No Roads Needed

- Hello everybody, how are we doing today? Bear with me 'cause I just need my laptop. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (laughing) Hey, well church, today I get the privilege of finishing off our Back to the Future series, Back to the Original Vision of 1985. Hey, well, isn't it really convenient that our church was started in 1985, which for those of you that don't know Back to the Future is the year that the film was set. Well today I'm preaching on perhaps the most iconic line of the movie. At the end of the movie where Doc Brown comes back in the car and says, roads, where we're going, we don't need roads. And that's the title of my message to you guys. Let's take a look at the clip. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) Wow, well, my message this morning is all about how the original vision was never meant to stay just on the same roads. But God has called it to be cherished, Father God, and we know that. (upbeat music) Or do they, or do they? Because just two days ago, just two days ago, Tesla announced a new car that can actually fly. Check this out. (upbeat music) That is not AI, that is not CGI. That is real footage of a car that can fly using ion thrusters. If everyone not will get to experience this car in this country, it's very questionable. So no longer a car is limited to a car. (upbeat music) Let's just apply that, shall we? Where we're going, there's no roads. Walked on water, do you remember this? He walked on water not because he could, but because he was not limited by the waves. He could have stayed in the boat, we would have all stayed in the boat, none of us can walk on water. But Jesus wasn't limited. Do you get this church this morning? And you know, we've been preaching on vision over the last six weeks. And I want you to know this. But this morning church, what I want you to get is that our only limitation is ever God's ability. There is no limitation other than what God can do. Now sometimes we may get in the way and sometimes God may not be able to work through us because we are the roadblock. But this morning when we catch vision and we are open to what God is doing, the only limitation is Him. Remember, He's the same God that created the universe. There's no limitation this morning. Here's where we are. We have an amazing new vision statement as a church. It's all about going back to our, we started this series based on back to the future because the focus for as a church needs to be going back to our original vision. But what I'm talking about this morning, and we've spent the last five weeks looking at our original vision and what going back to that means, but what I want to focus on this morning is that we are not limited by just the original vision. That where God is taking us is so much greater than what we've seen or imagined before. You know the Israelites were in a land with no roads. When they escaped Egypt, they may have followed roads, but at one point they reached the Red Sea. God who is not limited by anything, he parted the Red Sea and created a new road through what would have been impossible to cross. We're not talking about a small river here, guys. Come on, we're talking about the Red Sea. I can only imagine and we can only imagine what that would have been like to cross a deep, deep sea with walls either side of us, of water being held back by God. They went where there was no roads. And then when they reached the other side, they spent 40 years in a place with no roads, somewhere they had not been before, someone they didn't imagine they would be. But there was no limits. Let's look at Israel today, a nation thousands of years later. It's incredible what God can do. Let's turn to the word, shall we? Let's look at Isaiah 43 that says, "Forget the former things, but do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up. Do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Just like the Israelites. This morning, I really want us to honor the incredible vision and the roads that we've taken to get here. I was, yesterday, I was supposed to be painting and I was tired. And so, to escape for a few minutes, I was walking around in our cafe next door and I was looking at the incredible pictures on the wall of 40 years of our church that were put up two years ago when we had our 40th anniversary. And I was looking at the difference. How many of you have seen those and noted that each picture frame represents one decade? And I was looking at these pictures and I was looking at the stark difference between each decade. And I'm not talking about stylistic difference or clothes that people wore, maybe the quality of the cameras. That's not my focus here. I was looking at the difference between what God was doing in the church in each decade and how much it has grown massively in the last 40 years. Each decade being a huge new step forward. And I was thinking, God, if if we have come as far as we have, where on earth are you taking us in the future? So when I read Isaiah 43, it's honoring where we've been but not limiting where we're going. Let me read it again. Forget the form of things. Do not dwell on the past but honor the past. See I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up. Do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Church, God is making a way. You see the God of 1985 is the same God of today and when Phil was given from heaven an incredible vision of a church that would transform our city, a church where the vision was to be repairers of the breach, a church that was all about restoration