(003) Reaching Out
Reaching Out
October 14, 2007
Last week I forgot to thank everyone who turned out to help with the work party: Joe & Deanna, Katie, Art & Tami, Vicki, the Heidi’s, Marc & Lynda, Laura, Marc Thrall, Eddie & Leeann, Marilyn, and especially Janna & Peter, who put it together.
Our mission
Last week I read out Mission Statement and would like to return to it:
To exist as an authentic Christian community that interprets, engages, and transforms our culture in Skagit Valley through a genuine expression of the gospel of Christ.
We talked about what it means to be an authentic Christian community. It means things like:
· Fellowship – Sharing and enjoying life together.
· Support – Carrying each others burdens.
· Accountability – Watching out for each other.
· Growth – Pushing each other to grow.
I also talked about how some churches can have the attraction of crowd and some have the attraction of community.
As I said, we have a great community, and that is a strength for us to build upon. I believe that folks will come to TG because they want to be a part of this community.
· BTW: There are written copies of that sermon on the table in the narthex if you want to read it.
Today’s the challenge is how to offer that community to those around us.
I believe that we are going to grow, but it is not by magic, it will be by us reaching out. And this sermon is about how to reach out. In the theory, reaching out and bringing others into our community is simple. It has three basic parts:
1. Invite them
2. Welcome them
3. Include them
Invite them
Without a doubt, this is can be the hardest one for me. It’s not too bad when I invite believers to church, but inviting non-Christians is an entirely different subject.
And if we don’t reach out to the non-churched, we can’t grow. We might be able to shuffle some folks from one church to another, but for us to advance the kingdom of God, we must be inviting non-Christians into the Body of Christ.
It is my hope and desire that we grow this church by brining in the non-churched, whether that is by bringing believer without a home, or bringing people into the kingdom.
This strikes at one of my biggest fears – “witnessing,” as I grew up calling it. I suppose as your new pastor, I really shouldn’t be telling you stuff like that, I might get fired.
The first time I really began to “witness” was when I was 14 and on my first mission trip, six weeks in Jamaica.
That trip had all the essential components of a good mission trip: Working in hot weather, personality conflicts, living in a very different culture, and eating bizarre foods.
Our team was made of up kids from age 5 to 18. We would gather a crowd, do dance routines to Christian songs, and then mingle and talk to people about Jesus.
My wife will tell you that I can’t dance. Our engagement barely survived dance lessons. I was a clumsy 14 year-old boy with a mullet trying to dance and tell people about Jesus.
· Even worse, it was videotaped. [Ship’s Kids video montage]
As bad as that was, it was the easy part. I spent every performance dreading what came after the show: the witnessing. I had to talk, to people, about Jesus. That terrified me.
As we finished each song, I knew I was that much closer to “witnessing” time and I’d try to ignore the ball of lead growing in my stomach. At the same time, I was ashamed of my fear.
· What’s wrong with me? I thought if I loved Jesus more, I would be able to witness effortlessly, like the rest of my team.
The fear usually beat out the shame and I did what ever I could to avoid witnessing. I had some stage skills, so slid myself into a stage hand role.
· I developed a reputation of having a real “servant’s heart”.
This was my defining experience with evangelism: fear, dread, shame. And to this day, whenever someone talks about witnessing, I still feel a twinge of dread, mixed with guilt.
Q: Do any of you feel that way?
Excited to share?
We know that we should want to share the Good News. We know Christ has given us the awesome privilege and responsibility of being His WITNESSES. We know the “Great Commission”:
[Jesus said] Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Matthew 28:19-20 NIV
These are our “marching orders.” We are God’s plan “A” for sharing the Gospel and He doesn’t have a plan “B.”
I’m not an evangelist!
If I really believe that this world is dying in its sin, and if I believe that only Jesus can rescue the lost, and if I love my neighbors as myself, shouldn’t I be excited to share the Gospel?
Well, yes, but I’ve learned that the reason I dreaded witnessing after those performances is because that method was so contrary to my wiring.
