Chris Hodges - Vision Sunday (2022)
Hi, everyone. Welcome today to our annual Vision Sunday service. I'm here at the brand-new beautiful Woodlawn campus building that is opening for the first time next Sunday, September 11th after 10 years of being portable at Woodlawn High School and the BJCC, our Woodlawn and uptown family finally have a permanent home, and it's here at the site of the former Gibson Elementary School, which was closed in 2010. And to preserve a part of the history of the school and to honor this great community, our team used the bricks from Gibson Elementary to frame the entrance of our new building, and just look at how beautiful it is.
I want to say a huge thank you to our staff team and Dream Team led by Pastor Jamil Gilleylen for their hard work that made this day a reality. And I'm gonna thank you, the amazing people of Church of the Highlands for your generous and consistent giving that allows us to build places of worship like this and to do it completely debt free. To God be the glory. We're also just weeks away from opening the newly renovated Grandview Campus Auditorium and our construction teams are now in full swing at the Alabaster Campus Building, which is set to open in the spring of 2023. And now our trustees and elders are focusing their attention on buildings in Opelika, Oxford, and the Shoals. It's so exciting to see what God is doing in and through our church.
But, again, I want to thank you for all you do. Thank you for believing in the vision God gave us and for doing your part to make a difference in our generation. From the deepest part of my heart, God bless you. And today is the first Sunday of the month, another opportunity for us to give what God has put on our hearts to give and our opportunity to honor God with our first, with our tithes and our offerings. You can give in this service today with the Highlands app, or you can give online. You can even give by texting the word "Highlands" to the amount you'd like to give to 77977. And as always, I'm asking you to ask God what you should do and just give what God shows you to give.
Now, before I share the Word with you, there are some exciting things happening here at Highlands that I want to tell you about. First of all, next Sunday I'll begin a brand-new series, where we are taking the top most requested topics by you from our Easter survey in a message series I'm calling "You Asked For It," and I'll begin with the number one most requested topic that over 35% of you asked for, and that's the topic of, you're gonna have to come back next week and find out. But, seriously, I think it's gonna be one of the most practical and helpful series we've ever done. And this series would be a perfect time for you to invite a friend to join you.
I also wanted you to know that beginning today we have a brand-new Spanish service that is meeting at our Grandview location every Sunday at 4:30p.m. This service will have live worship in Spanish and a voice over translation of that day's message. What a joy it is to bring the gospel to those in our Spanish-speaking community. Our next big event at Highlands is our annual women's conference, and this year it is October 14 and 15. Now, just ask any of the ladies who've been to this conference before. This is a great time of worship, the Word of God, and a whole lot of fun.
So, ladies, go ahead and register now, because it will definitely fill up, and we want to make sure you're able to attend this powerful two-day conference. And lastly, let me share with you an update on really the most important thing at our church, and that is the vision of our church, the four steps in the spiritual journey that God desires for every person. Now, we built our church around these four things, four things that God has always wanted for you. The way we say it here at Highlands is you can know God, find freedom, discover your purpose, and make a difference. This is why we exist, and this is what we measure.
Now, the first one is know God, meaning you can actually know him intimately, personally, and have a meaningful relationship with God. And I am so blessed to share with you that so far this year alone, 14,473 people have made a decision to be in a relationship with God. Can we put our hands together and just thank God for that, 14,473 people giving their lives to Jesus. And by the way, if you are one of those people, you would need to know that the Bible says that your next step is to go public with your faith with water baptism.
Now, I want to encourage you to follow the example that Jesus himself set and be water baptized. The Bible says that baptism demonstrates the change that has occurred in your life. 1 Peter chapter 3, verse 21, out of The Living Bible, it says in baptism we show that we've been saved from death and doom by the resurrection of Christ, not because our bodies are washed clean by the water, but because in being baptized, we are turning to God and asking him to cleanse our hearts from sin.