of our community, that same God that gave him the vision can give us an incredible vision today. He literally sent Israelites through a sea where there was no road. He doesn't wait for Tarmac Church. So we honor the past by refusing to live in it. The vision was reborn so we could carry it today. Let's look at point number one, out of road. See I am making a way in the wilderness. God specifically specifies territory with no Tarmac. No precedent precedent, no map, no we've done it this way before. He specifies I am making a way in the wilderness. Church, I don't know what the future holds, but I trust and believe that God has got only good things for us. Let's look at an example of God working without road, as we look back at the amazing past of our church. One of many, many, many thousands of stories that I was thinking about last night was how when we bought this building, we had a mortgage on this building. During a midweek meeting with No Notice, we had a great friend of the church, Duane White. He came to share a message and pray with the church. Now this was very last minute, so it was not advertised. It would have been, back in the day, a quick call around. There was no social media or texting. It would have been a quick call around to let people in the church know that he was here. One of the things he prophesied when he was preaching was that the mortgage would be paid off on the building that night. That night, people left during the meeting to go home and find things they had of value to bring back and put them on the front of the stage like an altar and pray over them. That night, things were bought like people's pairs of shoes, handbags, watches, a gaming computer, which I'm told about many, many a time and I'm sure does not compare to today's computers. I'm sure it was some massive ancient piece of junk. But hey, church, these incredible offerings that night when they were tallied up together in value paid the mortgage and in one night the church paid off the entire mortgage on this building. Why am I telling you this story? Because that's an incredible example of what God can do that beyond rote. That's not a traditional way of doing things. We didn't take up an offering. We didn't get a loan. Church, we paid it off with gaming computers. You know, Faith says, "I will build a boat in the desert sand where they say it never rains. I will stand up in faith. I will do anything it takes." So let's look back at our vision. Media team, can we put the new vision statement up? I want us to read it together as a church. "A united us connected to an awesome God restoring our doorstep world." Let's say it again. "A united us connected to an awesome God restoring our doorstep world." Hey church, I want you to all know this off my heart. Because this vision is fresh. It is new. It takes us into a dimension where there is no roads, but it entirely honors our past as a church. The original vision of 1985 was never meant to keep us on tarmac forever. It was meant to get us airborne. Point number two, to be continued. The end of the film ends with a screen that says to be continued, which leaves you this feeling of knowing that there's a second movie coming. We all know that. We will sat at the end of a Marvel film and waited for the next one. The story deliberately refuses to finish. And I believe that for this church today. Forty years may seem like a long time. But you know, God, I believe that God is going to use this church to do incredible things for future generations. I don't believe there's a limit. In fact, today I get the privilege of leading our youth team and being involved with some incredible young people that I see the talent and the anointing of God in. And I'm so excited about the future. And we really are in that to be continued moment right now. Because right now we can honor what God has done, but look church, where we're going, we don't need roads. My vision for this church is to be an incredible house that restores our local community, but beyond, because there is no road to remember that. That's this message. You know, message. One of the things that I'm really excited about that we've been looking at as a church recently is how we build a special space just for young people. We have a vision for putting on a second story on the building next door so that we can have a whole youth and children's center. You know, church, I want this to be a house that people can come in any moment of the week. I don't want our doors to ever close. We're not there yet, but I don't want our doors to ever close. I want us to be there for people in their darkest moments, in their moments of despair, when they need some support, when they need some food. Whatever people's need, I want this church to be that lighthouse. That's my vision for this church. That's why we want to build a youth center, because I want young people to come in at any moment, whether or not they're not at school that day, or whether it's in the evening, whatever the reason, I want this to be a place that young people can come. Instead of being out there on the streets, doing things that we all know they could be doing, doing things that many young people I've seen personally be lost to, I want them to come here and connect with Jesus. If nothing else, if we achieve nothing else as a church, but we see young people get to know Jesus and become passionate for him and don't end up on the streets selling gear. If we achieve nothing else, that would be the most incredible legacy. But you know, I think God's got even greater for us than that. I