What makes you weep with anguish or pound on the table with your fist?
People are lonely and lost. They desperately need to know the love of God. They need to know that no matter how much or how little they possess, what they have or have not done, or where they have been, that God loves them so much that he gave his son, Jesus, for them.
Meridian Christian Church is a unique place of God’s love expressed to all peoples of our world.
There is no place like this place anywhere near this place! MCC is a place of acceptance, of encouragement. There is no pretense or posing here. This is a place of honesty and integrity. This is a place where people matter – not their color, not their upbringing, not their economic stature, not their clothes style, and not their political leanings, not their sexual orientation, or even their faith background. Every person ever born into this world is a child of the creator God – there are no exceptions – none.
The problem is that most of them are lonely and lost and most of them won’t admit it. It is the core issue for our God and it lays the ground upon which the foundation of Meridian Christian Church is laid. This is the soil into which we dig and pour the footings for the basic mission of our church.
Meridian Christian Church MISSION
Helping People Find The Way Home
Say it with me: Helping People Find The Way Home
Helping people – this is our method
Find The Way – this is our purpose; introducing our friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors (FRAN’s) to Jesus
Home – this is our goal – here on earth it is the church and ultimately it is with God in the heavenly realm.
Let me say expand upon it just a bit. This is not just a slogan – this is a battle plan!
2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
2 Tim 2:2
Our mission is simple. It is being UNSTOPPABLE in our efforts and energy to grow. We want to see more and more of our friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors discover the love and acceptance of God that we have found through his son Jesus.
We’re going to do that by sharing it with some who share it with others who will share it with others and we can watch the multiplication grow.
Meridian Christian Church VISION
Meridian Christian Church is a Dynamic Community of Purpose Driven Jesus People
A praying, worshiping, revolutionary, team powered, family of contributors who are Jesus followers with great stories of transformation
It is also a place of transformation. We believe that people need to be accepted
This is not about programs. This is about values. For the next few weeks I want to talk with you about our values as a church family. For the last six months I have been working with the elders, staff, and ministry leaders of MCC to identify, develop, and hone the critical core values that shape our ministry, our programs, our activities, and for the basis for the culture of our church family. We have identified five core values.
Meridian Christian Church VALUES
Welcoming
From Guest to Belonging
Worshiping
From Spectator to Worshiper
Growing
From Seeker to Maturing Believer
Serving
From Consumer to Contributor
Reaching
From Transformed to Transformer
For the next several weeks I would like to talk with you about each of these values and what they mean to us. I am not going to “preach” as much as I want to simply share with you my heart for the future of Meridian Christian Church as we move into a new future.
Let me start by saying something about change. I’ve had this conversation with a couple of different people in the last couple of weeks. We get to talking about the new building and somewhere in the conversation they say, “You know, I hope we don’t change…”
Here is the reality folks: When we get into our new building – things are going to change. In fact, lots of things will change. John and Jordon, our father and son setup team, won’t be having to set up and tear down the tables in the foyer every week. You won’t have to walk down a long hallway to the auditorium. And we’ll have lights in our new auditorium that aren’t burned out! When you get right down to it – change is good – especially compared to the alternative – death!
For the next several weeks I want to talk with you about the change that we need to see happen to make us into the praying, worshiping, revolutionary team powered family of contributors who are Jesus followers with great stories of transformation. These are the values that will help us become that UNSTOPPABLE church that is described in the pages of the New Testament.
We start with the first of these values… From Guest to Partner
The first is about being a welcoming church.
UNSTOPPABLE: Welcoming People
Everybody needs a “Barney”!
“A pastor saw Robert Schuller’s TV program “Hour of Power.” One of the things that impressed him the most during the program was watching everyone turning around to shake hands with and greet other worshippers seated near them. The pastor felt that his church was a bit stuffy and could use a bit of friendliness. So, at Sunday morning worship he announced that next week they would initiate this custom of greeting one another. At the close of this same worship service one man turned around to the lady behind him and said a cheerful, “Good morning!” She looked back at him with shock at his boldness and said, “I beg your pardon! That friendliness business doesn’t start until next Sunday!”
A Friend is a Giver – Joseph, called Barnabas
34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.
Acts 4:34-37
His given name was Joseph, just an ordinary follower of Jesus, who was so greatly used by God to provide for the needs of others that the Church gave him the nickname, “Barnabas”, meaning “son of Encouragement”. God called him alongside to share what he had been blessed with. In this case, there was a need for money. We don’t know how long Barnabas had owned the land he sold, or what his intensions were for the land. All we know is that Barnabas saw a need, saw e ad something he could contribute to help with the need, and simply did it!
Even though God can create something out of nothing, He chooses to use friends whom He has blessed in order that they might be a blessing to others.
For the last few years, we have held an AMMO retreat, which some of our men got to attend. As we dreamed about this event last summer, the Lord put it into our hearts that this Men’s Retreat needed to be offered to the men of our church at a low cost.
Because God placed the burden on one man’s heart, even though he could not attend the Retreat himself, he handed us a large gift so that others could attend.
Last Spring our Women’s Ministry held a retreat and a number of ladies stepped up and gave food, supplies, and time to put together a wonderful day of encouragement.
