Be Counted Among Us
I. Our Vision at BCF – Elevate and Empower…
a. Teach you to hear Holy Spirit’s Voice and connect with Him daily in the secret place
b. Continuing to Establish Kingdom Culture
i. What is culture?
1. The intentional behaviors that govern interactions within the church community
ii. Why does culture matter?
1. Culture is who we are as a community
2. If we do not intentionally establish our culture, the devil will
iii. How do we establish culture in a community?
1. Clearly Define and Articulate it:
2. Repeat it, make it part of our common script (language)
3. Identify and Celebrate when people understand and practice the culture
4. Refuse to tolerate what violates our culture
iv. We must go TOGETHER
1. It’s time to get on the field, no one sits on the bleachers
II. Our Membership Covenant
a. What is a covenant? – b’rit (H1285)
i. Pledge, alliance
ii. “A formal relationship between two parties who agree to a set of promises so they can work together toward a common goal” - Tim Mackee (The Bible Project)
b. Covenant is the only way to enter into partnership in the kingdom
i. It’s how God enters into relationship with humans
1. Adam and Eve
2. Noah
3. Abra(ha)m
4. Isaac
5. Jacob
6. Israel (Nation)
7. David
8. Everyone under the New Covenant
ii. It’s also used of humans who enter into partnership with each other
1. Abraham and Abimelek – Genesis 21:22-34
2. Isaac and Abimelek – Genesis 26:25-32
3. David and Jonothan – 1 Samuel 23:13-18
4. David and the Elders of Hebron – 1 Chronicles 11:1-3
5. Solomon and Hiram – 1 Kings 5:10-12
6. Marriage Covenant
iii. “Contracts are for businesses, treaties are for enemies, but covenants are for the kingdom.” – Pastor Landon Schott
c. Our Covenant here at BCF
i. Common Goal: Expand the Kingdom of Heaven by preaching, teaching, and releasing the power of the gospel in Bethlehem, PA
1. Make you the place heaven touches Earth
a. You are called to be like Jesus
John 14:12 New King James Version
12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
ii. Our promise to you: Teach you how to hear Holy Spirit and connect with Him daily in the secret place
1. Connect with God daily in the secret place
a. This is where inner healing, deliverance, and transformation happen, in His presence, where Heaven touches Earth
2. Hear and Obey God
a. This is how you transform the world around you in partnership with Holy Spirit
iii. Your promise to the local body here at BCF: Attend, connect, tithe, and serve
d. Why does Covenant Membership matter?
i. It’s how God chooses for the kingdom to operate
ii. It ensures we go forward TOGETHER
iii. God has promised us supernatural influence in the city of Bethlehem, the return of our prodigals, and supernatural spiritual/numerical growth
1. When people come, they need know what we are about, how to become counted among us and how to thrive here at BCF
iv. It clearly defines what it practically means to be a member of this local body
1. You can easily know and measure your commitment to this local body
a. Am I a member? Do I attend, connect, tithe and serve?
III. A.C.T.S.
John 14:6 New King James Version
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
a. Attend
i. Be counted among us
1. Show up in a way that allows people to see you, and feel the weight of who you are, and where you are
Matthew 11:28 New King James Version
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
John 7:37-38 New King James Version
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
2. You cannot have Jesus without His body; A head separated from its body is not covenant, it’s a crime scene.
a. Watching the livestream alone, doesn’t cut it
ii. All the pieces need to be in the box in order to complete a puzzle
1. Our Mandalorian Puzzle and it’s missing peace
2. It is FRUSTRATING to be one piece away from completing a puzzle and the last piece is missing
iii. You have no idea what your missing when you neglect to show up
1. Testimonies:
a. My first experience with Holy Spirit at Church on the Move
b. Raquel’s miraculous healing
c. Prodigals called home, man miraculously knowing how to read, broken wrists healed, etc…
2. Many breakthroughs, healings, deliverances, miracles, happen corporately
a. Paralyzed man
Luke 5:17-20 & 24 New King James Version
17 Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present [a]to heal them. 18 Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. 19 And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.
