Sermon for 01/28/06

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Sermon for 01/28/06
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Jesus: GREATEST GIFT OR GREATEST SECRET?

– Your Extended Family –

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AMEN

Main Theme: Either we see Jesus as the Greatest Gift the world has ever been given, or we act as if He is the Greatest Secret. There is no doubt in scripture as to which attitude is correct. Sharing our faith is the greatest desire of God! Today, in this 5th part of our sermon series, we personalize the early church’s concept of “Oikos” – that is, our relatives, friends, and associates. We will 1) define and identify our “extended family” 2) Develop a profile of each member, 3) Focus you efforts, 4) Develop a disciple-making plan, 5) Work the disciple making plan, (listen, relate, identify receptive periods, use appropriate timing, use understandable language), 6) Pray regularly for each member, and 7) Accept accountability to others and God. (Mostly taken from “The Master’s Plan for Making Disciples” by Win and Charles Arn.)

1) THE LOVE OF CHRIST! If you are attending this morning and consider yourself non-religious, you can close your eyes and take a short nap right now, because nothing from the pulpit pertains to you. But if you are embraced in the love of Christ… and have focused upon the cross and seen God’s unconditional love sacrificially poured out for you… today’s message hold’s an compelling need to pay attention. For those children of God who have received the gift of salvation, and the countless blessings of forgiveness, healing, faith, eternal life, and inner peace …the challenging adventure placed before us in the past few weeks compels us to reflect this hour upon what it means to join Christ in His greatest priority – to make new disciples. Non-Christians can ignore this calling and stay focused solely upon their own needs. But the Christian who yearns to be sensitive to the beckoning of the Holy Spirit strives to hear and respond to the call to sacrificially place others ahead of ourselves. What “compels” us is the love of Christ!

2) WE WANT TO! Despite our anxieties, fears, doubts, and questions about “how” to share the faith, deep down inside the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, is calling you and I to take a huge step in our faith walk! And we want to… in the light of Christ’s love - we want to respond. As nervous as we may be initially, we want to reflect His love to others who do not know Him, and we’re secretly hoping that His Word today will help us faithfully serve Him. Admittedly, there’s a spiritual tension within us that non-Christians can ignore. It’s a tension that naturally occurs on a regular basis to disciples who are growing spiritually. A tension that experience tells us, God is capable of relieving as He teaches us trust Him, and love others! The Spirit declares that nothing is impossible with God! And if He proclaims that we are to be the means by which others come to know and love Him, then we want to respond faithfully! Not because we have to… but because we want to.

3) HOW! Today Christ shows us HOW to roll up our sleeves and join him dispensing hope, faith, and love to a broken world. Today’s “how” is based on last week’s scriptural demonstrations of how the early church grew rapidly through sharing Christ with their “Oikos” – that is, their households; the people in their “sphere of influence”, (meaning family, relatives, friends, & associates.) Today we are going to personalize the natural web of relationships by which the Gospel most effectively flows. HOW do we make disciples? There are 7 steps. Understanding them is one thing – but only acting upon them will lead to miracles, transformed hearts, and a joy and happiness that we have never experienced before!

4) EXTENDED FAMILY! First, we need to define something called our “Extended family”. No doubt, if you are a parent you feel an important sense of responsibility to your family. God has given you the duty to oversee their physical health, safety, personal growth, and spiritual development. But did you know that God has also given you an “Extended family” for whom you have a responsibility? They are YOUR “Oikos” – your close friends, relatives, and associates who DO NOT KNOW Jesus Christ! Your extended family is people you have a unique relationship with. And because they are non-Christians, you may be the only bridge God has to them. So let’s be clear; your Oikos is composed of all the people in your circle of influence – both Christians and non-Christians. Your “extended family” is the people in your Oikos who are NOT in Christ and His church. It may be your office secretary, your younger brother, a friend getting a divorce, your next door neighbor, your exercise partner, or your cousin who lives 4 blocks away. God has said that you are responsible to these people to dispense God’s grace and love to, with the intentional purpose of helping them to know and love Christ.

