Welcome to Waymaker Church! We are so excited to have you join us today! We exist to Encounter, Live for, and Advance the Kingdom of God!

This month, we are launching into a new series we’ve entitled Heart of the House. Over the next five weeks, we will take some time to revisit the mission and core values of our church. This is vital to do if we desire to accomplish the mission God has given us as a church.

This series may seem like a review for those who have been on the journey with us for a while, but for others who have joined more recently, this series will help reveal the heart of the house. I have learned that revisiting your mission and values is a key step if you desire to accomplish what God has asked you to do.

Our mission and five core values bring clarity to the things that matter most here at Waymaker. The mission brings clarity to what we do, while our values reveal how we do it. They stand as guides influencing everything from major leadership decisions to everyday ministry plans.

They capture the unique personality and heart of our church community while keeping us focused on the unique call God has given us as a local church. If we aren’t mindful to revisit the mission and values, they will become nothing more than sentences on a wall or poster that have little effect on what we actually do.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to settle in life. Not in personal potential, not in my family, not in raising my kids, not in my marriage, not in reach people for Jesus, not in any area of leadership, not in the potential of this church.

I refuse to settle for the status quo of just enough. I want to wring the clothe in this life, so that when I stand before the king, I know that I gave it all that I had.

I believe that God has called us, just like he called Esther, for such a time as this. He has placed us in this community, at this point in history, to accomplish His desires, and meet genuine needs that our present in the world around us.

I believe God has called you here with purpose. God has stirred your heart to action and alignment.

Before we look at our first core value, I want to briefly share the mission and vision of the house.

Our God-given mission as a church is to encounter, live for, and advance the kingdom. God has called this house to be a kingdom-minded equipping center for all generations to grow, activate, and deploy God-given gifts for Kingdom advancement.

Let’s take a moment to break this down.

God has called each of us to the place of personal encounter.

Our pursuit is not to fill up chairs, but to lead people into encounter with Jesus. We know that it is Jesus who changes everything. Our goal is to create atmospheres, environments, and opportunities for people to encounter Jesus.

The essence of Psalm 27:4 is that the pursuit is personal. Each person must create personal history with God through the place of consistent personal encounter. This place of consistent encounter should lead to a desire to live a kingdom life.

Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”

I have a simple belief that if we profess Jesus Christ as Lord of our life, then we should live in such a way that our life reflects the declaration of our mouth. This doesn’t mean that we will perfect and never miss the mark, but it does mean that we are actively pursuing a life of transformation through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The outflow of personal encounter and the decision to live for the kingdom, is the advancement of the kingdom of God through our lives. It is highly unlikely to not have impact on those around you when you are living a life of intentional pursuit and encounter.

Kingdom advancement is a byproduct of encounter and lifestyle. The disciples followed Jesus, imitating his life, conduct, and ministry. In Matthew 10:7-8, Jesus gives instruction to the disciples as they launch into ministry.

He says, Matthew 10:7–8 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”
Verse 8 captures the essence of what I am saying: Freely you have received, freely give.

Your proximity to Jesus will lead you into needed encounters where the Lord will reveal himself to you. He will teach you how to apply the word of God to your life in all areas. The resulting maturity positions you to freely give away what you have learned and experienced.

This is the essence of our mission. To encounter, live for, and advance the kingdom.

How we accomplish our mission is shaped by our core values.

The first core value we will look at is:
1. INTIMACY - We will stop for God and stop for people.
The first half of this statement is all about encounter.
Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

We believe that our first ministry is to God. We are always to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. We can’t freely to give to others what we have not experienced ourselves. We can’t lead people to places we have never been.

The place of intimacy is the place where we are changed. It’s where we pour over the pages of the scripture, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to us and refine us. When we put in to practice what we learn the result is personal transformation.

To do this, we must make the decision to stop for God. Busyness is an enemy of intimacy. If we don’t manage the tension, we can allow a pressing schedule to rob us of the promptings of the spirit.

In Revelation 3:20 it says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

Jesus stands at the door of our heart knocking. We must decide if we will open the door.

John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

To have the kind of impact we desire we must cultivate relationship with Jesus. It takes time, consistency, and intentionality. It will at times require us to shift our schedule to make room for more of Him.

If we desire greater depth, we can’t have a shallow pursuit.

The second aspect of this value is that we will stop for people. Kingdom impact is all about people. I believe one of the greatest challenges we have is living others focused in a me-centered world.

In Luke 10:29–37 “But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, He who showed mercy on him. Then Jesus said to him, Go and do likewise.”

A kingdom minded believer is available to the desires of God. A quick heads up that they usually come packaged as an inconvenience. If we are not mindful, we will pass by the very people God has called us to impact. The priest and the Levite had “important” things to do for God, but it was the good Samaritan that actually understood the heart of God.

The place of personal intimacy and encounter positions us to impact others. Sure, it has a cost associated with it, but is that not a price worth paying?

A final thought I have for today, and I will close with this.

Kingdom impact is about a life of overflow. In Psalm 23:5 it says, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.”

We are intended to be people who are filled to overflow in our relationship with God. This is why our personal relationship with Jesus matters so much.

The goal is not to have just enough Jesus to make it to next Sunday. The goal is to be so full from personal encounter that you are ready wherever you go to make an impact in the life of someone else.