So, if you've made that decision to follow Jesus, then it's important to let others know through water baptism, and that can happen today. Today we are offering water baptism after every service at every campus, and I am personally inviting you to take this next step, this very important step in your spiritual journey. Now, don't put it off a single day. We have everything you need, even if you didn't come prepared. We have clothes, underwear, towels, hair products, everything you need. Your campus pastors will give you all the details at the end of the service. But I'm asking you to go ahead and make up your mind right now to do what Jesus asks you to do, and that is go public with your faith, with water baptism.
The second step in the spiritual journey is to find freedom. "Freedom from what"? you might ask. Well, I'm talking about freedom from the issues, habits, hang-ups, hurts, mistakes that continually hold us back from God's best. And we do that in Small Groups. Groups gives us a place to learn, pray, and support each other through the process of growth that we all need, and today we're launching thousands of brand-new Small Groups in our fall Small Group semester, groups of every type for every interest, for every need. Today marks the beginning of our 13-week fall Small Group semester. So, start shopping for a group. Just go online at churchofthehighlands.com, or you can use the Highlands app, and there you'll find our search engine to sort through the vast array of groups and opportunities to find the perfect one for you.
Now, when you join a group, you'll discover how this big church becomes very small. So, again, start shopping for a group. Call the leader, find out more about the group. Maybe even visit several, until you find the one that's perfect for you. Now, if you can't decide what type of group to be in, let me recommend that you consider joining what we call a freedom group. Now, this is the only group that we want all of our church members to attend at least once in your time here at Highlands. It only takes on semester to go through this curriculum that really focuses on closing the door on the things of our past and leading us to a life of freedom.
So, we start by knowing God. Then we find freedom. And here's where our vision gets even more exciting, and that's when we discover our purpose. I'm talking about your God-given purpose and calling in life. As Mark Twain says, the two greatest days of your life: are the day you were born and then the day you discovered why you were born. So, how do we discover that? Well, we believe that your design reveals your destiny. In other words, how God made you points to what God has called you to do.
Psalm 139:13-16 says it this way: "For you created my innermost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. I know that full well. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be". What an awesome thought, that your life is planned by God to do something significant and meaningful. So, you have a purpose. You just have to discover it, and we want to help. And the way we do that here at Highlands is through the monthly Growth Track. These three classes will give you the information you need to join the church, help you discover the unique gifts and talents that God has put inside of you, and then help you find a place to live it out that purpose and that calling.
Now, you could attend step one of the Growth Track tonight at 6 p.m. We'll have food, child care. You'll get to meet your campus staff team. And then I teach the class at every campus, and I would love for you to join me tonight. You'll hear the Highlands story, hear a bit about how we're organized, and get enough information to decide if this should be your church home, and you'll be on the journey to discovering your purpose in life, a life of focus and meaning, the life God has for you. This is our vision: to know God, find freedom, discover purpose so that we can do what is needed more than ever before, so that we can do what we're on this planet to do, and that is make an eternal difference in the lives of others.
Jesus says, "This is to my Father's glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete". Notice this isn't just a command from the Lord to live a life bearing fruit. It's a recipe for real joy. When you know you're living out your God-given purpose and making a difference in other people's lives, I'm gonna tell you it's gonna put wind in your sails. Proverbs 11:25 says, "The generous will prosper, and those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed".
So, how do we do that? Well, it's by joining the Dream Team. That's what more than 19,000 people here at Highlands have already done. They've joined one of the 30 different teams according to their gifting and passion, each doing their part, serving as church ushers, greeters, Small Group leaders, worship leaders, there in children's ministry, prison ministry, prayer ministry. They show the love of God to our cities through outreaches, Serve Days, every way they can. They know God. They found freedom. They discovered their purpose, and every day they're making a difference for all eternity, and there's room for you to be a part.