5) IDENTIFY! So, Step One in “making disciples” is simple: 1) Identify your extended family. These are people you come into regular contact within your day-to-day life. In your bulletin this morning there is a sheet for listing your extended family – including nearby kin, friends, and associates. Kin, of course, are non-Christians related to you biologically or through marriage. Close friends are people you identity with, trust, and share the ups and downs of life with! You look forward to spending time with them. The associates category are non-believers at work, or school, or in the community that you rub elbows with regularly. You’ll talk politely about any matters of mutual interest. Perhaps you attend the PTA together, or bowl together in a league, or belong to the same club or civic committee. But the first step to “making disciples” is to identify on a list those kin, friends, and associates that belong to your extended family who are NOT in Christ and the church.

6) PROFILE! I pray you will not toss this list into the recycle bin, but will spend time filling it out this week. Place it in your bible, or on the lamp stand near your bed, or use a magnet to place it on your refrigerator – because unless it is constantly seen and intentionally reviewed, you will not progress to the next step: 2) Develop a profile of each member. You cannot build friendships without learning something about the other person. What are their hobbies or interests? Sure you may know their age, what they do for work, or who they are married to, but knowing a person on a level that goes beyond that is “the key” effective disciple making.

7) KNOW! Before I was laid off at Boeing in 1982, I worked in a department with 30 other people. My boss, the secretaries, and fellow NC Programmers worked together every day. But it was not until I was called back 3 years later, that it occurred to me I did not know anything personal about them. I had never intentionally asked about their backgrounds, their hobbies or interests, or how their family lives were going. I had no idea who had a faith, or what kind. I had no idea if they were happy in their job, or if any exciting events were happening in their lives. Upon returning, I vowed to find out. During breaks and lunch, I discovered tons of information about the people there, and it brought us closer together, deeper friendships developed, and only then did some really interesting spiritual discussions take place. What about you? You rub shoulders with people daily – what do you really know about them? Are they Christians? Are they political, interested in football, speak a foreign language? Where did they go to school? What major events in their life shaped their personality? The fact is, until you begin to care enough to really know the people in your extended family – disciple-making is not even an option. We are called by Christ to love those around us – and getting to know them in a more meaningful way is how we start!

8) FOCUS! Step 3) Focus your efforts. As you regularly review the list of names in your extended family, you will want to identify a few whom you have a natural, warm relationship with, …people you get along with, people you enjoy doing things with. Who among the list may enjoy being with your friends from church? Who may already be receptive to the gospel and may easily find a home here at ALSC? Focus on them! Obviously, the number of people you will focus on will differ according to the amount of time you can give to consciously sharing God’s love. A busy CEO may want to focus on just 1 or 2 to be effective, whereas a retired person may have the time to focus on six or more non-Christians in their Extended family! Any kid who’s used a magnifying glass to burn paper, knows there is POWER in focused energy. Likewise, don’t try to save everyone on your list at once. Let the Holy Spirit help you focus your efforts.

9) PLAN! Step 4) Develop a Disciple-making plan. At first, planning how to build friendships with non-Christians may seem… uncomfortable. But when you were 16, did you ever plan ways to bump into someone you were attracted to in an attempt to get to know them? Then you see that planning to build relationships doesn’t have to be manipulative, just intentional. Planning to build anything that is Godly is scripturally correct. Proverbs 14:22 says “Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.” There is nothing wrong with planning what is good if it leads to love and faithfulness. Proverbs 16:3 tells us “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” God apparently approves of planning. It leads to good things. In fact, planning to do good is something we learn from God, (Jeremiah 29:11) “‘For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” What is wrong with planning to build relationships and give others a hope and future in Christ?