20 When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
b. Woman with a spirit of infirmity
Luke 13:10-13 New King James Version
10 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way [a]raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
iv. Who knows what you give up, when you neglect to show up
b. Connect
i. Be planted among us
John 15:7-8 New King James Version
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you[a] will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
ii. Allow yourself to be joined to the body, not where you want or think you should be, but where you belong
iii. Sometimes the people around you can see where you belong more clearly than you can
1. “I see in you” conversations with Bishop Jim
iii. Sometimes something in your life needs correcting
1. Sister Act: the quiet nun
2. Correction isn’t to put you down, but to set you free
a. Correction only does that if you are first connected
3. Correction will always seem cruel if you are not connected
iv. We are called to be assembled, not just gathered together
Hebrews 10:25 New King James Version
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
1. A pile of stones, vs a house made of stones
2. Drastic difference in value and capability
3. A stone connected is Temple Rock, a stone disconnected is a Stumbling Block
Matthew 16:16-23 New King James Version
16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, butMy Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not [a]prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth [b]will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection
21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, [c]“Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are [d]an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
iv. Two ways we want you connecting
1. Daily with Holy Spirit in the secret place
2. Weekly with the body
a. On a serve team/ministry
b. Connect groups
c. Prayer
d. Wednesday bible study
v. Puzzle pieces can’t just be in the box, they must be connected, put together properly, for the full picture to be seen
Ephesians 3:10 New King James Version
10 to the intent that now the [a]manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the [b]principalities and powers in the heavenly places,
1. You don’t get to choose where you go, you were designed for a specific purpose and connection to the body
a. Some pieces look like they belong until the pieces around them are put into place
i. You might be in a position/ministry for only a season until the right people are positioned
b. Some pieces look like they belong in an area because their colors match, but they actually belong somewhere else, where you wouldn’t have naturally put them
i. Bishop Jim and Pastor Joshua
ii. Matthew the tax collector and Simon the zealot
c. Tithe
Mark 12:17 New King James Version
17 And Jesus answered and said to them, [a]“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
And they marveled at Him.
i. Tithing is one of three ways we are commanded to practice the spiritual discipline of giving
1. You can find more on our views and teachings on tithing here
ii. Tithe literally means one tenth and refers to the amount of money we are to give the Lord out of our gross income
Leviticus 27:30-34 New King James Version
30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord. 31 If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it. 32 And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord. 33 He shall not inquire whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it; and if he exchanges it at all, then both it and the one exchanged for it shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.’ ”
34 These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.
1. Tithing is not a suggestion for Christians it’s the minimum requirement
a. It predates, the law, is found in the law, and found in the NT
b. It demonstrates that God is first in our lives
c. Tithe goes to the local church where you are in fellowship (joint participation)
iii. Judas was in attendance with the other disciples, he even was connected with Jesus as part of Jesus’ inner 12, but Judas did not put Jesus first in his life
John 12:6 New King James Version
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.
1. We cannot judge others by their actions and ourselves by our intentions
Malachi 3:8-12 New King James Version
8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. 11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the Lord of hosts; 12 “And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,” Says the Lord of hosts.
iv. We want the windows of heaven open, we want blessings poured out, we want the devourer rebuked for our sakes so that the fruit of our ground is not destroyed, nor our vines failing to bear fruit. We want to be called blessed and be a delightful land. We want this for EVERYONE in Bethlehem
d. Serve
i. We live in service to the Lord
1. Generosity: It’s Not Ours Anyway
a. We recognize that every resource we have been given comes from our generous Father. We choose to be just like Dad and give as He leads.
2. Time, energy, strength, ability
Matthew 10:7-8 New King James Version
7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven [a]is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, [b]cleanse the lepers, [c]raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
ii. We serve in two ways, with no strings attached
1. We serve God
1 Samuel 3:10 New King James Version
10 Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”
a. We are living sacrifices, devoted to pleasing Him, this is our suitable service
Romans 12:1 New King James Version
12 I beseech[a] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your [b]reasonable service.
Ephesians 5:10 New Living Translation
10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.
2. We serve His body
Galatians 5:13 New King James Version
13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
a. We serve one another, by freely giving what we have been freely given (Matthew 10:7-8)
IV. Is This My House?
a. Is this where Jesus is calling you to be planted? If not, find that place and be planted!
i. We want you to FLOURISH
Psalm 92:13 New King James Version
13 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
b. If this is your house, the local church in which you are a part of
i. Evaluate
1. Am I attending, connecting, tithing, and serving?
ii. Start with what you got (your best, His glory)
1. Begin to attend, ask Holy Spirit how He is calling you to connect, if you haven’t, begin tithing today, and ask Holy Spirit how He is calling you to serve