So, again, just start today with our three-step Growth Track tonight at 6 p.m. at your campus. All right, let's get into God's Word. If you were here at Highlands back in February, you'll remember a message that I gave called, "Fighting for a Generation". In that message, I shared with you a burden that I've been carrying since the pandemic began for our children and students. In that message, I shared with you some sobering statistics and even some responses from a survey we did with our own kids right here at Highlands about the condition of young people.
Now, we already know that raising young people in this generation and in this culture is incredibly difficult, but the last 2 years have really taken their toll on our kids, and the needs have changed. We've spent hours talking with parents, students, and we've heard their cry loud and clear. In that message, I talked out of the book of Nehemiah, a book of the Bible that is really all about rebuilding a broken nation, a nation where the walls were torn down. Walls were a symbol of a nation's values, traditions, and the things that protect society. And in Nehemiah, the nation of Israel had just spent 70 years as slaves in exile in Babylon, and everything was broken and destroyed.
And in many ways, it's a picture of where we are today, as a country, and the Bible says that Nehemiah looked at his nation, and he wept, because he was so burdened for his nation. But what's so inspiring is he set out to do something to rebuild the walls. He didn't sit back and moan about it, complain about it, or blame someone else. He decided to do something. And I believe the spirit of Nehemiah has come on our church to do something, not to complain about this generation, but to fight for them.
The Bible says in Nehemiah chapter 4, verse 14, it says, "After I looked things over, I stood up, and I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, 'Don't be afraid. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.'"
Now, this just isn't for those who have kids. This is for all of us. We all have a role in fighting for this generation, and I believe this generation wants us to fight for them. I mentioned back in February some people think we have a problem in this world. We don't have a problem. We have an opportunity, an opportunity to develop our children and young people to know God's Word, and equip them to live for God in a God-forsaken world, an opportunity to lead this generation to their God-given identity in a world that can't even define who they are, an opportunity to love them, and pray for them, and see their hearts healed from loneliness and depression.
We have an opportunity to see them trained and empowered to change their world, and I couldn't be more fired up about it. Since February, when we released our new plan to serve our families, our children, and our students, we've been hiring and developing our staff teams, who serve our children and students. We've also been tweaking our plan as we listen to parents and students and respond to their needs. So, let me take a moment and remind you of our plan and update you on some things that we've made even better. Let me start with our children's ministry. We think kids need to go to church every week. They need their own environment that has engaging praise and worship, an experience that is set for children with hand motions and jumping and lots of fun; but more than that, they also need to know the presence of God at an early age.
But then they also need to be taught the Word of God with graded age specific curriculum that is systematically taking them through the Bible, and that's what we do. We don't have random Sundays with random lessons. No, every one of them is planned and each year teaches them what they need to know about God and his Word, so that if they consistently attend every Sunday from K through 6th grade, they will graduate from that program with a biblical world view that will serve them as they step into adolescence in their teenage years. So, if you give us 6 years, I give you my promise that they will know the Word of God. Now, hey, parents, your consistency is what's so important in this.
If you miss, they will be missing lessons they need, and they need this in church, not online, because they don't just need information. They need relationships. So, when our kids come to children's church on Sunday, they break up into small groups that are age specific with the same teacher, so they can openly share what's on their heart and be developed as children of God, and then they do that with their friends who love God, too. You know, I grew up in that kind of church; and we not only went to church, we also went to Sunday School. I mean, we didn't miss. In fact, we really weren't allowed to miss.
And, today, I'm a consistent and disciplined person, and I attribute this to my dad and my mom, who put God first and made church a priority. In fact, some of my best memories and most meaningful lessons were taught by my Sunday School teachers. I'll never forget Miss Frazee. She was my third grade Sunday School teacher who told me that I would change the world one day, and I never forgot it. Listen to me. Our kids need this. And, parents, we have to make this a priority, so they can be discipled and developed God's way. And when they finish their years in children's church, then they step into our middle school and high school ministry that we call Motion. And since April of this year, we've made some changes that have already made a huge difference.