Last Sunday after church we had a Chili Cook off and a host of people hung out, ate chili and just talked to each other.
Maybe you know of a need and you cannot get it off your heart. Maybe God has already provided you the means whereby you can meet that need. You’ve been blessed to be a blessing! What are you waiting for? Be a giver. Be a Barney!
A Friend is an Buddy – Barnabas and Saul
26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.
Acts 9:26-27
Saul was born again with arrest warrants in his pockets. His reason for going to Damascus in the first place was “…so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.” (Acts 9:2 NIV) The Lord appeared to him on the way and changed his life. Saul started proclaiming his newfound faith to others and the Jews decided to kill him. Those he had led to the Lord helped him escape to Jerusalem.
The only problem was every Christian knew what Saul looked like. When he showed up for church, all the believers tried to find some way to get away from him.
Look at verse 27: “But Barnabas…!” Barnabas risks his own life to help Saul be accepted among the believers. That’s what a friend does! Barnabas knew that the only way Saul could get in with the Believers was for he himself to stick his neck out for Saul! Barnabas defends Saul. How did he know that all this wouldn’t backfire on him and he get thrown out of the fellowship along with Saul? He didn’t! But Barnabas believed that Saul was worth protecting! That’s what a friend does! A friend comes to the defense of another.
“She Bought Me Another Dog” Pepper Rogers, coach of UCLA’s football team suffered through a poor season back in the 1970’s. He came under intense criticism and pressure from alumni and fans. Things got so bad that he felt as if all his friends were gone. “My dog was my only true friend,” he said. “I told my wife that every man needs at least two good friends–and she bought me another dog.”
Who has God called you alongside for whom you can become a protector?
A Friend is a Encourager – Barnabas and the Christians of Antioch
When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
Acts 11:23-24
The Church in Antioch is growing by leaps and bounds. People are finding the Lord and the believers at the Jerusalem home base are thrilled and concerned that these young believers be given the right foundation. Someone needs to go to Antioch and help the new believers there grow in the Lord. Who should go?
Look at verse 22: they sent Barnabas to Antioch. And why not! Barnabas knew the culture since he was from near there. He knew the language. He knew the mindset of the people in those parts. And on top of all that, Barnabas was an encourager. He knew how to coach these folk to be there best for the Lord.
While I have never been an athlete, I’ve had some great who came alongside me and trained me in the things of God… like…
Ken Washburn, who showed me how to share the good news of Jesus with seekers;
Jim Girdwood, who fanned the ember in my heart to share the gospel into a blazing fire;
Keith Keeran, who showed me how to become a good communicator of the good news;
Paul Stacy, my dad, who showed me how to live it consistently over a lifetime.
While walking home from school, Mark noticed the boy ahead of him had stumbled to the ground and dropped everything he was carrying. Mark hurried to the boy’s side and helped him collect his belongings. Surprisingly, the boy was carrying an especially hefty load. There was a baseball glove and bat, a couple of sweaters, a small tape recorder, and an armful of books. Mark helped him carry the things home and his new friend, Bill, was most appreciative of his compassion. During the walk home, Mark discovered Bill was struggling in school and had just broken up with his girlfriend. When they arrived at Bill’s house, he invited Mark in for a Coke and they spent the rest of the afternoon talking, laughing, and watching TV. Although the two boys never became real close friends, they kept up with each other throughout the rest of junior high and high school. Several weeks before graduation, Bill approached Mark and asked him if he remembered that day they met when Mark helped him with all of his stuff. Mark nodded as he remembered. Bill then asked, “Did you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things that day?” Without pausing for an answer, Bill explained he had cleaned out his locker and was going home to take his life. He had been storing away sleeping pills and was headed home to end it all when Mark happened along to help him out. Bill told Mark how that simple act of compassion inspired him to go on living. He said, “Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you saved my life!” Imagine how many times our small, seemingly insignificant gestures of concern may reignite the flame of life and inspire someone to continue on. Thankfully, compassion has a way of doing that.
Chicken Soup for the Soul, Jack Canfield and Mark Hansen, 1993, p. 35
UNSTOPPABLE: Welcoming People
Who has God called you to become their friend?
If I you to come up here and teach a lesson most of you would say that you are not interested. But if I ask you if you can be a friend to someone who walks through the doors of the church most of you could handle that.
Over the next six months we are going to see a lot of guests. Some will be curious. Some will be visiting because of connections with others in the church. Some will be skeptical of our motives. Every one of them is lonely and lost if they Jesus if they have not yet decided to follow Jesus as their savior and Lord – no exceptions.
A newspaper held a competition to find out how people would describe friendship. The winning answer was, “A friend is someone who’s walking in when everyone else is walking out.” You and I have a friend that will do that, a friend who will stick closer than a brother. Jesus said, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20) And when he said it he was only living up to his name, “Immanuel”--which means, "God with us." (Matthew 1:23)
Who has God called you alongside for whom you can become a coach? Who, has God put into your life for you to become their “Barney?”
Each of us has something we can train someone else to do! Each of you has been given a gift by God with which you are uniquely qualified to serve others! What do you know that you can teach someone else?
I have two simple requests for you this morning…
1) Decide to follow Jesus.
2) Determine to make MCC a gathering of welcoming people.
