Who are we? Our Church logo is a lighthouse. It is purposefully the shape of the cross and embodies who we are as disciples of Jesus. We understand the shape of the cross and lighthouse from the 2 greatest commandments:
Mark 12:28-31
28 One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
I want to break down the vertical and horizontal from the lighthouse which is the cross :
Vertical –
- We are built on the foundation of the rock that is Jesus.
- We are powered by the Holy Spirit from within, like the power that courses through the lighthouse allowing the light to shine;
- We always are focused up towards the Father and our future home in heaven.
* Foundation in Jesus
Psalm 119:105
105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
* Power source of Holy Spirit
Psalm 18:28
28 You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
* Always pointing towards the Father and future home in heaven
*We act out that “Vertical” alignment by taking “Next Steps” to:
- Grow and build on our foundation of Jesus.
- Keep our power source like the lighthouse going, and focused on the Father in heaven, our destination.
Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Horizontal –
A burnt out lighthouse will allow and tolerate tragedy in its appointed location.
Lighthouses were built to help guide people home. To prevent death and tragedy. Too many believers stop at “Love God” and forget that Jesus also said “Love Your Neighbor”.
- You are appointed in your city.
- You are a lighthouse.
On the arms of the cross what was nailed?
The arms of Jesus. Wide open to love an accept everyone. As we continue growing in our relationship with Jesus our arms need to be reaching out to our city, our loved ones, our community…His arms and the light of the lighthouse are what we need to remember. It’s reaching out to change our city.
Matthew 5:16
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
John 9:5
5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
****DOING LIFE TOGETHER****
Jesus is in the world through you. What does this verse mean to you?
* We live out this “horizontal” alignment by “Doing Life Together”:
The single greatest way to save a life, offer a future, show what home really is, shed light, repeal the darkness.?… Keep your light shining into peoples lives you connect with.
We need to be lighthouses in our communities. Like tiny fires.
Mark 3:13–14
13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach
God has been speaking to me relentlessly to study Pastor Paul of the Bible.
I want to unpack the vision of Lighthouse 805 Church in a practical sense through what the Holy Spirit has revealed through Pastor Paul.
I want to shed light on where we are headed, because I need us all to start grasping the direction of Lighthouse. If you don’t fully understand it in this 10-15 min that’s ok, I just need you to have joy and an open heart to begin receiving from the Holy Spirit.
– We need joy and listening to the Holy Spirit.
– What we don’t need is complaining, grumbling and gossip.
Paul – Pastor Paul of the Bible – he reached 3 groups of people – local, distant, future
- Paul discipled his people locally – in jail, 1 on 1, and groups.
- Paul discipled people at a distance through his letters. These groups received the letters and did next steps to grow, disciple, and do life together.
- Paul discipled the future because the letters stood the test of time for groups to receive and take next steps and do life together even now.
I heard a warning from the Holy spirit. Our Church is called to creatively place His word into communities. That’s where life will happen. It’s not about having content online that will change lives.
Where we are headed is doing community in Ventura, while raising up and discipling communities across the nation. So as we meet Sunday morning and have the word we will do life together and take next steps in Jesus. There will be living rooms with friends and families and coworkers watching the message and doing life together and taking next steps together.
There was a Word spoken over us a long time ago. We are called to pastor a dual church. I know it is the Holy Spirit birthing something in us… as we pastor in Ventura – doing life together and taking next steps…. we pastor and disciple these other Lighthouse communities.
We will have failed if all we do is put sermons online and hope someone watches it.
If you are watching this message online and are interested in being a Lighthouse community – wether it’s opening your home up or even leading a community regardless of location, where you want to do life together and take next steps in Jesus, email us at [email protected].
One of the clearest images of vision we’ve had was the necessity of making the stage inside the church into a living room; because we are going to be an extension of your living room.
Next Sunday some of you are joining us in person on the lawn for live service.
For those who are not in the 805, here’s a challenge – meet on the lawn with someone where you are. Invite someone to Church in your home, outside your home, in your backyard. .. Whatever you feel comfortable with in covid times. And make sure you give us a shout out in the comments and chat… take some pictures and post!
YOUR NEXT STEP is into the next season – This week pray how you can be a lighthouse and THEN DO what the Holy Spirit reveals.
Some of you started having visions of people on your lawn, of a small community that does life together…. Begin praying for the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and message us to begin equipping you.
This sermon marks the end of a season AND the start of a season. I believe not only for our church but for you watching or listening to this now.