those who have never accepted the message of the gospel and those that have heard it, yet struggle with how it bears fruit in their lives?

Again, it’s only been two weeks that we have publicly gathered in a dedicated worship space (as opposed to small groups meeting in homes), but so far it seems as if God is sending us people that have been part of the church in the past. Some are part of a healthy church now, yet came to see what we were all about. It seems that God is showing us early glimpses of what to expect in the future and I’m not quite certain how to respond. I tend to be an all-or-nothing kind of person. However, I am feeling as if there needs to be some balance and some patience right now. We need to be open to all people and believe that God is in control and that Christ is at the head of the Church and Revolution Church and that he will bring to us the people he wants us to know and share life with. It’s not about target marketing, zip code sorted postcard drops, or our own personal desires for who we want to see connect with us. It’s about being open to how God leads us and to be “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God.” as in Philippians 1:11.

Church planting has it’s ups-and-downs, consistencies and changes, affirmations and rejections, joy and pain, passion and lethargy, love and dislike, comfort and discomfort…through it all, there has to be a vision from God that drives one to keep at it. There are too many things that make it easy to walk away. If the church becomes all about one man/woman, then it is time to walk away. If it gets bogged down because of money or acts of service or lack of resources--if we look to God and do our best to discern his will for the church we will always make the right choices. Some days we look upon his work in us with worldy eyes that see failure and lack, but everything happens for a reason and we will be good and pleasing in the sight of the Lord as we stay faithful to advancing the gospel in spite of what might seek to bring us down. Let us rejoice for the church as Paul rejoiced for the church! We just have to struggle with getting our feelings hurt or feeling like some doors have closed in our face, yet Paul was tortured and imprisoned and remained a shining example of God’s strength through us in the face of severe diversity and hardship. Don’t make it about yourself! Don’t look to pleasing others instead of God! Don’t give up!

church planting / revolution church sacramento / sunday night reflections — 3 Comments
14
Jun 09

Sunday Night Reflections: June 14, 2009

The second week of our public preview services just wrapped up. One Prayer has been a great blessing again this year! Here are some thoughts about tonight at Revolution Church Sacramento:

It was great meeting some new people tonight. Even if we only connect once in our lifetimes, you are part of our Revolution Church history and I am so grateful you said hello.
Although it was a smaller gathering than our first Sunday (I know, they always are) it felt really special. Maybe it’s because all of the preparation that went into our preview services finally materialized tonight in the location we expected to be in, rather than the traditional sanctuary we were in last week. Something was different tonight and I was really excited about it.
Had some guests come out that saw us through the One Prayer website. That was really cool :)
Francis Chan delivered an amazing message tonight! His passion for the Word of God and his reverence for the Creator of the universe is astounding. I mentioned tonight during our gathering that there have been days when I have asked God to give me such a gift of preaching like Pastor Chan, but in the end, I feel strongly that God is using me where I am at in my unique style to speak to a different audience. It was a great contrast to the message last week from Pastor Jentezen Franklin.
Found out that the location for out gathering isn’t on our website revsacramento.com, so i need to get on that tomorrow!
A lot of enthusiasm for the message next Sunday from Pastor Steven Furtick. I have no idea why I always seem to have a Steven Furtick message during One Prayer the week before I speak. Just as I’m not Francis Chan, I’m no Steven Furtick either. Just thankful that we can share these great messages with our community here in Sacramento!
Feeling like some people are getting a little disappointed that we don’t have masses of people gathering with us during these preview services. As for me, I’m really enjoying the chance to meet some new people that didn’t know who we were before June. Our patience, faith, and perseverance will be rewarded with others coming to connect with us. It can’t be about numbers, it has to be about relationships. Christ’s relationship with his people and our relationships with each other and the community. God has a plan and his timing is perfect. I must not get overanxious.
I’m really, really appreciative of Robert, Annette, and Charlotte who have come out each week and really put their hearts into worshiping. It is so pleasant to hear them and to worship along with them. It’s not easy to find a gathering of people all singing to God…I don’t think there has been a silent person in the room yet. Thank you Lord for blessing us with such a great team for our preview services!
Dinner after the gathering was Mongolian BBQ. Lots of conversation and some testimonies being shared. I really like that we can get together after our services and have fellowship. In some aspects I feel like the seeds for a new family are emerging.

church / church planting / one prayer / revolution church sacramento / sunday night reflections — 11 Comments
7
Jun 09

Sunday Night Reflections: June 7, 2009

I just walked through the door at 10:30pm and feel compelled to update all of our praying and supportive friends even before I get settled in. Without you there for us, none of this would be possible!