We realized that once a month gathering was not enough. They need weekly gatherings. And since April, our students are now participating in our first Wednesday service, and then Motion night on the second Wednesday, which is a big gathering streamed to all of our campuses, so our kids can feel a part of something big. This is where they hear from great speakers, great worship leaders, and it's designed, really, to be an evangelistic service where they can bring their friends to church. But then on the remaining Wednesdays of the month, they meet at their campus with their youth pastor and their friends at that campus.
And like I said, over the past year or so, we've been hiring and developing youth pastors for all 23 locations, because every campus needs a youth pastor who gets involved in these students' lives, going to their football games, and knowing their names. And we call this Motion Midweek, and you need to know that our student pastors and leaders are focused on developing your student into leaders, who will make a difference in this world. They need people who believe in them, who see their potential, and help them through this important stage of life. And by the way, parents, in addition to the weekly Wednesday night experience, we have a high school retreat coming up this fall, a middle school retreat coming up next spring, and missions trips in the summer of 2023.
So, if you're a parent, and you want more information about all of this, just text the word "Parent" to 74000, and we will do everything we can do to answer your questions. And, finally, we have a huge vision for our college students. In three locations in Auburn, Tuscaloosa, and in Birmingham, college students are gathering every Thursday night during the school year at 8 p.m. for a time of worship and God's Word, and, of course, plenty of ways to connect relationally. For many students, our church has become the students' home church for 4 years while they're in college. It also creates a place for them to use their gifts while they get a degree. Through internships, Small Groups, we get to develop leaders and see them filled with the Holy Spirit, as they go into the marketplace to be ministers.
And this year, we're adding an off-site retreat in November that will become an annual part of our ministry to these students. Already this year, the services are packed, and God is moving. And I am convinced that out of this ministry, our college ministry, out of this ministry is going to come some of the greatest leaders this world has ever seen. In fact, let me say it this way. If we reach the college students, we can reach the world. Now, if you're a college student, just go to our website or social media, and check out our one college ministry to get more information.
Now, there is so much more I could say about all of these ministries, but I want to close with one thought, and it came from what we're learning about children's ministry and student ministry, and some of the data that we discovered. Did you know that research is showing that there are two types of young person: those who succeed through these years and those who don't. And the data is interesting, because it's showing some important factors that separate these two types of people, things we all can do that produce healthy children, teenagers, and college students.
I mean, in a world that has so much mental illness, addiction, gender confusion, relational dysfunction, wouldn't it be great to know what researchers are discovering about those who can be healthy in the middle of that kind of culture? And I believe it applies to all of us, no matter what your age is. And here it is: that it's not enough just to believe in God and go to church, going to church whenever it's convenient. It takes more than that, if you want to be successful. It takes becoming a disciple, or as researchers call it, it takes resilient discipleship.
You know, Jesus never told us just to believe and go to church. He said in Matthew 28, verses 19 through 20, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I've commanded you. And, surely, I'll be with you always, to the very end of the age". That word "disciple" means student or pupil. In other words, if you want to be successful or have resilience, you have to go through a process that goes beyond a worship service. You have to learn, and grow, and be mentored, and be consistent. The apostle Paul said it this way in Galatians 4:19. He said, "Oh, my dear children, I feel as if I'm going through labor pains for you again. And they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives".
Now, I believe that, and that's how I feel about our children and our students. It's really how I feel about all of us. But in a world that is in late decadence, confused, turbulent, and difficult, we can't have a business-as-usual kind of Christianity. It calls for more. It calls for fully-developed Christians, as Paul said. And on this Vision Sunday, I'm gonna challenge all of us for the vision of that kind of Christianity that research has proven will give us resilience.
In their book, "Faith for Exiles," authors David Kinnaman, and Mark Matlock unveil five practices, five things that help contribute to resilience in young adults, five things that all of us can do to bolster and sustain our faith, and I want to give them to you before we close. And the first is what they call experiencing Jesus. In other words, to form a resilient identity, we need more than religion. We need to experience intimacy with Jesus. Experiencing Jesus means clearing religious clutter for closeness with and joy in Christ.
