Sermon Tone Analysis
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*Engaging Culture III: Relationship-Driven Evangelism *
*John 17:15-19*
*/January 16, 2011/*
* *
*Prep: *
· Darrin -13:00
· 132
*Scripture reading: Luke 5:27-32*
Intro
Thank you for missing “the *big* *game*.”
If I hear cheers or groans during my sermon I will guess that you are checking in via your phones.
How simpler life used to be!
Prayer
Help us hold out your words of life to those we love...
engaging culture
We are in the third week of our *4 week series* on evangelism, reaching out and sharing the Gospel and bringing people into God’s kingdom.
· This is to launch The Gathering’s emphasis on “*Engaging* *Culture*” in *2011*.
For the majority of us, the most effective way to share the Gospel is through *friendship* *evangelism* – starting from the foundation of a relationship.
The *good* *news* is that done right, evangelism is surprisingly *natural* and actually *enjoyable* – it is simply sharing what *matters* *most* to you with people who mean a lot to you.
· It’s *not* *easy*, but when you are working out of your *gifts*, it is good work.
Here is the *MOdel *for effectively engaging our culture: S+C+X=EC
· S: *Striving* – (last week) We live a *Gospel* *Perspective*; acutely aware of our desperate need for God’s grace.
This is largely to *Christians*, springing from the *conviction* of a life changed by the *Gospel*, without a shred of *self*-*righteousness*, because you are dependent on God’s grace.
· C: *Community* connections – (this week) Keep it relational.
· X (an ancient abbreviation for Christ): *Christians* – being able to *clearly* *communicate* *Gospel*.
This sermon only has one point: *Develop* and *maintain* *relationships* with non-Christians so you can *share* the Gospel in the *context* of *relationship*.
relationship-driven Gospel friend of Is this using people?
· Right away, *warning* *bells* may be going off in your head.
Doesn’t that sound like *Amway* (and a host of multi-level marketing), where you are encouraged to try to sell this *business* “*opportunity*” to your friends?
Q Does this mean we make friends for the *purpose* of *leading* them to Jesus?
If it doesn’t work, we move to the *next* *project*?
· No, we make friends because we are *like* our *savior*, and he loved people; he was a *friend* of *sinners*.
Most people can tell when they are a “*project*” and not a friend, so I have to image that *Jesus* must have actually loved these people or else they wouldn’t have *hung* *out* with them.
And *as* we *build* *relationships*, we *care* more about them, and because we care for them, we *cannot* *help* share the Gospel.
· Our *relationships* are not *driven* by the *evangelism*, our *evangelism* is *driven* by *relationships*.
Maintaining proximity
Q So *how* do we *maintain* and *develop* genuine relationships with non-Christians?
We must begin by *maintaining* *proximity*.
In other words, we have to actually be *around* them.
I know that seems *obvious*, but the *Christian* *track* *record* would indicate otherwise.
· Let’s look to say what *Jesus* had to say about this.
As you *go* *there*, I want to teach you a new word: *Conflation*.
It means combine a couple of things to make new thing, specifically take a couple of different verses and make a new one.
· Try to find the *most* *famous* conflation:
NIV *John 17:15-16 * My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.
They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
Q Did you see it?
What expression do we get from this? “Be in the world but not of the world.”
· *What’s* *happening* is Jesus is about to die and he’s *praying* for his followers, knowing the challenges they’ll face.
If you want to be an *ineffective* Christian and not have an impact on the world, I have two suggestions: *Isolate* yourself from the world or allow yourself to be *infected* by the world.
“Be in the world”
“Don’t take out of the world” doesn’t just mean don’t take them to *heaven* (that might *hamper* *evangelism*), but not to *remove* themselves like the Essenes, *forgotten* for almost *2,000 years*.
Q *How* *many* Christians do you know who are isolated like this?
They find it far *easier* and more *comfortable* to stay sequestered in their little *Christian* *subculture*:
· Only have *Christian* *friends*.
· Only listen to Christian *radio* and watch Christian *TV*.
· I’ve even seen a Christian *telephone* *directory* because God forbid that you buy eggs from an atheist.
This is very *safe* – you don’t have to worry about ever having your *faith* *challenged*.
Q If you died today, how many non-Christians would be at your funeral?
Not of the world
On the other hand, there is the danger of being *infected* by *worldliness*, which is why he *continued* by *praying*:
NIV *John 17:17-19* Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.
19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Jesus prayed we be sanctified, kept *holy* as we are in this world.
The *danger* of corruption is *immense*: We grow up in this world and naturally adopt its *ways*, *values*, and *perspective*.
· Just *partying* with non-Christians isn’t enough; simply showing them you aren’t a *fuddy*-*duddy* isn’t engaging culture!
You are *different* from other *Christians*.
Great.
But are you also different from *non*-*Christians*?
The tension
· There is an *ongoing* *tension* between staying in this world but not being of it.
The *greatest* *challenge* of engaging our culture with the Gospel is to remind *in* the *world* while not *becoming of* the world.
It’s easy to *isolate* yourself to stay nice and clean.
It’s also easy to *unthinkingly* *become* *like* your environment.
Q Which is the *greater* *danger* for *you*?
For me it’s being *removed* from the world.
*Pastors* are the worst offender as this – at least most of you work with non-Christians.
I have to be *intentional* about not being isolated.
· That is one of the reasons I write my sermons at the *Co*-*op* and *Starbuck*, and I try to be *open* to *conversations*.
finding connection points
Maybe you are in the *same* *boat* with me – you find it difficult to create relationships with non-Christians because you have so few connections.
Here are some ideas to get you thinking:
/1.
//Family//: For some of you, that’s scarier than primitive /*cannibal*/ /*tribes*/.
/
/2.
//Friends/
3. /Co-Workers//: /For most of you this is the *#1 opportunity*.
/4.
//Neighbors//: /Do you know your neighbors?/
/Do you view your home as *fortress* or an *outreach* *center*?
/5.
//Miscellaneous associations//:/
\\ · Coffee shops
· Sports areas
· Pubs
· Fraternities
· PTA
· Rotary
\\
If you don’t have any, then go out and *join* *one* of these!
Paying the rent
It’s one thing to have these acquaintances: How do we turn these into *real* *relationships* where we have the *ability* to *speak* *into* their lives?
· It might be a familiar statement, but it’s true: “People *don’t* *care* how much you *know* until they know how much *you* care.”
It’s a lot easier to give *information* than to *care*.
It’s far easier to *shove* a *tract* under your neighbor’s door than to spend an hour *listing* *quietly* about their *rebellious* *teenager*.
· The problem is that we are so *used* to *being* *served*.
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