I don’t want to stand before Him on that day and have to answer to why didn’t you lead your people to change? Why didn’t you forsake tradition and face your fears and get out there and reach the lost?

I hope today that we can adopt the DNA of God, the DNA we are meant to have, and fulfill the destiny that He has for us.

I believe that God is raising up churches like ours because of what it says in verse 47; 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “‘I have made you[f] a light for the Gentiles, that you[g] may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” We are not going to reach them all but we have to try, who’s with me?

With God's leadership, our new purpose must be: "Connecting people with Jesus and each other."

We may have to face persecution, maybe even from someone within our own walls. We may have to face death simply for what we believe but the world will always fail in it’s attempts to destroy us if we stand firm in Jesus Christ!

We must take on the characteristics of Barnabas if we want the church to grow and to be able to lead others to the cross.