Now, how do we do that? Well, the best way is to put God first. You know, the first four words of the Bible in Genesis 1:1 is, "In the beginning God", you want a receipt for a happy and fulfilled life? "In the beginning God", put God in the beginning of everything in your life, and watch what happens. By the way, God is not asking anything from you that he hasn't first given to you. He gave you his first, Jesus, and it cost him everything. So, how do we give God first? Well, we give God the first of everything. That's why we start the first of our year at Highlands with 21 days of prayer, to give God the first of our year. That's why church is on a Sunday, to give God the first of our week.
And by the way, I think we have to make Sunday worship a priority again. That's why we give God the first part of our income. Deuteronomy 14:23 says that the purpose of tithing is to teach us to always put God in first place in our life. And when we do, he'll bless the rest. I really believe that. Just ask anyone who gives to God first, and they'll tell you how blessed they have been. And we give God the first of our day. I call it the first 15. Five minutes in the Word. In fact, most of us read the 1-year Bible, and you can find it on the Highlands website or app. And 5 minutes in worship, and then 5 minutes in prayer. Listen to me. You'll never change your life until you change something you do daily; but if you do, you'll become a resilient disciple.
Now, here's the second thing that research shows makes us strong, and that is what they call cultural discernment. In a complex and confused age, we have to develop a muscle of cultural discernment. Researchers say exercising cultural discernment means, quote, "taking part in a robust learning community under the authority of the Bible in order to wisely navigate an accelerated complex culture".
In other words, we have to follow God, not culture. And here's how the Bible says it in Romans chapter 12, verse 2. Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. So, how do we do that? Well, we have to read God's Word and follow it. Because remember, culture changes, but God doesn't. And I'm already preparing messages to help all of us recognize the culture around us and show us how we can stand firm on what God's Word says and have influence at the same time.
So, experiencing Jesus, cultural discernment, and then it leads to the third thing that research shows will make you a resilient disciple, and that is meaningful relationships. When isolation and mistrust are the norms, we have to forge meaningful intergenerational relationships. Building meaningful relationships means being devoted to fellow believers that we want to be around and really to become. And that's also why I want you to join a Small Group this fall, to develop godly friendships, to grow in whatever you choose to study, and then to be there for each other on the tough days. And, again, our children and our students really need this. I mean, we all do, but our kids need us to help them discern this culture, and not succumb to it. So, listen to me. We can't let our kids just be taught by their peers. We need, as the Bible says, the older teaching the younger.
Let me say it this way: there's a biblical call on all of us to live a generational life, to invest in the next generation, one generation teaching the next. The book of Titus says the older will teach the younger. And many of you need to become a Dream Teamer at your campus and serve in our children's ministry on Sundays or our student ministry on Wednesdays. And let's forge the kind of relationships with these young people that we all have benefited from. You know, often, when I'm out to eat with friends, I'll ask what I call a table question.
And one of my favorite questions to ask is, who has been the most influential person in your life, and what did they teach you? And nine times out of ten, people talk about a grandparent, not a peer, but someone who's set a great example for them, were available for them, and were positive about them. Now, we can do this. Imagine playing a role and being a significant reason why a young person lives a resilient and successful life. Come on. Let's fight for this generation and forge meaningful, life-changing relationships. Okay, I'm almost done. Two more.
Number four, and I love this one. Research says resilient disciples know and live their calling. They say to ground and motivate an ambitious generation, we have to train them for what they call vocational discipleship. Now, vocational discipleship means knowing and living God's calling, especially in their arena of work. In fact, in everything we do, we need to align our ambitions and our lifestyle to God's purposes. Romans 12:1 says it this way: "So, here's what I want you to do, God helping you. Take your everyday ordinary life, your sleeping, eating, going to work and walking around life, and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him".