· I would have been happier teaching new believers how to read their Bible.
It was [Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers... Ephesians 4:11 NIV
It say some, not all. I was trying to be something I am not. Some are called to be evangelists. Does this mean I don’t have to share the Gospel? No, the Great Commission is pretty clear.
· Some are called to be evangelists, but all are called to be evangelistic.
What’s the difference between being an evangelist and being evangelistic? Both look for opportunities to share God’s love and share the Gospel. And both share out of who God made them.
· An evangelist is someone that God has gifted and impassioned specifically for sharing the Gospel.
It’s very freeing to know I’m not expected to be an evangelist. But Every believer is still expected to be evangelistic.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. 1 Peter 3:15 NIV
I’m not prepared!
This command is for every believer, evangelist or not. Everyone of us is expected to be able to give reasons for our hope. This doesn’t mean you need to be an Bible expert.
If you are growing as a believer, spending time praying and reading, then you will have enough information to share about Jesus from your experience. I suspect most of us in here know enough to help someone start a relationship with Jesus
But more important than information, is being a shining example of Jesus. There is no more powerful witness than the fruit of the Spirit being lived out:
...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
Our mission statement called us to “engage and transform our culture” and the most effective way of doing that is bearing this kind of fruit.
· Non-Christians aren’t that impressed if you can quote John 1:1 in Greek. I’ve tried, and they aren’t.
What does impress unbelievers is seeing the difference God has made in your life, and that is your area of expertise.
· You are the only expert on what God has done in your life.
For most of us, this is the most effective form of witnessing.
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God.... 1 Peter 2:12 NIV
If there is something in your life that they want, but don’t know how to get, then God will be able to provide multiple opportunities to share His love.
While working at McDonalds with my sister, someone asked me why we got along. Using that question to tell him about Jesus was far more fun than witnessing after those performances.
· And we can do this kind of witnessing without being a weirdo!
When we live our faith in a real, relevant, and attractive manner, we’ll be able to share Christ in a normal, natural way.
I don’t know any non-Christians!
Ironically, now that I’m better equipped to share the Gospel than I’ve ever been, I have the least opportunities.
I know the Bible better, I can answer almost any question, and I am comfortable talking about God. But I work with Christians (and they’re tired of hearing me talk), almost all of friends are Christians, and all of my family are Christians.
A major obstacle being able to reach out to non-Christians is not having non-Christians friends!
The most effective way to evangelize is friendship evangelism. Tracks and crusades may have a limited role, but nothing is better than sharing the Gospel with those who’ve seen you live it out.
· The Gospel should be seen before it is heard.
But the longer we are Christians, the stronger our tendency to separate ourselves from those in the world. This tendency must be actively counteracted if we are to reach our world.
Sadly, many Christians actually encourage this separation. They seem to be afraid of being contaminated. But Jesus loved hanging out with sinner and they loved hanging out with him!
· This tells me that He must have been a lot more fun than most Christian think!
Again, our mission statement calls us to “interpret, engage, and transform our culture” which can’t happen if we don’t know anyone in our culture!
· If you can safely relate to unbelievers, you should!
It is crucial that we actively DEVELOP and maintain friendship with co-workers, neighbors, and parents at PTA’s.
Just invite them!
So to sum up the first step of reaching out, we all need to invite others into church, which means that our lives must be examples of love and grace.
So invite others, Christians and non-Christians to join us at church. We will do our best to have a service that glorifies God without scaring the uninitiated.
So that just leaves two more stages of reaching out. Don’t worry; the next two are considerably shorter, because that really is the hardest step for most of us.
2. Welcome them
The next stage happens when folks take us up on our invitation and show up. The question is: How will they be greeted? Will it be a warm or a cold greeting?
The Attitude
Having a warm, welcoming church is first of all about having a welcoming spirit and attitude. If we are glad to have visitors here, it will show.
· And, I am happy to say, we are and it does.