Our worship team is simply amazing! They spent time working on harmonies and structure through all of the technical issues I was having with the sound system. Immense thanks to Robert, Annette & Charlotte…today was wonderful!
As always, things got thrown in our way to distract us, but I think we made it through okay. Our venue changed the room on us at the last minute so instead of a multi-purpose room where we could make it feel more intimate we ended up in a big, traditional Episcopal Church sanctuary. No one seemed to mind, and even some liked the traditional aspect of the environment.
It was great to see how Jentezen Franklin, pastor of FreeChapel in Gainesville, GA connected with our group here in Sacramento, CA. I don’t think anyone aside from myself knew who he was before they came out tonight, but now they all want to know and hear more of his teaching. As someone whom I have try to emulate a bit and a person that has mentored me from a distance, it was great to be able to share the gift of Pastor Franklin’s ministry with the people of Sacramento.
For all the things I go through in setting up our entire service, sound system, powerpoint, media, etc. I am in absolute shame knowing that Pastor Jentezen Franklin preaches services in Gainesville, GA Sunday mornings and then catches a flight to Irvine, CA and preaches there Sunday night…every week! That along with the responsibilities of leading a megachurch just amazes me. Obviously God is strength to an infinite degree in Pastor Franklin. I’m praying for you!
Not only did we have some new faces join us for our gathering, but we moved over to a restaurant for dinner and continued getting to know each other and sharing in conversation. It was a great time and I am so thankful for those that God brought across our path today. It truly was a special day!
Starting at 12:30pm and running through to 10:30pm is a bit too much for me. I don’t see how I can sustain spreading myself over two church services/fellowship that span that much time. It was seriously non-stop for me today.
As excited as I am about being a part of One Prayer, it is interesting to see how people are comparing 2009 with what happened in 2008. Those in our gathering that came out and supported us during One Prayer last year seemed to relate better to “God make us _______.” rather than “God is _______.” Interested to see if any other churches have the same thoughts.
Today we were informed that our request to use our current gathering space for our official August launch of weekly services was denied. So, we have to start searching for a new location and working on developing some financial support to allow us to pay rent somewhere. This was the original plan, so obviously God wants us to stay true to that. Praying about our next steps on this.
The coolest thing is re-connecting tonight with some of the group that were with us during One Prayer 2008 and hearing them recite things from the messages last year. It still is making an impact on them a year later. That’s pretty awesome!
My faith truly sucks sometimes! I created an offering box that is self-service rather than passing around a tray. I had it just in case someone felt like giving, but really didn’t expect anything. Of course, at the end of service there were offerings and I need to spend some time in prayer about how small I make God out to be at times
People throughout the world were praying for us and it was felt deeply. Many thanks for the faithfulness of our friends that prayed for us.
Looking forward to introducing Francis Chan to Revolution Church Sacramento next Sunday. Not many in our gathering know who he is or have heard his teaching before. People of the Revolution, prepare to hear God once again next Sunday :

one prayer / revolution church sacramento — 1 Comment
3
Jun 09

One Prayer 2009 is here!

op-120x240 I can’t begin to tell you how I excited I am about what is going to happen this month! This is our second year joining in with the One Prayer project from LifeChurch.tv and I feel as if I need to explain this a little bit.

Last year we at Revolution Church Sacramento got a lot of interest in our connection with One Prayer because we used that first campaign to start our (then) preview services in June 2008. However, those were preview services for our sending church as a way to let them know we were committed to seeing unity within the church and to have a chance to share our vision with the congregation. We invited other churches to help participate in our services and brought in worship teams from different local churches. We crossed cultural lines and stood together with the body of Christ. It was a great experience. As I blogged about One Prayer (you can see the archived posts here) I was blessed to have encouraging replies from pastors such as Craig Groeschel and Steven Furtick. Many doors were opened for us and coincidentally, we are now in a position to have our first public preview services connecting again with LifeChurch.tv and One Prayer beginning this Sunday, June 7th. We didn’t expect it would take a full year to get this point, but we appreciate the opportunity to be of service to God’s people and share the message of the gospel to our city in God’s timing, not ours.

Through our unity and call to stand together as one church in the name of Christ, we are able to share video teachings from such gifted pastors as: Francis Chan (Cornerstone Community Church, Simi Valley, CA), Jentezen Franklin (FreeChapel, Gainesville, GA) and Steven Furtick (Elevation Church, Matthews, NC). This time we’re inviting everyone to join us for worshiping God through song with an amazing group of people God has brought to us (Thank you Robert, Annette, and Charlotte!), be engaged in the Word, pray together and share in communion. It’s an exciting time to be in ministry and I’m ecstatic and filled with joy knowing the Lord is going to move in amazing ways throughout the world as a result of One Prayer. As of today there are over 1,600 churches and almost 1,000,000 people united in faith to see God answer prayers for the church at large.

The theme this year is to complete this statement: God is ____. I submitted a video teaching with the title “God is Calling.” He is calling everyone, yet we often mistake the call or don’t interpret it correctly. I explain that once you know what to look for, it’s not as difficult as we make it out to be. My video teaching is available at the One Prayer website here: http://2009.oneprayer.com/the-messages or if you’re local to us here in Sacramento, won’t you come share in community with us as we hear the message together at Revolution Church Sacramento?

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