believe that God is going to take us into all sorts of spheres of society. I may see young people, but you may see lawyers. I may see a cafe in a building, but you may see your workplace. God is going to do things far beyond our imagination. But hey church, this only happens if we can catch the vision and we can learn to live without the limit of roads. What on earth would this church look like if we were a church full of people, full of passion, desperate to serve the Lord in whatever way he calls us, whatever it may be, one minute or a minute the next? What if we could lay down our lives in service with no limitations? Church to be continued. So let's look at my final point, make it a good one. Doc's final words in the movie. Your future is whatever you want. That's good advice. But Paul's version in the Bible is even better. Immeasurably more than we ask or imagine. His power at work in us. Glory in the church for generations. This is what this whole series is about, not six sermons, but a culture. It's about getting together and becoming in alignment of the vision. It's about a church that is a united us. What can we do? What is the limit when together we are serving God with a united vision? Our vision is so important church. Our future is not whatever we make it. Our future is whatever God spoke. And He is able to do immeasurably more. So as we wrap this up, I really want you to think about the car that flies. One because it's really insanely cool. I want one, but they're £500,000. But two because the crux of this message is that the wheels on the tarmac is not the limit. And it's so important if you go home remembering one thing, it's that our limitation is never by the structures or the boundaries that we see around us. So my challenge for you today is exactly that. How can you live without borders? How can you remove the limits of your own life? I challenge you to take moments this week to reflect and pray and ask God, what is his vision for your life and what is his vision for this church and how can you play a role and a part in that? Because church, we're not here just to provide a service. This is something I'm so passionate about. I don't really care about the structure and the organization of church Nowhere in the Bible does God call us to build organizations. I couldn't care less church. What I care about is family. And one of the incredible gifts on this church is that we're able to be an amazing, close family. That was God's vision for the church. When he established the church, he established a group of people that just wanted to be together and just wanted to serve. So let's strip away everything else, church. May the focus be what we can do to serve God and serve each other. So this week, reflect on your role. You are not attending a church with a vision, you are the vision, sent to a city. Back to the original vision, but forward to the city. Where we are going, no one has gone before. There are no robes paved yet. Why don't we pray? And then, when we wrap up this service, there's something I would like you to do. We've been renovating the entrance hall this week. And this coming week, we will be cladding the wall. But before then, before we cover that up forever, I want us to take a moment just now to reflect on what is our personal vision for this church. What do we want to see God do here? And then when the service is wrapped up, I'd like you to go into the entrance, grab a pen and write your name. I want you to write your prayer, your vision for this church on the wall. And then when we cover it up, we're not painting over it, we're covering it up. When we cover it up, that will be there for the next several years, decade, maybe longer. And I want everyone that comes into that hallway, knowing it or not, for that vision to be over them. Let's take a minute to pray. Dear Lord Jesus, God of the universe, God of the heavens, God who is so incredible, so big, so capable, so amazing, so beyond our imagination, a God who can do immeasurably more. God, we pray this morning, set us ablaze with a vision, put a new vision on our hearts, each individual, every one in this room, put a new vision for their life, for their career, their workplace, their family, their friends and a vision for this church and their role in that. I pray, God, that you take us to incredible heights, you take us to amazing places, God, not for our glory, never for our name, never for our organization, never for a charity number, God, never for a bank account, ever, ever. But God, for a city that is lost, for a God that deserves the glory. God, I pray for incredible things. I pray, Lord, that thousands of people will have their lives touched through what comes out of this place, Lord. I pray that each one of us will be like a flame to a bush, Lord, as we go out in that place, Lord, as we go to our workplaces, our schools, our colleges, Lord, that we will set people ablaze for you. I pray that we will be a witness to be like you, Lord, that where we go, you go because we carry you. We carry your heart, we carry your vision. God, use us this morning. Lay on our hearts your vision for our lives. Lord, remind us who you called us to be. Give us eyes to see our doorstep world. Give us courage to cross over. Make us repairers of the breach and give us faith to change the city. Amen. Well, church, I would normally be coming up and playing behind myself, but it's not an option this morning. So why don't we go out of this place and worship? And then remember, church, I want you to write your vision, your prayer on the wall outside.