Do you know that means? It means it's critical for our kids and really for all of us to discover our purpose. Everyone needs to know why they were born and what their life is all about. You know, when I did my research for the book, "Out of the Cave," on the topic of depression, one of the things that excited me most was how secular clinical psychologists and psychiatrists agreed that real life wasn't found in the pleasures of life, but in living out the purpose for our life, that the happiest people in life aren't those who have fewer difficulties, but those who have found true meaning.
And you know what? They're right. The most fulfilled people I know have their eyes fixed and their life anchored on something that matters, something that has real meaning attached to it, something that's eternal. They have a vision for their life, and that's why I love my job, because the only one who can show you the purpose for your life is the one who created you in the first place. You'll never find the meaning of your life without a real relationship with God and connecting with his church. And, again, you can start our Growth Track today and discover your purpose in life. So, to make resilient disciples, we experience Jesus, we need cultural discernment, we need meaningful relationships, we need to know and live our calling. And here's the last one, and they call it countercultural missions.
Now, research shows that one of the greatest ways to curb entitlement and self-centered tendencies in a world that really has become so self-absorbed and so self-centered, is by engaging in some type of countercultural mission. Now, I'm not talking about going overseas, although all of us would benefit by seeing how other people live around the world, seriously. We would be way more grateful and way more giving if we did. But engaging in countercultural mission really means just living as a faithful presence wherever you are by trusting God's power and living differently from cultural norms.
So, everywhere we go, show the love of God, share the love of God. I love Matthew chapter 5, verses 13 through 16 out of The Message paraphrase where Jesus says, "Let me tell you why you're here. You're here to be salt, seasoning that brings out the God flavors of this earth. Here's another way to put it. You're here to be light, bringing out the God colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand, shine, keep open house, be generous with your lives. And by opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven". Hey, church, this is our vision: a generation of resilient disciples who don't just survive. They thrive and make a difference, in Jesus's name. Let's do it, let's do it. Let's bow for prayer.
Father God, thank you for giving us vision and for letting us be a part of what you're doing on planet earth. God, we commit our plans to you every campus, every building, every Small Group, every person. Lord, we ask for your favor, your blessing, your anointing, God, that you're going to help us do your will and to reach as many people as we can for all eternity. Lord, thank you for these amazing people in church today, for their generosity, for their faithfulness. Lord, we only want to hear you say, "Well done, well done". So, God, I pray for every person here today, that you would light a fire on the inside of them, to live their lives for you. Lord, give them the boldness to take next steps and not to put it off, and help them to navigate through the journey that you have for them with grace and with blessing. And, Father, we pray for this generation. God, give us wisdom and grace as we invest in them, set an example for them, and fight for them. Lord, we need you. God, send revival to our church and to this generation, in Jesus's name.
Now just keep your heads bowed, and your eyes closed. And if you're here today, and you're far from God, you don't know God, or you just feel lost, but you want to have a real relationship with Jesus, I'm gonna give you that opportunity right now. And, you know, people ask me all the time, what do I need to do to be saved? And it's actually very simple, but it will cost you everything. Jesus gave you his life, and he wants the same commitment from you, for you to give him your life, and you can do that right now in a simple prayer.
In fact, in just a moment, I'm gonna turn this service over to your campus pastor, who will continue to pray for you and tell you what's next, but I want to lead you in this prayer of salvation right now. If you're listening to me right now, and you want to be saved, or you want to come back to God today and give him your life, then just say these words right there where you're seated. Say:
Father, thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to pay for my sins. (Now say this, whisper this right there where you are.) I realize today that I need you, and I can't live my life without you. Forgive me for going my own way. Forgive me of my sin. Today I change my direction, and I repent. Today I give my life to you. I invite your Son, Jesus to be the Lord of my life. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that he died, was buried, and rose again. Thank you for saving me. In your name I pray, amen.