Sermon for 02/04/06

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Sermon for 02/04/06
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Jesus: GREATEST GIFT OR GREATEST SECRET?

– A Place of Grace –

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 6th and final part of our sermon series. After getting a member of our “Extended Family” to come to church, the work does not end. It is up to us to create a place of grace, where potential Christians and future members can meet Jesus and be transformed by His love. But WE are the tools He longs to use, to express His grace and love to His children. If Christ is living in your hearts, if AGAPE LOVE reigns in your heart, if holy relationships are created… then spiritual fruit develops. Assimilating potential members is a key held by every member of the church in producing disciples. (Mostly taken from “The Master’s Plan for Making Disciples” by Win and Charles Arn.)

1) MAKING NEW DISCIPLES! So… let’s assume that in the last 5 weeks of this sermon series you were moved and convicted by the Holy Spirit to believe that Jesus’ greatest priority is to “make new disciples”. You discovered the 7 steps by which you can love and reach out to your “Extended Family” in gentle and no-confrontational ways. You recognized that 1) your extended family is everyone (kin, friends, and associates) that you come into contact with on a regular basis and 2) they are the ones for whom God has given YOU the responsibility to love unconditionally, and (when the time is right), share with them the wonderful news about God’s love! This week you filled out your extended family list, let the Holy Spirit lead you to focus on a couple of them, and you are beginning to pray for each of them. And you will intentionally and genuinely attempt to really know and understand them, so that when a “receptive moment” comes - you will be sensitive to and empowered to share with them Jesus’ love and grace. You’re nervous but excited to think that God will use you soon to bring the greatest gift the world has ever been given to those who need it the most. So has everything that has needed to be said about making new disciples been said? Not quite!

2) CATCH AND RELEASE? I’ll never forget the first time I caught a beautiful lunker bass, my fishing partner asked me, “So what are you going to do with it now?” See, there were three options: have it mounted for my wall, eat it for dinner, or practice “Catch and release”. To tell the truth, I wasn’t sure at first – I always wanted to catch a trophy bass, but hadn’t thought about what to do with it afterwards. Likewise, many of you may be looking forward to bringing a friend to church some day, but we still have to ask, “What will you do then?” Let me tell you this; “Catch and release” may be an option for fishing, but it is NOT Christ’s desire for His wandering children! And yet, that is exactly what many churches practice, because they have never paid much attention to what happens AFTER a spiritual seeker walks in the door. What good is getting people in the “front door”, only to watch them quietly walk out the “back door” several weeks, months, or years later? Catch and release is NOT Jesus’ plan for making new disciples.

3) RELATIONSHIPS/FRIENDSHIPS! Now last week we briefly mentioned that there at least 8 main reasons people come through the front door, but they were NOT the same reasons people stay. Your cousin Sally may have really loved the preacher’s sermon, but that will NOT be enough to keep her coming back. Your secretary’s family may mention they loved the excellent music and worship style, but that will NOT guarantee they will be there 5 months from now. Your next door neighbor may find a class you brought them to “helpful” in dealing with the loss of their spouse, but once that class is over – will they remain? People may have come for a host of reasons – but what do you think keeps them coming back? (Pause) That’s right: relationships! …relationships that lead to friendships based around the love of Jesus. Lyle Schaller has done extensive research that shows the more friendships a person has in a congregation, the less likely they are to become inactive or leave. In a recent survey of 400 church dropouts, 75% of the respondents said, “I didn’t feel anyone cared whether I was there or not.” Ouch! When there is an absence of multiple relationships that fails to lead to friendships, “Catch and release” occurs, and potential new disciples slip out the back door!