10) UNIQUE! See, in order to start effectively building a genuine relationship with each unique person on our list, we need to meet people where they are, not where we are! Paul told us, (1 Corinthians 9:22) “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” If you are not planning the best way to effectively communicate the gospel to this unique person …if you are not planning a way to make it relate to their lives and their needs – you will reduce the chance of their hearing it with eager hearts. Christ’s approach to introducing disciples to the Good News was highly individualistic. With farmers he used parables about planting and harvesting. He asked the woman at the well for a drink of water, and talked of spiritual water. He discussed producing fruit for the kingdom with people who understood his examples of vineyards and olive trees. For each unique person you choose to intentionally focus on, you should have a unique plan that specifically caters to that individual.

11) WORK THE PLAN! Step 5) Work the Disciple-making plan. As you begin to get closer and build an increasingly deeper friendship with that person, be sensitive to and aware of the events in your extended family member’s life. There is a right time and a wrong time, a right way and a wrong way to communicate God’s love.

First, let’s A) Listen attentively. Paul Tillich, (theologian), once said, “The first duty of love is to listen”. But listening is not our natural tendency and must be learned and cultivated through practice. Listening is putting yourself in their shoes, and asking questions until you understand them and see things from their perspective. It’s not racing on ahead to discuss your agenda. And listening is certainly not “turning the conversation to spiritual matters” at the first opportunity! True grace and love longs to comprehend the non-Christian’s dreams and ambitions, discover their needs and problems, and understand them so as to build mutual respect and personal empathy. In every non-Christian’s life there is a “contact point”; a need, a hurt, a problem, a fear… that when discovered allows the listener to share the part of the Good news that speaks to that specific need. But only listening will build trust and friendship and help you find that contact point.

Along with that comes the need to B) Relate to their needs. It’s only through a close meaningful relationship that you can mutually share experiences – happiness, sadness, successes, failures, irritation, disappointment. Sharing needs is the natural context for demonstrating your Christian faith, relating your experience to theirs, and discussing the solution Christ has provided.

Next, we need to c) Identity receptive periods. It is during significant changes in lifestyle (like marriage, birth of a child, new job, retirement), OR incidents of stress, (death of a loved one, divorce, family crisis, injury) that God’s love and caring is significantly appropriate. When the idols people have depended on, suddenly fail them - people find themselves in a more receptive frame of mind to explore different and new possibilities – like God! But when things are stable in a non-Christian’s life, they are generally not open to becoming a disciple. So we love people unconditionally, hopeful that some day when they seeking answers to their crisis’s and trauma, they will turn to those who have always supported them to explore spiritual options! We need to identity receptive periods.

Statistics tells us that 2 out of 10 of our friends are experiencing major trauma or stress in their lives. If you have ever used the Holmes-Rauhe Social Readjustment Scale to measure the amount of stress you are under, you know that certain events stress you more than others. And when compound events happen, you can start to blow fuses or have a meltdown. Why? Because the human things and people you have leaned on to keep you strong or safe, are shown for what they are – an illusion. The higher the numbers on the stress scale, the more receptive a person can be to the Good news of Christ’s love! Intentionally being aware of what is going on in your extended family, will help you to identify receptive moments.

It’s also important to D) Use Appropriate Timing. “When” you communicate God’s love can be as important as “what” you communicate. When your workout partner at the gym, confesses having difficulty with their daughter, it is an appropriate time to relate how your faith guided you in a similar circumstance.

And above all, E) Use Understandable language! We Christians have a language all to our own, theological terms, biblical phrases that are foreign to the unchurched. Colossians 4:5-6 “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

12) PRAY! The sixth step in making disciples is essential! 6) Pray regularly for each member. Friends put this list where you will see it every day; because you need to pray for them every day! Genuine caring comes from asking God to let your extended family experience His love through you. Do you know that some people have never had anyone specifically pray for them? Take that honor! And let your Christian family pray for them too! Why is it that our “prayers of the church” aren’t filled with the names of extended family who have yet to experience Christ’s love? There is power released through prayer – let us hold them up to God!