When folks visit, you all are good at greeting them, helping them find the nursery, knowing where to go, and all that.
And obviously, it is crucial that this welcoming is extend to everyone that walks through these doors.
My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? James 2:1-4 NIV
None of us would mean to show favoritism, it is always easier to hang out with the people we know and who are like us, but Paul makes in clear in Galatians, the Cross has broken down every boundary.
The Practical
In addition to a welcoming attitude and sprit, there are also two very practical things I want all of us to do to make this church one known for being welcoming:
First, is something you have probably noticed, and that is having greeters at the front door. Frankly, that front door of ours, as cool as it is, it pretty intimidating.
For that reason, I really want to have people standing at the front door warmly greeting everyone who walks in. It just means being here at 9:30 and giving up some time with friends.
Peter did it the last week, Marc & Lynda this week, and I will do it next week. I figure if we all take turns, you will only have to do it every couple of months.
· Here is a sign up sheet, you can either greet by yourself or as a couple.
The second thing is a simple commitment – Give God your first 5 minutes after service.
What I mean by this is that for the first five minutes after service, I want you to intentionally go and talk to someone you don’t know or don’t know well.
All of your friends will be still be here after five minutes, but visitors probably won’t. Would you?
So please take this seriously: Spend the first five minutes talking to a visitor, or to someone you don’t know that well.
· Ask their name.
· Find out where they are from.
· Ask what brought them here.
So the first two steps to reaching out to those around us are: 1) Inviting them, and 2) Welcoming them. The last step is:
3. Include them
The final step is to simply, but intentionally bring others into our community. This step takes the greatest sacrifice.
· It means giving up two precious resources: time and (for lack of a better word) privacy.
· It means opening up and sharing ourselves someone else.
Time and privacy are highly prized in our culture, and giving some up is a very real demonstration of the love of Christ, and it is the foundation of community.
I am not saying that I expect that everyone you meet should become your best friend. There is a limited number of people that you can have a close relationship with.
· Jesus only had the twelve, and an inner circle of three.
But I do mean that every one of us should be intentionally drawing others into this community. This can be done in a variety of ways:
· Invite someone to a church event, such as breakfast, and promise to meet them there and introduce them to others.
· Invite them to your home group.
· Invite them over to your house for dinner.
Simply having someone over for dinner is a powerful way to bring them into our community.
· For this reason, Marilyn and I are trying to eat a meal with each of you as families or in small batches.
Whether you include others by inviting to an event, home group, or a dinner, just follow the Golden Rule. If you felt like you were on the outside, how would you want to be brought in?
I want to end by telling you about the difference reaching out made to my family. My mom shared this with me when I told her today’s topic.
My parents moved up to Washington when I was 3 and my sister was 1, and Micah, literally had not yet been thought of. They were a young couple, trying to figure out how to be good parents and spouses, and not having an easy go at it.
Both of them had come from very different backgrounds and neither of them had had great example of healthy marriages, so things were very tough.
For what ever reason, they had a hard time finding a church home in Washington, and after nearly a year and half, they still were not connected anywhere. But someone invited them to this little church that met in a school called Faith Fellowship.
They were warmly welcomed in, and were invited to someone’s house for lunch that same day. They came back the next week and were again invited to lunch. To make a long story short, we continued to be a part of Faith Fellowship until we moved over 10 years later.
And through those relationships, God is amazing stuff in all of our lives. My mom said that God saved their marriage through FF. And all because they invited, welcomed, and included.
Prayer:
Father, please help us to move from being a great place to be in community to an easy place to become part of the community.
· Help us invite outsiders into our church, especially those who do not know you.
· Help us welcome every one who visits our church.
· Help us include them into our community.
It is our prayer and desire that The Gathering be safe place, and place that you can send people who need you and your love, expressed through your body.
Benediction (Numbers 6:24-26)
May the LORD bless you
And keep you;
May the LORD make His face to shine upon you,
And be gracious unto you.
May the Lord: Help us reach out to those around us!
May the LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.