4) FRIENDLY OR A FRIEND? Now I would love to say that this doesn’t apply to ASLC, but I cannot. When I first came to this church I asked this question, “If I were to ask the community surrounding this church what they know about us, what would they say?” Everyone shrugged their shoulders, and one person finally said, “Well, if they came in to meet us, they would find out we were a friendly church.” It’s ironic that every church in America thinks it is a “friendly church”, but not many realize that “being friendly” is not the same as “being a friend.” The grocery clerk can smile and be “friendly”, but I doubt that constitutes spending quality time together and genuinely caring about everything that goes on in each other’s life! True friends take time and interest in sharing experiences and exploring their journeys through life together. They hang out together, do things together, and sincerely pour themselves out for one another. Friendships are not just pleasant smiles and “How do you do’s?” as we pass each other in the church hall. Friendships are sacrificial! It’s the “Agape love” of the New Testament that places others and their needs ahead of your own. Churches can be friendly but still have a revolving door, where people come… and people go …because they did not find the glue of friendship that keeps them there until they begin to grow in Christ.

5) 3 UNSPOKEN QUESTIONS. Let me ask you – what do people want to know when they enter a church? They want the answer to 3 unspoken questions:

1) Do I fit here? This is a question of acceptance. Will I find people of similar ages, interests, problems, or backgrounds that I can relate to? Every one needs a niche, a small group of sincere caring people to play a crucial role in meeting their need to belong. We must show visitors that we have a place for them.

2) Does anybody want to know me? This a question of friendship! Are there places and opportunities to develop relationships within our church family? Remember, people are not looking for a friendly place, they are looking for friends.

3) Am I needed? This is a question of value. People want their lives to mean something – they want to contribute to something meaningful. They want to feel that they matter. Does anyone want to help them explore their gifts and talents and use them in the right place?

Do you have the answers to these 3 unspoken questions?

6) YOU! Now that you have spent sometime in the minds of those visiting – it may be very easy to say, “That’s the pastor’s, evangelism team’s, or the church council’s job.” And yes, it is their responsibility! But it is not just their responsibility! After saturating himself in the Word of God, Martin Luther declared that we are ALL members of “the priesthood of all believers.” That means every member of the church is to use their gifts and talents and experiences of the Christian life to help visitors find positive answers to those 3 questions. When a young mom and her two children sit near you in church, it is up to you to express in your own unique but Christ-like way the answer to “Do I fit here?” That couple who walked in here shaken by the doctor’s word’s “You have cancer” – you can’t leave it to someone else to answer their question “Does anyone want to know me?” “Am I needed?” asks the young 23 year old who got laid off last week and feels useless and unnecessary. Who is going to help him discover the joy of using His gifts to care for others if YOU don’t? I ask you again – whose responsibility is it to answer these unspoken questions? Jesus says “look in the mirror!” It’s not about being a “friendly” church, it’s about making friendships, building genuine relationships with strangers. It’s about YOU imitating Christ.

7) HOPE! See you and I just can’t sit around and HOPE new seekers will make friends in the church. You and I must encourage it, plan for it, and facilitate it. Other wise, the pastor will get e-mails and letters like this: “Dear Pastor Chuck, I appreciated your call the other day. Yes, as I said, I have been away from ASLC for some time now. The first couple of weeks I went north to help my aunt with her broken hip. (Long story). When I came home I was sick – that’s when you called. Several more weeks have gone by since then, and it has occurred to me that no one besides the paid staff has even noticed I am gone. I admit that this realization has left me feeling empty and disappointed. I’m thinking that there may be some churches closer to my home that may better meet my needs at this time in my life. Thank you for your sermons – I have grown because of them. Signed…” Now that letter is actually a compilation of too many conversations and letters that I have received in the 12 years I have been here. Some of you may shocked by this, because that was not your experience here at all. But just because you found some close friends in the church doesn’t mean everyone has. I repeat, you and I cannot just sit around and HOPE people will make friends in the church. We must encourage it, plan for it, and facilitate it.

8) INTERESTED! Dale Carnegie once said, “You can make more friends in two months by becoming really interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you. Which is just another way of saying that the way to make a friend is to be one.” Jesus already knew that when He said in Luke 6:31, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” When we only see a new person in the church as potential resources – that is, time, talent, and treasures – we have lost our way. Jesus showed us the way to treat people – you aim for the heart! Before you seek out their time, talent, and treasure – you aim for the heart! You love them! Agape style! Unconditionally! Sacrificially! There is no structure, no staff member, no program that can shut down the back door in a church. But people won’t use it if they have found the friendship factor. And YOU are the key to that friendship factor. People are looking for authentic community. Your “caring enough” to get to know, understand, and sacrificially pour yourself out for them is the key! And when you get sincerely interested in people, a by-product of sharing the agape love of Christ… is growth.

