Known For - South Union Baptist Church

A Church That Prospers By The Power Of God

August 4, 2024 • Pastor Chad Thompson • Acts 1:8

Bottom line: A church known for being prospered by God's power is a church that preaches, prays, and praises. The early church turned the world upside in less than a generation. How? By the power of God. Jesus promised the power before He ascended, and He sent the power in the person of the Holy Spirit. What God said to Zerubbabel He could say to us, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD." Every great thing that happens for the kingdom happens as a result of God's power. How do we see the power of God practically displayed in and through the church? We preach the Word/Gospel; we pray as a "house of prayer;" and we praise the One who inhabits our praises, for where God's presence resides His power abides.

A Church That Preaches The Word

July 28, 2024 • Pastor Chad Thompson • 2 Timothy 4:1–5

Bottom line: To fulfill the ministry God has given to us we must be known for preaching the Word. The early church in Acts 8:1, 4 went every where preaching the Word. The world stands in need of a steady voice consistently speaking truth. Paul would encourage us today in the same we he encouraged Timothy - preach the Word and do it faithfully. As we do this, we fulfill the ministry God has given to us.

A Church That Preaches The Gospel - Part 2

July 21, 2024 • Pastor Chad Thompson • Galatians 2:11–21

Bottom line: Identification with the gospel's purpose brings a demonstration of the gospel's power. Paul confronted Peter in Galatians 2 because Peter was not living in accordance to the truth of gospel. He wasn't living out his identity with the gospel. When we find our identity in anything other than the gospel, then we lose out on the power available to us through Jesus and His good news. But, when we live out our identity with the gospel, then the life of Jesus is demonstrated through us. This demonstration of Jesus' life is a mighty witness to those who are lost.

A Church That Preaches The Gospel - Part 1

July 14, 2024 • Pastor Chad Thompson • Mark 16:15, Mark 16:20, John 3:16, 2 Corinthians 5:21

Bottom line: People need to know the bad news of sin so that they can fully appreciate the good news of salvation. Therefore, we must strive to be a church that preaches the gospel. Do we want the good news or bad news first? Spiritually, there is both good news (salvation) and bad news (sin and its effects). No one gets excited about a solution to a problem he doesn't see. Our hearts will not be open to the good news of the gospel until we truly know that bad news of sin and its effects on us. We are born sinners. We're sinners by nature and choice. The result of our sin is death. The bad news is there is nothing we can do to save ourselves from sin and death. However, the good news is God can save us, and He saves us by grace through faith in Jesus' finished work of the cross. Jesus became our sin satisfying sacrifice. He died in our place. When we put our faith in Him, we are made righteous by grace.

A Church That Pursues God

July 7, 2024 • Pastor Chad Thompson • 2 Chronicles 15:1–15

Bottom line: When we pursue God with our whole heart we find Him. What did Asa do that led the nation to pursue God and find Him? What are the things we may need to do as a church and as individuals to pursue God and find Him? 1) Expel idolatry from our lives. An idol is external, but idolatry is internal. It is a heart issue. Idolatry is putting or placing someone or something at a higher priority than God. 2) Renew the altar of the Lord. As believers we have an altar through whom we meet with and worship God, Jesus (Heb 13:10). Worship is at the heart of pursuing God. 3) Seek the Lord with all our heart, soul, and desire. Pursuing God with all our hearts and souls means that we let go of and turn away from our idols and sin, renew our place at the altar (who is Jesus), and seek Him with our whole self in worship, prayer, and God's Word.

The Man God Wants

June 16, 2024 • Pastor Chad Thompson • 1 Timothy 2:8

Bottom line – Dads strive to be the men God wants when they live out a life of prayer, praise, purity, and peace. In 1 Tim 1:8, Paul says, "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." This verse echoes the heart of God. He wants a man who is man of prayer, a man of praise, a man of purity, and a man of peace.

A Church That Practices Presence

June 9, 2024 • Pastor Chad Thompson • Exodus 40:16–17, Exodus 40:33–34

Bottom line: Because of God’s love for His people, He desires His presence to dwell among us. Because of Jesus’ finished work on the cross and the Spirit’s indwelling us, we can dwell in His presence. God has always desired to dwell among His redeemed people. In Christ, we not only have access to and atonement with God, and can see the glory of God; but we have the very presence of God living in us. God moved into the neighborhood (of humanity), died for us, and said, “I will be your God and you will be my people. You can come into my presence anytime you like and stay as long as you want.” In Exodus 40 we see three things the children of Israel that foreshadow how we can practice the presence of God: 1) obey God, 2) reverence God, and 3) follow God.

A Church That Praises

June 2, 2024 • Pastor Chad Thompson • 2 Samuel 6:12–17

Bottom line: A church that expresses her need of God and her surrender to God will be known for exclaiming her praise for God. There are several lessons we can learn from David (a man after God's own heart) about worship. David brought the ark of God back to Jerusalem. David knew what the ark represented, i.e. God's presence. David knew that the presence of God is the greatest gift God can give us. As we study a few of the Psalms of David we learn from David to 1) lift up our praise to God in worship, 2) pour out our souls to God in worship, and 3) bow the knee (submit/surrender) to God worship.

A Church That Prays

May 26, 2024 • Pastor Chad Thompson • Acts 2:41–47

Bottom line: God's power and presence are manifest in a praying church. What do we want our church to be known for by God? A church that is known for prayer is a church that lives out her identity as a "house of prayer," exercises the priority of prayer, seeks to fulfill the purpose of prayer, and experiences the power of prayer because she is a church that is open on the God-ward side. When God knows our church as a praying church, we will know God's power and presence among and within us.