13) ACCOUNTABILITY! The final step is 7) Accept accountability to others and to God. You need to meet regularly with other Christians involved in the disciple-making process to share experiences and learn from one another. It wouldn’t hurt to find a Christian friend in this church and covenant to call and check in weekly to how the disciple-making process is going, and to encourage one another; to compare notes and pray for each other’s extended family, AND to pray for one another. Without accountability, it’s easy to get distracted from living according to God’s will – and our extended family may miss out on an opportunity to hear about Christ’s love. A prayer partner helps us live a life-style that makes Christ smile!

14) MIRACLE! Friends, the day the Holy Spirit began to work in your heart, a miracle occurred! As you relationship with Jesus Christ grew, so your blessings grew. Your life is filled with power, and purpose, and peace – even while the world around you is falling apart. Embraced in His arms, you are a child of God who will inherit an eternal and perfect kingdom! Because you earned or deserve this miracle? – No! Because your sins, weaknesses, and brokenness were washed away by the blood of Christ – spilt on the cross for you! You are the recipient of a divine love beyond the description of words! You grow in that love, depend on that love, and cherish that love. We gather here this morning to thank Him and praise Him for that miracle of love! But the people in your extended family haven’t yet experienced that miracle, and they walk alone in a noisy, confusing, and uncaring world. This is not Christ desire – is it yours?

15) CHRIST AND YOU! Christ comes this morning with a plan to love and save the members of your extended family – and asks if you will join Him in loving them. What you do with this list will probably tell Him if you are ready to care as He cares for them. Christ is here to empower you to pray and focus on sharing His love with those you know and see regularly. Will you, in your daily devotions, ask Him to bless each of them and open your eyes to that right moment; that receptive moment? Will you trust that He will give you the right Words when that time comes? Christ longs to give true life, eternal life, and a life filled with love and peace to every one in your extended family! A non-Christian is off the hook – and can care only for themselves. But those whom God has graciously baptized in the waters of divine love and peace, are called to let Him use us, our lives, our love and compassion to touch those who haven’t a clue as to what a relationship with Christ can bring them! Just as you are a miracle because someone once shared His love with you, it is Christ’s desire that you offer yourself this morning as His hands, feet, and voice to intentionally reach out to your extended family that they may experience this miracle of love and peace too! PRAISE GOD! AMEN!

Sermon/Confessional Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we confess that our desires to make disciples according to your will do not match our actions and lifestyle. We have kept you a secret from those who have not yet experienced the miracle of your love. We have not placed our fears and anxieties before you and asked you to transform our hearts, nor trusted that you are able to empower us to share your love in ways that bring others to you. Forgive us, and come live within us, guiding us this week as we identify our extended families, and focus on those you desire to embrace.

Lord, we confess we deal with many people regularly but do not really “know” them. We have not selflessly sought to make genuine friendships with our extended families. We have not tried to understand them, or walk a mile in their shoes. We have not prayed for them regularly or intentionally looked for receptive moments to share your love. Forgive us, change us, and empower us to make this day the beginning of a disciple-making lifestyle.

And now Lord, although you know us better than we know ourselves, listen as we share in a moment of silence, those other parts of our lives that need to be forgiven, washed clean, healed, and recommitted to you! (made anew.)

(Silence)

Lord, your gracious and loving nature compels us to start making new disciples. As we begin praying this week for our extended family, let your Holy Spirit direct our focus to those most open to your love. Help us to genuinely and compassionately build new friendships, and open our eyes to those receptive moments, and fill our hearts with inspired words of grace, love, purpose, power, and peace. In Jesus Name We Pray. AMEN

Assurance of Forgiveness:

Friends, listen to the good news: The Lord, who has blessed you with an extended family, …that Lord has mercifully heard your confession and eagerly forgives you all your sins. Go now, and remember: you know the people God longs to embrace. Focus on and love those on your list, be friends intentionally, genuinely care, develop trust, and when the time is right, invite them to experience the miracle of Jesus’ love and peace. Praise God! AMEN