9) SMALL GROUP GROWTH! It’s interesting that one of the greatest fears members have about growth is how to maintain that “small church feeling of fellowship” as the numbers increase. The antidote to this fear is a network of small groups. It is in a small group that people begin to experience the true love of Jesus. It’s in a small group that you find people who pray for you, develop a sense a trust, share common experiences, and feel connected to the church. It matters not if the church is 200 people or 2000 people – small groups are key to building relationships. Now let me ask you – are you a part of any? How can you provide a new visitor with a sense of belonging, if you have nothing to invite them to become a part of? Sure, Sunday worship helps us all feel we belong to something greater than ourselves, but it is in the small groups that we create an environment where intimacy and close fellowship take place. It is a myth that a church must remain small to maintain a close feeling of fellowship and belonging. Small groups provide the blessings people are looking for. And the by-product is growth.

10) A PLACE OF GRACE! And it doesn’t mind what kind of small group – center it around a hobby, a bible study, a ministry group, a Sunday school class – as long as we find one and make it a place of grace. Rick Warren who wrote the “Purpose Driven Life” says that “Small groups are the most effective way of closing the back door of your church”. He also says, you must continue to make new small groups, (new people are unlikely to join existing small groups), and so if you don’t have a small group, start one, and invite new people to become a part of it. But always make Christ the head of it! Make every small group a place of grace! Talk to Susan Machler, our small group coordinator for ideas.

11) ENCOUNTER JESUS! One of the saddest things in this world is the number of people who believe church is boring and irrelevant. That’s can only happen if they didn’t encounter Jesus. Once you have gotten someone to walk in these doors, it is important for you and I to give them a vision of something greater than themselves. We have to work together to provide them with a high-value experience of encountering Jesus. We need to provide genuine worship, relevant discipleship, sincere and caring relationships, meaningful opportunities for gift-based service, and an environment ripe for productive evangelism. All of these are avenues to transformation. When you care enough to listen to a visitor’s story – time will show you which of these doors is the primary one to guide them to. If your friend Millie wants to “do something” with her life – take her over to the people in charge of Habitat for Humanity, or our feeding program, or any of the other many service projects that affect other people’s lives in a positive way! If your co-worker Bob longs to grow spiritually, get Him involved in Companions, or any other small group studying God’s word. Why? Because whenever people come to encounter Jesus – their lives are changed! When Christ is present in the church – both in our individual lives, and in our corporate lives – new people discover that God’s family is anything but boring and irrelevant!

12) SUGGESTIONS! Here are some practical suggestions for enhancing your ability to help others build relationships in the church:

1) Learn the names of EVERY member you encounter regularly while at church. No - you can’t know everyone! But if you see a brother or sister you don’t know… take the initiative to go over and meet them and know them. If Alice or Ted bring a friend to church, or an unfamiliar face is at your service – intentionally take the first five minutes after church to go over and welcome them! Before you go and talk with your regular friends – go and make a new one! Learn their names.

2) Take notice of the cares and joys of fellow Christians. Listen to them; listen in order to help them. Often you won’t need to say anything. Just share the journey with them. You don’t have to fix all their problems, just care for them when they’re down, share their joys when they are up, and always point them to the only one who can bless them with what they need.

3) Be an active member of the church. The 20-80 rule applies to ASLC just like it does elsewhere. 20% of the people are active and do 80% of the work of building God’s kingdom. Where are you? You can’t help others experience the blessings of serving Jesus and loving others with Agape Love, unless you’re active.

4) Pray for those who walk through the door. After you have introduced yourself and asked about them, don’t let them go, until you have asked, “Is there anything I can pray for you about this week?” Even if they say “no” – they have discovered you care! Take them to Christ anyway through out the week!

