Sending, Saving, And Sanking Churches


This morning I had the privilege of being a part of the mortgage burning celebration at Springville Assembly of God in Springville, NY. It’s a great church with an 80 year history of impacting its’ community and the world. Pastor Stan and Dawn Handzlik have faithfully served the church and community since 1985.

The following is just a brief summary of the message I gave today to encourage and challenge the congregation. It’s a word that applies to all of our local churches as well.

The church isn’t about bricks and mortar, or wood and nails. But God uses buildings and works in them for his glory.

The Church needs to be a place that sends.
Paul writes to the Romans that he hopes to stop by on his way to Spain. I love to travel so everything about, “stop by Rome on the way to Spain,” sounds amazing to me. But Paul isn’t on vacation. Paul is going to Spain to fulfill the great commission. He’s taking the gospel to the end of the earth. Paul isn’t going to Spain to sip espresso in Barcelona. In his day Spain is as far as he can go. The Norwegian Vikings aren’t around yet, and it will be over 1,400 years before Columbus gets lost and lands on some islands in the Caribbean. Paul is going as far as he knows to go, and he will stop by Rome to be encouraged, prayed for, and financially supported in the ministry. It’s what missionaries still do when they stop by our churches on the way to their fields. Let’s be sure our local churches are sending churches that support taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

The Church needs to be a place that saves.
People in our communities are lost and without hope. May our local congregations be places where lost souls can come in and have their lives radically transformed by the gospel. The gospel changed my life. The gospel changed your life. The gospel will change the lives of those in our cities and towns.
People can come to faith in Christ anywhere. I heard a man’s testimony today who was saved when he was 10 years old watching Billy Graham on television. Most of us though we’re saved through the ministry of the local church. One Sunday I walked into a little church in Farmville, VA, and when I left I was never the same again. Let’s be sure our local churches are saving churches that lead people to faith in Christ.

The Church needs to be a place that sanks.
(I know that doesn’t make any sense, but this was a sermon so I wanted 3 S’s. The folks in Springville will never forget the day a preacher came to town, and had them raise their hands and shout, “Sank you, Jesus!”)
Jesus should always be thanked and praised in our churches for all he has done. The Bible teaches us to give thanks in everything. We’ve been forgiven of much, and that should spill over into a whole lot of gratitude. The church isn’t a place for murmuring and complaining, it’s a place for thanksgiving and praise.

The church is as vital today as it’s ever been. May our local churches be communities that impact the word through sending, saving, and even sanking. 

Following the Son,

James A Williams

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