Opening prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we stand before you this morning having heard in the past few weeks your compassionate desire to use us in making disciples - bringing the miracle of your gracious love to those who have yet to experience it. But admittedly we are hesitant and nervous about the required changes in our hearts, and in our lifestyles that are needed in order to join you in sharing your love. Never-the-less, we humbly stand here before you, ready to be molded by the gentle hands of the Holy Spirit. We offer ourselves to you, because as we stand here ready to be forgiven and made anew, we desire the same for our unchurched friends, families, and associates. As we prepare to hand over our fears, worries, and problems to you, we sincerely pray that the non-Christian acquaintances will someday place all their troubles and concerns in your all powerful and wise hands. As we are reminded this morning of your sacrificial and unconditional love, we truly join you in your desire for all your children to experience it. So show us Lord, inspire us, and empower us this morning that we increasingly be sensitive to the needs of others and those receptive moments when they may open to the good news of your love. As we praise you this morning for all the blessings we are about to receive, so too help us to become blessings to the people we meet daily. In Jesus Name we pray! AMEN!

INTRODUCTION TO 1^st READING: (Acts 2:42-47)

The last words of the Scripture we are about to read is this: “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Why was the numbers rising daily? Why were people attracted to the people of God and to their message? As we read the answer… let us ask ourselves, would these words describe ASLC? Would they describe our individual lives? The secret to building the kingdom of God, of bringing others who do not yet know Him to experience his love and grace is the same today, and it was back then.

Let us read together how it all began in the early church in Acts, the 2^nd Chapter…

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING!

(In the theme of unity, would you please grab the hand of someone besides you… and after I open the prayers, there will be an opportunity for you to give thanks out loud for (not specific names), gifts, ministries, blessings, etc.. that God has provided us in this church family.)

Lord, you are the master artist and Creator that loves His beloved children unconditionally and longs to see us grow. You desire to see us grow…

closer to you,

and closer to one another.

You desire us to grow spiritually in your Word,

and grow your church family!

And so we thank you for the diversity among us, for giving us unique and distinctive gifts, abilities, and resources. And we thank you for giving us a common purpose, for linking us together in service. We thank you for calling us into the body of Christ, and for the ability to work together as the Holy Spirit dwells within us. We are awed by the gifts you have given to this church family; and pray that you would lead us to expand this gathering of believers –by expanding our hearts to love others as you have loved us!

Listen now as we specifically give thanks for the special gifts and ministries found in those around us this morning. As we lift them up to you out loud, bless them and empower them with your spirit in order to grow your church….

Lord, you have blessed us that we might be a blessing to others. So take our meager offerings of time, talent, and treasures and combine them, multiple them, and empower us to use them to bring glory into the world. Inspire and enable this family to grow your Kingdom, to seek out those who feel unwanted and alone, and bring them into your loving embrace. We give you thanks for every brother and sister here today, and especially for those who are still to come. Join our hearts, minds, and souls together – and show us the way to seek, love, and encourage one another, as you have so graciously done to us! AMEN

My Extended Family

Family Friends Associates

_________________ _________________ ________________

D Dear Lord, this is a list of my family, friends, and associates who have yet to experience the miracle of your love. As I sincerely offer myself to be your hands, feet, and voice to those who do not know you and your church, help me to 1) define and identify my expanding “extended family”, 2) develop a profile of each member, (that is, get to really know and understand them), 3) focus my efforts to build genuine and deep friendships on those most receptive to your love, 4) develop a disciple-making plan for each unique person, 5) work the disciple-making plan, (as I listen, relate to, identify their receptive periods, use appropriate timing, use understandable language), 6) pray regularly for each member, and 7) accept accountability to others and especially to you God for sharing your love. AMEN!

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