5) Ask God to allow you to have…

a) An “approachable personality” (where people feel comfortable in your presence) and…

b) A “transparent lifestyle” (where you are not afraid to let others know the “real you”). Only God can develop this within you – ask and you shall receive.

13) READY? I have heard increasing concern lately about All Saints needing to grow – that’s good! It’s a Godly desire if it is based on Agape Love. But if growth discussions are based on any other reason – survival, need for additional resources, etc.. I guarantee you it will not come about. I read an interesting book this week in which the author stated quite bluntly “Although it is not a popular notion, sometimes churches fail to attract the unchurched because God is protecting both the church and the unchurched from exposure to one another. God will not bring an increase to a church until they are ready to handle it!” Friends, are we ready? Are we spiritually mature enough as individuals and a congregation to experience the joys and blessings that come to those who long to join Jesus in reaching out to those who do not yet know Christ and the church? I believe we are ready! I see Christians growing in their faith and reaching the point where the Spirit is inviting each of us to join in the Lord’s mission to make new disciples. Are we ready to invite them and genuinely love them when they arrive?

14) JESUS! Jesus is here this morning to remind us that making new disciples is His greatest desire. He comes to fill your heart with Agape Love that it might overflow to your extended families. No church is perfect, but bringing others to a place of grace and love is why the church exists; why you exist! Jesus comes to make your heart, and this church family that place of grace where the Holy Spirit flows around us, in us, and through us. You hold the key to unlocking the hearts of those who do not know Jesus and the church. Will you let Christ show you how to use that key to reach your extended family? Will you pray for and sacrificially pour yourself out for God’s children when they come to check us out? “Catch and release” is an option when bass fishing, but not when fishing for God’s children. They’re asking, “Do I fit in here?” “Does anyone want to know me?” and “Am I needed?” They are seeking acceptance, friendship, and value – something thanks to God that we already have! May God give us the heart, strength, and boldness to love others the way Jesus loves us! PRAISE GOD! AMEN!

Sermon/Confessional Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we confess that we have not always wanted to admit that your churches growth depends upon us being available to you each and every day. We see the need for outreach but we leave the making of new disciples to others. We have not made it the priority it should be. We have not sacrificially poured ourselves out for our extended family – but often seek a comfortable and self-serving life. Forgive us, and help us to change. Transform our hearts so that we may experience the joy and thrill of touching someone’s heart with your grace and love!

Lord, we confess that we are often more concerned about our present friends than in making new ones. We have not always taken a genuine interest in the lives of others, especially visitors to our church. We have not been actively pursuing ways to bring them into the fellowship of the church where they will find relationships that turn into friendships. Forgive us and empower us to selflessly put others ahead of ourselves – reflecting the love that comes as you reside in our hearts! help us make this a place of grace.

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 refuses to accept “Catch and release” as an acceptable consequence of Christian outreach. So empower us invite our extended family to your doors, to take a genuine interest in their lives, and build genuine small groups where they discover Christian love. Help us to compassionately build new friendships, and inspired others through the sharing of your 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 never accepts “catch and release” when fishing for His children, …that Lord has mercifully heard your confession and eagerly forgives you all your sins. Go now, and remember: it is after they come that they search for acceptance, friendship, and meaning. You are the key to them finding Christ’s loving and life-giving answers! Praise God! AMEN

Opening prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we stand before you this morning in this place of grace, because someone once made us aware of the greatest gift ever given to the world – you! Someone once mentioned your name for the first time. Someone once reflected your love in the things they said and did! And through them your Holy Spirit entered to change our hearts and our lives! Because of what someone once did, we anticipate the divine washing away of our sins this day! Because of what someone once said, we anticipate again the Holy Word that scriptures will provide, as the power that provides new and true life is released. Because of how someone once loved us in your name, we are able to lean on you, trust in you, and live in confidence even while we journey through a broken world. And now we ask that in this hour you would also make us the same kind of someone who reaches out intentionally and lovingly to invite, nurture, and love those who do not yet know you and your church. Let you Holy Spirit come now and work in us, and through us, that your family will grow more and more each day. In Jesus Name we pray! AMEN!

My Extended Family

Family Friends Associates

___________________ ___________________ __________________

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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